ELP Digest 24 Dec 2003 Volume 13 : Issue 15 The "Rejoice! Glory is ours" Edition A 30th anniversary tribute to Brain Salad Surgery Today's Topics: Reader Commentary - ELP on DVD (December 13, 2003) - Jools Holland's Later (December 15, 2003) - THE NICE in 1968 German TV show (December 15, 2003) - Greg Lake bashing (December 15, 2003) - Isle of Wight Festival - the movie - Castle Music Pictures (December 16, 2003) - Carl's US clinic covered by Paiste & Modern Drummer (December 18, 2003) Questions (and Answers!) - Re: Emerson (Cover of "Living Sin") (December 15, 2003) SPECIAL FEATURE: 30th ANNIVERSARY BSS MEMORIES - 39 submissions =========================== Prelude =========================== Hi. Whatever you may be celebrating at this time of year, I hope you and your families are happy and healthy. Best wishes for 2004! In this special edition of the ELP Digest, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of Brain Salad Surgery. Thanks to so many of you for sharing your thoughts and memories of this album that is so special to so many of us. - John - ------------------------------ Latest News from the Official ELP sites .... Enjoy the new "Season's Greetings" card at: http://www.keithemerson.com/ ... or re-link to it at: http://www.keithemerson.com/images/SpecialEvents/Christmas/Christmas2003.jpg There's also an updated answer about sheet music for "Nutrocker" at: http://www.keithemerson.com/AskEmo/AskEmo.html Greg has his Christmas message posted at: http://www.greglake.com/xmas where you can also hear what sounds like an excerpt from his latest rendition of "I Believe in Father Christmas". And don't forget that ELP gifts are still available at all of the official sites (including the newest ELPowell and Greg Lake 'official bootlegs'!): http://www.emersonlakepalmer.com http://www.keithemerson.com http://www.greglake.com/ http://www.carlpalmer.com/ Happy Holidays! =========================== Reader Commentary =========================== From: Gary Stokes [gary7stokes@hotmail.com] Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003 7:45 PM To: elp-digest-request@reluctant.com Subject: ELP on DVD Hi John, Here's something I hope you'll put in the next digest: First of all a belated and huge thank you to Dave Bailey, for mentioning the excellent video footage of 'Knife Edge' as included on 'Let It Rock' Volume Two, back in September. This clip looks like it comes from Beat Club. Since then I've come across no less than three more ELP clips on various collection DVDs: 'Keyboard Wizards', released by Classic Rock (www.classicrockproductions.com) features 'The Barbarian' live, and taken from 'Rock Of The 70s'. The DVD includes 11 tracks and is well worth checking out for Rick Wakeman and David Sinclair (Caravan) too. Also from Classic Rock is 'The Progressive Rock Anthology' which features an excerpt from 'Take A Pebble'. This is the first six and a half minutes of the track and I'm guessing it's another clip from 'Rock Of The 70s'. Greg adds a vocal to the acoustic guitar solo and at one point jovially tells Keith (I think) to f*** off! Very interesting to see what looks like an ELP DVD cover on the screen from which the track is selected. This DVD is similar to 'Keyboard Wizards' but more consistent. Anyone who's curious as to the source of 'The Curse OF Baba Yaga' on the Yes EP, be warned this is from the 'Pictures' DVD and is therefore obscured by the unnecessary cartoon strips. A great DVD for Yes fans though, and from DTS / Classic Pictures. (www.classicpictures.co.uk). Happy viewing! Best Gary --------------------------------------------- From: Roger Evans [revans1@netcomuk.co.uk] Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 2:03 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Jools Holland's Later Was I mistaken but weren't the Nice supposed to have been featured on the BBC2 program "Later- with Jools Holland" during 2003? Or did I miss it? Roger --------------------------------------------- From: Christian Hack [3fates@web.de] Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 4:09 PM To: elp-digest-request@reluctant.com Subject: THE NICE in 1968 German TV show On Dec.15th the German TV-channel NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk) broadcasted newly entitled as "Rock Archiv" a complete issue of the show "Beat Club" from 1968 featuring THE NICE playing "America" (7-min.-version) with Keith Emerson, Lee Jackson, David O'List and Brian Davison. Being "only" a playback show in black and white it was interesting to see "America" performed by The Nice in a politically motivated early video (or film)-animation, a rhythmic collage of pictures of the war in Vietnam, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup can, Lyndon B. Johnson as "war criminal" etc. Keith gets the light in his face from underneath in the beginning of the song, looking really mysterious and demonic. Christian Hack, Goettingen (Germany). --------------------------------------------- From: Drumrolls3@wmconnect.com Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 4:57 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Greg Lake bashing I have been a reader of the ELP digest for some time now, and I have been reading the posts about Greg Lake's voice, and bass playing. First, briefly I want to comment on how people like to pick at Greg's voice. I know that when you listen to early ELP, Greg sounds like a totally different person compared to more recent recordings. I am not going to try to guess why, but I do want to say that for those of you who do like to take stabs at Greg's voice, I urge you to listen to early recordings of people like, to name a couple, Tony Bennett and Rosemary Clooney. To me, Tony Bennett now sounds nothing like Tony Bennett then. Same for Rosemary Clooney. These two people have been singing for years and years and years. I don't understand the criticisms of Greg Lake for not having the same type of voice he had in earlier recordings. Personally, I like his voice just as much now as I ever did. It still is unmatchable. He has a very, very unique voice. In fact, there are times I prefer his voice now compared to then. He is still the most talented man he has been since he first recorded, in my humble opinion. ELP would never, ever be the same without Greg singing the tunes. Greg's bass playing: While I have not read Keith's book, from which I understand Keith says some rather negative things concerning Greg's bass playing...I have to say this: If you listen to all the notes that Keith is playing on the keys, the bass notes, how can he ever have expected Greg to write anything around that without it sounding really ridiculous? An example is, listen to the portion of KE 9 1st impression, part 1, where the tune moves into the " Step inside, hello, we've the most amazing show" section. Greg doesn't even need to be playing the bass there because Keith is squeezing out the bass notes already, and you can't even hear Greg's bass over this. What the devil is he supposed to do? Did Keith ever stop to think that maybe Greg had no need to overplay the stuff he was already squeezing out on the keys? On top of this, I dare anyone to listen to the album "Pictures at an exhibition" and tell me that Greg's playing of the bass isn't up to par? He is being very percussive, rhythmic and aggressive. And what about the spot in Tarkus where Keith is out front playing around with the ribbon controller, and Greg is carrying on the melody of the section in Manticore all that time. Listen to the pick hand. On the bootlegs, Keith carries the playing around with the ribbon control longer than usual, and Greg is carrying this on as long as humanly possible, then eases up a bit, but then goes right back to the fast picking to carry on with the section. I think this, along with what I mentioned in "Pictures" is some remarkable bass playing. Say what you want to as this is your right, but without Greg Lake there would have never been the uniqueness about ELP that we true fans have enjoyed and loved. His voice then and now STILL completes the magic of this trio. I can't imagine anyone ever replacing or duplicating him. Steve B. --------------------------------------------- From: Paul Crane [paul.crane@virgin.net] Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 12:13 PM To: ELP-Digest@reluctant.com Subject: Isle of Wight Festival - the movie- Castle Music Pictures Hi all Has anyone else bought this DVD? ELP are listed as playing Pictures and then Rondo as an extra track. The band are introduced on their debut, play the last few bars of Pictures then go straight into Rondo. Thats it 4 minutes at the most!!! I think I've been had. Will return it soon but would like to know if anyone else has had the same problem. Cheers Paul Crane --------------------------------------------- From: Stephen Clang [mailto:saclang@xpres.net] Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 8:31 PM To: elp-digest Subject: Carl's US clinic covered by Paiste & Modern Drummer Hi, Maybe you would be interested in pointing fans to the following: I Just noticed that Carl Palmer was featured on the Paiste (cymbals) website on several fronts: http://www.paiste.com/ -"Dateline September 2003: Paiste presented two titans of the rock music scene, Danny Carey of Tool and Carl Palmer of ELP fame" ....it'll easily go down in the annals of drumming history as one of the greatest events of all time! They both used custom-built drumsets which were made from recycled Paiste cymbals. -Links to TEN pictures from the clinic; -His current drum setup, something I haven't seen since the 80's (in Paiste literature): In addition, a copied article from Paiste's site: Feb 2004 Modern Drummer: Carl Palmer and Danny Carey In Clinic Hundreds of drumming fans flocked to the Downtown Club in Farmingdale, New York this past September 20, and to the Sam Ash Store in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania on September 2', to witness historic duo clinics by Carl Palmer (ELP, Asia, Carl Palmer Group) and Danny Carey (Tool, Pigmy Love Circus). Playing on Paiste Custom Cast kits created from melted-down Paiste Signature Series cymbals by Jeff Ocheltree, the dynamic duo presented a past/present/future symposium of combustible prog-rock technique. Danny kicked off the