ELP Digest 30 September 2002 Volume 12 : Issue 11 The "Hang On To A Dream" Edition Today's Topics: Breaking News, Rumors, Etc. - ELP Covered by Vertical Horizon (September 17, 2002) - NICE CONCERT TICKETS (September 17, 2002) Reader Commentary - duplicate ELP gig (September 9, 2002) - Greg has got the Blues and so have I (September 9, 2002) - Looking forward by looking back (September 9, 2002) - Reply to Mark Pituch - ELP Anthology (September 9, 2002) - Re: ELP Digest Vol. 12 #10 (September 9, 2002) - Well Said! (September 11, 2002) - Bob Moog news - and are good! (September 18, 2002) - ELP a stage too far!! (September 18, 2002) - Bootlegs Box 3 (September 19, 2002) - ELP (mis)quote on West Wing (September 26, 2002) Questions (and Answers!) - keith's stage clothes (September 11, 2002) - Re: ELP Digest Vol. 12 #10 (September 15, 2002) ELP-related products, tribute bands, promoters (The ELP Digest does not endorse, etc.) - ELPeople (September 9, 2002) - ELPeople (2) (September 9, 2002) =========================== Prelude =========================== Hi. The Nice mini-tour starts this week. I can't wait to read some reviews. The dates that I know about are: * 2nd October - The NICE : Wolverhampton Civic Hall * 3rd October - The NICE : Newcastle - New Tyne Theatre & Opera House * 4th October - The NICE : Glasgow - Royal Concert Hall * 6th October - The NICE : London - Royal Festival Hall Other tidbits in this issue include an upcoming cover version of "I Believe in Father Christmas", an update on Bob Moog and Moog Music, and some more entries into the fray about the band's future. ------------------------------ Latest News from the Official ELP sites .... Not much to report, but check out Carl's site for updates on his news and concert date page at http://www.carlpalmer.com/news.html Elsewhere on the Web, there's a nice (well, yes) write up and picture of the reunited Nice at http://www.users.waitrose.com/~douganderson/elp/niceshow.htm =========================== Breaking News, Rumors, Etc. =========================== From: MDeLugt@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 6:50 PM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: ELP Covered by Vertical Horizon Hi John, thought you and fellow Digesters/ELP completists would enjoythis bit of information: ------------ Off of Yahoo! news: Entertainment - LAUNCH Music Vertical Horizon Records Xmas Song, Challenges Kermit To Fight Sun Sep 15, 4:57 PM ET (9/15/02, 7 a.m. ET) -- Vertical Horizon re-entered the studio for two days recently to record a version of "I Believe In Father Christmas," originally recorded by prog-rock heroes Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The song will appear on a holiday release being readied by BMG. The track was produced by John Shanks, who is also overseeing the band's next album, Go, due early next year from RCA. The recording marks the first time that Vertical Horizon has recorded another artist's tune. "It was a wonderful experience," the band writes on its official website (verticalhorizon.com). "We spend a great deal of time creating our own music, so it was fun to just blast through a song that we all have known and loved for years." As was the case with Go, "I Believe In Father Christmas" was recorded at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles. The storied facility, formerly home to A&M Records and Charlie Chaplin Studios before it, now produces the Muppets. It even boasts a giant Kermit statue that overlooks its main entrance. However, the band told LAUNCH that security on the lot was a little too intense for their liking. "We took some pictures of ourselves with Kermit and we weren't allowed to let anyone see 'em," Bassist Sean Hurley said. Guitarist Keith Kane added, "Right, it was like, grab the camera, pull the film out." Matt Scannell added, "Yeah, the Kermit police came from around the corner and beat the sh-t out of Ed." Drummer Ed Toth continued, "It was rough. The black eye's not from rock 'n' roll, it's from taking a picture of Kermit." Toth added that it's time to fight back. "I would like to challenge Kermit to a boxing match with all the proceeds going to charity. And if anybody else, (Fred) Durst or (Scott) Stapp or any of those guys want to get on the bandwagon, that's fine. But I want Kermit in the ring." -- Neal Weiss, Los Angeles --------------------------------------------- From: nigel emerson [nigelemerson@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 12:12 PM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: NICE CONCERT TICKETS I HAVE TWO TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR THE NICE CONCERT AT THE ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL 6th OCT. THE FACE VALUE OF EACH TICKET IS £17-50 I WILL ACCEPT £25 FOR THEM AS I AM UNABLE TO MAKE THE CONCERT. YOU CAN EMAIL ME AT Nigelemerson@hotmail.com if interested. =========================== Reader Commentary =========================== From: lawrence moseley [moseleylawrence@hotmail.com] Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 8:40 AM To: audioarc@mweb.co.za; ELP-Digest@reluctant.com Subject: duplicate ELP gig I noticed this sort of thing turning up on The King Biscuit