ELP Digest Monday, 29 September 1997
Volume 7 : Issue 18
The "Have Your Leaves All Turned To Brown" Edition
Today's Topics:
Revised dates for Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru
Rocking The Classics
ELP on laserdisc
From the Beginning - Greg Lake Retrospective
ELP in Rio de Janeiro
ELP on German TV, 8/21
ELP on German TV, 9/12
Iron Man on British TV
Lyrics wanted: The Hut of Baba yaga
Pictures At An Exhibition
Symphony Concerts
re: ELP Digest V7 #13
Some thoughts about several items
ELP Concert Set List
GX-1
Rocking The Classics
Trying to get California Jam released....
Re: ELP Digest V7 #14 (Edward Maccan's band)
ELP - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
ELP in Germany
Prelude
=======
Hello again. I'm really dredging out some of the backlog here. (Some of these
messages date back to July!) Read on.
- John -
------------------------------------------------------------
[ Editor's Note: I received the following update from ELP's management
company on Sept. 18. Hope this helps out many of you
readers in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru who had been
wondering about these shows....
"Please update the website with the REVISED SOUTH AMERICAN ITINERARY:
OCT: 4 Lima, Peru Muelle Uno
7 San Jose, Costa Rica Teatro Nacional
8 San Jose, Costa Rica Teatro Nacional
10 Monterrey, Mexico Plaza De Toros
11 Mexico City, Mexico Teatro Opera
12 Mexico City, Mexico Teatro Opera"
- John - ]
------------------------------
From: Peter Bakel <PJB@OUP-USA.ORG>, on 9/8/97 3:12 PM:
To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com
Subject: Rocking The Classics
Dear Mr. Arnold --
In October of 1996 Oxford University Press published Edward
Macan's Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock
and the Counterculture. An exciting tour through an era of
extravagant, mind-bending, and culturally explosive music,
Rocking the Classics draws together cultural theory,
musicology, and music criticism to reveal how progressive
rock served as a vital expression of the counterculture of the
late 1960s and 1970s. You can get more detailed information
about this groundbreaking book by checking out our site at
http://www.oup-usa.org/docs/0195098889.html. Or contact
Peter Bakel at pjb@oup-usa.org.
Keith Emerson said of Rocking the Classics and Edward
Macan: "While there have been thousands of books on every
form of music, progressive music as such has gotten a raw
deal. Edward Macan has been brave enough to write the
quintessential book on a curiously underrepresented form of
music--and it's about time." We here at Oxford agree. With
the help of your website, anyone interested in progressive
rock, from hardcore enthusiasts to fans of any one of the
many prog rock bands, can get the real story about this
influential and largely misunderstood genre.
We would appreciate it if you would inform your visitors about
Rocking the Classics by announcing it on your site and
posting a link to:
http://www.oup-usa.org/docs/0195098889.html
Within in next couple of weeks Oxford Paperbacks will have
its own page up and running. As soon as it's active we'll
gladly reciprocate with a link to your site.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Sincerely,
Pete Bakel
------------------------------
From: The LaserDisc Depot <discs@ld-depot.com>, on 8/23/97 5:34 PM:
To: ELP-Digest@reluctant.com
Subject: ELP on laserdisc
Dear John:
Yahoo ! As both a die hard ELP fan and LaserDisc/DVD dealer I received an
announcement today from my distributor that Image plans to release ELP on
laserdisc...:-)
Here are the details:
The classic rock group performs one of their electrifying live shows to
commemorate their 25th anniversary. Recorded at England's famous Royal
Albert Hall.
Time: 1 Hr, 28 Mins - 1997 $39.99 U.S.
Street Date: 10/22/97....
If anyone would like a copy for $36 U.S. plus shipping please email me at
discs@ld-depot.com or visit my site at:
http://www.ld-depot.com
Cheers !
John Weitner
------------------------------
From: garpal <garpal@sympatico.ca>, on 8/10/97 4:52 PM:
To: ELP Digest - John Arnold <arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com>
Subject: From the Beginning - Greg Lake Retrospective
Hi John!