Farmingdale clinic by playing to taped tracks of Tool's "The Grudge," "Schizm," and "Lateralus." He spoke about the value of practice, application, and "making sense out of the chaos." One high point was a rudimental workout consisting of Carey's high-school competition snare-drum solo. Fifty-five-year-old Carl Palmer hit the stage, and immediately destroyed the audience with his wit, sense of humor, and astounding technique (which he keeps in shape with daily two-hour practice sessions). "My technique is much better today than it was twenty years ago," Palmer exclaimed. "But I haven't peaked yet. I can get faster and a little bit cleaner. I approach the drums from every angle possible in order to keep my interest high. In America, people expect an old guy who's resting on his laurels. But every time I play, I play to kill." Carl's clinic included drum corpsstyle back-sticking within a superfine single-stroke roll, as well as a demonstration of the hi-hat techniques of Max Roach and Buddy Rich. Later, he made the sticks do most of the work for a one-handed roll, balancing the free stick on top of the gripped stick and using a motion that caused both sticks to engage the head for a convincing buzz roll. Palmer's next record, Carl Palmer Working Live, Volume One, will be released on Sanctuary records. In the meantime, Carl remains a busy clinician. He's also working with Keith Emerson and Greg Lake for an upcoming ELP DVD. Speaking about the massively heavy Paiste Custom Cast drums, Carl explained, "The sound is lot more transparent and a lot cleaner, and the playability of the drums is tremendous. And they stay in tune longer." Danny concurred, saying, "They have a heavy fundamental frequency that cuts through amplified music a lot better than wood drums do. Each stick hit is more pronounced. I plan to use them on the next Tool record." Following the Farmingdale clinic, Carl and Danny signed autographs and chatted with fans for over two hours. According to Danny, the experience was as memorable for him as it was for the fans. "Carl Palmer is one of my heroes," he said. "I remember listening to my brother's ELP records and being floored by the drumming. I emulated Carl to the point where I had a Ludwig Octoplus stainless-steel kit. He is a rock 'n' roll role model who's still holding up. I loved seeing him play today. His technique is still incredible, and his energy and fire are an inspiration." Ken Micallef Modern Drummer February 2004 Just a footnote; I have noticed many in the U.S. pronounce "Paiste" wrong. It is pronounced "pie-stee". Keep up the excellent work at Brain-salad, Holiday Wishes, Steve Clang Plymouth, MA =========================== Questions (and Answers!) =========================== From: DORO [philippedoro@wanadoo.fr] Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 7:16 PM To: John Arnold Subject: Re: Emerson [ Editor's Note: After last issue's discussion about the unusual single with a cover version of Living Sin, I received an update from Phillippe (the person who sent along the note) based on some side discussions about it with other ELP Digest readers. Here's an update. - John - ] Hi John, Here's an update about that 7" single. Unfortunatly, it doesn't have a picture sleeve. The label is very simple, printed in black on green. As i told you in my previous mail, the reference is Balkanton BTK 3229. There is another small reference with 3 letters in cyrrilic followed by 4648-71. The usual sentence around the label says the record was made in Bulgaria (and not in Hungary, sorry). There's another reference written on each side of the vinyl: BTK 3229 A S1 7 75 and BTK 3229 B S1 7 75. A friend of mine (from France too) gave me this single maybe 5 years ago, but I can't remember how he managed to get it. Anyway, he sent it to me, saying it was an interesting progressive track. I listened to it, and realized I knew this song, but it took me a while before I could recognize ELP's Living Sin ! The A-side is just a mainstream light pop number, with strings, choirs and orchestrations. The chorus sounds like : "Na-Na-Na, Na-Na-Na-Na..." Well, who knows ? It might be a cover song too. There were lots of stupid stuff like that around in the early 70's. Our mysterious ELP cover is the B-side. Actually it might even be a totally different band playing. Although it could hardly be called hi-fi, the production is much better, in stereo, with a strong double track keyboards in the foreground. One different keyboard on each channel. A very early 70's sound and atmosphere. The drummer does a good job, with what seems to be a very small equipment. Total time is 3:05, almost like ELP original (3:10). It sounds weird, but not ridiculous. And you must remember this is quite a difficult song, with lots of breaks and tricks. The lowest point is probably the vocals, first because the singer (double track too) has a very limited voice, secondly because the original echos effects are missing. The lyrics are not in english (Russian maybe ?). In those days, eastern pop / rock bands were not allowed to sing in english anyway. I found another single once on the same Balkaton label. The picture sleeve showed some kind of ugly woman. I bought it maybe 2 euros, thinking this could be another good surprise, but it was just some popular mainstream boring stuff... Here's something I got from another ELP Digest reader who was kind enough to help out: "Well, the label is in Russian not Hungarian. I can read it but not too much help. The only info what might help is that it is arranged by K. Marichkov (I did a google search but found nothing.) I assume that they sing Russian on the disc not Hungarian." Cheers ! philippe ****************************** SPECIAL FEATURE: 30th ANNIVERSARY BSS MEMORIES ****************************** From: Bruce Padgett [barnabruce@webtv.net] Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 12:14 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: "Brain Salad" at 30 Hi John. As a later fan of ELP (if becoming one in the late '70s can be considered that), I recall being initially intrigued by the elaborate jacket cover. It seemed a bit much at first, but as I had enjoyed some of the music already on New York's WNEW-FM, I purchased the LP and...WOW. Everything about the music was overwhelming. The songs were so varied and unique, and the sound of the band unlike any other. It affected me so that I became quite the prog snob for many years. "Brain Salad" bowled me over like no album since the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper", and still...it turns me on. Bruce Padgett (excuse the pun!) --------------------------------------------- From: richard mcfarland [RmcfrlC@netscape.net] Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 1:01 PM To: ELP Digest Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30Th. Aniversary Has it really been 30 years. As I recollect I was driving a Plymouth Suburban station wagon used as a courtesy car for the Holiday Inn of Camp Springs Maryland. I was enroute to Andrews A.F.B. to pick up a flight crew. On the subject of flight crews I might add that on occasion we had some R.A.F. crews which always brought me English cigarettes; which made me feel way cool sitting at my favorite hang out back then and lighting up one. Those were different times. As my flash bulb memory serves me, hell delivered a new 'English' tall, lanky blond "Well, she blew my nose and then she blew my mind." just one of many I've had ........ Okay! back to the thirtieth anniversary of Brain Salad Surgery, more specifically where I was- ahhh yes the Holiday Inn courtesy car/hot rod (managed to get it impounded for burning rubber once inside the gate at Andrews Air Force Base goosh Mr. A.P. didn't realize this thing had a 383 --------ONE MORE TIME back to where I was when the "album" was released and subsequently aired. (Suddenly) coming through the pathetic paper speaker was "Karn Evil 9" I was simply amazed and Welcome back my friends the show that never ends ladies and gentleman EMMEEERSON LAKE and PALLLLLLLMER!!!!!!!!!!! Still heroes of mine.. yes, Keith Greg and Carl you still are and for your next studio album I'm loaded for bear-3 separate high current Amps. #1 bridged for 2 channel 100 watts each, another duplicate for the 2 rear speakers and a 2 channel bridged for the center channel Infinity speaker. All 5 Infinity speakers being complemented by a Velodyne sub woofer to capture those low notes as only E.L.P. can produce. Playing the DVD audio release of Brain Salad Surgery... and the neighbors thought I was noisy before... In closing, today, I'm picking up another Tori Amos C.D/D.V.D. because when you put extraordinary keyboards, bass, percussion and vocals you have my kind of 'music' and hopefully you alls too. Thank goodness for such talent and lets not use the word RE-UNION any more lets look to a new studio recording by the greatest show in Heaven in hell and on earth -----(ELP) Fast Richard --------------------------------------------- From: Mididood@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 1:34 PM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Thoughts on BSS Hi ALL, Thought I'd take John up on his offer to take a trip down BSS memory lane...please excuse, I haven't ever posted here before... (Quartal tone harmony music fades in...) I was in 6th grade - playing first-chair clarinet (yes- I know..) in the Lincoln Jr. High School band and orchestra. Most everyone there hated me for this knack I had with the ol' licorice stick. The second chair dude, sorta a nerdy twit kinda guy - yes more than I - told me about this BSS album. Basically he said: "Check it out, it's F@#king WEIRD!". That's about all he said. At the time I was just getting into rock - and more definitively 'prog'. I was totally into the Deep Purple/John Lord thing - after giving up the Ritchie Blackmore/gtr. thing - and was beginning to noodle with keyboards (the piano) on the side. I was especially enamored with synthesizers as I had seen on the cover of Wendy Carlos' Switched on Bach. Now THAT thing looked interesting! Where the heck does one get one of those? Bought BSS later that week - not that I trusted this band-guy mind you, he was a nerd after all - but I was starting to get seriously into music so