Flower Hour set, despite different venue names...the '74 set there seemed very familiar to the Anaheim set...crowd noise in 'Lucky man' etc. ..."Get crazy..." (indeed...) is this getting to be a bad habit or what... repackaging the same gig from different source tapes is not good enough... Or is it just my imagination and I really hope I've got it wrong but... i wonder how much control E L and P have over licensing tapes... regards Lawrence --------------------------------------------- From: mark burridge [markpb@mcmail.com] Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 11:49 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Greg has got the Blues and so have I Interesting to note that Greg is experimenting with the blues....... this suddenly came to mind I left the band ...had nothing to play Got my guitar out and nothin came out thought about things...and there was nothin there thought I'd come back with a few old tunes.. played slightly differently...They will surly pay aaaghh somebody let me out of here! Mark Burridge......a screaching sax in the background --------------------------------------------- From: peter marsh [petermarshpersonal@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 12:01 PM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Looking forward by looking back Dear John, There recently seem to be a number of letters concerning the value of "raking over the coals" of the "golden years" of ELP, now that the last break-up is long gone. True, they're arguably (and I emphasise that word!) old men, and may arguably have said a lot of what they can say as creative musicians. However, if they've got more to do creatively in new directions (as Emerson's admirably demonstrated in his recent solo release), and people want to listen, then there's no more reason necessary for our continued interest. I suppose the point I'm trying (and maybe failing) to get across is that having being touched by the music of these people for more than half my life, I'm always interested to hear new ventures/ideas from them. Giving time to listening to the original 1970's stuff provides a benchmark for E, L & P today, AND anything else we might listen to today as well. There's everything to argue for the value of referring back to the best of what's gone before, and learning in order to move forward (all true creative artists should recognise that philosophy). Further, and barely related, I recall a number of letters some Digests' ago asking about what "Emerson-ish" classical pieces to go for, for those interested in such music. I'd agree whole-heartedly with the suggestions (Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto could almost have been written for Emerson). Here's a few others people might like to try: Honegger: Symphonies 2 & 3 (Karajan, BPO on D. Gramophone) The 1st movement of no. 2 cries out for the ELP-treatment! Prokofiev: Piano concerto's 1&2....both very virtuosic, pyrotechnic pieces. Prokofiev: Battle on the Ice from Alexander Nevsky Cantata Extremely dramatic and exciting music. Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra Shostakovich: Symphony no. 5, Piano Concerto no. 1. Copland: (this should go without saying!): Billy the Kid (ballet); Symphony no. 3, but also worth checking out his chamber (e.g. the Sextet) and instrumental music. Britten: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes Roy Harris: Symphony no. 3. Matthews: Fourth Sonata for Orchestra. Lindberg: Aura And after all that talk about looking forward, I've got my ticket to see the Nice at the Royal Festival Hall on October 6th....review to follow. Kind regards pete --------------------------------------------- From: Shanne Roberts [shanne.roberts@virgin.net] Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 4:58 PM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: Reply to Mark Pituch - ELP Anthology I've just read the latest edition of the 'Digest' and noticed a mail from Mark Pituch regarding 'new' ELP products. Mark - I can comment on the 'Anthology' 2-disc set. I bought it from Amazon.co.uk a couple of weeks ago. I would say that for ELP fans with a decent Hi-Fi rig, this one is a must. Whilst the music is familiar, the re-mastering is excellent - really excellent. I have a classical/jazz - biased Hi-Fi set-up (Copland Amp/ Ruark Speakers/Exposure CD) and generally have found that roughly recorded, 70's complex rock sounds come across in a rather thin and after a while, tiresome way - old ELP CD's being no exception (I'd rather listen to them on my car CD machine). That's why I was immediately impressed with 'Anthology'. At last, I was hearing Greg's deep bass powering and growling through alongside Carl's crisp and vibrant percussion. Keith's synths and Hammond tones wail and warble with depth and real focus. The parameters of the studios of the 1970's seem to be the only sonic limitations in play here. Even 'semi-duff' tracks like the infamous 'Love Beach' actually sound really good and very well produced (shame about the lyrics really - I just can't get my head around Greg's repetitive 'I wanna make love to ya' at the end of the track - possibly my problem, being a devout prog-rocker