I am either blind or totally out of it, but I haven't seen anybody mention
the new Greg Lake Retrospective - From the Beginning on Rhino Records on the
ELP Digest. I picked it up about three weeks ago. Very nice CD, massive
booklet inside and includes a track "Still" from Peter Sinfield's solo album,
which I have just recently also seen available on CD. There are six tracks
from Greg's first solo album and two from the second. There is also an
acknowledgement of you and the ELP Digest in the Special Thanks to...
section. You can check out the track listing at:
http://www.rhino.com/search/alinfo.cfm?num=72627
I still have a Japanese import copy of Greg's first solo album available for
sale if anyone is interested, email me.
Regards,
J-P
[ Editor's Note: I'm pretty sure that there was mention when this CD was
released. But it doesn't hurt to put in a quick reminder. I
bought a copy of this over the summer and find it a great
chronology of Greg's career. The tracks are presented in
chronological order and really fit together well. It shows
the ballads, the rockers, etc. A really nice set. - John - ]
------------------------------
From: Rodrigo Werneck <rwerneck@usa.net>, on 8/19/97 8:16 AM:
To: elp-digest@reluctant.com
Subject: ELP in Rio de Janeiro
Hi John and everybody,
ELP played on last Saturday, here in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The
gig was absolutely fantastic, much better than their 1993 shows here, IMHO.
I have a rock site, with links and live photos, and I included lots
of photos taken during this last ELP gig. If you want to see them, please
check them out:
http://www.hexanet.com.br/~rwerneck/hrt.htm
Just choose "Live pictures"... then ELP, of course ! :-)
The set list was exactly as the one they have been playing on this
tour, inlcuding "21st Century Schizoid Man", from King Crimson. Carl Palmer
played an almost completely acoustic drum set this time, and it was much
better this way. His playing was great.
On the first song, "Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression", I thought I was
back to the 70's !
I hope you like the pics...
All the best,
Rodrigo Werneck
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Official Uriah Heep site: http://www.uriah-heep.com/
Will You Welcome Please England's Own Uriah Heep: http://www.en.com/users/dhw
Ken Hensley site: http://www.geocities.com/~wonderworld
------------------------------
From: Uwe Hoepfner <Uwe_Hoepfner@compuserve.com>, on 8/21/97 3:02 PM:
To: ELP Digest <elp-digest@reluctant.com>
Subject: ELP on German TV, 8/21
Hey fans,
a short comment on the show this morning on German TV.
It were excerpts of the Munich concert, June 24th.
The pieces were:
Take a pebble
Lucky man
Tarkus/Great gates of Kiev
Fanfare/Rondo etc. (except drum solo)
which makes around 45 min.
The sound is acceptable, sometimes nice and clear, good visual coverage of
our three heroes.
Bernd Prott (prott@si.zfe.siemens.de) was so kind to send me some news
articles concerning the shows in Munich, Kassel, Nuernberg, Amsterdam and
Dresden, and i was very pleased that they were all very positive. They all
emphasized the high technical skills, the humour, the choice of the
material. I'll do a little translation and summary and post it, if you're
interested (and anybody else had the same idea).
With regards from "Unter den Linden..."
Uwe Hoepfner
------------------------------
From: THEGAZZAS@aol.com, on 9/13/97 9:23 AM:
To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com
Subject: ELP on German TV, 9/12
Last night German TV, Bayerishes Fernsehen broadcast a best of Tollwood
Festival. The first performer was ELP, with the track "FROM THE BEGINNING".
This was not on the original 45 minute special. If you missed seeing the
latest broadcast, it will be repeated on Friday 19th September at 9.00 a..m.
in Europe and 8.00 a.m. in the U.K..