I checked it out. He was right, it WAS F@#king weird - and I just didn't know the where or the what or the how, that this stuff existed at all. They HAD to be ALIENS! And the keyboard player had one of those strange machines - and he kinda looked menacing! I thought perhaps that I had a stroke or something. It haunted me for weeks...and I really kept trying to like and understand the music and everything - all this, from the viewpoint of a "swiftly approaching puberty" kinda goofball that I was and still am. (ok the puberty part's way past me...) My reality had been shattered and I then really started to ponder - just how hip was this clarinet thing? The chicks were not flocking. As time went on, a year or so, I couldn't NOT listen to this album less than 2-4 times a day. It became obsessive. My parents were concerned - the neighbors were up in arms. I listened LOUDLY. But, it slowly led to me to realize that I just had to have a synth. I got a PAIA in 7th grade and built the darn thing in about a week. I had threatened ANARCHY with my parents if they didn't get this thing for me. Burnt many fingers, singed the eyebrows, and still have permanent 'Dain Braimage' from the solder fumes. I think the folks were slightly amused however. I really got into synths initially to try and make all those weird sounds like those on Toccata. Yet I started to transcribe some of the 'easier' solos which I found I could eventually play on my new monophonic patchcord beast. Wasn't worried about the left hand at this point... From there it is history...I pretty much gave up life to pursue music. Eventually threatened my folks again - to get a Hammond M-3. Played in my first High School band and did Hoedown, Tarkus, Fanfare, Welcome Back, etc - and some Yes and Gentle Giant stuff too. I was completely "Assimilated" at that point - and never returned. I basically got pretty good at keyboards by transcribing mostly just Keith's music. Thanks Keith! I now have about 20 synths in my recording studio and am building a SynthTech MOTM - a rather large analog modular synth - as a mid-life crisis "have-to-do" kinda thing. I've had the great fortune of meeting Keith, Greg and Carl a couple of times, and have always been amazed at how cool they are. I even have a 'cast' from a broken leg, signed by all 3 and still am totally mystified at just how to display the darn thing without offending too many people. ELP is such a vast part of my religious philosophy (Monty Python and music composition the other) that I cannot even begin to approach the words to express the respect and admiration I have for these guys. Having been in several pretty decent prog bands by now - I don't really care about "who's doing what now?" or "why isn't he doing something...?" Get into a band yourself and you'll soon find out the "real whys (mostly)" as to the current scene with ELP or anyone else for that matter. I'm just happy that there's still MUSIC in their blood - and understand: that's how it's always going to be - when you get spirits like these guys who've done the kinda things that they've done - it just DOESN'T END. I'll refrain from the obvious theme creeping in here.... Best to all - be kind to those who've brought you here! And START or KEEP making the music - it cuts right through the bs - I promise. Thanks again E L and P for creating such wonderful effects! Brain Salad Surgery - was a stellar one for me. Roger Rossen mididood@aol.com --------------------------------------------- From: rodrighx@songs.sce.com [mailto:rodrighx@songs.sce.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 4:47 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: 30th anniversary of BSS Wow, has it been thirty years since the release of 'Brain Salad Surgery'? In the '70s I lived in New York City and was in high school at the time, my senior year. I had discovered progressive rock music earlier in my freshman year with Jethro Tull's 'Aqualung' though at the time we couldn't quite categorize it but we knew it was a different kind of rock music. Soon the electronic wail of 'Hoedown' by ELP started playing on our radio and I fell in love with it, not knowing Copeland from a hole in the wall, but knowing that I wanted to hear more. I went out and bought Trilogy and played it daily, my mind aghast that there was this whole other world of music that both harkened back to medieval times and the future simultaneously. Well, at least to my uneducated ear! Classical, western, electronic, all fused together and I marveled at what sort of humans could play such music. Surely it must be a recording trick, nobody is physically capable, right? But then, oh, then came BSS! 'Jerusalem' blasted defiantly from my puny radio, taunting me my lack of audio fidelity for the incomprehensible beauty of what I was hearing! Again, what did I know of English church hymns or of Argentinean composers? Not a lick until ELP dragged me gleefully through their carnival. Each track of black vinyl that came in the Giger wrapper took me emotionally and spiritually through a musical roller coaster, I listened again and again, the vinyl yielding to the wear of my handling but I never cared about the pop and hiss of the inferior medium, in my mind I was there on the battlefield with the ELP computer fighting a forgotten war on a desolate battlefield, the monolithic cyber voice proclaiming victory as the music swelled to a final dizzying progression of notes scurrying hurriedly from speaker to speaker as if seeking escape from the feeble phonograph that held it. Ahhhhh, bliss! 'Brain Salad Surgery' is the only album I have ever purchased repeatedly through all the changes in the medium: vinyl, 8-track, cassette, and now CD, and in each I've bought several copies. Even now when I listen to it I have to begin from the first track and play it through to the end, it is one long musical piece in my mind. All that is progressive music to me is epitomized by that single album, it split the 'atom', rendering all other musicians and albums in its wake. It would have been nice if Keith, Greg and Carl could have continued to greater heights, if such a thing possible, but as such it is what makes this album a crowning achievement and still a wonder to me, and for having taken a poor Bronx teenager out of the slum and into a new universe of wonder and excitement I salute and thank them for their body of work in general and this masterpiece in particular! Thank you, ELP! Hector Rodriguez San Diego, CA --------------------------------------------- From: Clive West [west@3chp.freeserve.co.uk] Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 6:16 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery My G*d - 30 years - where has it gone? But I shouldn't be surprised because it's 30yrs since Dark Side of the Moon - so that's my two most favourite albums and the two most regularly played CDs in the car (unfortunately the wife doesn't appreciate the brilliance of ELP - her loss!). Anyway memories really fall into three areas: 1. I still have three copies of the flexi vinyl promotional record that appeared on the New Musical express (or was it Melody Maker - I forget). As an avid ELP fan I couldn't wait for it and was totally blown away when I heard it. 2. As I was a student at the time in a Hall of Residence with mainly males and a large proportion of ELP fans many a happy hour was spent listening and discussing BSS and the other albums. We were trying to be intellectuals but usually ended up drunk which was far more enjoyable. 3. Finally - I only ever got to see ELP once on April 20 1974 at the Empire Pool Wembley (England) and even the girlfriend came (before she became the wife - a day shopping in London did the trick!). I wanted good seats so ordered the most expensive (about 4PUK if I remember right!). Unfortunately when we got the seats were on the left side (as looking at the stage) and we only had a good view of a bank of speakers - we saw Keith occasionally, Greg most of the time and three quarters of Carl. The 'quadraphonic' sound was also somewhat lost on me. Despite all this it was a superb concert and I can still remember it so it was clearly very memorable. Thanks for the digests - I enjoy reading them immensely. Keep up the good work. Clive West --------------------------------------------- From: Surjorimba Suroto [surjorimba@lycos.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 8:08 PM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Re: ELP Digest Vol. 13 #13 ELP's BSS was the first prog album I ever heard. It was already too late back then. 1982. Most prog lords and gods were gone, dead or disbanded. Worse than those, they're not prog anymore! The first song I heard was, of course what else, Karn Evil 9. "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends....", instantly struck my ears. WOW!!!! That album was the first prog album I owned. Although ELP were not my toplist (Yes is my favourite), BSS always my treasure. Suryo --------------------------------------------- From: MATULA2001 [MATULA2001@terra.es] Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 4:41 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: brain salad surgery Best record, for a best world prog-rock band. PS. Hope for a european (spain) Keith Emerson and the Nice Tour!! Thanks to ELP-Digest for your good work. --------------------------------------------- From: Allegra, Paul (Exchange) [PAllegra@bear.