I was Keith’s fiancée until his passing. Oh how I wish Keith could have seen this! It was the most important to him what classical composers thought of his music. Thank you Doug! Please do Keith’s “Piano Concerto No.1” too! Mari
Hello Mari, those of us with serious music training recognize and value the Maestro’s genius. When this music was new it may not have been recognized by the establishment because of the rock and pop culture framing, but time makes it clear to all the mastery within this music and its eternal greatness
Yes, definitely Piano Concerto No. 1. There’s a version with the score on RUclips. Also, one of my favorites, which is often overlooked and very underrated, is Memoirs from an Officer and a Gentleman.
Just watched this video and found it interesting that Doug mentioned Pete Sinfield. Pete passed away just the other day, Nov. 14, 2024. An under rated lyricist.
Absolutely 👍🏼 💯 I am so lucky to have seen the return of ELP with Carl Palmer, playing drums live. It was an experience you just cannot explain. If you get the chance to see it you MUST as an ELP fan. Not only is it significant with just the performance but the stories he tells and being able to see footage that has never been shown before of Keith and Greg is so worth it !!
Live 2x. Carl on the rotating dais flanked by the gongs and playing timpani on "The Enemy God Dances With the Black Spirits". 50 years later and I can still see it. And Keith standing on one foot while playing the Moog with his right hand, the GX-1 with his left, and a pedal board.
At the 5:00 mark…”boy keith emerson is one of a kind isn’t he?” Truer words have never been spoken. This has always been my favorite tune they have ever done and to hear someone analyze it in detail the way you have is proof enough for me that it is their greatest work of all…
I just saw Carl Palmer in a very small venue in Connecticut last Friday. He was playing with two young kids, a guitarist and a bassist. They were amazing and it was very interesting to hear ELP songs without keyboards. But what was truly impressive was that, at the age of 71, Palmer played a two hour set, then a fantastic drum solo, followed by an encore. The man is a powerhouse.
I saw them on Nov 11 in Philadelphia. They are sensational!! Paul Bielatowicz is the brilliant guitarist and Simon Fitzpatrick plays bass and the Chapman stick
Not hearing the keyboards when I saw Palmer's band broke my heart. That hurt way too much to have Keith replaced by a guitar player. Carl played great but it was too painful because I missed Keith so much.
@@michaelsoto5542 There is no way anyone could ever “replace” Keith with any instrument. But keep in mind that is called the ELP legacy band and I think Carl made a great choice with Paul & Simon. Just listen to the music for what it is knowing that it was all composed by Keith Emerson. I truly enjoy them. Check out Paul Bielatowicz on RUclips. He does some brilliant guitar work 🎸🔥
I've seen them many times! They are wonderful! Sure, no one will replace Keith, but Carl is a Powerhouse and good for him and them for keeping the music alive, I've met all of them and Paul is a real sweetheart!!
ELP was my first concert in '74 - right after this was released. The amazing thing was that they could play all this live, as a three-piece. Folks have often wondered how Rush, with three guys, produce so much sound. ELP says "hold my beer", and has never been equaled. Live, this was mixed in quad. In their prime, they were unbelievable.
@@jamesbrady2278 the guy who rune the Hall of Fame is really only interested in blues based rock and pop, Rush had more mainstream music too, although I really rate them! How Yes got in is a real mystery!?
GOD!!!!! Greg was so good on guitar and bass. Plus there weren't many better vocalists out there at this time. He carried on his brilliant vocals from King Crimson to ELP.
not enough is ever said of the incredible BASS WORK from Greg on this. Some amazing chops, super fast riffs, supporting the piano etc all the way through.
ofcourse with no disrespect to Keith and Carl but I fully agree to this remark. The bass playing of Greg was indeed incredible. I grew up with ELP as being born in 1953, they , together with Pink Floyd and some other bands very much "coloured " my youth. I have seen various concerts of ELP here in the Netherlands and found all of them impressive. Very much respect to Mari, your reaction gave me goose bumps Thank you !!!!
Lake was indeed an excellent bassist and guitarist but over the years I've marveled at the nonobvious bass lines Emerson came up with. He *needed* a really good bassist.
The drumming on 1st Impression is a masterpiece. A lot of rockers don't really like Carl Palmer's drumming style that much but trying to play along with Keith Emerson is almost a nightmare scenario for a drummer because you can't settle in with a rock feel because the music is hardly rock. But trying to play 1st Impression is going to twist most drummer's arms up into knots because of the speed he's moving at. Just an incredible performance.
There is absolutely NOBODY who can do what Carl does... He doesn't just provide a beat... His is an interwoven dialog and counterpoint to the other musicians... He makes the percussion actually harmonize with the others... it is astounding...
He was at least at time one of only three drummers in the world who could do a one handed drum role with either hand. I think his brain must be different.
I was a young man back when the album came out. And I loved ELP's music. But I didn't realize what a masterpiece this album was. Today, at 67, I have even more respect for such achievements. Unmatched...
I understand this was posted a year ago, but this is timeless. Being 67 now, what a Lucky Man I was to grow up with this phenomenal music. Tears of joy, and I will hold that like a precious diamond in my heart and soul until I die (and hopefully after). Many thanks Doug, for explaining why this shattered my brain!
I'm just a baby at 66......but I'll join you in saying that Keith Emerson was rarely off my turntable. The fabric of my teenage years....and onwards. That STOP!......at 09:00 was my favourite.......
Post 2000, the music has really hit the skids. I'm a bit younger than you, but I feel that the creativity and musicianship of the 70s will never be breached.
That is arguably one of the greatest Prog Rock epics ever written. And yes Doug, they can play that whole thing live - and did. Sometime give a listen to the version on the "Welcome Back My Friends..." live album from 1974. It's actually LONGER than this version, if you can believe it (largely owing to a massive drum solo during 1st Impression). And the ending is slightly different... that cyclic pattern on the sequencer is slowly sped up to hundreds of times faster, to the point where it is almost just a buzzing noise, and then the whole thing explodes. (Well, sort of.)
This live version is actually the definite one, I would say (well, minus the overlong drum solo). Though the audio quality is rather bad, the whole suite is much more lively, dynamic, breathing, while the studio version seems at times to be squeezed to make it fit onto the record. Having known the version from "Welcome back..." inside out before hearing the "Brain Salad"-album for the first time, I thought impressions 2 & 3 on there are like sketches of the real deal to be played live, especially the synth sequence at the end, which is a joke on record.
@@fortsechs hearing BSS first when it came out, the synth seq at the end had tremendous impact as just as it starts to speed up it suddenly stops leaving you disoriented which was quite an effect, in fact I'd never heard anything that did that to me. I can imagine that when hearing the live version first the studio version ending would seem truncated.
@@fortsechs I agree about which is the definitive version. All of the WELCOME BACK... performances clobber the studio recordings. Also: in that live version there's an extra key change in the 1st Impression, probably to suit Lake's vocal range.
I have that record (the 3 LP set), bought in 1975 I think The audio does leave something to be desired, but it was my introduction to ELP. I need to get it out and give it a listen with a half decent turntable.
Still listening after 48 years and enjoying Karn Evil 9 even more than I did as a 14 year old.. As for Carl Palmer, I appreciate his talent a bit more each time I hear him play, a true maestro.
I just found your channel! I was 'weaned' on ELP's music when I was around 12 years old, courtesy of my older brother(who was 15 at the time) and would blast their albums from his stereo. There was no way anyone in our neighborhood could miss any music pouring out of the windows of my brother's bedroom. When I was in high school, Karn Evil 9 was the album I gravitated to when I would come home from school and unwind from the day. With my own stereo and headphones, I'd blast this album into my ears while doing homework. Great memories of the childhood/teenage years. I'm now 63, and ELP's music continues to lift my spirits when I am feeling down. I was fortunate enough to see the band many years ago at a small venue(1,00 people)in Atlantic City. I made a believer out of my then husband. He was more into groups like Kansas, et al, and wasn't interested in the least to see ELP, but he went to the concert with me anyway, and once he heard the genius of Carl Palmer, it was the only thing he could talk about on our drive home later that evening. When both Keith and Greg passed away, I commented on my FB page "I feel like I've lost two of my best friends". It has taken a long time for me to sit down and get back into their music, but the past couple of days I have finally started to listen to them again. Thank you, Doug. Much appreciated, and I have sat here smiling and laughing at your expressions. Their music just grabs ones soul. I think the two of them would be delighted that you have presented them fairly and honestly.
I saw Carl a couple years ago in a small hall in my area and at age 72 or so he was still amazing. My son came along wanted him to hear a real drummer. As good as I told him Carl would be, my son said I undersold it and he was better than I even emphasized.
There are two immortal works in prog: Close To The Edge and Brain Salad. KE9 pushed the genre to it's absolute limit. A work that rivals Beethoven, Stravinsky, etc. Keith Emerson was one of the most powerful musical geniuses to emerge in the 20th century. No one else even came close. Meeting Keith a few years ago sealed it for me: genuine, friendly and a real gentleman.
Also had the good fortune to speak briefly with Keith after a show. He was a very friendly and cool guy....actually took the time to speak to a shmuck like me. He seemed to have a boyish quality about him...upbeat in his actions and in conversation.
I would add one other: Thick as a Brick The first album (that I know of) that was one song that completely covered *both* sides of the album. One could also add Tommy to the collection - the first “rock opera”, if I’m not mistaken.
@@ktrimbach5771 by release date, ye, but The Pretty Things' "S.F. Sorrow " was written and recorded well before "Tommy". Unfortunately, a change in label resulted in its release a year after "Tommy".
@@ktrimbach5771 Thick As A Brick superb album by Jethro Tull which probably precedes this (haven't checked my dates) but, basically, all contemporaries. Love it, lived it, still got it on vinyl. 😁
The greatest band I never got to see. I discovered ELP at age 13, when most people were listening to pop a kid in my class brought their newly released first album in for the "play one of your songs" slot at the end of our classical music lesson. He played Knife Edge. Our teacher paused spellbound for a few moments before diving into the school record cupboard; emerging a minute or two later triumphantly brandishing a copy of Janacek's synfonieta in C minor, which he had recognised as the inspiration for ELP. The official curriculum was abandoned and we spent the rest of the term studying and comparing the 2 pieces. My musical experience was changed forever. Listening now with you, Doug, to both Tarkus and Karn Evil 9 back-to-back I remembered every single word, solo, chord progression and fill despite not having listened to Karn for several years (I still have Tarkus in my collection) and I loved your facial expressions of sheer astonishment and delight at the various twists and turns of the arrangement.
One of the greatest albums of all time. I have been listening to this for nearly 50 years it still shocks and stuns me now after thousands of listens . If anyone listens to this for the fist time and is not taken back their soul is dead . You do not have to like it but it should give a visceral reaction.