THEGAZZAS@AOL.COM
------------------------------
From: "Tony Brown" <funkyb@globalnet.co.uk>, on 8/30/97 7:39 AM:
To: <elp-digest@reluctant.com>
Subject: Iron Man on British TV
John,
**** UK DIGEST READERS PLEASE NOTE
On Monday 8th September at 1330 (British Summer Time) the FOX KIDS NETWORK
which is available on either "Cable" or "BSkyB" networks will commence
daily broadcasts of the Iron Man cartoon series, which of course had it's
music composed by Keith Emerson
T O N Y B R O W N
------------------------------
From: DrumRolls@aol.com, on 8/17/97 9:04 PM:
To: ELP,digest@reluctant.com
Subject: Lyrics wanted: The Hut of Baba yaga
Hi All! This is only my second posting on the ELP digest. And am new at
this internet system-so bear w/ me if you will.
I have a question that I hope SOMEONE can help me w/ concerning the lyrics
to a portion of "Pictures". "The curse of Baba Yaga".
Normally, I have very little trouble deciphering lyrics from music-and I have
just about all of this-but there are a couple of words I can't make out- and
hope MAYBE someone has this.
I wrote a guy named "Rik" on the ELP web page-he has some of it right-but
still not all of it....and he doesn't claim to have had these authorized by
anyone either.
Here is what I have down so far-from my own listening:
"Terrible faces try defense, talk a lot but talk no sense-
"Y---- to the smiling lies--(next two words indecipherable -then)
smiling,night!"
"Cut the quick to raise the dead, feeding those who are fed,
drain the blood from hearts of stone, whores and hustlers- pick the bones".
Can anyone help me out on this? "Cut the quick" may make no sense-but it
certainly sounds like he is saying this on everything recorded. Even if
you slow the recording down (one of the advantages of keeping your turntable)
it still sounds like "Cut the quick..."
THANKS A GREAT DEAL!!!
Steve Barber
------------------------------
From: GRAHAM SEAMAN <113107.3622@compuserve.com>, on 8/2/97 7:10 PM:
To: John Arnold <arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com>
Subject: Pictures At An Exhibition
Hi John!!! I've only recently gained access to the EXCELLENT facility
which is the ELP Digest, and I couldn't resist sending you this
contribution for publication.
Hello to all true music lovers eveywhere! Please allow me a few moments to
reminisce.
An interesting thing happened when I was scanning through some of the back
issues of the Digest, for I came across an article in 7/5 from Alex Naloev,
regarding an unpublished interview with CARL PALMER. In this, Mrs
Naloev-to-be (Nadia Saul) spoke to himself about the Lindsey Clennell film
'PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION', and how the psychedelic effects made her "...a
little bit upset about those colour spots on the most expressive and
driving sequences of the film".
I agree. It reminded me of my misspent youth, and the time I received
notoriety in school because I had had my letter of complaint published in
the 'SOUNDS' music paper 27th January 1974, complete with a picture of
Emerson and flailing L100 organ! The letter (entitled 'ELP -LOST IN
PICTURES') was written as a result of seeing the film at the Odeon Bootle
in Liverpool, England on 6th December 1973, and being absolutely disgusted
at the way Clennell made the band disappear at regular intervals during the
most important bits. I had been building myself up to the event for some
time beforehand, and so you can imagine my displeasure and disappointment
at seeing bubbles instead of Emerson, Captain America instead of Carl
Palmer, and god knows what else instead of our Greg!
To end it all, many years afterward when I became older, more married and
greatly embossed with three children, (hello Jenna, Peter and Becky....I
love you really!), I was overjoyed to spot a video of 'PICTURES AT AN
EXHIBITION' by you-know-who in a most enlightened newsagents in Halewood. Eagerly purchasing it on the spot, I took it home and placed it in the VCR
with trembling hands to find......yep! The Lindsey Clennell version in
all its colourfully bubbling glory! I couldn't stop laughing at the irony
of it all, and dug out the letter from my files to show the kids!
An interesting postscript can be made after all this, for my Dad happened
to be the Chief Projectionist at the Odeon Bootle at the time the film was
shown. Although he had many enquiries from fans regarding the advertising
posters which came with the film, he apologised and said that he had to
return them to the distributors with the film itself. I helped him take
them down from around the theatre, and was overjoyed when he allowed me to
keep one for myself. I displayed the poster for a while, but during later
years kept it rolled up in a tube for protection. I eventually decided to
put it up for auction at the excellent ELP Convention in Birmingham which I
attended in September 1995, and it was purchased and carried off by a young
ELP fan no older than 13 years of age. I wondered what corner of the globe
my poster was about to return to, for there were fans at the convention
from New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Sweden, the USA and Canada, as
well as all those from the UK.