all those years ago - too serious by half!). Overall, the content is a great record of the band's musical diversity and reminded me that in many ways this diversity, allied to great musicianship, production, creative daring, theatrical fun and pushing the technology envelope of the day are what made ELP so special. My only regret about the album is that one of my favourite ELP tracks, the little-known 'When the apple blossoms bloom in the windmills of your mind I'll be your valentine' is not on the album. To me, this track almost started a new musical genre called 'Prog-Jazz' in my mind when I first heard it in the 1970's. Sooo Cooool in its day! BrainSalad Surgery (the vinyl single) was recorded around the same time and has a similar sonic quality - it's just not as cool... Keith - if you ever read this stuff you should add WTABBITWOYMIBYV to the forthcoming set of The Nice (I'm going to the Festival Hall gig in October.......). Finally, there are many truly memorable recordings on this CD set, some or all of which helped shape our lives as teenagers and fans back in those days. Probably 'Pirates' represents both the pinnacle and the swan song of the prog-rock era and on this CD it sounds better than ever before - it's almost worth buying just for this track. I think you can take this as a recommendation for 'Anthology'. Regards Bryan Roberts, London UK --------------------------------------------- From: KYBDS@aol.com Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 3:17 AM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Re: ELP Digest Vol. 12 #10 >>> Well excuse me while I book my Rush ticket. >>> >>> Mark Burridge. Right behind you Mark, Right behind you. "VAPOR TRAILS" is without a doubt RUSH's strongest outing in YEARS (arguably one of their best) and is loaded with white-hot, cutting edge writing, singing & playing. Just phenomenal. They are back stronger than ever. Seeing YES out on Tour again this summer with their original members, and of course the aforementioned RUSH tour to support the new CD just brings pangs of hunger and sorrow for the demise (yet again) of ELP. So sad they couldn't get along, esp when so many others are out there, doing well. Joe Hannigan --------------------------------------------- From: Mike Florio [mflorio@bestweb.net] Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2002 4:22 PM To: markpb@mcmail.com Cc: ELP Digest Subject: Well Said ! "...Rush who are also fantastic players but with one small difference, they are all freinds which bears witness in their music, all 17 albums worth. Especially thier latest CD Vapour Trails which showcases a band which plays contemporary progressive rock and whose fans are not stuck in 1973." Absolutely. ELP never matured or seriously worked together as a band as Rush did. I'm not a big Rush fan (except for maybe the keyboard- heavy 80's period), but they've grown as a unit, and their music never got stale. They aren't doomed to an existence of playing 2112 the rest of their lives. --------------------------------------------- From: Adriano Melis [adriano.melis@st.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 9:49 AM To: ELP digest Subject: Bob Moog news - and are good! John, During casual websurfing to check the features of the MoogerfFoogers (powerful effect devices engineered by Dr. Robert Moog, I was fantasizing about buying one for my music gear rig) I found that... start quote: "About Moog Music "Moog Music is an Asheville, NC based company bearing the name of owner and Chief Technical Officer, Robert Moog. The current incarnation of Moog Music started as Big Briar, the company founded by Dr. Moog in 1978. Big Briar became Moog Music in 2002 after Dr. Moog reacquired the Moog Music trademark. "Moog Music is a company made up of musicians, business professionals, and technicians who work together to bring you some of the finest electronic music gear on today's market. Moog draws on a long tradition of analog design to build instruments with great sound, musician- friendly user interfaces, and rugged, good-looking classic-style enclosures. "Current product lines include Etherwave and Ethervox theremins, Moogerfooger Analog Effects, and Minimoog Voyager Analog Synthesizers." (end of quote) to see the full story go to: http://www.moogmusic.com my only comment is that... I'm very happy of this for Dr. Moog, he deserves it!!!!!!! Adriano --------------------------------------------- From: Jeremy [jeremy@alto.co.uk] Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 11:39 AM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: ELP a stage too far!! Come on ELP get it together, put to one side your scorched ego's and give us what we want. This is the first time that I have emailed a fan site and I do so purely because I, selfishly, would like to enjoy your music live once again. Don't waste all the magnificent writing and technical performance skills that you are endowed with, you clearly enjoy the live buzz and together you shine. Playing separately you're fantastic but simply lack the same edge as you muster when you work as a unit. Come on guy's make our day! Jeremy@alto.co.uk --------------------------------------------- From: Allan Heron [allanheron@ntlworld.com] Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 3:33 PM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: Bootlegs Box 3 As a new subscriber to the digest I read the comments of Nigel Geden with some interest. Isn't the point that these are simply bootlegs that are being issued by the band (or, at least, on their behalf) by Sanctuary. Presumably the simple answer is that the bootleggers have pirated some of the officially released material as part of their release. At the end of the day, if people like this type of material (and not everyone is willing to take a risk on the somewhat variable quality of boots) better that the band share some of the spoils rather than the bootlegger. I also think the point about Sanctuary labelling the box as previously released material - it's all previously released as these sets were/are available as boots. And finally, if Nigel had bought the boots in the first place would he have complained about the piracy or simply accepted is as part and parcel of what happens in the bootlegging game? Anyway, looking forward to the Glasgow gig on 4th October - I'm nicely (sic) positioned in the second row of the arena Regards Allan --------------------------------------------- From: Bruce Shaw [mailto:Bruce.Shaw@gov.ab.ca] Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 12:02 PM To: 'elp-digest-request@reluctant.com' Subject: ELP (mis)quote on West Wing On the episode that aired September 25th, 2002, President Bartlett said, "Welcome, my friend, to the show that never ends" =========================== Questions (and Answers!) =========================== From: phineas [phineas@globespeed.net] Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2002 8:15 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: keith's stage clothes can't remember the designer, but he was from japan and keith bought them all there. love the digest, john! deb steele phineas@globespeed.net --------------------------------------------- From: RCOHE025@aol.com Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2002 4:54 PM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Re: ELP Digest Vol. 12 #10 Great issue this month. A big thanx to Nigel Geden for his review on the ELP bootlegs. I almost bought them but glad I didn't. I wonder if the NICE are coming to the USA? Does anyone know? Ron [ Editor's Note: I don't know but I sure would like to see them. Let's hope they consider it in their future plans! - John - ] =========================== ELP-related products, tribute bands, promoters (The ELP Digest does not endorse, etc.) =========================== From: Cazlove@aol.com Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 5:06 AM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: ELPeople Hi I have just got to share my thought's on a fantastic ELP tribute band I saw at The Limelight Club in Crewe on September 1st, ELPeople. I hardly know where to start........they are all such wonderful musician's and gave a truly exhilarating and very credible performance of ELP's masterpiece's. That special tingley awe inspiring feeling that you only get with Emerson, Lake and Palmer's classic's was very evident. All you ELP fans out there, this band in not to be missed. I am so glad to be on the ELP digest mailing list,,,,,,,,,,, what a great way to keep up to date with ELP's world. Carole --------------------------------------------- From: Phil Blakeney [phil@philblakeney.com] Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 10:08 AM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: ELPeople I just spoke on the phone with Dominic Finley, manager of ELPeople. I got confirmation of the Leeds, York and Doncaster gigs (I'll be able to get to all three), and shall post my findings on this site. Another UK ELP tribute act is Noddy's Puncture (excellent live act), who Dominic knows... he says that if you're impressed by Noddy, you'll be blown out of the water by ELPeople! (well, he is a promoter!) Caught Carl on his UK tour (Witchwood in Ashton under Lyne), and Emo with the Nice back in June at the 100 Club. Smashing guys, matchless musicians, memorable and nostalgic evenings. What more to say? Phil =========================== Digest subscription, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: elp-digest-request@reluctant.com ELP-related info that you want to put in the digest to: elp-digest@reluctant.com Back issues are available from the ELP Digest web site: URL: http://www.brain-salad.com/ Note: The opinions, information, etc. contained in this digest are those of the original message sender listed in each message. They are not necessarily those of the mailing list/digest administrator or those of any institution through whose computers/networks this mail flows. Unless otherwise noted, the individual authors of each entry in the Digest are the copyright holders of that entry. Please respect that copyright and act accordingly. I especially ask that you not redistribute the ELP Digest in whole or in part without acknowledging the original source of the digest and each author. Thanks! End of ELP Digest [Volume 12, Issue 11] ***************************************