You’re like the fellow prog appreciating friend who we’ve all been waiting half a century for. Someone who really listens, appreciates and understands our obsessive music nerdhood
8:20 - Yes, Doug, they did it live on the WELCOME BACK, MY FRIENDS... album, and at a somewhat faster tempo than this. It was done with two Hammond Organs, a five-cabinet Moog Modular, a Minimoog, and the Moog Lyra and Apollo prototypes, none of which made it to full production (The Lyra's closest production descendant was the Multimoog and the Apollo's was the Polymoog). Lake switched from bass to guitar and back to bass again in the First Impression; Emerson took over the bass part with his left hand when Lake was playing guitar, probably using the Minimoog. The Moog Modular was so comprehensive that for KE9 it could be set up to do several different things which Emerson could switch between during the song. 9:53 - Hammond keyboards, especially like the ones on the B3 and C3, can take a lot of abuse and those are glissandos played hand over hand, in tempo, on each eighth note. It's quite a dramatic sight live. 12:38 - Emerson's Moog Modular had a specially-built module - even having his name silkscreened on the panel - called "sample and hold." It was used to generate a series of pseudo-random control voltages at regular intervals (here, 16th-note tempo) that in this case controlled filter cutoff frequency. 20:19 - Minimoog. Its third oscillator can be run as an LFO or up in the audio range and what I'm pretty sure is happening is that it's modulating the frequency of the other two oscillators but at audio rates so instead of a vibrato you get this harmonically complex timbre evocative of a Caribbean steel drum. I had thought this was done on the Modular using a ring modulator (which can also give you effects like this) but I've read in more than one place that it was actually a Minimoog. 26:07 - Nope, not organ. That's the aforementioned Lyra. It had aftertouch (in 1973!) and you can hear it controlling the filter cutoff frequency. - Yes, we can hear the lyrics - or read them online if we want. There's a lot more going on in the music. 29:03 - Lyra in the right hand and the *polyphonic* Apollo in the left (hear the filter sweep downward with every chord?). It goes right past Doug but this is a pretty big deal technologically for 1973. 30:37 - I've always found it interesting to listen to the left hand during the organ solo; in the live version he chords more sparsely but with more authority. Is that a Jimmy Smith thing?
Keith has stated that the "steel drum" sound was done on the Mini-moog. If you look at the photo on the back of Welcome Back My Friends... you will see a Mini-moog sitting on top of the Steinway
I was friends with ELP, ASIA and Emerson’s rodie and we often drove new keyboards to Emerson’s house in Sussex. So I sat in EMO’s barn with all his rig, quite mind blowing for a Florida beach guy. I knew it was incredibly complex equipment, but I didn’t know till 42-43 years later just how technically complex it was. Many thanks! 🙏
I saw this performed twice. Once in quadraphonic sound at a venue and again at the Cal Jam. The spinning piano part blew my mind. So much sound from three people. Nothing like them.
Many are not aware but in the 70s Playboy magazine had a yearly thing that subscribers could vote on called the All Star Band where artists were voted on by the instrument they played. Many years Emerson was #1 on keyboards, Palmer #1 on drums and Lake was #2 only behind a gentleman named Paul McCartney who was #1..they were definitely quite the talent
@@Tom-ok2rh Honestly Lake wasn't the world most incredible bassist/guitarist but I would say he was better (in the 70s at least) than McCartney. Not a better songwriter, but a better bassist and guitarist. And in the 70s, more influential.
Mari- Mr Emerson was such a positive role model for me. He guided my musical path. I own Moog synths, a smaller modular, grew up loving the Hammond organ and he taught me the classical is the best music (to me). I saw him live only 4 times but I think of this man every single day. To have met him and talked composers with him and expressed my gratitude to him for the endless inspiration is lost now. I’ve met a few of my inspirations but will regret not speaking to him.
Doug, you asked “how did they do this live?” I saw them 3 times LIVE and you would not believe it. Keith played the organ, piano and synth, it seemed, at the same time. The synthesizer he played he designed and built. Carl Palmer, the drummer, his platform was a revolving unit that he could rotate to reach the gong or chimes that were behind him. All of his kit was microphoned so you could hear each one perfectly. Greg Lake was not only a great vocalist but switched back and forth between his bass and 6 and 12 string guitars. On top of all that Greg couldn’t read music. Those shows, to this day, one of the most impressive and dynamic live performances I’ve ever witnessed. Have a Happy Thanksgiving…
Fell in love with ELP when I first saw them on TV at California Jam in 1974. Was lucky enough to see them 5 or 6 six times up here in Canada (Montreal & Ottawa) over the years in all different size venues ranging from the the very large (The Montreal Forum, etc.) to the 'small and intimate' (Ottawa Congress Centre). Left after every "show that never ends" in an 'amazed and dazed' state !!! Truly one of the greatest live musical acts ever !
Listening together with you again, this incredible compostion!! As a harmony professor and composer I think that it's Impossible to catch these Emerson harmonies even in several listenings! Greetings from Brasil!
Keith Emerson did it ALL right there in front of the audience! Yup! Three musical magicians! Extroardinary..... Why isn't this quality of music everywhere nowadays?
Actually it's better live than on the studio album. Like most prog bands of this era they perfected their music in a live environment. Yes and Genesis were particularly good live in the 70s, despite the technical difficulties encountered.
Respectfully,I would have have to disagree. ELP we’re notoriously sloppy live (for whatever reason…) and sadly rushed through this piece live unlike the studio effort. I’m specifically referencing California Jam.
@@davidkyle2073 You are - of course - entitled to your opinion. However I watched ELP live 4 times between 1971 and 1976 and I do not recognize your assertion. Did you see ELP in the early to mid 70s? I'll grant you that when Keith did his knife stuff in the early 70s it was a bit rough at times but that was all about the show. I saw the Tarkus tour which was flawless as was Trilogy and BSS. So unless you actually saw these shows in the early 70s I'm not sure your opinion is valid. I'm 63 btw what age are you?
Good night Doctor Doug, greetings from Mexico, I hope that you'll see my comment, I'm a composer myself and for the past 10 years of my life I have written music that contains odd time signatures as well as "odd" harmonic progressions, I grew up listening to prog and classical music , this piece being one of my favourites; douring this 10 years I've been judged by my peers because of the way that I write music, and now all of this is just to tell you THANK YOU , from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU, because thanks to your analysis of prog rock I have came to realize that the reason why I write music the way I do it's because of the music that I've been hearing all of my life. Once more thank you for your analysis, I really enjoy them and learn a lot from them. Keep on uploading this wonderful material, the internet needs more people like you. Best regards.
I would note that "Welcome Back My Friends..." was what greeted you on side 2 of the original vinyl album, a genius programming move necessitated by the length of KE9 relative to the time limitations of vinyl records.
It sounds normal now, but you have to take into account that back then it was very difficult to create each sound on a huge synthesizer. Then, a blind pianist named Rachel Flowers has reproduced this magnificent suite perfectly. It is very moving. I urge you to see this as well. You can find it a search on her name.
you can find the international collaboration featuring Rachael doing all of Karn Evil 9 here: ruclips.net/video/M2Fqo-0RhjM/видео.html it's astounding as to how much work it takes to reproduce Emerson's keyboarding. Rachel is one of the few (if not the only?) who can accurately reproduce him.
Hi Doug, I saw ELP back in 1974. And yes Keith Emerson was able to play many keyboards simultaneously. I saw him play a grand piano while strapped in his chair. All while spinning in a vertical 360 circle. Keith Emerson was a first class showman and musician. His likes we will never see again in our lifetime.
I also was fortunate enough to see the Pictures at an Exhibition encore live with the piano in midair. Two things, at least that I've picked up from somewhere. One is that the piano in midair wasn't done that many times because it was difficult, hard on Keith, etc. The other is there's no such thing as a piano you can play in midair while it's spinning. That part of the music was on tape.
@@harrisonburger9355 I saw ELP at the Cal Jam & I noticed there was a bar under the piano which Keith hung on to for dear life while spinning. One time they did the spinning piano thing & the lid was not securely closed. It flew open & broke Keith's nose!
I saw ELP at the Spectrum in Philadelphia in the summer of '74 (with herbal enhancement, thank you very much), and it was incredible, For days afterwards my friends and I were "ELPed out", and listened to anything else on records, because the live performance was so overwhelming the record couldn't compare. Yes, Keith really could do these sounds live. Also, Carl's drum solos on the record turned into extended drum solos on stage that were fabulous. I've since moved on to punk and other forms of rock, but thanks for reminding me of my college days so many years ago. I get why Keith took his life, because his arms and hands couldn't do what they once had done on keyboards with such seeming ease, but it doesn't make his passing easier.
How do they do it live? Listen to sides 5 and 6 of Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends - Ladies and Gentlemen. That sound you ask about at 20:19 is a Minimoog. The modulation is at an audio rate, so it produces the metallic overtones of a Steel Drum. Did you catch Emerson quoting St. Thomas at 21:10?
My God! Watching you listening to this entire masterpiece made me just giggle. Imagine being a 9 year Mexican boy being presented to this mindblowing album. I was that little boy, and was absolutely flabbergasted after listening to all this marvelous music. From then on, my admiration for ELP have never diminished a bit.
Yes, I was 9 in 1973 when my uncle introduced me to them. I saved up my money and this was the first album I ever bought. They are my all time favorites. They introduced me to music on a high level and whats possible.
I saw the Nashville leg of that tour. Oddly enough it was probably the loudest concert I ever saw. Far louder than Black Sabbath and other metal bands. Maybe only The Who was as loud. But 50 years later I've still got my hearing, so it was wonderful!
Trust me, they could do it live. Got my $8.50 ticket stub from the album tour when they rolled into Memphis. About an hr of warm-up band (BOC), followed by almost 3 hrs of ELP. Everyone left at Midnight (police made em quit), and crowd was simply exhausted. Our group didn't say too much in the hr ride back to campus. Best show ever.
My wife (we were dating at the time) went to their show for the Brain Salad Surgery tour at the time. And the end of the show, when that electronic tune started going at the end of what you played, Keith got it going on the big Moog setup. He walked away, and the band walked off, and the Moog kept playing that tune. It got faster and faster, and the back part of the setup wheeled back and faced the audience, with the tune going faster, the lights in the Moog blasting faster to the audience, faster and faster, until the big boom happened, the tune stopped, and we were plunged into darkness. It was wonderful. Fantastic. It brought the crowd up, roaring for more.
Your comment about the piano at 23:13 (about the piano's versatility) made me think you need to listen to Just Take a Pebble by ELP, where Emerson plays the piano with a plectrum over depressed keys.