It was an incredible coincidence when we bumped into the guy who bought my
poster, and found that he lived in the northern end of Liverpool while I
lived in the south. Not only this, for I found out that he used to visit
the Odeon Bootle when he was young with his parents, and knew the cinema
well! I couldn't believe it, and felt that of all the places on the planet
this treasured thing could have gone to, it must have been fate herself who
declared that it should go home to Liverpool again. I made the guy's day
when I told him that Robert Ashmore (the organiser of the convention), had
told me that he knew of only one other poster of its kind in
existence...and that was owned by EMO himself. It seemed to finish a
perfect day off - perfectly!
Enough waffle! On with the rest of the Digest!
- GRAHAM -
Liverpool, England
EMAIL: 113107.3622@COMPUSERVE.COM
------------------------------
From: cmbuford@mindspring.com, on 8/1/97 8:45 PM:
To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com
Subject: Symphony Concerts
I like reading the opinions here, but have tried to refrain from joining
in the game of armchair "management" until now. I always figure that with
the whole recent history of seemingly stupid choices ("Hot Seat") or missed
opportunities by our lads, there's probably some key information we don't
know that would make perfect sense if we did. The music business seldom
runs the way fans wish it did.
But this bugs me, and if anyone in managment happens to read this, I'd
even like to hear what they have to say:
I see that Kansas, of all bands, plans to record a symphonic reworking of
old hits this fall and then hit the amphitheatre "shed" circuit in the
spring to take over the niche just now abandoned by the Moody Blues. In the
words of violinist Robby Steinhardt, "They just recently stopped doing
that, so we're gonna fill in that slot. We'll be the first American band
ever to do this."
Now, I have nothing against Kansas and rather like a lot of what they did
in the '70s. In high school they were an "accessible" concert attraction in
their frequent touring, and in college I came to consider them good for
"slumming," or a "guilty pleasure" to the British prog-block of titans
(ELP-Floyd-Yes-Genesis), which I considered "the real deal."
But I have to ask: Assuming this symphony thing is true - Meaning that
this isn't just wishful thinking or a tentative plan of action, but that
they have firm commitmetns and really could pull this off after playing
bars and small theaters the past three years - then why couldn't ELP have
been the ones to "fill in that slot"... In fact, I've been wondering ever
since the Moody Blues started touring all over the place. Isn't the "Works"
tour audience of 20 years ago now the one that supports their local pops
orchestras? ELP has much more longevity and respect than Kansas, for
godsakes ...
------------------------------
From: Peter Wilton <pjsw@beaufort.demon.co.uk>, on 7/7/97 9:45 AM:
To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com
Subject: re: ELP Digest V7 #13
In ELP Digest V7 #13....
>>> Sorry to say this, but I found the sound just terrible. I could hardly
>>> hear the keyboards. I admit that my position right in front of the stage
>>> may not have been the best one to judge this quite objectively. But
>>> anyway, it shouldn't be that much of a problem these days to achieve a
>>> proper sound quality! As a composer I work a lot in the field of
>>> electroacoustic music, and the main concern with regard to the sound
>>> diffusion in a concert is sound quality and transparency rather than
>>> loudness. I would suggest to the people from the mixing desk to work with
>>> electroacousic composers for some time and diffuse concerts of
>>> electroacoustic music. Go and study what people like Jonty Harrison from
>>> the University of Birmingham in England do with their BEAST system! And
>>> something very simple: if you'd only put the faders down a bit, you would
>>> gain quite a lot!
May I say how much I agree with this. It was a problem in the RAH in
1992. I saw two shows there, one from a box (and therefore not in the
line of fire of the speakers!), and one from an upper tier of stalls. In the
former case, I could hear all the notes with reasonable clarity. In the
latter, it was OK until the sound was turned up for Romeo and Juliet.