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 10:32 AM To: 'elp-digest@reluctant.com' Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary I'll remember this day for the rest of my life. I was seven years old, the youngest of eight children. My favorite music at the time was anything by the Beatles. Most kids my age hadn't even paid attention to rock n' roll, but my eldest siblings made sure I would be exposed to music beyond Tommy Roe's "Sweet Pea" or "Sugar-Sugar" by the Archies. My second oldest brother had returned from college with a stack of new vinyl. I had been sitting listening to "Help" by the Beatles (my favorite at the time), when he turned off the phonograph and said: "you wanna hear something real cool?" Sure, I was always up for new music, and after all, he had introduced me to the Beatles, so I followed him to his room where he had his big Marantz stereo (this stereo was akin to the Monolith from 2001 and nobody was allowed to go near it or suffer the consequences: death by noogie or Indian burns!). I didn't see the record jacket. He put the Pioneer earphones on my head, cued-up what I now know as "Third Impression". For what seemed like a journey into space, I was in awe! This was every good comic book I ever read and every science fiction movie I ever saw in one audible triumph. Then it happened. The computer took over! The chaos of the sequence replaying and panning from ear to ear with ferocious velocity. I thought that this was impossible. Where did those sounds come from? When it was over, I removed the headphones. The experience reminded me of that scene from Forbidden Planet when the ship's doctor had just subjected himself to the Krel Brain-booster and almost died as a result. I looked at my brother and asked to hear it again. He said I could listen to it anytime but if he caught me playing this album on any of the Family's lesser turntables I'd be banned from the entire record collection. I eventually got around to listening to the rest of the album. Toccata was the next surprise, and forever became a Halloween favorite regardless of the neighborhood complaints. I find it Ironic that thirty years later I am recounting this experience via computer. I was in mortal terror of computers taking over the world after I heard Third Impression. To make matters worse, "Colossus: The Forbin Project" was on the 4:30 Movie some time after I had heard the song, signaling the coming doom of the computer age. What was a seven year old to think? "I'm perfect....Are You?" Thanks ELP. Thanks Pete Sinfield. Thanks Alex Grob. Thanks H.R. Geiger. Paul Allegra --------------------------------------------- From: RCOHE025@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 1:21 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary My memories were sweet of the Brain Salad Surgery "Album". I went with my older brother (I was 11 y/o) and we bought the album because he liked ELP's earlier albums and I loved the artwork. It turned out that we both loved everything about it to this day. Both my daughters listen to Brain Salad Surgery and love it. We've come full circle. Thanx ELP Peace Ron Cohen --------------------------------------------- From: Ted Canty [tedcanty@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 6:14 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com In regards to the 30th anniversary of the release of BSS, I would like to say that i still get the same rush of blood, testosterone, and power today that i did the very first time i spun that vinyl on my turntable. It was the most incredible progressive lp i had ever heard. It was so unique i remember saying to my brother and friends, "how do they even think of such music". The recording was also impeccable. It had that haunting sound and feel to it when each song ended. I had a hard time conceiving that what i was hearing was from three men. I would say their collective talent ascended at that time to put them in music history. Not only did the whole band shine but each member got to display how talented they were. Here we are today talking about this album 30 years later. More then ever, ELP-BSS was a great showcase in experimentation the likes of which we have not seen since. Nothing today comes close and although prog bands exist, none of them is blowing the barriers down like ELP did with the album. I was proud of that album because it made me proud to be a fan of these amazing men. It was the original 'SHOCK AND AWE.' Ted Canty tedcanty@hotmail.com --------------------------------------------- From: Mike Richardson [mrichardson@mitpublishing.co.uk] Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 9:07 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Memories of Brain Salad days Hi John, I felt I had to respond to your request for some nostalgia relating to BSS. It's not very technical I'm afraid, but it was the cover, the way it opened out and the poster that I remember fondly - the music was just the icing on the cake. I always thought the photo of Greg looked very unflattering (poor Greg, he's taken a bit of a bashing of late), whereas Keith looked the personification of cool. Basically, the Giger image summed up the exact feeling of the futurist coldness of the music within. 'Still you turn me on' and 'Benny' were really at odds with the rest of the sound and would have probably gained more acceptance on a more relaxed sounding album. I'll never forget playing the Karn Evil 9 ending with the computer at full blast on the headphones and freaking out. My poor old mum, I'd drag her upstairs to listen to it on headphones; with the stereo sweeping left to right, she'd go all wobbly and fall over! Can I suggest another topic for discussion? Is there an excerpt of ELP music that makes you remember or feel like doing something? Not so much a place or time memory, but something visceral. For me, it's the intro to Eruption on Tarkus with Greg's multi-tracked vocals. It makes me feel warm like being in a hot bath or something! Am I abnormal? Keep up the good work, Mike PS: If you know of anyone who needs a good proofer, let me know. There were some really cracking typos in 'Pictures of an Exhibitionist! --------------------------------------------- From: Jesse C. Chang [mrhooks@yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 4:53 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: BSS memories I remember buying this album back in 1990, when I was a senior in high school. At the time, I was listening mostly to Jazz, Classical, and 80s music. I had just started listening to Rush less than a year before, and my knowledge of Prog Rock was lacking to say the least. I was browsing CDs at my local Tower Records, looking for stuff by Everything But The Girl (who I also just started listening to), when the BSS cover (back when CDs still came in cardboard longboxes) caught my eye. I loved Giger's artwork, and the title boggled my mind (I didn't find out what it meant for another 2+ years!). I didn't know who they were, but I guessed that perhaps "Palmer" was Carl Palmer, whom I had seen on a music education show on PBS called "Rockschool", hosted by Herbie Hancock. I didn't even know CP was in Asia, a band I listened to briefly in the early 80s. "Karn Evil 9" also caught my interest, since at the time I was heavily into "2112"- to "Moving Pictures"-era Rush. Anyways, intrigued by the longbox and curious as to whether or not I'd find some amazing CP drumming on the CD (I started drumming about two years prior, and studied Classical piano for about 8 years before that), I took a chance and bought it. I sat in my living room in amazement as I listened to the entire album. Every song was strong, and completely different from the others. And I couldn't believe there were only three musicians playing. My immediate favorite was "Toccata", even though it would be many years later until I would see the original score and finally understand what was going on. I was also blown away by Keith's playing on "Benny the Bouncer" (the lyrics of which made me laugh) and "Karn Evil 9, 2nd Impression". And Carl's playing did not disappoint. From his percussion movement in "Toccata" to his brushwork in BtB, I was awed and inspired. And of course, Greg's voice and bass playing were excellent. On KE9 especially, I thought his bass playing was great - melodic, at times grooving, but never over-the-top or intrusive. About a year later, I lent the CD to a friend, who was also a huge Rush fan but didn't know much about other Prog Rock bands. After much pestering, he finally returned the CD to me months later. Unfortunately, he damaged it. So I had to buy another copy. To this day, BSS remains the only CD I paid money for twice. I've been too cheap/lazy to buy the Victory and Rhino special edition re-releases, but I will soon I'm sure. Six years ago, I decided to start a Prog Rock ensemble with some friends in music school (this didn't go over well with most of the faculty and administration, who were mostly die-hard Jazz snobs). I took to the task of transcribing "Toccata", working from a reduced score of Ginastera's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra and listening to BSS over and over and over. I remember one Saturday, I had worked on notating it in my school's computer lab for 10 hours. Like a fool, I didn't save as I went, and when I was finished for the day, I went to save, and the computer froze. After screaming at the top of my lungs for a few minutes (good thing I was alone in there), I went home, downloaded a free beta version of the school's crappy notation software (MOTU Mosaic), and spent the entire night redoing everything I had lost. I didn't finish notating until about a week before the concert (we had been rehearsing everything up to the percussion movement until then). Thanks to my school treating us like second-class citizens, we weren't allowed a sound check, and our show was less than stellar (partly our faults as well for not being as prepared as we could have been, and of course the difficulty of the piece). But man, what a rush it was to play the drumset/percussion setup on stage. My friends loved the piece as well, and became ELP (and Ginastera) fans. Doing all of that transcribing and studying of Ginastera's score gave me an even greater appreciation for that piece (though it was mostly Ginastera's genius), but it also led me to transcribe KE9. Unfortunately, I never finished that project, having stopped somewhere in the middle of the First Impression. From the first day I heard it, I thought there could be no greater Prog Rock album than BSS. My opinion has not changed. :) Jesse --------------------------------------------- From: Nicholas Sizow [nicksizow@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 8:22 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary Nick Sizow, Passaic,NJ I remember the anticipation I felt while waiting for every new ELP album. The bright and open production was the first thing that struck me about BSS. (besides the fantastic artwork) The production was very different than Tarkus or Trilogy. I fondly remember Alison Steele The Nightbird of WNEW