Doug: “How could Keith play all that stuff live?” One of his greatest unique talents unmatched by any other of the great prog players is that Keith had an incredible two hand independence. Without it, ELP couldn’t have been reduced to a trio with anywhere near the sonic impact.
I saw him in concert and he laid on his back and pulled a keyboard onto his lap. He put his hands over the top and played it with the keyboard essentially backwards. It is analogous to stringing a guitar backwards with the high string at the top instead of the bottom. He laid on his back so the audience could see his hands do this. It was utterly amazing. He played that way for a while before switching back to normal. He was almost flawless on the reversed keyboard. I don't think I've ever been more impressed by any musician, ever.
I was lucky to see keith at a "Nice" reunion concert in London. An amazing and unique musician, also and sadly at The High Voltage festival in 2010 their last appearance. Only the great Rachel Flowers can play anything like his standard of playing now.
ALL too true David, but the other two were both virtuoso musicians. Saw them live and all of them are multiple instrument and incredible live. P.S. Emerson is a Masterclass piano player. Sooooo efing awesome.
Part 1 is MY FAVORITE SONG...Saw them twice in '74, including the Anaheim concert from which the legendary live multiple album set was made. Long live ELP And that silly Rock n' Roll HOF hasn't a clue!!!!!!!
Hehe, HOF mirrors Jan Wenner's biases, and he really doesn't like Prog, except for obvious choices such as Yes and Genesis (not that I'm dissing either Yes or Genesis).
It is really heartbreaking that they did not videotape that Anaheim concert. That live album is so amazing. It would’ve been incredible to watch them play it.
My memory of the concert recalls that at the end of the piece, Emerson’s giant synth rig peeled open to reveal about a million tiny lights that chased with the final rhythms, culminating in one of the largest flash pot explosions I had ever seen at the time. I was 19. What a trip.
I got news for you Doug, I saw them live many years ago in Tuscoloosa, Al and it sounded just like the album and back in the 70s they didn't have Backing Tracks. Those guys were just that incredible. And think about this, it was the 70s, back when it wasn't equipment, it was talent.
I don't think you can have the full appreciation of prog rock without listening to this all the way through. It affected me that way the first time I went all the way through. A masterpiece, and Carl's playing is superlative.
Doug - thank you very much for doing this album. It is one of my all time favorites. I have always been a big prog rock fan. I had first purchased this album in 1978 and had never heard it before buying it. Even though I have listened to it many many times and know it inside and out I am still astonished and amazed by its mastery and genius every time I listen to it. It absolutely amazes me how tight Emerson, Lake and Palmers playing is, every note, every beat perfectly in sync with one other, regardless of the tempo and even in the chaos of some of the movements it has a top layer of flow that just moves and ties it together. Absolutely amazing! With this album in particular, I have always felt that I was an attendant of 2 prog rock churches. One church where ELP was preaching to me of warning and being aware of mans peril and impending doom and that Armageddon was coming (you conveyed that message of this piece very well in your review). And the other prog rock church was YES preaching to me that although Armageddon and man's doom was coming we could still rise above it and prevail through God's love and our love for our fellow man. I have been pleased to be a faithful follower of both churches. YES, has received recognition and appreciation for their talents and achievements by the masses. ELP however, has not received their due by the masses. But, for those of us that are followers, we recognize the amazing talent, mastery, achievement and greatness that cannot even be conveyed in words. Thank you
I saw them multiple times in concert. What a show! Truly impressive concerts. In the day they were one of a few bands that I would buy their albums without hearing a single track ahead of time,knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. I loved the fact you wouldn’t know what you were getting, rock, classical, Ragtime, jazz and everything in between on an album. I can remember seeing the director of the Ohio State University’s marching band (TBDBITL/ The Best Damn Band In The Land) at one of their concerts in the early 70’s. I was so surprised to see a gray haired man at a rock concert. I found out later from a OSU marching band member that the director was a big ELP fan.
Brain Salad Surgery was one of those albums that took you on a mesmerising journey from start to finish. The impact it had on me when l first listened to it in 1976 has never been surpassed. It was a tour de force from three musical geniuses at the top of their creativity. Keith Emerson's craftsmanship on the keyboard was other worldly. Just seeing him standing infront of the huge bank of racks with wires going everywhere was awe inspiring. KE9 was, and still is, musical perfection.
Doug, you were wondering how Keith performed this live, check out their 1974 live album, aptly titled, “Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends ...” I love getting amazed all over again with you! ELP were unique in that they drew from European classical and folk roots - though they did the blues with typical flair. They were criticized for that, but look at the legacy they left behind.
At the time that this was composed all three were under the age of 30. Amazing! Sadly though, I don't think there will ever be another group like them again.
That weird sound in “Impression 2” that you thought might be a piano is actually a synthesizer. I remember Greg Lake saying about recording that part: “Carl took off pounding away on the tom-toms, and Keith found a sound on the minimoog similar to Caribbean steel drums.”
Yep i think your right, i play an old analogue synth and can create these precussive sounds quite easily. Also these synths usually have an external signal input so some of it could be piano "processed" through the moog.
@Sandy Smith I use a CS30, it has ring mod and 3 envelope generators, routable to pitch, frequency cut off, the LFO speed and of course ampltude, not quite sure what you mean by 'tuned oscillators' unless you mean one oscillator modulating another in the audio range? that sort of thing certainly helps with a clang type sound...
@Sandy Smith ah get the oscillator thing now! Also nice to get a positive comment about the old CS-30, I have owned it since 1983 and it is still keeping me interested!
@@fuccasound3897 Quite honestly,what you guys were discussing pretty much sailed over my head.Much too technical for this old dinosaur.Even Keith admitted to not being so tech-minded but what he did with what he had is amazing.It was a time of raw musical exploration.Back then they just pushed the boundaries & let the results speak for themselves.Even greater there was an audience for it.Today?Not so much.
Thanks for reacting to this amazing piece! Hope you will check out the rest of the album, especially Tocatta, the band's take on a piece by 20th Century Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera.
Doug, thank you for this reaction. I still have ALL my ELP vinyl from back in the day, grew up listening to ELP, YES, NICE, PINK FLOYD & Rick Wakeman as a solo artist. I wish I could have seen Keith and Rick do a concert. That would have to be the best concert of all time. RIP Keith RIP Greg😥
I first heard ELP after a friend’s brother had visited the Isle of Wight festival in 1969 where ELP gave their debut concert. He purchased their eponymous first album Emerson, Lake and Palmer. After hearing, I was instantly hooked. I saw them live many times. They truly were the most amazing musicians. R.I.P Keith & Greg, your music will live on forever.
When I saw this live at the Spectrum (Philadelphia) in December 1973, I had not yet heard the album. The show blew me away! As others have commented, the ending with the quad setup was outstanding.
Watching in Chile Doug! Karn Evil 9 blew my mind at 18. Still does. Could happily meet and interview Keith, Greg and Carl and be their interpreter at their press conference in Santiago back in 97.
This band was a major part of the soundtrack of my teenage years. As a percussionist, Carl Palmer was and is, one of my all-time favorite players. This band blended my love of classical, jazz, and rock. Enjoy great musicianship and let the haters go their own way.
47 years have elapsed now since my first introduction to ELP by a friend at work. What a choice I made to follow this trio of outstanding musicians! I was so impressed when I first played the record that my friend had lent me all those years ago (the triple album, Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends). I was hooked, I loved that sound and immediately appreciated the skill and talent of those three incredible musicians. My favourite band, amazing seeing them play live and I still play their music to this day, in fact I played that triple album on my HiFi system only last week - and I played it very loud! Keith Emerson grew up in and around Worthing in West Sussex and even asked my mate's Mum out on a date many years ago when she was younger, however she refused his advances! He is buried in Lancing cemetery which is only 7 miles from where I live. Sadly we have lost two of the three masters of this trio, but by God their music still lives on! Their creations will no doubt be listened to by people who were not even thought of when they were at their prime, and it will be appreciated still.
8:21 "how can Keith play all this live?". Yes he did. He's the master. I've seen more comments somewhere else on the net about people thinking that he'd sequenced some bass part etc. He didn't. I've seen him doing it. That's pure musicianship. Thank you Keith for all your music. You remain an inspiration.
Hey Doug! It was so much fun watching your mind be blown while listening to KE9 in its entirety. As a keyboardist in an ELP tribute show, i tell you it CAN be done live, however it’s an extraordinary effort & i am drained after every show. Keith has been a lifelong inspiration for me & it’s truly an honor to (be able to) play his music & promote his, and the boys’, legacy. And Mari, as always, you have my condolences & best wishes. Cheers!
I don't know if the project is still on, after Covid, but Palmer announced a couple of years ago that Karn Evil-9 would be turned into a sci-fi film. What an amazing film it would be. Hope it's still happening.
Karn Evil 9 1st Imp. part 2 at about 14:30 that isn't a bass pedal. Greg Lake switched to playing the guitar and Keith Emerson is playing the bass line on the synth. He'll switch what he's doing with the left hand while he's making a bass line.
When I saw ELP it was in a round basketball stadium, and it was during the time when quadraphonic sound was popular. There were 4 speaker banks in the stadium, "the computer" taking over at the end of Karn Evil went from speaker bank to speaker bank, getting faster and faster until you almost couldn't tell which speaker bank the sound was coming from. A large set of white wings came out of the back of the Moog and ended the show with a pyro explosion coming from somewhere near the back of the Moog. 1973, I was in the 10th grade, and my older sister took me to the show at my parent's request. She lasted about 10 minutes, then had to leave. All these years later I still remember that show.
The coolest part about the ending i think is when that final repetition on the synth goes around making the shape of infinity as it goes back and forth between the two channels.
Back when I first bought this album when released, our family had just gotten a quadraphonic sound system, and the final, accelerating sequence wasn't just left to right, but travelled around the room in a circle . . . highlight of my childhood . . .
@@SalcowSam Yeah, in the live show the ending computer sequence spun around the auditorium quad speaker setup until it reached a dizzying vertigo inducing tempo as the stage lights went down and the strobe lights amped up as if to invite a mass seizure of the audience when finally the Moog "blew up" and the three of them suddenly appeared center stage engulfed in spotlights...and then the crowd did go crazy with applause and cheers. It was memorable.
Thanks for introducing an entire new audience to the music I've been listening to for the last 40+ years! It's good to see these musicians still getting the respect they deserve, rather than fading into some forgotten history.
You should have heard it when quadraphonic came out. It was literally mind bending. When they played at Cal Jam 1 (California Jam #1) if I remember correctly they brought the rear speaker towers and Keith sat down at a Grand piano strapping himself to the set, the piano lifted up and he and it started to spin end over end while the music went around and around pulling you with it. What an experience, a mind blowing experience, like never before. I kinda miss those days. Thanks for bringing back those memories.