Thereafter, I could tell which track was being played only from the bass
notes. As I value my hearing, and having anticipated this, I took wax
earplugs with me, in order to avoid ear-damage. A reasonable volume
ensures the excitement associated with volume - this is what we got at
the beginning of the concert. When it's turned up further, you actually get
the kind of distortion associated with speakers working beyond their
capacity *in the ear-drum itself*. This is what happened at the higher
volume level. The result is that you can't actually hear all those complex
harmonies and counterpoints that Emerson writes, because the sound is
being amplified beyond the capacity of the human ear to distinguish
between timbres. The final improvisation is very interesting on the video,
but I could hear only a shuffle beat and bass note for ten minutes or so in
the hall itself, and watch Emerson's fingers moving, not knowing what it
was all about!
--
Peter Wilton
The Gregorian Association Web Page:
http://www.beaufort.demon.co.uk/chant.htm
------------------------------
From: <Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.nett.telenor.no>, on 7/8/97 9:02 PM:
To: elp-digest@reluctant.com
Subject: Some thoughts about several items
Thanks, Rainer, for bringing up the subject of musical innovation in
ELP Digest # 13!
>>> No doubt he is a very gifted virtuoso. But there are lots of pianists
>>> with an amazing technique these days. Go to one of the piano competitions
>>> and see how young people can play! The standard is so incredibly high.
>>> For example, all of you who think that "Memories" from the "Love Beach"
>>> album contains some great piano parts: have you ever listened to
>>> Maurizio Pollini's legendary recording of the Etude op 10,1 in C major
>>> by Chopin?
To me Its never been a question of whether Keith is "the greatest" player on
earth. I believe there are greater piano players even in Norway (like Leif
Ove Andsnes). However, since I discovered ELP in 1973 I've loved his (and
theirs) COMBINATION of technique, "rockability", revolt and musical
innovation. The arrangements on Toccata, Pictures and Barbarian shows in
various ways that its possible to make really innovative and valid
interpretations of "classical music" by "modern artists". ELP are in a
different league to e.g. Ekseption's "cute" versions of the classics, even
if those also are played by somewhat virtuosos. I believe we agree in this!
>>> As you have read in several reports on the ELP concerts from the new
>>> tour, the program didn't include any new pieces. The program wasn't
>>> much different from what they had played five years ago. I don't mind
>>> to listen to old pieces again every now and then. But in this case
>>> I'd prefer the entire pieces to excerpts and medleys.
Again we'ere in agreement! I feared exactly this last year and wrote to
Keith and Will in the naive hope that it could be avoided. I suggested them
playing quite different versions or pieces never played live (e.g. even
"Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman") as well as newly composed or
arranged pieces. Besides Wakeman's "Journey" I think ELP's "Pictures" (three
years earlier) is the only full piece by a rock group first being recorded
and published live (well, Deep Purpla and Jon Lord also had some...). I went
on a bit in my usual way with various eager suggestions. To all this Will
responed by explaining that the tour in 96 was to be of their "greatest
hits", only. And the one in 97 seems to be about the same, even if the guys
individually (and collectively) have other pieces up their sleeves. .
However, I believe that the boys - by also wisely playing large arenas and
festivals - are about to reinstate themselves in such a way that it will be
possible later - on this tour or on the next one - to make bolder attempts!
>>> But apart from that, in the seventies ELP used to stand for a kind of
>>> pioneering spirit, for innovation and creativity. Complex pieces like
>>> "Toccata" epitomized what ELP stood for.
Precisely!
>>> And this is opposed to any kind of nostalgia. Many of us who attend
>>> ELP concerts are ageing youths in their forties and maybe fifties now,
>>> but I think we are still too young just to dream of the "good old days".
>>> This is what my grandmother did when she was ninety. Let's all meet up
>>> for a session of nostalgia in about forty years, and we'll invite ELP
>>> to play their old stuff again, and then we'll all be happy and cry.