in NYC playing the album in its entirety. And like all ELP albums of that era after first listening I said "what the hell was that?!" And like all ELP albums in their heyday, 71-75, it received immediate multiple plays on my turntable. I can't say it's my favorite ELP album, but I think it was their last great album. I wish these guys had a strong guiding hand in the background, if they worked with say a Brian Eno or an Alan Parsons, we might have seen some truly great ELP albums. --------------------------------------------- From: Ed Burke [schizoidman21@netzero.net] Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 11:41 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary Hi John, BSS was the first LP that I ever bought for myself, right after getting my first stereo sometime in the mid-70s. I still remember the high school classmate who asked me if I ever heard of ELP, and when I said "No", he brought in his BSS LP the next day for me to borrow. The HG Giger artwork was compelling. I went home and listened to it a few times, and I've been hooked ever since. In senior year of high school in 1977, I used Karnevil 9, 3rd Impression for an English project, and got an A! And then when CDs came out, of course, to keep the tradition alive, BSS was the first CD I ever bought as well. Why not start your music collection off with the best, right? Ed Burke schizoidman21@netzero.com --------------------------------------------- From: Russ [wildebeest@talk21.com] Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 5:45 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary Last night I listened to the DVD audio of BSS. As I listened I had in my mind the negative comments put on the site about Greg. I urge you all to listen to Toccata, specifically the bass playing, especially if you have the DVD audio version. It is so fiddly it's untrue. ELP were a freak team that swayed from pompous overindulgence to the best sonic racket known to man (or woman). The Nice reunion was good but the sound of other people playing Tarkus etc. showed exactly why ELP were and are the best keyboard based rock act in history, a feat never to be repeated. They broke ground, did the spade work for a lot of lazy muzos. Some things worked and some didn't. It's very easy to slag off 'Prog' as pompous etc. but often experimentation requires commitment. The limits that the L100's went to in search of noise are unbelievable and I'm sure they only scratched the surface of Moog possibilities. Live tapes show that the moog was often off on its own ideas with Emerson hanging onto the ribbon controller for dear life. The more I listen the better they get. They are human, fallible and fantastic. They've cost me a fortune and I love it. The only other stuff I listen to is Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley - to me they are the same a great rock and roll band as lively and energetic as the Damned. I'm grateful for this opportunity to air these views. be Lucky R --------------------------------------------- From: ELP9fan@aol.com Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 12:14 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: BSS 30th A quick note/memory from that time past. I used to own a Lafayette Electronics quad amp with 4 Fischer speakers. To listen to Brain Salad Surgery in that environment (as surround sound was just an idea) was the best I could ever experience. That was only surpassed by attending the concerts at Madison Square Garden and listening to their quad setup. Great job John,,,until I get to see "the boys" again I always look forward to reading your newsletter.....Ray --------------------------------------------- From: DUMMER1997@aol.com Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 2:05 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary I bought my copy on import from the USA in a shop in Croydon. It was released a couple of weeks before the UK. Keith's Pic on the inside foldout is different from the UK version. Having first heard excerpts on the Flexi Disc from the NME and the whole of KE9 1st Impression on the Alan Freeman show a good two months previous, expectations were very high. The artwork was stunning and the music came over as being ELP's heaviest work to date. Everyone at school (I was 15 at the time) were discussing the finer points of each track. I even recall Manticore sending a mailshot to schools asking pupils to design a picture to illustrate their interpretation of the album. The reviews were actually quite good and the excitement of the forthcoming Boxing Day documentary almost made up for no UK live gigs in 73'. CP appeared on Aquarius, an ITV arts prog, displaying his percussion synths in an abbreviated version of the middle section from Toccata and Greg cropped up on a religious programme discussing the reasons behind recording Jerusalem. BSS was ELP's finest album, some parts have stood up better than others 30 years on. My favourite has to the First Impression, the playing and production is breathtaking and the 'Welcome Back' lyric has become their defining moment in popular music. Finally, if you want to hear BSS at its best get the DVD Audio and play it on a decent dolby surround system. It will blow your socks off!! Martin --------------------------------------------- From: clive walker [fluride@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 6:10 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery Hello I would love to comment on that very fine piece of music that we all know and love as Brain Salad Surgery. I do remember going out At the tender age of 13 and buying the album having fell in love with the Tarkus LP which got me hooked on Emerson Lake and Palmer. Once home I played the Album to death and just thought the music was just incredible, full of dramatic moments wonderful lyrics it just gelled together perfectly. Its easily one of the best rock albums ever made. It contains such a varied bag of delights to chew over, it's ELP's darkside of the moon, And speaking of the darkside, the album cover still has a slight creepyness to it today, how strange that Mr Giger would be scaring the audience with his work on Alien some years later. Anyway now at the tender age of 42 I have the DVD audio version of BSS, and it sounds flipping wonderful, the DVDA gives it a fresh exciting feel to the album just how I felt about the LP all those years ago. The DVDA comes with a great booklet with photo's of the band with Giger in his studio and some interesting facts about the making of the album. To me Brain Salad Surgery represents everything great about that period of time, its lets throw everything but the kitchen sink and to hell with you, violent and dramatic just how it should be. Kind regards Clive Walker Cardiff South Wales UK --------------------------------------------- From: Steve Gott [spgott@earthlink.net] Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2003 11:47 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: BSS memories When I discovered the album Brain Salad Surgery, it was already six years old and the band was just about done. I was in seventh grade and had heard Karn Evil 9 a few times, drifting up from my brother's basement room. I had make a few bucks one day, mowing lawns or something and my mother was taking my sister out to the record store. I asked them to wait and I called David up at college to ask what that "welcome back my friends..." album was. He told me and I gave over the five bucks for the record and asked poor Mom to buy something called Brain Salad Surgery. You just know she loved that. When I heard the entire album, I was totally blown away. I was as deeply affected as is possible for a twelve year old. At that time, most of my peers were listening to Donna Summer and the Bee Gees but I started bringing home ELP, Renaissance, Kansas and the Nice. My school music teacher had a "bring your own album" day for class one day and I considered bringing BSS but figured, why get beaten up more than usual, so I left it at home and suffered through Hot Stuff and the like. Wouldn't have gone over too well with the class but I bet anything the music teacher would have appreciated it. He was a keyboardist/organist after all. Twenty five years later, Brain Salad Surgery is still my all time favorite album. It shaped my musical preference and opened up a new world to me. If ever stranded on that infamous desert island which mysteriously has electrical power, Brain Salad Surgery would be at the top of a very short list of music I'd have with me. Steve --------------------------------------------- From: Lewis Baker [lewis.baker@worldnet.att.net] Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2003 6:23 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Memories! Hi John! My most vivid memory of when I first brought home BSS is of my mother. At the end of the album, after the computer self-destructing, I can still hear my Mom from the other room yelling " LEW TURN THAT DOWN!" It was regular as clockwork! Lewis Baker Lawrenceville, GA. USA lewis.baker@att.net --------------------------------------------- From: Tom Ace [crux@QNET.COM] Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 4:14 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Cc: crux@qnet.