Doug, you're enjoying stuff I got into YEARS after I got into it. Met Carl many times. Saw ELP a few times. Emerson was the "Hendrix" of the keyboards. Watch his piano flip on RUclips. Heard at one time that ELP wanted Hendrix to join them. That would make them Hendrix, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. HELP. Whether it's true or not... The steel drums in Part 2 is all Moog synth. Blue Devils Drum Corps performed it in the 80's using tuned gongs. Go figure. Love what you do. Enjoy.
How hilarious it is to see someone, like yourself, hear this for the first time. Your enthusiasm is fun to watch. I have not only flipped the album over and dropped the needle on side two (as you alluded to) I have, also, seen them do this live. Yes, it CAN be done. As I have suggested on a couple of your other reviews, please listen to this more. BTW, when I saw ELP back in the mid seventies and when they came out for their first bow to the audience at the end, Carl Palmer fell into the orchestra pit. It took several minutes for them to dig him out of there and it was very obvious that he had injured himself as they helped him get backstage. A few minutes later, maybe five or ten, they came out, Palmer included, and did their encore. Palmer was one of, if not THE, best drummer I have ever seen. (and I've seen a lot)
To this day, Carl Palmer is the best drummer most human beings have seen play live! He's an incredible technician, insane chops, brilliant classical / jazz background, shifting seamlessly from super tight technical, to deep thick groove, to absolute madman thrash at blazing speed. Just all around one of the most amazing drummers to ever sit behind a kit.
Playing it live is what destroyed his hands and wrists, Doug, and ultimately led to his suicide, as he could no longer play in a manner that satisfied him. A devastating loss.
@@donkensler That's right! The one and only Philadelphia Spectrum [RIP]. We were herbily enhanced down on the floor [dance concert? Yeah, right!] and had our heads whacked out at the end of the 3rd Impression with the sequencer spinning around the room. It was a night to remember.
Carl Palmer is a legend among greats.Bass tone from the era is a thing of beauty.Going upstairs now to listen to the LP for the first time in about 40 years.
I used to listen to this with my artist girlfriend when I was a senior in high school. She was already a college student, at a prestigious art college. Flashback to the year 1983. Listening tonight, I’m reimagining the way I perceived it then and as I am in my current view. I didn’t know the Carnivale etymology then, but do these days. As you were breaking it down it was opening a new vision of the way I had previously understood the unfolding theme. Fascinating. When first IMP Pt 2 started you revisited the blade of grass line. Entirely different than the understanding I came to. You mentioned the grass as being seen as something rare. My word was instead ‘profound’. A moment later I recalled the first experience I (my first impression) had when I took my first trip. And it was a green leaf in the woods I first came to find to be an amazing previously unnoticed thing of the grandest beauty. With this I’m heading into the idea that like countless other musicians have expressed when creating music that’s grander than all before. Beach Boys had their psychedelic Pet Sounds, Beatles countered with Sgt Pepper, Stones did their version which was rather dismal by comparison. Which when Keith spoke about his view I was relieved that I wasn’t the only one who secretly thought it was mostly shite! Anyway, this is a very nice selection tonight. Thx.
I have seen them live twice and believe me, they could play these songs note for note. Fabulous show. I saw once with an orchestra and the secondary tour without the orchestra.
Doug Look at some of ELPs live performances from back in the 1970s. Incredible, blissful ceremonial arrangements. Miss these 3 gentlemen together and the wonderful music they provided.
Sorry....just now finding you and on this truly EPIC piece. I had the privilege of seeing this show live in Detroit in 1974. My first rock concert and the one I measured all rock concerts to. PHENOMENAL !! 4 10 foot towers of multiple speakers in the four corners of the auditorium floor. True quadriphonic sound. It was amazing. Mega sound in front, L, R then behind, L, R. Hard to truly describe this but unbelievable! Thanks for sharing. Now I have to go back a listen to your first 272 episodes!
The Grapes of Wrath: "I'll be there!" John Steinback 2nd Impression, the sound of the steel drum was produced by that ginormous Moog, just swap some patch chords and turn a few dials, and you have a reasonable imitation of a trumpet. That apparatus was so big, one panel would be set up for one instrument and he could switch to another for another sound. Carl Palmer introduced synthetic drums on this album. The band didn't think that people would understand what he was doing, so they just let the audience think the sounds were coming from Emerson's synthesizer set up. 3rd Impression gives me the image of sailors manning the rails, going off the war, standing tall and proud. Then it goes into heading to the battle field. When the organ solo hits, that is the initial contact with the enemy. They fall back, reorganize, maneuver with stealth toward the final battle. We hear the telegraph as commanders request reinforcement and direct fire. Arrows rain down, until Carl Palmer hits the synthetic drum, and we get the first nuclear strike, as more weapons fall from the skies. The synthesizer at the end is to show that even if you win a war, the outcome is seldom what one intended. In concert, there was some kind of keyboard that stands playing itself, and it goes on and on, much, much longer than on the album, and when it finally stops, pyrotechnics go off on top of it. You should check out their rendition of Ginastera's 1st piano concerto, 4th movement. The composer actually thought they had brought it to life, like no one else. If you were impressed with Palmer's drumming on the rest of the album, this piece might inspire you to build a shrine.
To me the stolen steel drums smack of cultural appropriation. If you've ever heard a real steel drum band (we used to have one in our town) the synth version is irritating and really, laughable. Fortunately it's brief. I'm a huge fan of Keith Emerson and love this piece, but that section really could have been left out. As far as "how," I hear a ring modulator in there somewhere, but I'm sure it's more complex than that.
@@mlzarathustra "Cultural Appropriation" is the cry of some insulated woke scumbag. Imitation is the sincerest for of flattery, and everybody knows it. Whenever you adopt things from other cultures, it show respect and appreciation. As far as the sound of an early 1970's Moog verses the real thing goes, duh! A real Caribbean band is going to sound far more beautiful. The thing is, the guy playing the drums can't begin to imitate a trumpet. The whole point of the synthesizer is that just three men put on a show worthy of an entire symphony orchestra.
Actually the steel drum was done with a Minimoog which sat on top of his Steinway grand piano. They did not have MIDI back then so he could not have been controlling the modular.
@@mlzarathustra I believe Ring Modulators were a product of Bell Labs. No one should appropriate that effect unless they worked there and have a degree in electrical engineering. It's cultural appropriation where non-nerds are using a tool designed for actual nerds.
I enjoyed watching your reaction! This album gripped me by the ears as a musically impressionable 15-year old in 1973 and never let me go. When one pauses to praise one member of the band, it only inflames one's realization of the insanely gifted other two. Fifty years later, single again, focused on reality once more, these lyrics....... "ai"----arrogant insanity.
I was Keith’s fiancée until his passing. Oh how I wish Keith could have seen this! It was the most important to him what classical composers thought of his music. Thank you Doug! Please do Keith’s “Piano Concerto No.1” too! Mari
Hello Mari, those of us with serious music training recognize and value the Maestro’s genius. When this music was new it may not have been recognized by the establishment because of the rock and pop culture framing, but time makes it clear to all the mastery within this music and its eternal greatness
@@steveg219
Thank you. I know that his music will remain for hundreds of years.
@@mkawaguchi ❤️💜 🎶 🎵
My condolences!! Know that Keith and his music will always be inspiring new generations, me included :)
Yes, definitely Piano Concerto No. 1. There’s a version with the score on RUclips.
Also, one of my favorites, which is often overlooked and very underrated, is Memoirs from an Officer and a Gentleman.
Can we get a little love for one of the most brilliant and over looked bass players IMHO, Mr. Greg Lake. And that voice, my God, that voice!!
Just watched this video and found it interesting that Doug mentioned Pete Sinfield. Pete passed away just the other day, Nov. 14, 2024. An under rated lyricist.
There will never be another ELP!!
ELP should be remembered as modern day classical composers, their talent was unlimited, sadly missed by us all. True artistic genius's
Absolutely right, especially when you listen to the classic Tarkus cover
If you have never seen Carl Palmer perform, you cannot imagine what a human being can do with a percussion kit. Spectacular.
The GOAT in my opinion.
Absolutely 👍🏼 💯 I am so lucky to have seen the return of ELP with Carl Palmer, playing drums live. It was an experience you just cannot explain. If you get the chance to see it you MUST as an ELP fan. Not only is it significant with just the performance but the stories he tells and being able to see footage that has never been shown before of Keith and Greg is so worth it !!
Live 3x. First time in 1977. After the concert, I felt he was the best rock drummer/ percussionist I've seen .
Best drummer I ever saw, and I've seen Keith Moon, John Bonam and Buddy Rich.
Live 2x. Carl on the rotating dais flanked by the gongs and playing timpani on "The Enemy God Dances With the Black Spirits". 50 years later and I can still see it. And Keith standing on one foot while playing the Moog with his right hand, the GX-1 with his left, and a pedal board.
At the 5:00 mark…”boy keith emerson is one of a kind isn’t he?” Truer words have never been spoken. This has always been my favorite tune they have ever done and to hear someone analyze it in detail the way you have is proof enough for me that it is their greatest work of all…
I just saw Carl Palmer in a very small venue in Connecticut last Friday. He was playing with two young kids, a guitarist and a bassist. They were amazing and it was very interesting to hear ELP songs without keyboards. But what was truly impressive was that, at the age of 71, Palmer played a two hour set, then a fantastic drum solo, followed by an encore. The man is a powerhouse.
I saw them on Nov 11 in Philadelphia. They are sensational!! Paul Bielatowicz is the brilliant guitarist and Simon Fitzpatrick plays bass and the Chapman stick
Not hearing the keyboards when I saw Palmer's band broke my heart. That hurt way too much to have Keith replaced by a guitar player. Carl played great but it was too painful because I missed Keith so much.
@@michaelsoto5542 There is no way anyone could ever “replace” Keith with any instrument. But keep in mind that is called the ELP legacy band and I think Carl made a great choice with Paul & Simon. Just listen to the music for what it is knowing that it was all composed by Keith Emerson. I truly enjoy them. Check out Paul Bielatowicz on RUclips. He does some brilliant guitar work 🎸🔥
I've seen them many times! They are wonderful! Sure, no one will replace Keith, but Carl is a Powerhouse and good for him and them for keeping the music alive, I've met all of them and Paul is a real sweetheart!!
I heard a similar show of Palmer with his band in June 2019 next door to you in Mass! He and they were unbelievable.
ELP was my first concert in '74 - right after this was released. The amazing thing was that they could play all this live, as a three-piece. Folks have often wondered how Rush, with three guys, produce so much sound. ELP says "hold my beer", and has never been equaled. Live, this was mixed in quad. In their prime, they were unbelievable.
Rush is in the Rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame But Emerson Lake and Palmer or not what’s wrong with this picture
Totally agree, it was simply a magical time musically before digital recording, pitch perfect and auto tuning killed music!