Being in my late thirties I quite agree. Two of my latest CD aquisitions
were "Roots of Selputura and "Fat of the Land" by Prodigy. I listen a lot to
new music, also classical. And however much and desperate I hunt its
impossible to find anything as bold and innovative as ELP (not even in the
prog field, despite some great new bands!). I love ELP for their amazing
ability at coming up with something new on every album through the 70's (even
if on the last ones...) And ELPowell was very good, escpecially side 1
(talking LP here). Even Black Moon and ITHS showed a great variety of style
and different apporaches.
>>> Artists work and develop for their entire life. Composers like Karlheinz
>>> Stockhausen or Iannis Xenakis are in their seventies now, and they still
>>> compose from early in the morning till late at night. And they always try
>>> to move on.
And Keith Emerson! His film music of the 80's showed a wilingness to
move on! The scores to e.g. "Best Revenge" and "Inferno" contains
great gems!
And the piece "Glorietta" on his "Christmas Album" really proves he's far
from dead yet! I believe Keith has composed many a piece in the last year or
twenty which really should be released or rearranged for ELP.
>>> When an artist gets stuck, he or she is sort of dead. So I do hope that
>>> there will be some exciting and complex new music by ELP in the future.
>>> Come on guys, you can do better than that!
Yes, that's exactly what most fans feel and wish and beg for!
Let's pray and pay whenever they come to play!
Only by trying not to be "popular" will ELP ever have a chance of returning
to being popular! If that's a goal for serious artists to strive for...
In todays musical marketplace I believe, however, that its no longer
realistic to hope for multi million hits by very many groups - the diversity
of style and sub cultures have just gone to far.
Yours
Bjorn Are
Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.nett.telenor.no
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Weaver in the Web that he made
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Our minds were moving parallel
Because they never met
------------------------------
From: Nick Zales <zales@ibm.net>, on 7/15/97 12:02 PM:
To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com
Subject: ELP Concert Set List
John - Your ELP Digest is just GREAT. Keep up the good work.
On the other hand, although I have seen ELP everytime they have played
nearby, judging from the European set list I will probably miss their next
stop in the Midwest (USA). I am tired of ELP playing the same old songs and
NOT playing more than a tidbit from their greatest work - Brain Salad
Surgery. Obviously my hero, Keith, simply is not up to it anymore.
I'm sick and tired of "Tarkus" and "Fanfare for the Common Man/Rondo." I
want to hear BSS! All of it. Even more from Trilogy would be appreciated.
But apparently Emerson has lost the technique (or will) to re-learn those
songs. I love ELP, which is why it is a crying shame that they will not
play their best material live, preferring to play it safe. UK fans, you are
not missing much. ELP is on the verge of becoming a cover band - for their
own music!
Nick
------------------------------
From: riccardo <boldman@interplanet.it>, on 7/15/97 3:49 PM:
To: elp-digest@reluctant.com
Subject: GX-1
Hi everybody from spaghetti land,
first of all, sorry for my bad english writing.
The GX-1 matter seems to be a neverending story.
I'll try to put a definitive word on this, even if only Keith could say so.
There has been 2 GX-1s. The first one bought from yamaha, used for Works
album and subsequential tour. It has been painted black for the stage needs.
You can see it in the Montreal concert video. Also some photos of it can be
found in the book Vintage Synthesizer by Mark Vail.
The second one bought from Led Zeppelin. I do not know the year of the
purchase but surely it is after the Led's concert filmed in Knewborth (or
Wembley..., ask a Led fan). It was still white (its original colour) when I
saw them both in England.
It is the same used in the Black Moon video.
The first had the midi on it. So it is sure that Keith used it till mid of
the eighties.
I cannot tell that the first one was still alive when ELPowell toured the
USA. I have a poor quality video of a concert, but it is B/W and the GX-1
is not clearly visible.
I can tell for sure that the first one did not get broken, destroyed,
burned or anything else in the famous "tractor into the barn" accident.
In fact, the black one is the most precious item of my collection of old
analogs. It still lacks some functions but still can be played, after a
difficult restoring work.
I hope I can meet Keith some day, to definitively state the facts. I hope
this can be possible july 20th in Castiglione Delle Stiviere.