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary I remember Brain Salad Surgery getting a lot of attention even before it was available in stores; a lot of time had passed since Trilogy, and fans were anxious for a new ELP record. It got airplay as soon as radio stations had it; I remember Alison Steele opening her show on WNEW-FM with Toccata and being excited about the new album. I taped songs from Brain Salad Surgery off the radio before it was available in stores. On the day of the LP's release, I went to the record department at Korvette's, a department store (no longer there) at Herald Square in Manhattan. There were a bunch of copies in a bin, and I remember being surprised by the cover (the side with nothing more than the title in big block letters). I don't know what I was expecting, but that seemed too plain. I remember arguing with friends about the music; people often had strong opinions about ELP, both pro and con - and you know how mean - spirited discussions about music can be. I remember a guy who was down on ELP asking me if I'd noticed how much better King Crimson got after Greg Lake had left. I saw ELP at Madison Square Garden that December (1973). There had been a big ice storm that day, service on the Long Island Railroad was disrupted, and I had to get to the city by bus and subway. Truth to tell, the concert was a disappointment to me; I had lousy seats and the sound sucked (the venue wasn't known for good acoustics). The most vivid impression the show left on me was the spinning piano. --------------------------------------------- From: Brian Dotson [briand@zoomtown.com] Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 10:29 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary Hello, all. I was a bit young to experience Brain Salad Surgery during the year of its release. Experiencing it in 1977 was no less powerful and moving an experience. I was 18, attending pre-engineering classes at a small Alabama community college, and enjoying my freedom as a bachelor with my own apartment, albeit a humble one. About half of the value of all the possessions I owned was tied up in my stereo system in that little apartment. Before moving out on my own, the high point of my musical excursions had been limited pretty much to the ubiquitous Led Zeppelin. I heard "Lucky Man" on the local FM radio station in 1972 or 1973, but before 1977, I had never made it past this Top 40ish release to the delicious soup of musical styles that was every ELP album. I discovered art rock by going through a few Yes albums and once stated an opinion to a bass player acquaintance that I thought the somewhat well-known keyboardist with this band to be the greatest. This man proceeded to inform me that Keith Emerson was, in fact, the greatest keyboardist alive and challenged me to give ELP a listen and compare styles. This led to my buying a copy of Brain Salad Surgery. Interestingly enough, I made this purchase at a department store in the vicinity of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. My urge to experience the album drove me to this while visiting my parents over a holiday (Thanksgiving, or Christmas). My father was stationed there in the US Army at the time, and this had led to my early emancipation. Anyway, after hearing my mother's weirded-out response to the album cover art (which has a very interesting story all its own), I sampled the album a few times on my father's hi-fi rig, only to ache for a listen on the superior system in my own apartment. I must have played the album 15 more times in the first few days after I returned to my place. I had never experienced the power of a cranked Hammond B3 before, and found a powerful, soulful voice in all those licks! The '70's were fraught with bands designed to showcase electric guitars, and Keith presented me with another way for the heart of rock and roll to beat! I didn't understand it at the time, but I was later to learn that the soul of the African-American Church was in that instrument, and that in Keith's playing there was Black Church and much more. Musical seeds were planted in me that year. I am, at present, an electronics engineer who also writes firmware and software for whole-house music systems; with part time design work for Kustom Amplification. I have a small home studio in my basement with Cakewalk Sonar allowing me to compose and record even though I cannot play guitar or keys well enough for live performance. Much of my time is spent trying to reproduce those fat portamento leads on Keith's oogs using modern analog modeling synth plug-ins. As for my true tonal love, the overdriven B3, I am somewhat heartened in knowing that Native Instruments has a pretty good approximation in their B4 product. I can only hope that Keith's muse will someday refer a lesser muse to this lowly seeker and help me get my first piece completed and published, in spite of the long hours spent trying to keep employed in the music equipment world. I hope the chord progressions and scales sound in places like over-simplified echoes of the thrill I felt experiencing the wild energy that was Karn Evil 9. I was never able to give up being an ELP groupie, even though I never made it to the "Show that Never Ends". Here's hoping to rectify that in 2004! Thank you, John for this wonderful forum to share our love for the Music! Warmest regards, Brian Dotson Union, Kentucky (greater Cincinnati) November 24, 2003 --------------------------------------------- From: peter marsh [petermarshpersonal@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2003 3:33 AM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: BSS Thoughts and ramblings Dear John, Over a year since I last wrote to the Digest, but your call for thoughts on Brain Salad Surgery re. 30th anniversary of its release springs me into relative activity. I got into ELP then the Nice following exposure to this music via the summer hit "Fanfare for the Common Man" (blimey, I was an awkward, embarrassing 14 year old in summer '77. Nothing's changed: just reverse the "1" and the "4"). Saving the pennies and working through the LPs, took a year to get to BSS. Even though I knew 1st album, Tarkus & Trilogy inside out by then, BSS still had an enormous impact on me. Before we get onto the music, a word or two on the lyrics and "concept". The sheer imagination and word-painting of Karn-Evil 9 for me immediately conjured up a vivid vision of the dystopian Orwellian/ Sci-Fi future portrayed. To me it seemed that ELP for the first time had put as much effort had gone into the words as the music. It's a rare piece of music AND writing that immediately gives me a clear vision in my mind's eye of what's intended. I also felt Giger's artwork to be intrinsic to complete the concept, the disturbing images an ideal backdrop for Sinfield's surreal future-vision. And of course, musically, the impact was immense. But also, the entire album seemed to work so well as a whole, rather than one or two epic track plus a few interesting extras, BSS's arrangement gives us a wonderful build up to the main work of the LP, then delivers us with the unsurpassed (by ELP or anyone else) tour de force of techno-rock and virtuoso musicianship in KE9. As I once read in an article by Steve Orme, Greg's vocal style to me seems best suited to the extended works. In another life he'd be singing baroque cantatas. My father once commented that KE9 3rd Impression was rather "old fashioned", probably alluding to its hymn-like verses: intended by ELP I presume, as it is something of a battle-hymn, and beautifully balances the opening track of the LP. And this is where the album is truly a concept album: not necessarily in the sense of the KE9 story itself, rather the whole layout of the tracks, making this a "play start to finish every time" album. Toccata made me realise modern composers are worth investigating, and Benny the Bouncer paved the way to a lifelong appreciation of Chas 'n' Dave. That last bit was a joke. Peter Marsh --------------------------------------------- From: Jerry [gpcraig@webtv.net] Sent: Friday, November 28, 2003 5:23 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad memories Since you asked readers to post comments on the 30th anniversary of the release of Brain Salad Surgery, I thought I'd write mine. Circa 1984, as a 13 year old, I would spend my paper route money on records. I got into King Crimson. Along with listening to ITCOTCK with Greg and a friend giving me an extremely scratched up copy of Tarkus, I was hooked. I can't remember if I bought the record or disc, but I remember I had the 3 record live album on vinyl. The records were packaged as stripped down as possible then because CDs were making their presence known much more in the record stores. The vinyl was not available in the traditional center opening package. As far as content: Brilliant. Classically infused rock, ballads, the vaudevillesque comic classic Benny The Bouncer, and all three impressions. 2nd Impression is one of my all-time favorite jams. Today I own the holographic disc where both images of the cover are visible by tilting the cover slightly back and forth. Virtual packaging. I guess it is available on audio DVD. ELP is a group which I see continues to thrive with technology and not get lost in it. Looking forward to a possible Nice US tour next year. Thanks for letting me contribute Jerry Craig jcnfny@hotmail.com --------------------------------------------- From: George and Karen Adams [Karen.Adams6@comcast.net] Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2003 11:48 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary I bought it as soon as it came out put it on my turntable (remember those?) put the phones on and cranked it. I thought it was incredible! Karn Evil reminded me of a soundtrack to a futuristic sci-fi movie and I loved the funky Mini-Moog bass line in first impression part 2. I lived in Southern California at the time and it seemed that parts of Karn Evil were used for many L.A. news stations. It might have been the high point for ELP, how the hell do you follow that? George --------------------------------------------- From: Ford, Jeanette (SOCIAL & HOUSING SERVICES) [mailto:Jeanette.Ford@plymouth.gov.uk] Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 10:31 AM To: 'digest@reluctant.com' Subject: Brain Salad Surgery Hi, Thinking about the BSS 30th anniversary made me wonder - has anyone else made the connection that the premise of 'The Matrix' is following on from Brain Salad Surgery's ending?? I was watching 'Matrix 3' yesterday and the Sentinels eerily brought BSS to mind............perhaps the writers of these excellent films were/are ELP fans! Also see attached an angst-riddled poem that came to me almost complete whilst meditating to BSS in 1977! Keep up the good work - we all appreciate you! Regards, Jeanette Here's the poem: Floating on a sea of forgetfulness In a paper boat of dreams Blown by the wind of hopelessness To a place where darkness reigns Here time hangs suspended in the essence of a sigh And Tarkus weaves its spell through the doorways of your mind Come! Board a ship of savage smiles - dark ensign high Or travel to the future and visit Karn Evil Nine Walk, silent, on the Stones of Years Past moaning