@@jamesbrady2278 the guy who rune the Hall of Fame is really only interested in blues based rock and pop, Rush had more mainstream music too, although I really rate them! How Yes got in is a real mystery!?
Not being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a badge of honour and confirms ELP’s status as musical outliers.
I saw them then, too. Phenomenal and still the loudest concert I've been to. A tumultuous album fit for my tumultuous life at the time.
GOD!!!!! Greg was so good on guitar and bass. Plus there weren't many better vocalists out there at this time. He carried on his brilliant vocals from King Crimson to ELP.
Keith's music is so complex yet assessible and melodic. The chords give me goose bumps.
not enough is ever said of the incredible BASS WORK from Greg on this. Some amazing chops, super fast riffs, supporting the piano etc all the way through.
Agreed. Some of Lake's best work.
ofcourse with no disrespect to Keith and Carl but I fully agree to this remark. The bass playing of Greg was indeed incredible. I grew up with ELP as being born in 1953, they , together with Pink Floyd and some other bands very much "coloured " my youth. I have seen various concerts of ELP here in the Netherlands and found all of them impressive. Very much respect to Mari, your reaction gave me goose bumps Thank you !!!!
Lake was indeed an excellent bassist and guitarist but over the years I've marveled at the nonobvious bass lines Emerson came up with. He *needed* a really good bassist.
Totally agree. The bass in this piece really kicks ass. Greg Lake was no slouch.
Agree. Greg was an outstanding musician.
“How can Keith play all this stuff live?” - Because he was Keith Emerson ! Great reaction again Doug, keep it up !
KE was a big showman and loved Moog sounds, and had perfect Interplay with Palmer tech and showman too, and Lake.ciao
Might as well check them live in the 70's. Not only does he played it live, he did put on quite the rock star show.
Not only did he play it live, he played it lying on his back, with the Hammond on top of him, playing from the back.
Might be partly the cocaine if you ask me
Check out Rachel Flowers, she plays it live and she's blind!
The drumming on 1st Impression is a masterpiece. A lot of rockers don't really like Carl Palmer's drumming style that much but trying to play along with Keith Emerson is almost a nightmare scenario for a drummer because you can't settle in with a rock feel because the music is hardly rock. But trying to play 1st Impression is going to twist most drummer's arms up into knots because of the speed he's moving at. Just an incredible performance.
microtiming
@Jan Wade He DID win drummer of the year awards through the 70s so he was recognized by contemporaries.
There is absolutely NOBODY who can do what Carl does... He doesn't just provide a beat... His is an interwoven dialog and counterpoint to the other musicians... He makes the percussion actually harmonize with the others... it is astounding...
@@jamessomerson You get it!
He was at least at time one of only three drummers in the world who could do a one handed drum role with either hand. I think his brain must be different.
I was a young man back when the album came out. And I loved ELP's music. But I didn't realize what a masterpiece this album was. Today, at 67, I have even more respect for such achievements. Unmatched...
Huh. Ditto. I’m 67. Always loved their music. Lucky to see them twice. And yes, what a masterpiece. Thank you Doug for deepening my joy of this piece.
I understand this was posted a year ago, but this is timeless. Being 67 now, what a Lucky Man I was to grow up with this phenomenal music. Tears of joy, and I will hold that like a precious diamond in my heart and soul until I die (and hopefully after). Many thanks Doug, for explaining why this shattered my brain!
Also 67...remember well when Brain Salad Surgery was released. Those three guys were visionary musical geniuses.
I'm 67, too. T I M E L E S S music!
Lucky Man indeed it would be a good candidate for a Doug show.
I'm just a baby at 66......but I'll join you in saying that Keith Emerson was rarely off my turntable. The fabric of my teenage years....and onwards.
That STOP!......at 09:00 was my favourite.......
Post 2000, the music has really hit the skids. I'm a bit younger than you, but I feel that the creativity and musicianship of the 70s will never be breached.
That is arguably one of the greatest Prog Rock epics ever written. And yes Doug, they can play that whole thing live - and did. Sometime give a listen to the version on the "Welcome Back My Friends..." live album from 1974. It's actually LONGER than this version, if you can believe it (largely owing to a massive drum solo during 1st Impression). And the ending is slightly different... that cyclic pattern on the sequencer is slowly sped up to hundreds of times faster, to the point where it is almost just a buzzing noise, and then the whole thing explodes. (Well, sort of.)
This live version is actually the definite one, I would say (well, minus the overlong drum solo). Though the audio quality is rather bad, the whole suite is much more lively, dynamic, breathing, while the studio version seems at times to be squeezed to make it fit onto the record. Having known the version from "Welcome back..." inside out before hearing the "Brain Salad"-album for the first time, I thought impressions 2 & 3 on there are like sketches of the real deal to be played live, especially the synth sequence at the end, which is a joke on record.
@@fortsechs hearing BSS first when it came out, the synth seq at the end had tremendous impact as just as it starts to speed up it suddenly stops leaving you disoriented which was quite an effect, in fact I'd never heard anything that did that to me. I can imagine that when hearing the live version first the studio version ending would seem truncated.
of the 6 side 3 disc set I wore out that side. Its soooo awesome
@@fortsechs I agree about which is the definitive version. All of the WELCOME BACK... performances clobber the studio recordings. Also: in that live version there's an extra key change in the 1st Impression, probably to suit Lake's vocal range.
I have that record (the 3 LP set), bought in 1975 I think The audio does leave something to be desired, but it was my introduction to ELP. I need to get it out and give it a listen with a half decent turntable.
Still listening after 48 years and enjoying Karn Evil 9 even more than I did as a 14 year old.. As for Carl Palmer, I appreciate his talent a bit more each time I hear him play, a true maestro.
I just found your channel! I was 'weaned' on ELP's music when I was around 12 years old, courtesy of my older brother(who was 15 at the time) and would blast their albums from his stereo. There was no way anyone in our neighborhood could miss any music pouring out of the windows of my brother's bedroom. When I was in high school, Karn Evil 9 was the album I gravitated to when I would come home from school and unwind from the day. With my own stereo and headphones, I'd blast this album into my ears while doing homework. Great memories of the childhood/teenage years. I'm now 63, and ELP's music continues to lift my spirits when I am feeling down. I was fortunate enough to see the band many years ago at a small venue(1,00 people)in Atlantic City. I made a believer out of my then husband. He was more into groups like Kansas, et al, and wasn't interested in the least to see ELP, but he went to the concert with me anyway, and once he heard the genius of Carl Palmer, it was the only thing he could talk about on our drive home later that evening. When both Keith and Greg passed away, I commented on my FB page "I feel like I've lost two of my best friends". It has taken a long time for me to sit down and get back into their music, but the past couple of days I have finally started to listen to them again. Thank you, Doug. Much appreciated, and I have sat here smiling and laughing at your expressions. Their music just grabs ones soul. I think the two of them would be delighted that you have presented them fairly and honestly.
I saw Carl a couple years ago in a small hall in my area and at age 72 or so he was still amazing. My son came along wanted him to hear a real drummer. As good as I told him Carl would be, my son said I undersold it and he was better than I even emphasized.
Carl was the G.O.A.T.
One of the greatest prog rock albums of all time!
IMHO, it had to be the last ELP album, they never played like this later
There are two immortal works in prog: Close To The Edge and Brain Salad. KE9 pushed the genre to it's absolute limit. A work that rivals Beethoven, Stravinsky, etc. Keith Emerson was one of the most powerful musical geniuses to emerge in the 20th century. No one else even came close. Meeting Keith a few years ago sealed it for me: genuine, friendly and a real gentleman.
Also had the good fortune to speak briefly with Keith after a show. He was a very friendly and cool guy....actually took the time to speak to a shmuck like me. He seemed to have a boyish quality about him...upbeat in his actions and in conversation.
I would add one other: Thick as a Brick The first album (that I know of) that was one song that completely covered *both* sides of the album.
One could also add Tommy to the collection - the first “rock opera”, if I’m not mistaken.
@@ktrimbach5771 by release date, ye, but The Pretty Things' "S.F. Sorrow " was written and recorded well before "Tommy". Unfortunately, a change in label resulted in its release a year after "Tommy".
@@ktrimbach5771 Thick As A Brick superb album by Jethro Tull which probably precedes this (haven't checked my dates) but, basically, all contemporaries. Love it, lived it, still got it on vinyl. 😁
I would like to add "Selling England by the pound"
Keith was a Genius! Hands down one the the most incredible keyboardists of our time!
Agreed. Emerson, Jarrett, Hancock, Banks, and Rudess make my top five. Corea, Sun Ra and others just outside the very top :)
@@imagesandwords4327 Wakeman too.
Keith and chick were my major influences as a teen.
Rick Wakeman is the only other who is on Emerson's level. I won't try to decide who's better.
@@excelsior-zs7vh I saw both artists live around 20 years ago. The differences between them were remarkable.
And I agree that Greg’s bass has been unforgivably underrated
And guitar work!
Maybe by you not in general... lol
Absolutely.
he was in a band with keith emerson and carl palmer,two genius,so there is a reason
even tho he a beast
@@drokaeuacho : Keith disagreed with your assessment of Carl.
The greatest band I never got to see. I discovered ELP at age 13, when most people were listening to pop a kid in my class brought their newly released first album in for the "play one of your songs" slot at the end of our classical music lesson. He played Knife Edge. Our teacher paused spellbound for a few moments before diving into the school record cupboard; emerging a minute or two later triumphantly brandishing a copy of Janacek's synfonieta in C minor, which he had recognised as the inspiration for ELP. The official curriculum was abandoned and we spent the rest of the term studying and comparing the 2 pieces. My musical experience was changed forever. Listening now with you, Doug, to both Tarkus and Karn Evil 9 back-to-back I remembered every single word, solo, chord progression and fill despite not having listened to Karn for several years (I still have Tarkus in my collection) and I loved your facial expressions of sheer astonishment and delight at the various twists and turns of the arrangement.
One of the greatest albums of all time. I have been listening to this for nearly 50 years it still shocks and stuns me now after thousands of listens . If anyone listens to this for the fist time and is not taken back their soul is dead . You do not have to like it but it should give a visceral reaction.
You’re like the fellow prog appreciating friend who we’ve all been waiting half a century for. Someone who really listens, appreciates and understands our obsessive music nerdhood
This!
Yes.......! Love how you said that. I so appreciate this channel.
8:20 - Yes, Doug, they did it live on the WELCOME BACK, MY FRIENDS... album, and at a somewhat faster tempo than this. It was done with two Hammond Organs, a five-cabinet Moog Modular, a Minimoog, and the Moog Lyra and Apollo prototypes, none of which made it to full production (The Lyra's closest production descendant was the Multimoog and the Apollo's was the Polymoog). Lake switched from bass to guitar and back to bass again in the First Impression; Emerson took over the bass part with his left hand when Lake was playing guitar, probably using the Minimoog. The Moog Modular was so comprehensive that for KE9 it could be set up to do several different things which Emerson could switch between during the song.