Ciao, riccardo
------------------------------
From: "Plotczyk, Steve" <PLOTCZYK@FSSI.MHS.CompuServe.COM>
To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com
Subject: Rocking The Classics
Date: 7/15/97
Re: Rocking the Classics
In ELP Digest Volume 6 Issue 30 Topic 5 - Rocking the Classics
Bjo/rn Are Davidsen <Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.nett.telenor.no> first brought
to our attention a new book about progressive rock with numerous mention
of ELP and recommended getting it. I second the recommendation!
I ordered this book on a Friday and had it in hand by Monday night.
I thought I would look up the ELP references in the index and quickly
check out those parts but as it turns out ELP's entry in the index is
the largest one of all of them! Their mention is virtually from the
start to the end of the book and just about everywhere in between.
After digging into it a bit it soon became clear to me that this book
was well worth going over cover to cover, all 324 pages. I found the
discography section helpful in revealing to me new information about
some other progressive rock bands. The discography has a very good
listing of all albums of a band in a chonological order with date of
album release and maintaining the exact band lineup all throughout and
lists all guest musicians for each album as well. Additional information
on the albums is provided to reveal if it's a live version, if it
contains previously released material, etc. The cover has a photo of Yes
performing live on 6-30-79 at the Hollywood Sportatorium and was
provided by Mr. Ed "Bear" Morgan. There are also several pictures of ELP
inside the book. As Mark Delugt mentioned in his post, pages 87-95
contain an in depth analysis of the Tarkus suite from different
perspectives including a schematic of the tonal movement in a
Schenkerian framework. Although not as in depth as the 150 page Ford
thesis on the Tarkus suite, I still found it insightful and quite
enjoyed reading it. The author, Edward Macan, who was born in 1961 is a
music educator, composer, mallet percussionist and pianist from the
College of the Redwoods in Eureka CA. He knows what he's talking about
and recently formed a band called Hermetic Science that just recorded a
new CD that showcases his mallet percussion playing in a progressive
music format and features promising young musicians from the college.
Printed at the top of the back cover of the book is this recommendation
from Keith Emerson himself:
"While there have been thousands of books on every form of music,
progressive music as such has gotten a raw deal. Edward Macan has
been brave enough to write the quintessential book on a curiously
under-represented form of music - and it's about time."
This is a rundown of the table of contents:
Lyrics Credits vi
Prelude vii
Introduction 3
1 The Birth of Progressive Rock 15
2 The Progressive Rock Style: The Music 30
3 The Progressive Rock Style: The Visuals 57
4 The Progressive Rock Style: The Lyrics 69
5 Four Different Progressive Rock Pieces 85
6 Related Styles 126
7 A Sociology of Progressive Rock 144
8 The Critical Reception of Progressive Rock 167
9 Progressive Rock After 1976 179
Postlude 220
Appendix (Discography/Personal Listings) 223
Notes 245
Bibliography 271
Index 281
This information should be helpful for ordering:
Title: Rocking The Classics
Subtitle: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture
Author: Edward Macan
ISBN: 0-19-509888-9
Cost: $17.95
Date: 1997
Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks
Oxford University Press Inc.
198 Madison Ave.
New York NY 10016
I'd like to thank Bjo/rn Are for first bringing this excellent reading
material to my attention and in the words of Mark Delugt
(ELP Digest Volume 7 Issue 2): "GET THIS BOOK!".
Steve Plotczyk <plotczyk@fssi.mhs.compuserve.com>
------------------------------
From: <karmelo@arrakis.es> on 7/15/97 9:29 PM:
To: <elp-digest-request@reluctant.com>
Subject: Trying to get California Jam released....