spectres; fine as winters breath To where Atropos sits, crying chocolate tears While sharpening her blades of death Visit the Old Castle with its tall crimson spires For hidden deep within it stands a clock which has no face And Abaddon waits, patient, with his silent choir To start an evil Service that even fate cannot erase --------------------------------------------- From: Tim Web [hyperglucose@hotmail.com] Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 6:37 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary (Tim) Hello ! I discovered ELP with Giger's Work on the Cover of the Album. I had a Book of Giger's Paintings, and on a page, there was all the Covers he did for Music. And ELP was there, with Magma or Debbie Harry. I bought the CD, and listened to it quietly. Jerusalem didn't impress me too much, it was way too "classic" (sorry) even if the melody is very attractive. But when Toccata came in... I went like "WOW, what the HELL is that?" I was totally earth quaked !!! The sound, the composition, the fact it was originally a Piano Suite, all that crazy sounds, I went mad. Today, it's still one of my favourites that doesn't have too much aged (I know ELP's Music for 6 or 7 years only, I was born in 1979). It goes wonderfully with the Cover by Giger, it's real, it's real ! Then, "Still..." reminded me like some Simon & Garfunkel things, with the clavinet and the guitar together. Gentle, soft. Then, Benny The Bouncer, very very very good, I love Greg's voice on that one !!! When I saw the length of the Last Track, I calmed down myself and thought "OK, it's like Close To The Edge, let's give it some time to appreciate it fully" It took time for me to appreciate Karn Evil 9, to go through it, to mesmerise the different atmospheres, the different figures going in, going out, at the speed of light, changing all the time. I remember I first loved the First Part, with that incredible Organ Solo, and beautiful Guitar Solo of Greg, obviously written by Emerson. I was mad, is that song really played only by three people ? And when the song finishes, and then returns again with "Welcome Back My Friends..." I thought "This is what I would like to play" (if I only knew playing music). It really struck me down, for some times I didn't went as far as the 2nd Impression, I just kept listening the 1st one. The 2nd Impression impressed me with all that mood changes, these sounds, and the Moog-Marimba Solo. It reminded me West Side Story, very "pictural" or "figurative", and always playful. The 3rd Impression is the peak, with that Space Battle going on and on between Humans and Computers. Like a whirlwind in space. When I first heard the end of the whole thing, I was blown away. I am still, in fact. For me, this Album is really what I would have loved to do as a Musician. As a Comic Maker, I tend to be as "bombastic", and go beyond my dreams, my goal is to deliver such emotions that I found on this Album. Many emotions: anger, hate, love, sadness, joy, etc. This is Music that I like: innovative (in its context) clever, fun, figurative, abstract, both, and the achievement of a unique creation (Karn Evil 9). Emerson may have wrote a superb Piano Concerto, for me he never went as far as in the 3rd Impression or Tarkus when played Live. --------------------------------------------- From: George Merson [bigmers47@msn.com] Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 10:35 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary I remember hearing about the album in late July/early August of 1973. I was at a rehearsal of Procul Harem/ L.A. Philharmonic @ the Hollywood Bowl that summer. My father was a member of the choir . He invited me & a friend of mine to watch the rehearsal. We were sitting near the stage when we noticed Keith Emerson sitting about 3 rows in front of us. During a break I mentioned to my dad that Keith was sitting in front of us. " Go up and introduce yourselves" he quipped. Being in high school and ELP being THE only group I was listening to @ the time, I felt very intimidated. So my dad introduced HIMSELF to Keith. I sheepishly asked about the next album (ELP being GODS to me then) he said "the album is guaranteed to blow your head apart". I went back for my senior year in September and shared this information with my friends who basically "yeah, right". When the album came out in late Nov. of that year, and my peers heard the line "come inside the show's about to start, guaranteed to blow your head apart". They became believers. ELP was the group that my Father & I actually bonded with. I am forever grateful to Keith, Greg & Carl for bringing my Father & I together. Thank-you guys!!! G. Merson --------------------------------------------- From: jesse mcglown [derosierjr@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 3:11 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary Hard to believe how quickly thirty years can slip by! Seems it was only a decade or two ago that I was first enjoying this monumental album...most of you rabid ELP fans don't remember the days when Karn Evil 9 1st Imp Pt 1 was split between two sides of the vinyl LP (or between programs on the venerable 8-track cartridge! ). Talk about your aural "coitus interruptus"! It was a bit lengthy, too, or an early seventies release: LPs typically held about 20-22 minutes per side...you could actually get half an hour on each, but the groove became so thin that the record would develop scratches in a hurry (!) So the thing to do was to make a cassette tape during the first playback (no more than the second, seriously). I remember Toccata in particular being obnoxious to listen to because of the surface noise... Enough of that nostalgia. This titanic effort, to me, was the apex of The Boys' output...on the same shelf with Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick". These albums just aren't made anymore! The complex music, the radical time signatures, key changes, etc...this caliber album truly represents a bygone era, folks. If I'd been a part of a creation the magnitude of "Brain Salad Surgery", I'm not sure you could've fit my head through the studio door after those recording sessions (!) It's interesting, too, the contrasts between this album and the live version of the KE9 Suite. Emerson had to radically change the key during the first portion of 1st Imp Pt 1, as well as the 3rd Imp, because apparently Greg Lake couldn't hit those high notes in concert. It also finally registered with me, also, as to why that short drum break during the live rendition of 1st Imp Pt 1 isn't included on the studio version: Greg Lake had to have time to take the bass off onstage, and don the guitar for the lead work coming up! (He is seen wearing a double-neck guitar/bass combination during 1972 footage; anyone happen to have seen what he used during the '74 BSS Tour? Cal Jam footage, alas, didn't include that portion). I must confess, I've always been partial to the live version of KE9, if for no other reason, the phenomenal drum solo (Sorry, Neil Peart fans--Carl Palmer's was THE drum solo to witness during the seventies, hands down ). With all due deference to the "Young Lions" of Prog Rock today, they simply cannot compete with music of Brain Salad Surgery's caliber. Then again, maybe their considerable efforts just haven't had three decades to mellow! Like the finest vintage wine, BSS keeps getting better with every passing year. I'll be taking a sip from this bottle for quite some time, always anticipating the flavor to be that much sweeter in the decades to come. --------------------------------------------- From: gould.paul [gould.paul@wanadoo.fr] Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 4:50 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary Hello Everyone, especially Greg, BSS was and is the definitive ELP concept. I cannot (and Refuse) to believe 30 years have gone past. Greg, I wish to say to you a very Happy Birthday (belated) and how I find it Fantastic that you have enjoyed collaborations with many, but now the WHO !!!! astounding, what next Black Sabbath ?? I am a Brummie afterall !!!! Whilst all this commendable ELP is more than the sum of the Individual parts. Always was, always will be. BSS is a statement of this fact. I was 17 years Old upon it's release KE9 simply blew me away. Packaged, delivered and produced in an Innovative way (art by Giger !!! just watch Alien) unbeatable and far ahead of its time. I have, in the summer, attended an astounding YES concert in Paris. These guys really deliver. Greg, ELP when ??????????????? Cheers, Paul Gould e-mail: gould.paul@wanadoo.fr --------------------------------------------- From: Frank Cozzarelli [frankcozz@msn.com] Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 8:21 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary Perhaps one of the most dynamic and listenable recordings of all time. Very truly yours, Frank J. Cozzarelli FrankCozz@msn.com --------------------------------------------- Brain Salad Surgery 30th AnniversaryFrom: Simon Evans [simon.bayardpresse@talk21.