9:53 - Hammond keyboards, especially like the ones on the B3 and C3, can take a lot of abuse and those are glissandos played hand over hand, in tempo, on each eighth note. It's quite a dramatic sight live.
12:38 - Emerson's Moog Modular had a specially-built module - even having his name silkscreened on the panel - called "sample and hold." It was used to generate a series of pseudo-random control voltages at regular intervals (here, 16th-note tempo) that in this case controlled filter cutoff frequency.
20:19 - Minimoog. Its third oscillator can be run as an LFO or up in the audio range and what I'm pretty sure is happening is that it's modulating the frequency of the other two oscillators but at audio rates so instead of a vibrato you get this harmonically complex timbre evocative of a Caribbean steel drum. I had thought this was done on the Modular using a ring modulator (which can also give you effects like this) but I've read in more than one place that it was actually a Minimoog.
26:07 - Nope, not organ. That's the aforementioned Lyra. It had aftertouch (in 1973!) and you can hear it controlling the filter cutoff frequency.
- Yes, we can hear the lyrics - or read them online if we want. There's a lot more going on in the music.
29:03 - Lyra in the right hand and the *polyphonic* Apollo in the left (hear the filter sweep downward with every chord?). It goes right past Doug but this is a pretty big deal technologically for 1973.
30:37 - I've always found it interesting to listen to the left hand during the organ solo; in the live version he chords more sparsely but with more authority. Is that a Jimmy Smith thing?
Gracias por la información.
Keith has stated that the "steel drum" sound was done on the Mini-moog. If you look at the photo on the back of Welcome Back My Friends... you will see a Mini-moog sitting on top of the Steinway
I was friends with ELP, ASIA and Emerson’s rodie and we often drove new keyboards to Emerson’s house in Sussex. So I sat in EMO’s barn with all his rig, quite mind blowing for a Florida beach guy. I knew it was incredibly complex equipment, but I didn’t know till 42-43 years later just how technically complex it was. Many thanks! 🙏
I saw this performed twice. Once in quadraphonic sound at a venue and again at the Cal Jam. The spinning piano part blew my mind. So much sound from three people. Nothing like them.
I saw them at Long Beach Arena, then again at Cal Jam. Eye-opening for a High Schooler getting ready for college!
Impressive and fantastic work, Keith Emerson the most versatile and brilliant keyboardist in the history of prog rock.
Amazing band, they were three geniuses
Carl Palmer is still alive and playing his kick-drum.
Many are not aware but in the 70s Playboy magazine had a yearly thing that subscribers could vote on called the All Star Band where artists were voted on by the instrument they played. Many years Emerson was #1 on keyboards, Palmer #1 on drums and Lake was #2 only behind a gentleman named Paul McCartney who was #1..they were definitely quite the talent
No they were four geniuses.
Emerson counts as 2.
@@Tom-ok2rh Honestly Lake wasn't the world most incredible bassist/guitarist but I would say he was better (in the 70s at least) than McCartney. Not a better songwriter, but a better bassist and guitarist. And in the 70s, more influential.
@@bojidenI’d count Sinfield as 4 (if you look at credits many are Emerson, lake Palmer and Sinfield. He was also involved in king Crimson).
Mari- Mr Emerson was such a positive role model for me. He guided my musical path. I own Moog synths, a smaller modular, grew up loving the Hammond organ and he taught me the classical is the best music (to me). I saw him live only 4 times but I think of this man every single day. To have met him and talked composers with him and expressed my gratitude to him for the endless inspiration is lost now. I’ve met a few of my inspirations but will regret not speaking to him.
Doug, you asked “how did they do this live?” I saw them 3 times LIVE and you would not believe it. Keith played the organ, piano and synth, it seemed, at the same time. The synthesizer he played he designed and built. Carl Palmer, the drummer, his platform was a revolving unit that he could rotate to reach the gong or chimes that were behind him. All of his kit was microphoned so you could hear each one perfectly. Greg Lake was not only a great vocalist but switched back and forth between his bass and 6 and 12 string guitars. On top of all that Greg couldn’t read music. Those shows, to this day, one of the most impressive and dynamic live performances I’ve ever witnessed. Have a Happy Thanksgiving…
Saw that BSS tour, remember them advertising Carl Palmer's synthesized drums!
Fell in love with ELP when I first saw them on TV at California Jam in 1974.
Was lucky enough to see them 5 or 6 six times up here in Canada (Montreal & Ottawa) over the years in all different size venues ranging from the the very large (The Montreal Forum, etc.) to the 'small and intimate' (Ottawa Congress Centre).
Left after every "show that never ends" in an 'amazed and dazed' state !!!
Truly one of the greatest live musical acts ever !
Fantastic live!
Listening together with you again, this incredible compostion!! As a harmony professor and composer I think that it's Impossible to catch these Emerson harmonies even in several listenings! Greetings from Brasil!
Keith Greg & Carl were in a league of their own.. Their musicianship on BSS is out of this world
Keith Emerson did it ALL right there in front of the audience! Yup!
Three musical magicians!
Extroardinary.....
Why isn't this quality of music everywhere nowadays?
Actually it's better live than on the studio album. Like most prog bands of this era they perfected their music in a live environment. Yes and Genesis were particularly good live in the 70s, despite the technical difficulties encountered.
The three manage to perform this live, quite true to the studio version. This is one very well planned out suite.
Respectfully,I would have have to disagree. ELP we’re notoriously sloppy live (for whatever reason…) and sadly rushed through this piece live unlike the studio effort. I’m specifically referencing California Jam.
@@davidkyle2073 You are - of course - entitled to your opinion. However I watched ELP live 4 times between 1971 and 1976 and I do not recognize your assertion. Did you see ELP in the early to mid 70s? I'll grant you that when Keith did his knife stuff in the early 70s it was a bit rough at times but that was all about the show. I saw the Tarkus tour which was flawless as was Trilogy and BSS. So unless you actually saw these shows in the early 70s I'm not sure your opinion is valid. I'm 63 btw what age are you?
This is a prog masterpiece, glad you have discovered it!! 😊😊😊
Good night Doctor Doug, greetings from Mexico, I hope that you'll see my comment, I'm a composer myself and for the past 10 years of my life I have written music that contains odd time signatures as well as "odd" harmonic progressions, I grew up listening to prog and classical music , this piece being one of my favourites; douring this 10 years I've been judged by my peers because of the way that I write music, and now all of this is just to tell you THANK YOU , from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU, because thanks to your analysis of prog rock I have came to realize that the reason why I write music the way I do it's because of the music that I've been hearing all of my life. Once more thank you for your analysis, I really enjoy them and learn a lot from them. Keep on uploading this wonderful material, the internet needs more people like you. Best regards.
1st impression is phenomenal
2nd impression is pure musical genius
I would note that "Welcome Back My Friends..." was what greeted you on side 2 of the original vinyl album, a genius programming move necessitated by the length of KE9 relative to the time limitations of vinyl records.
It sounds normal now, but you have to take into account that back then it was very difficult to create each sound on a huge synthesizer.
Then, a blind pianist named Rachel Flowers has reproduced this magnificent suite perfectly. It is very moving. I urge you to see this as well. You can find it a search on her name.
Rachel Flowers is amazing. There's video of her and Keith in conversation where he introduces her performance.
Rachel is truly gifted, one of the few to have directly received Keith's blessings.
Keith mentored her - she is brilliant
you can find the international collaboration featuring Rachael doing all of Karn Evil 9 here: ruclips.net/video/M2Fqo-0RhjM/видео.html it's astounding as to how much work it takes to reproduce Emerson's keyboarding. Rachel is one of the few (if not the only?) who can accurately reproduce him.
Rachel Flowers Tarkus on solo piano is one of my favorite things. Along with whiskers on kittens and brown paper packages tied up with strings.
Hi Doug, I saw ELP back in 1974. And yes Keith Emerson was able to play many keyboards simultaneously. I saw him play a grand piano while strapped in his chair. All while spinning in a vertical 360 circle. Keith Emerson was a first class showman and musician. His likes we will never see again in our lifetime.
I also was fortunate enough to see the Pictures at an Exhibition encore live with the piano in midair. Two things, at least that I've picked up from somewhere. One is that the piano in midair wasn't done that many times because it was difficult, hard on Keith, etc. The other is there's no such thing as a piano you can play in midair while it's spinning. That part of the music was on tape.
I saw him play a small piano from BEHIND it! And he was tilting in back and forth while he played.
@@harrisonburger9355 I saw ELP at the Cal Jam & I noticed there was a bar under the piano which Keith hung on to for dear life while spinning. One time they did the spinning piano thing & the lid was not securely closed. It flew open & broke Keith's nose!
The spinning piano was done on the Trilogy tour, too.
I saw ELP at the Spectrum in Philadelphia in the summer of '74 (with herbal enhancement, thank you very much), and it was incredible, For days afterwards my friends and I were "ELPed out", and listened to anything else on records, because the live performance was so overwhelming the record couldn't compare. Yes, Keith really could do these sounds live. Also, Carl's drum solos on the record turned into extended drum solos on stage that were fabulous. I've since moved on to punk and other forms of rock, but thanks for reminding me of my college days so many years ago.
I get why Keith took his life, because his arms and hands couldn't do what they once had done on keyboards with such seeming ease, but it doesn't make his passing easier.
How do they do it live? Listen to sides 5 and 6 of Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends - Ladies and Gentlemen. That sound you ask about at 20:19 is a Minimoog. The modulation is at an audio rate, so it produces the metallic overtones of a Steel Drum. Did you catch Emerson quoting St. Thomas at 21:10?
Well done, Doug! " There's no way to tell where he is going." Keith is indeed a category unto himself. Thanks for the analysis and post
My God! Watching you listening to this entire masterpiece made me just giggle. Imagine being a 9 year Mexican boy being presented to this mindblowing album. I was that little boy, and was absolutely flabbergasted after listening to all this marvelous music. From then on, my admiration for ELP have never diminished a bit.
Yes, I was 9 in 1973 when my uncle introduced me to them. I saved up my money and this was the first album I ever bought. They are my all time favorites. They introduced me to music on a high level and whats possible.
I saw this ELP tour at MSG, December 1973. The quad sound was incredible.
I was there.
I saw the Nashville leg of that tour. Oddly enough it was probably the loudest concert I ever saw. Far louder than Black Sabbath and other metal bands. Maybe only The Who was as loud. But 50 years later I've still got my hearing, so it was wonderful!