As most ELP fans know, there is a wonderful concert recorded by the
ABC American television in 1974 -The California Jam-. This video rests on
the shelves of this TV company. I am sure all ELP fans would like this
concert to be published. Unfortunatelly, ELP do not possess the rights. The
only possibility to have it published-as Keith suggested in an interview
for the magazine Imppressions- is that people wrote to the ABC TV . Let,s
tell them that we want this concert to be published.-The whole concert- We
can both write or telephone to:
Channel 7 WABC TV
133O Avenue of The Americas
New York, NY. 10019
USA
------------------------------
From: airshift@webtv.net
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 00:39:28 -0700
To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com, dnar@webtv.net
Subject: Re: ELP Digest V7 #14 (Edward Maccan's band)
Hi, everybody. I don't post much 4 lack of time, but I just wanted 2
share the following: Several months ago I had the privelage to listen to
Hermetic Science featuring the music of Edward Maccan. The band was
excellent performing orig. compositions and some covers inc. ELP's
vers. of Fanfare. They were a 3 piece bass,drums, and vibes; all
instrumental. Afterwards I was able to talk with Ed and he autographed
my book. He also gave me his # so I could set up some time to improv on
gtr over his highly structured music. I just got a Line 6 amp and would
be fun, but I don't feel ready yet. I have played 31 yrs. and this music
is really different and complex. When he finds someone to release the cd
many readers of the RTC book will be amazed. I feel fortunate to
know(sorta) a writer that get's mentioned in so many prog newsgroups.
The reason he seems so up on prog is because he composes and plays it
very well. Sorry for the ramble, but I thought you might find this
interesting. Music Rules!
------------------------------
From: Dave Wright <daw@cray.com>, on 7/17/97 6:31 PM:
To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com
Subject: ELP - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Hello all,
For those that might be interested. I just came back from the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Though there is nothing on ELP per-say
They did have a new item. The acoustic guitar Greg Lake used for Lucky Man.
It's on the bottom floor just before you go into the exhibition hall. I'm
sure it's a temporary location. Not much European music represented except
Stones and Beatles. Mostly US stuff like Motown etc. Enjoy Dave
------------------------------
From: ralph.sommer@t-online.de (Ralph Sommer), on 7/18/97 8:39 PM:
To: elp-digest@reluctant.com
Subject: ELP in Germany
After I had seen ELP in Essen, Germany, 1992, which was the first time I saw
them live, I was very happy to see that they will play in Germany in 1997.
Having the chance to visit the concerts in Kassel, Dortmund, Fulda and
Dresden I must add here that it was really great. What Nick Welman posted
here some issues before about the concert in Kassel I can only agree with: A
second encore beginning with throwing away the towel Greg had around his neck
and playing Schizoid Man - whow. They also did the second encore in Fulda and
Dresden.
To hear the old compositions was really fine because I never heard most of
them live before. So the tour concept is really alright.
A special event for me was Dresden: The last concert in Germany and for many
people the first concert they could see ELP, because Dresden is in the "far
east" of Germany. Eight years ago people could only listen to forbidden
Western Germany radio to hear ELP, so I was very excited about the reception
of ELP in Dresden. It was great. 2.200 people watching directly open air and
some hundreds standing on the bridge over the river Elbe to watch as
non-paying spectators.
ELP play with such a vitality and energy that it is hardly to believe that
all is live although if You look at them it seems to be easy for all three.
Keith's playing is fantastic. His communication with the audience great: As
he was lying under his old hammond at the end of the show he recognized our
two children (age 10 and 7) in the first row and greeted them while he was
playing - I thought it was unbelievable. He played like a young god.
Greg's voice is much better than in 1992. He has now again the strong voice
he ever had, very clear and as I know it since decades. Carl's drumming with
his superb energy and absolutely correct was nice to see and hear. He also
communicates with the audience and makes some jokes. I remember Dortmund when
there suddenly was no sound of the bass guitar: Carl used the situation to
play a little dance rhythm and everbody laughed and had fun.
There was always a very good atmosphere in the audience and I had the feeling
we are a world wide ELP family.
After the shows we mostly had the chance to talk to them, get some pictures
and autographs: Now I know two more young fans, because it was the first rock
concert for my children - they have got autographs of ELP on their jackets!
I heard that ELP is working on a new album. Some DAT tapes are ready. The
person who heard this said that they sound very good. The release will be in
August 1998 I hope and then they will tour again beginning in Great Britain I
think. I am just waiting for them.
But now many thanks to ELP and all people who made this tour possible.
Ralph Sommer
------------------------------
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------------------------------
End of ELP Digest [Volume 7 Issue 18]
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