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 6:48 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary My introduction to Brain Salad Surgery and, indeed, the music of ELP was via the free NME Brain Salad Surgery flexidisc, given away at the end of November 1973. What struck me straight away was the gothic, eerie feel of the track Brain Salad Surgery, an impression confirmed by the segue of excerpts from the album. Saving up my hard-earned pocket money I invested in the album the week it was released and played it continuously for weeks on end. As an impressionable 14-year-old the grandeur of Jerusalem, sonic barrage of Toccata, and delicacy of Still... You Turn Me On was startlingly new, and not a little awe-inspiring. As for the Karn Evil 9 trilogy well, I had heard nothing like it - and still haven't. For me it is ELP's finest moment. The album as a whole has worn remarkably well, although the "every day a little sadder, a little madder, someone get me a ladder" line still induces a wince. Surely Pete Sinfield didn't come up with that line? (I also confess to skipping Benny The Bouncer these days). Progressive rock may have a lot to answer for, but Brain Salad Surgery showed that a desire to prise open musical boundaries didn't have to lead, inexorably, to the barren wastes of the Topographic Oceans. The word masterpiece may have become overused, but I can't think of any other way to describe this landmark album. Simon Evans --------------------------------------------- From: JOSEPH NIKOLA [tk5k@comcast.net] Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 10:53 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary i've spent more money on Brain Salad Surgery than any other album several copies of the lp......incld jap and virgin vinyl editions the 8 track.......i'm quite old a couple of audio cassettes and prolly....oh around 6 versions on disc.....incld the dvd audio..... which......i must say........is like hearing it for the first time! if you get a chance to hear the dvd audio....do not hesitate all worth every penny i spent butch nikola --------------------------------------------- From: PAUL RASANEN [rasanenp@gte.net] Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2003 2:31 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary Hi, I don't care what ELP album it is. They rock! and sound great! I saw them about 2-3 months after seeing Led Zep at the Kingdome in Seattle in 1977. I thought how this would be a let down from that, I also didn't know all the ELP songs (I do Now). The thing that blew me away was the following of the fans!!! Posters were hanging everywhere!!! People had made hand made picture of Brain salad Surgery cover on a King size bed sheet. The next thing that clued me in that this was special was the drum kit was hid behind curtains and when the roadies were done and they unfolded it to the crowd, they just went Wild!!!! When the show started with that Moog rising out of the stage and Lake saying " Welcome Back My Friends, etc... I knew I was in for something different! They blew the hammer of the gods right out of Seattle!! --------------------------------------------- From: Gideon Morley [gideonmorley@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 11:05 AM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: RE: ELP Digest Vol. 13 #13 Hi Guys, First of all, please accept my thanks for running this digest, I really enjoy reading it! Brain Salad Surgery was the first ELP album I bought. A quick story: My teacher sent me into the 6th Form part of school (I was in the 5th at the time). As I was walking into the reception area I could hear this interesting sound, I think it was Carl on his synth drums. I asked one of the students who and what it was and he said ELP and the track was Toccata. Needless to say when school finished, I rushed home, took the contents out my Piggy Bank and rushed to the nearest record shop and bought the album. Not long after that Works Vol 1 was released and I took my hard earned cash, 7 pounds and bought it on the first day of release. I just wish I was slightly older so I could have seen ELP in their prime. I subsequently saw them at the Royal Albert Hall many years later when they reformed and boy did I enjoy it! Keep up this great digest! Regards Gideon --------------------------------------------- From: Peter Stankovich [pstankovich@hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 3:18 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary I have always found BSS to be a very peculiar album. While myself and many others find BSS to be the pinnacle of ELP's career, it is an album that the band seems to outright ignore. With the exception of Karn Evil 9 First Impression Part 2, the band has never played any songs from BSS on any of the tours after the BSS tour. I remember reading an interview with Keith in which he said that the band was tired of playing Karn Evil 9 after playing so many times on the BSS tour. I always found that comment very odd, since they seemed to play Tarkus and Pictures all the time! I have seen every tour, with the exception of the Deep Purple/Jethro Tull co-tours, that ELP has done since the BSS tour. As someone who missed the BSS tour, I always found it very disappointing that I never been able to hear Jerusalem, Toccata, Still You Turn Me On, Benny the Bouncer, or the entire Karn Evil 9 suite live. It would be nice if the boys could patch up their differences and do a 30th anniversary tour. The Who did it an anniversary tour for Quaudrophina and I thought it was great. So, at least for me, listening to BSS has always a bitter-sweet event. Keep up the good work John, Pete --------------------------------------------- From: Mick Oakleaf [oakleaf@pipeline.com] Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003 8:31 AM To: 'elp-digest@reluctant.com' Subject: brain salad surgery 30th anniversary Brain Salad Surgery was a Christmas gift I received at the age of fifteen, thirty years ago. I have been an ELP fan since hearing Lucky Man in 1970. At that time, I was taking an electronic music class given by Charles Palmer (no relation to Carl) at my Jr. High School in West Hartford CT. Lucky Man seemed to be the perfect fusion of rock, folk, jazz, and electronic music. Brain Salad Surgery brought everything up a notch. When I first put it on in a friends basement, we were playing pool and I was blown away. Being a drummer I felt (and still do) that Tocatta was unbelievably amazing! Nobody has ever duplicated the feat that Carl achieved on this piece even though the technology is readily available especially today. BSS combined a futuristic concept and sound with a life, an essence, that much of today's over produced music does not. Humans are not robots and the music we produce should not be perfect or fixed with digital editing to make it so. Unfortunately ELP's more recent efforts suffer from this and I think reflect Greg Lake's decision and ultimatum leading to the breakup. You can't blame Greg for being frustrated. If ELP ever do get back together they need to focus on not losing the life or liveness of their studio performances. It's too easy to do with the astounding power of today's digital technology. Also, I think the self imposed perfectionism of artists, producers, and engineers feeds this trend. If ELP could just get back in the studio, play their music mostly live, and shun some of the overproduction techniques that have dogged music since the mid eighties, they could create another masterpiece. Forget about all those who say you have to this that and the other to have a hit. Emerson Plays Emerson, to Keith's credit, is certainly not overproduced. You can tell no click tracks were used and I think much of it was live to 2 track DAT yet it's a truly great work. We can only live in hope that the next ELP recording will be done in that spirit. When they do decide to record again, I'd really like to see them do it at Sony Studios in NYC where I'm one of the senior staff techs (sorry, I had to get that plug in). Peace & Love, Mick Oakleaf --------------------------------------------- From: Gary Stokes [gary7stokes@hotmail.com] Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003 8:14 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Brain Salad Surgery 30th Anniversary Hi John, Here are ten things I remember about Brain Salad Surgery 1. Wondering why ELP had taken 18 months to release a new album, and how the hell they could follow something as stunning as Trilogy! 2. Buying the NME (New Musical Express) for the free 7 inch vinyl flexi-disc, and being very excited by the track excerpts. 3. Seeing the full page ad in the Melody Maker with details of the Boxing Day TV special (The Manticore Special)! 4. Seeing Carl demonstrating the percussion synthesizer on TV. (I think it was something from Birmingham - I was living in the Midlands at the time.) 5. Reading the album review in the Melody Maker and seething at the criticism that Greg Lake is a mediocre bass player. (Where was Chris Welch that week?!) 6. Buying the album! 7. Noticing that the cover painting on the LP was a different colour: soft grey rather than the bolder brown on the cover of the flexi-disc. 8. Opening the cover and finding the massive fold out insert with the great photos and all lyrics. 9. Playing the album and being totally blown away, especially by Karn Evil 9, which I immediately played again, and again and again ... This was (and still is, in my opinion) undoubtedly the most exciting ELP album of all. The band definitely reached their creative peak, and everything that is great about the early ELP albums is here: the chemistry, the production, the rich melodies, and the brilliant musicianship. A masterpiece. 10. Watching The Manticore Special, and longing for the next ELP tour. So ... just why did Sanctuary put out a different mix for the last CD release? Best Gary --------------------------------------------- From: Douglas Otte [douglasotte@worldnet.att.net] Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2003 9:13 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: BSS memories John, thanks for soliciting Digest readers' memories. When BSS was released, I was 15 and was just starting high school. I remember hearing "Still..." on the local FM rock station. When I bought the album, I was completely flabbergasted. I had never heard anything like this music before. Even the cover design and images of the group were totally original. Although I had always loved listening to music, I had been taking piano lessons for a few years with very little interest. However, hearing the way ELP integrated classical and many other styles in their music made me dive into music. As I got other ELP albums (e.g. Pictures) I sought out the original music & learned them on my own on piano. I went on to major in piano in college & yearned for many years to be a professional progressive musician. I was in several unsuccessful bands and recorded an album with a friend. I was never successful, and gave up playing regularly about 15 years ago. However, I have to say that listening to BSS was a pivotal point in my life. I don't listen to it much anymore, but I have to say it was one of a kind - a weird mix of rock, classical, sci-fi, and gothic elements. Regards, Doug =========================== 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: 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 13, Issue 15] ***************************************