I was right there with you buddy Especially silent night what a night
I was at an ELP concert in 1977, and believe me, they could play this live! It always amazed me how much music could come out of just 3 guys on stage.
Trust me, they could do it live. Got my $8.50 ticket stub from the album tour when they rolled into Memphis. About an hr of warm-up band (BOC), followed by almost 3 hrs of ELP. Everyone left at Midnight (police made em quit), and crowd was simply exhausted. Our group didn't say too much in the hr ride back to campus. Best show ever.
I saw the show in San Francisco. Totally agree.
My wife (we were dating at the time) went to their show for the Brain Salad Surgery tour at the time.
And the end of the show, when that electronic tune started going at the end of what you played, Keith got it going on the big Moog setup. He walked away, and the band walked off, and the Moog kept playing that tune. It got faster and faster, and the back part of the setup wheeled back and faced the audience, with the tune going faster, the lights in the Moog blasting faster to the audience, faster and faster, until the big boom happened, the tune stopped, and we were plunged into darkness.
It was wonderful. Fantastic. It brought the crowd up, roaring for more.
Your comment about the piano at 23:13 (about the piano's versatility) made me think you need to listen to Just Take a Pebble by ELP, where Emerson plays the piano with a plectrum over depressed keys.
Doug: “How could Keith play all that stuff live?” One of his greatest unique talents unmatched by any other of the great prog players is that Keith had an incredible two hand independence. Without it, ELP couldn’t have been reduced to a trio with anywhere near the sonic impact.
He surely did - was fortunate to see the Brain Salad Surgery tour for several concerts.
Good call.....
I saw him in concert and he laid on his back and pulled a keyboard onto his lap. He put his hands over the top and played it with the keyboard essentially backwards. It is analogous to stringing a guitar backwards with the high string at the top instead of the bottom. He laid on his back so the audience could see his hands do this. It was utterly amazing. He played that way for a while before switching back to normal. He was almost flawless on the reversed keyboard. I don't think I've ever been more impressed by any musician, ever.
I was lucky to see keith at a "Nice" reunion concert in London. An amazing and unique musician, also and sadly at The High Voltage festival in 2010 their last appearance. Only the great Rachel Flowers can play anything like his standard of playing now.
ALL too true David, but the other two were both virtuoso musicians. Saw them live and all of them are multiple instrument and incredible live. P.S. Emerson is a Masterclass piano player. Sooooo efing awesome.
Part 1 is MY FAVORITE SONG...Saw them twice in '74, including the Anaheim concert from which the legendary live multiple album set was made. Long live ELP And that silly Rock n' Roll HOF hasn't a clue!!!!!!!
Hehe, HOF mirrors Jan Wenner's biases, and he really doesn't like Prog, except for obvious choices such as Yes and Genesis (not that I'm dissing either Yes or Genesis).
It is really heartbreaking that they did not videotape that Anaheim concert. That live album is so amazing. It would’ve been incredible to watch them play it.
My memory of the concert recalls that at the end of the piece, Emerson’s giant synth rig peeled open to reveal about a million tiny lights that chased with the final rhythms, culminating in one of the largest flash pot explosions I had ever seen at the time. I was 19. What a trip.
I got news for you Doug, I saw them live many years ago in Tuscoloosa, Al and it sounded just like the album and back in the 70s they didn't have Backing Tracks. Those guys were just that incredible. And think about this, it was the 70s, back when it wasn't equipment, it was talent.
I don't think you can have the full appreciation of prog rock without listening to this all the way through. It affected me that way the first time I went all the way through. A masterpiece, and Carl's playing is superlative.
In The 2nd Impression, if I recall, that’s the Polymoog synthesizer emulating steel drums.
Actually a Minimoog. At least that's what he used when he did it live.
That was always my "impression" that it was a tuned metallic drum type sound.
That was my thought too, but maybe a mellatron?
I think it’s a Mimi moog, not the Apollo. Keith hated the Mellotron.
@@bobmander7886 Yes correct
Doug - thank you very much for doing this album. It is one of my all time favorites. I have always been a big prog rock fan. I had first purchased this album in 1978 and had never heard it before buying it. Even though I have listened to it many many times and know it inside and out I am still astonished and amazed by its mastery and genius every time I listen to it. It absolutely amazes me how tight Emerson, Lake and Palmers playing is, every note, every beat perfectly in sync with one other, regardless of the tempo and even in the chaos of some of the movements it has a top layer of flow that just moves and ties it together. Absolutely amazing! With this album in particular, I have always felt that I was an attendant of 2 prog rock churches. One church where ELP was preaching to me of warning and being aware of mans peril and impending doom and that Armageddon was coming (you conveyed that message of this piece very well in your review). And the other prog rock church was YES preaching to me that although Armageddon and man's doom was coming we could still rise above it and prevail through God's love and our love for our fellow man. I have been pleased to be a faithful follower of both churches. YES, has received recognition and appreciation for their talents and achievements by the masses. ELP however, has not received their due by the masses. But, for those of us that are followers, we recognize the amazing talent, mastery, achievement and greatness that cannot even be conveyed in words. Thank you
I saw them multiple times in concert. What a show! Truly impressive concerts. In the day they were one of a few bands that I would buy their albums without hearing a single track ahead of time,knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. I loved the fact you wouldn’t know what you were getting, rock, classical, Ragtime, jazz and everything in between on an album.
I can remember seeing the director of the Ohio State University’s marching band (TBDBITL/ The Best Damn Band In The Land) at one of their concerts in the early 70’s. I was so surprised to see a gray haired man at a rock concert. I found out later from a OSU marching band member that the director was a big ELP fan.
Brain Salad Surgery was one of those albums that took you on a mesmerising journey from start to finish. The impact it had on me when l first listened to it in 1976 has never been surpassed. It was a tour de force from three musical geniuses at the top of their creativity. Keith Emerson's craftsmanship on the keyboard was other worldly. Just seeing him standing infront of the huge bank of racks with wires going everywhere was awe inspiring. KE9 was, and still is, musical perfection.
Whenever anyone mentions if you had one last song you could listen to before your time here on earth expires, this is hands down the one for me.
Doug, you were wondering how Keith performed this live, check out their 1974 live album, aptly titled, “Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends ...” I love getting amazed all over again with you! ELP were unique in that they drew from European classical and folk roots - though they did the blues with typical flair. They were criticized for that, but look at the legacy they left behind.
ELP are one of my favourite bands. And this is a serious piece of music by no means. Thanks for paying tribute to these incredible musicians!
It's genius. No other way to describe it. Music that is of a time and place and shall never be surpassed.
In 100 years, this will be mandatory at music academies
At the time that this was composed all three were under the age of 30. Amazing! Sadly though, I don't think there will ever be another group like them again.
That weird sound in “Impression 2” that you thought might be a piano is actually a synthesizer. I remember Greg Lake saying about recording that part: “Carl took off pounding away on the tom-toms, and Keith found a sound on the minimoog similar to Caribbean steel drums.”
Yep i think your right, i play an old analogue synth and can create these precussive sounds quite easily. Also these synths usually have an external signal input so some of it could be piano "processed" through the moog.
@Sandy Smith I use a CS30, it has ring mod and 3 envelope generators, routable to pitch, frequency cut off, the LFO speed and of course ampltude, not quite sure what you mean by 'tuned oscillators' unless you mean one oscillator modulating another in the audio range? that sort of thing certainly helps with a clang type sound...
@Sandy Smith ah get the oscillator thing now! Also nice to get a positive comment about the old CS-30, I have owned it since 1983 and it is still keeping me interested!
The steel drum synth effect definitely added to the "carnivale" depiction. Took me back to 007's "Man with the Golden Gun"
@@fuccasound3897 Quite honestly,what you guys were discussing pretty much sailed over my head.Much too technical for this old dinosaur.Even Keith admitted to not being so tech-minded but what he did with what he had is amazing.It was a time of raw musical exploration.Back then they just pushed the boundaries & let the results speak for themselves.Even greater there was an audience for it.Today?Not so much.
Thanks for reacting to this amazing piece! Hope you will check out the rest of the album, especially Tocatta, the band's take on a piece by 20th Century Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera.
Seeing this performed live in 1973 was a life changing event. Keith was a genius.
they all were
I saw this live when the album came out. Between the music and visuals, it could only be described as an awesome experience.
Doug, thank you for this reaction. I still have ALL my ELP vinyl from back in the day, grew up listening to ELP, YES, NICE, PINK FLOYD & Rick Wakeman as a solo artist. I wish I could have seen Keith and Rick do a concert. That would have to be the best concert of all time.
RIP Keith RIP Greg😥
I first heard ELP after a friend’s brother had visited the Isle of Wight festival in 1969 where ELP gave their debut concert. He purchased their eponymous first album Emerson, Lake and Palmer. After hearing, I was instantly hooked. I saw them live many times. They truly were the most amazing musicians. R.I.P Keith & Greg, your music will live on forever.
When I saw this live at the Spectrum (Philadelphia) in December 1973, I had not yet heard the album. The show blew me away! As others have commented, the ending with the quad setup was outstanding.
Watching in Chile Doug! Karn Evil 9 blew my mind at 18. Still does. Could happily meet and interview Keith, Greg and Carl and be their interpreter at their press conference in Santiago back in 97.
Desde aquí en Chile podríamos aportar muchos números novedosos al show que nunca termina.
¿Habrá algún registro de esa entrevista?
This band was a major part of the soundtrack of my teenage years. As a percussionist, Carl Palmer was and is, one of my all-time favorite players. This band blended my love of classical, jazz, and rock. Enjoy great musicianship and let the haters go their own way.
Same here. Loved Carl’s playing, shame I couldn’t use any of his Style when I became a working musician.
Ditto
47 years have elapsed now since my first introduction to ELP by a friend at work. What a choice I made to follow this trio of outstanding musicians!
I was so impressed when I first played the record that my friend had lent me all those years ago (the triple album, Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends). I was hooked, I loved that sound and immediately appreciated the skill and talent of those three incredible musicians.
My favourite band, amazing seeing them play live and I still play their music to this day, in fact I played that triple album on my HiFi system only last week - and I played it very loud!
Keith Emerson grew up in and around Worthing in West Sussex and even asked my mate's Mum out on a date many years ago when she was younger, however she refused his advances!
He is buried in Lancing cemetery which is only 7 miles from where I live.
Sadly we have lost two of the three masters of this trio, but by God their music still lives on!
Their creations will no doubt be listened to by people who were not even thought of when they were at their prime, and it will be appreciated still.
he played it all live and played it all SO WELL
8:21 "how can Keith play all this live?". Yes he did. He's the master. I've seen more comments somewhere else on the net about people thinking that he'd sequenced some bass part etc. He didn't. I've seen him doing it. That's pure musicianship. Thank you Keith for all your music. You remain an inspiration.
