ELP Digest 10 November 2006 Volume 16: Issue 8 The "Nuclear Attack" Edition incorporating the Greg Lake Birthday Edition Today's Topics: Breaking News, Rumors, Etc. - no submissions this issue Reader Commentary - Carl from Generation Game on Google Video (November 2, 2006) - Follow-up on Vivacitas (November 3, 2006) - Keith and Jazz (November 3, 2006) - re: Last issue's comments about 'Off the Wall'(November 10, 2006) Questions (and Answers!) - Emerson's Scores (November 3, 2006) ELP-related products, tribute bands, promoters (The ELP Digest does not endorse, etc.) - no submissions this issue =========================== Prelude =========================== Hi. Not a lot in this issue (since it's only been a week) but I always try to recognize Greg's birthday (Happy Birthday, Greg!) with an issue of the Digest. So, here's what I have. In this issue, there's mention of a clip of Carl's appearance on the Generation Game available at Google Video. There's follow on discussion about last issue's comments about Keith as a Jazz Player. And some ideas about band scores for ELP music are starting to trickle in. Enjoy! - John - ------------------------------ Latest News from the Official ELP sites .… Since we just had a Digest last week there’ nothing much new to report but, with the holidays coming up, you can consider feeding the urges of ELP fans and visiting the E, L & P online shops. Links are at: http://www.keithemerson.com http://www.greglake.com http://www.carlpalmer.com http://www.emersonlakepalmer.com =========================== Breaking News, Rumors, Etc. =========================== No submissions this issue. =========================== Reader Commentary =========================== From: David Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 7:45 PM To: elp-digest Subject: Carl from Generation Game on Google Video John, I don't know if anyone has posted this link before, however I thought it worth passing forward. Its a video clip of Carl Palmer as a guest on the BBC's generation game. Quite entertaining : ) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5742523071131354016&q=%22carl+palmer%22 (paste that into a single URL in your browser if it's split across multiple lines) Regards David --------------------------------------------- From: Roy Henderson Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 4:19 AM To: elp-digest Subject: Follow-up on Vivacitas Dear John and all at the Digest, I am trying to follow up my own post from a long, long time back and to pick up on today's comments about Emerson's jazz playing and some overlooked corners of his repertoire. In his recent book, Ed Macan expresses his wish that ELP had followed up the 'Take a Pebble' style of piece and that they might have combined the 'masculine and feminine/electronic and acoustic' elements of their music in a more thorough going way. In a less musically-informed manner I agree with this. Does anyone else ever wonder if (maybe in a strange symbiosis with us fans) Emerson has developed some of the less interesting aspects of his style: - the Moog ribbon controller shenanigans, still playing the Rondo/America jam with backwards Bach and whatnot but not taking the Three Fates piano trio, Infinite Space, Tank, the 'pop-Bartok' style of Eruption, the fugue in 'Endless Enigma' forwards? My wife and I were at the first of the Glasgow concerts with The Nice (The Vivacitas one). She was bored out her mind. I loved/hated it. There was a sense of fun from the stage, the quotes from 'Diary of an empty Day/Lalo, 'So What' and so on were nice touches. But Honky Tonk Train Blues, Fanfare and the like are well trodden paths by now. The 'Classic Rock' posturing was embarrassing. (Sorry) Thus sounds negative. I do not intend it that way. It comes from having real expectations and genuine affection. How many times have some us bought ELP albums now? What might I like to hear? Eruption/Stones of Years with the Jazz big band (Live at the Stables - BBC Radio 2) a few years ago - that was fun. Some of 'Emerson Plays Emerson', again very engaging. What about a piano Tarkus with sax or string quartet? Piano and harpsichord 'Tank' or Tank-like pieces? The jazzy electronic rock of 'When the Apple Blossoms....' I love listening to 'Infinite Space' - it draws me in to itself. And if I can declare an interest, as a clergyman (ooh er!) I do enjoy the 'church music' aspects of the Emerson/ELP style. Yes, even 'The Only Way'. (Hint, we can take it. The Bible says far more shocking things.... but that is another subject). I have also enjoyed the more 'laid back' Emerson of 'Honky'. It seemed to bring out a looser side to his playing - his 'stride/jazz' piano often sounds a little stiff to me. This music means so much to me and gives me such pleasure. The 'Christgau/Bangs, etc' school of criticism hurts and it is time it was confronted. (Macan is very good indeed on this subject). Subjectively, I experience many 'Prog' songs in a very soulful way and much as I enjoy Marvin Gaye's 'What's Goin' On' album, it sounds icy and cool to me, not soulfuI, I appreciate it like some more austere classical music. Figure that out. It would be wonderful to see and hear some fresh and surprising music from the ELP/Prog stable - not just 'classic rock' moments