I saw him play this live…. Twice. Absolutely phenomenal !!!
Hey Doug! It was so much fun watching your mind be blown while listening to KE9 in its entirety. As a keyboardist in an ELP tribute show, i tell you it CAN be done live, however it’s an extraordinary effort & i am drained after every show. Keith has been a lifelong inspiration for me & it’s truly an honor to (be able to) play his music & promote his, and the boys’, legacy. And Mari, as always, you have my condolences & best wishes.
Cheers!
I don't know if the project is still on, after Covid, but Palmer announced a couple of years ago that Karn Evil-9 would be turned into a sci-fi film. What an amazing film it would be. Hope it's still happening.
Karn Evil 9 1st Imp. part 2 at about 14:30 that isn't a bass pedal. Greg Lake switched to playing the guitar and Keith Emerson is playing the bass line on the synth. He'll switch what he's doing with the left hand while he's making a bass line.
When I saw ELP it was in a round basketball stadium, and it was during the time when quadraphonic sound was popular. There were 4 speaker banks in the stadium, "the computer" taking over at the end of Karn Evil went from speaker bank to speaker bank, getting faster and faster until you almost couldn't tell which speaker bank the sound was coming from. A large set of white wings came out of the back of the Moog and ended the show with a pyro explosion coming from somewhere near the back of the Moog. 1973, I was in the 10th grade, and my older sister took me to the show at my parent's request. She lasted about 10 minutes, then had to leave. All these years later I still remember that show.
I love ELP. My All time favorite band. Karm Evil is an awesome composition. I never get tired of listening to ELP.
The coolest part about the ending i think is when that final repetition on the synth goes around making the shape of infinity as it goes back and forth between the two channels.
Back when I first bought this album when released, our family had just gotten a quadraphonic sound system, and the final, accelerating sequence wasn't just left to right, but travelled around the room in a circle . . . highlight of my childhood . . .
For the BSS tour, ELP had a quad system. The sequence was extended and spun till
the Moog blew up.
@@socalltd I remember the Moog blowing up. Every one went nuts!
@@TsukiumisGuy Yup, California Jam was filmed showing that.
@@SalcowSam Yeah, in the live show the ending computer sequence spun around the auditorium quad speaker setup until it reached a dizzying vertigo inducing tempo as the stage lights went down and the strobe lights amped up as if to invite a mass seizure of the audience when finally the Moog "blew up" and the three of them suddenly appeared center stage engulfed in spotlights...and then the crowd did go crazy with applause and cheers. It was memorable.
Thanks for introducing an entire new audience to the music I've been listening to for the last 40+ years!
It's good to see these musicians still getting the respect they deserve, rather than fading into some forgotten history.
You should have heard it when quadraphonic came out. It was literally mind bending. When they played at Cal Jam 1 (California Jam #1) if I remember correctly they brought the rear speaker towers and Keith sat down at a Grand piano strapping himself to the set, the piano lifted up and he and it started to spin end over end while the music went around and around pulling you with it. What an experience, a mind blowing experience, like never before. I kinda miss those days.
Thanks for bringing back those memories.
Doug, you're enjoying stuff I got into YEARS after I got into it. Met Carl many times. Saw ELP a few times. Emerson was the "Hendrix" of the keyboards. Watch his piano flip on RUclips. Heard at one time that ELP wanted Hendrix to join them. That would make them Hendrix, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. HELP. Whether it's true or not... The steel drums in Part 2 is all Moog synth. Blue Devils Drum Corps performed it in the 80's using tuned gongs. Go figure. Love what you do. Enjoy.
How hilarious it is to see someone, like yourself, hear this for the first time. Your enthusiasm is fun to watch. I have not only flipped the album over and dropped the needle on side two (as you alluded to) I have, also, seen them do this live. Yes, it CAN be done. As I have suggested on a couple of your other reviews, please listen to this more. BTW, when I saw ELP back in the mid seventies and when they came out for their first bow to the audience at the end, Carl Palmer fell into the orchestra pit. It took several minutes for them to dig him out of there and it was very obvious that he had injured himself as they helped him get backstage. A few minutes later, maybe five or ten, they came out, Palmer included, and did their encore. Palmer was one of, if not THE, best drummer I have ever seen. (and I've seen a lot)
Oh Yesss Live it's even better !!! I just saw Carl Palmer and the ELP Legacy Band 2 week ago. Carl hasn't lost a beat 😁🎹🎸🎤🥁💖
To this day, Carl Palmer is the best drummer most human beings have seen play live! He's an incredible technician, insane chops, brilliant classical / jazz background, shifting seamlessly from super tight technical, to deep thick groove, to absolute madman thrash at blazing speed. Just all around one of the most amazing drummers to ever sit behind a kit.
@@maineexport13 Very well said !!
Playing it live is what destroyed his hands and wrists, Doug, and ultimately led to his suicide, as he could no longer play in a manner that satisfied him. A devastating loss.
Yes true very very tragic what happened to Keith rest in peace Keith
DOUG - He DID play all that stuff live... I saw them in Philly back in the mid-70's in quad surround sound. They were absolutely amazing.
Hey, dude! Summer of '74 at the Spectrum? I was there! Pretty freakin' awesome, eh?
@@donkensler That's right! The one and only Philadelphia Spectrum [RIP]. We were herbily enhanced down on the floor [dance concert? Yeah, right!] and had our heads whacked out at the end of the 3rd Impression with the sequencer spinning around the room. It was a night to remember.
Carl Palmer is a legend among greats.Bass tone from the era is a thing of beauty.Going upstairs now to listen to the LP for the first time in about 40 years.
Part 3 in a masterpiece. You can sense all the drama and war just through the music.
I would describe a lot of ELP's work as modern classical.
I used to listen to this with my artist girlfriend when I was a senior in high school. She was already a college student, at a prestigious art college.
Flashback to the year 1983. Listening tonight, I’m reimagining the way I perceived it then and as I am in my current view.
I didn’t know the Carnivale etymology then, but do these days. As you were breaking it down it was opening a new vision of the way I had previously understood the unfolding theme.
Fascinating.
When first IMP Pt 2 started you revisited the blade of grass line.
Entirely different than the understanding I came to.
You mentioned the grass as being seen as something rare.
My word was instead ‘profound’. A moment later I recalled the first experience I (my first impression) had when I took my first trip.
And it was a green leaf in the woods I first came to find to be an amazing previously unnoticed thing of the grandest beauty.
With this I’m heading into the idea that like countless other musicians have expressed when creating music that’s grander than all before.
Beach Boys had their psychedelic Pet Sounds, Beatles countered with Sgt Pepper, Stones did their version which was rather dismal by comparison.
Which when Keith spoke about his view I was relieved that I wasn’t the only one who secretly thought it was mostly shite!
Anyway, this is a very nice selection tonight. Thx.
I have seen them live twice and believe me, they could play these songs note for note. Fabulous show. I saw once with an orchestra and the secondary tour without the orchestra.
Doug Look at some of ELPs live performances from back in the 1970s. Incredible, blissful ceremonial arrangements. Miss these 3 gentlemen together and the wonderful music they provided.
Sorry....just now finding you and on this truly EPIC piece. I had the privilege of seeing this show live in Detroit in 1974. My first rock concert and the one I measured all rock concerts to. PHENOMENAL !! 4 10 foot towers of multiple speakers in the four corners of the auditorium floor. True quadriphonic sound. It was amazing. Mega sound in front, L, R then behind, L, R. Hard to truly describe this but unbelievable! Thanks for sharing. Now I have to go back a listen to your first 272 episodes!
I look forward to the day when you analyze Keith Emerson's Piano Concerto. The 2nd movement is one of my favorite pieces of music ever.
The Grapes of Wrath: "I'll be there!" John Steinback
2nd Impression, the sound of the steel drum was produced by that ginormous Moog, just swap some patch chords and turn a few dials, and you have a reasonable imitation of a trumpet. That apparatus was so big, one panel would be set up for one instrument and he could switch to another for another sound.
Carl Palmer introduced synthetic drums on this album. The band didn't think that people would understand what he was doing, so they just let the audience think the sounds were coming from Emerson's synthesizer set up.
3rd Impression gives me the image of sailors manning the rails, going off the war, standing tall and proud. Then it goes into heading to the battle field. When the organ solo hits, that is the initial contact with the enemy. They fall back, reorganize, maneuver with stealth toward the final battle. We hear the telegraph as commanders request reinforcement and direct fire. Arrows rain down, until Carl Palmer hits the synthetic drum, and we get the first nuclear strike, as more weapons fall from the skies.
The synthesizer at the end is to show that even if you win a war, the outcome is seldom what one intended. In concert, there was some kind of keyboard that stands playing itself, and it goes on and on, much, much longer than on the album, and when it finally stops, pyrotechnics go off on top of it.
You should check out their rendition of Ginastera's 1st piano concerto, 4th movement. The composer actually thought they had brought it to life, like no one else. If you were impressed with Palmer's drumming on the rest of the album, this piece might inspire you to build a shrine.
To me the stolen steel drums smack of cultural appropriation. If you've ever heard a real steel drum band (we used to have one in our town) the synth version is irritating and really, laughable. Fortunately it's brief. I'm a huge fan of Keith Emerson and love this piece, but that section really could have been left out.
As far as "how," I hear a ring modulator in there somewhere, but I'm sure it's more complex than that.
@@mlzarathustra "Cultural Appropriation" is the cry of some insulated woke scumbag. Imitation is the sincerest for of flattery, and everybody knows it. Whenever you adopt things from other cultures, it show respect and appreciation.
As far as the sound of an early 1970's Moog verses the real thing goes, duh! A real Caribbean band is going to sound far more beautiful. The thing is, the guy playing the drums can't begin to imitate a trumpet. The whole point of the synthesizer is that just three men put on a show worthy of an entire symphony orchestra.
Always thought that was synthesized percussion like in Toccata from the same album.
Actually the steel drum was done with a Minimoog which sat on top of his Steinway grand piano. They did not have MIDI back then so he could not have been controlling the modular.
@@mlzarathustra I believe Ring Modulators were a product of Bell Labs. No one should appropriate that effect unless they worked there and have a degree in electrical engineering. It's cultural appropriation where non-nerds are using a tool designed for actual nerds.
Wow, this will be great. I can't wait to see what Doug thinks of it.
I enjoyed watching your reaction! This album gripped me by the ears as a musically impressionable 15-year old in 1973 and never let me go. When one pauses to praise one member of the band, it only inflames one's realization of the insanely gifted other two. Fifty years later, single again, focused on reality once more, these lyrics....... "ai"----arrogant insanity.
Nice haunted house tour at 21:41. Ghost sounds. Grandfather clock winding down to a stop. Swinging door slamming shut.