and mannerisms revisited. Why revisit our youth when it can be reinterpreted in a contemporary and mature way? Of course, I might be out of touch, not having heard the KE Band since Vivacitas... Yours, over earnestly... and glad there are people out there who understand! Roy Henderson Glasgow --------------------------------------------- From: Peter Wilton Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 4:50 AM To: ELP Digest Subject: Keith and Jazz I couldn't quite believe what I read in the last digest. Does everyone agree with Simon Reay that Keith can't play jazz piano? My observations would be: (1) That "Au privave" and "Walter L" are the two strongest tracks on the "Off the Shelf" album. They are the main reason for buying the album; one can see why some of the other material hasn't been released before. (2) The use of the Moog with the big band was inspirational; the two dovetailed so well that I wonder it hadn't been done often before. (3) Emo's jazz piano (or jazz generally) is probably his strongest suit: a good sense of melodic and harmonic direction, and often much more engaging for that reason than much that gets played on the radio here in the UK. There are many, far duller players who actually call themselves jazz musicians, rather than rock musicians. Of the musicians I speak to who are familiar with his music, I don't hear a word against Keith's jazz playing. Peter Wilton The Gregorian Association Web Site: http://www.beaufort.demon.co.uk --------------------------------------------- From: A-Digest-Reader Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 To: ELP Digest Subject: re: Last issue's comments about 'Off the Wall' Hi, John … You know, I may be inspired to write my very first note to the Digest, unless someone else responds first. This "Off the Wall" note has really disturbed me. I know I've made similar comments to you about other letters in the past that have been unnecessarily, uh, rough, but this one struck a nerve. Everyone is entitled to have his or her own say, and it's important for the integrity of this forum that there be diversity of opinion. However, every time I see someone say this one can't play jazz or this one can't sing, or whatever, I want to ask them when was the last time THEY released their own CD with their own singing, playing, etc? It's one thing to make an aesthetic comment, such as I don't prefer this person's performance style, or to complain when there's no new album or tour, but it's another thing to be personally slamming these guys. If you don't like Keith's jazz style, fine – but that doesn't mean he can't play, any more than Greg's hoarseness of the mid-'90s meant he couldn't sing. As we all well know, these are three extraordinarily talented artists whose collective output continues to move each of us, decades into the journey. I suppose that in the heat of the moment, people may make comments about the music and performers as if they are addressing inanimate objects, rather than living, breathing, creative human beings who have feelings, and who deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect we would wish for ourselves. I'm glad the note also included positive comments about Keith's compositions, but if the writer felt compelled to say something about their execution, I really wish he had said he doesn't prefer the jazz piano – a valid opinion that he is certainly entitled to have – rather than saying the man can't play. That's nonsense, and completely unfair. It’s not even worth dignifying the remark with the long list of wonderful jazz interpretations and references that we have enjoyed from Keith over the years. What’s more, such remarks don't do a thing to support the writer’s apparent desire to hear more music from these guys. Would you feel like getting up and creating something in the face of such negative reinforcement? The ELP Digest is a wonderful forum for all of us who have derived so much pleasure and inspiration from the music over the years, and who hope to hear more of it in the future – whether that means new takes on old favorites, or new material entirely. May it continue to be a way for us to share our opinions constructively and to find new ways to support the music and the artists who so generously give it to us! =========================== Questions (and Answers!) =========================== From: Chris Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 11:54 AM To: elp-digest Subject: Emerson's Scores Dear John Thanks for another great Digest. With reference to the question about arrangements for Tarkus, it's a long shot but I wonder if there are any copies still in existence of the arrangement that Keith did for the session with John Dankworth's band, perhaps 3 or 4 years ago? best regards Chris Gardner =========================== ELP-related products, tribute bands, promoters (The ELP Digest does not endorse, etc.) =========================== No submissions this issue. =========================== Digest subscription, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: elp-digest-request [at] reluctant.com ELP-related info that you want to put in the digest to: elp-digest [at] 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 16, Issue 8] **************************************