Favorite ELP Song
 

:flutter: Okay - I have been asked to start this thread - I think I am being used - :knowing: - but that is okay - I get to discuss my fav. group, ELP :-V

Now I would like to know your Favorite ELP song - but not just which one - but WHY:rolleyes: you like it. As I mentioned in the other thread, my reason for hesitating there was because I needed to think about this.

My favorite ELP song - I think is: Pirates. Now I understand that some don't like it - some do:rawk: but the reason I like it is the BROAD range of emotion, music and style it has. The music is at times BOMBASTIC:flutter: , and at other times, soft and quiet:hand:. It tells a story, it is sweeping, it is PROG ROCK and ORCHESTRA combined - working together - as never was possible with The NICE, not one then the other, but together - serving as a whole. I like it!:rawk:

So what is your fav ELP song?

Wonderingly yours,
Ted

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

I'm going to cover this in mulple posts... i think because it is so hard to pick one fav. So here are a few in no particular order.

Trilogy.

• Great intro soft synth leadin... to lure in the unsuspecting.
• Lake's voice is in its prime. Good lyrics. a breakup song... honest feelings.
• Emerson's Grand piano is wonderful i love when he is on Piano (see another, future post) at about 2 minutes in he slides into one, repeating note. This is bracketed by A full and pleasent lead in... and on the other side there are a couple of (purposely placed) discordant intervals... much like "the guys" relationship... great... but then... Good Bye, Good Bye.
• Piano gets more active (as Carl Palmer comes in, sits down and picks up his sticks)
• Synth 'grove' starts and feels choppy and very unlike the first half of the song.
• Lead Strings synth come in and repeat the theme of the song.... and away we go!... one of my favorite melodic leads from all ELP.
• Lakes lyrics come back and are less lamenting and more "we'll talk again, you'll be OK, I'll be Ok too.."
• finally the song closes with the classic 'blues' ending... way to go to slow things down and close the song.

That is for the first of my ELP faves....

PeterG

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

This is tough... it's like chosing which leg you want to have severed!

Karn Evil #9 and The Endless Enigma just for the lyrics.

I'll chime in later if I can come up with any other absolute fave.

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Tarkus. I love the organ parts. Well, I love the rest of the tune too, but especially the percussive organ.

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Hard to say ... :headscrat I never was a pure ELP s fan:sad: , love a lot of their tracks :-\ ( TARKUS , KARN EVEIL, ..JERUSALEM , .. but ..):eyes:
ok so JERUSALEM ... not fully 100% ELP

All the best
Mailo

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Fave ELP song? Tricky, but I would go for "Take a Pebble". The feel of that song is just so good. The guitar playing is beautiful the piano excellent. It speaks to me in a way that no other ELP song does.

"Disturbing the waters, of our lives......".

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Tarkus. The first album I bought with my own money...as an 8 year old!!!
I got Christmas money and bought it immediately. It was still a new album, too. My parent's thought it was like classical music present in a rock format, so they were cool with my purchase (unlike the Hawkwind album I bought afew weeks later with my allowance).

I still whip out that original vinyl now and play it loud.

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Hoo boy. This is a good one.

I've got a rotation of perhaps three or four ELP songs that I would call my favorites, based on such things as mood, time of day, and the level of blood in my caffeine stream.

They are, in no particular order:

1. Karn Evil #9, First Impression
2. Piano Improvisations (because, DAMN, can Keith Emerson play)
3. The Only Way (Hymn)

As for WHY?

Karn Evil #9 because it's musically and stylistically a well designed and engineered song. Every member adds a great deal to the piece -- it's not All Keith or All Greg or All Carl. It's All ELP.

Piano Improvisations? Because, well, Damn.

The Only Way (Hymn)? Because I like it. It's nice pseudo-classical organ work coupled with a profound message. It just gets me right *here*.

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

No not being used :-V

Two reasons I asked...one is that I thought it would get a great response, and so far it has. Second, it would be good to get the feeling of why some do not like Pirates, in one place. There are certain polarizing songs (Echoes, Pirates, Supper's Ready) that always pop up in other threads. So we're quarantining Pirates so to speak, and also discussing a great band!

(at least up to Love beach ]:-( )

That being said....

I don't think I could say it any better than Ted about Pirates. It's very exhilirating to me. Well done!

Tarkus is a close second. It's a perfect piece, and it's got everything.

Agreed % with Dot about the lyrical message in "The Only Way".

Some other ones I dig are Hallowed Be thy Name and Knife Edge.

Everyone has said some great ones!

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Rick - you are right! I wasn't being used:-V But I was curious.

Along with enjoying Pirates.... I also like "Memoirs of An Officer and A Gentleman." It tells a good story. The music again has lots of variety in it, and as Dot said, they play together well. This on an album that most everyone hates. This one song is worth getting the album for.

I appreciate everyone participating in the discussion. It has been very 'educational':headscrat seeing everyone's response. From Dot - saying "he is feeling it in his gut :-\ along with Peter - breaking down the song the way that is analyzing it :flutter:

Continue to tell us why you like your fav ELP song. Help us to better understand YOU!!

Welcome Back My Friends.....

Ted

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

I'll have to give it a listen...somewhere. Is In the Hot Seat mediocre also?

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Tarkus, for all the same reasons stated in Ted's first post, complex with many changes, big theme, etc...

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Rick,

I have always heard that 'In the Hot Seat' was mediocre:headscrat
But there are 4 tracks on the Moon, and I have listened/requested them and I like them, but I like 'Black Moon' also. It is a different direction - more "commerical" - but repeating myself - I like it:knowing: They are DIFFERENT than typical ELP fair, but variety is the spice of life!

I have 'Memoirs' as an MP3.

Ciao,
Ted

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Mr. Magoo,

Thanks for the contrib. I too like Tarkus!! It is all there!!:flutter:

Big Music. Bombastic - Percussive Keyboard.

Regards,
Ted

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

I feel something special for Trilogy, a song that has everything I like about Prog, solid melody, dramatic changes, lush keyboards, etc.

Iván

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

So you don't have the open-shirted band photo? :rolleyes:

I like Black Moon too..was a good tour also.

Another Trilogy vote (by Ivan)..looks like that and Tarkus lead the way...

Replaying Karn Evil 9 though....all three together....hmmmm

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Well Ted.....thank you very much!!!

btw. This is Keithie's wife Pam here. I've just caught him clicking on amazon buying the three ELP albums he doesn't have on CD. Why he needs them is a mystery because he already has them on vinyl, cassette and, in at least two cases, 8 Track, the player for which broke 5 years ago!!!!!

It's a good job I like ELP as well or the divorce lawyers bill would be winging it's way across the swamp to your address.

I'm rewriting the lyrics to Keithie's fave ELP song:

"Just take a pebble and throw it at Keithie's head.............."

Ah well......trying to stop him from purchasing CDs is like :deadhorse

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Pam,

Ohhhh Nooooo! I am not trying to cause marital unrest :knowing:

I am glad that Keithie is enjoying the music though - and you too:-V

I listened to Pirates on my way into work today and enjoyed again the fun that is envoked from experiencing the song. Unfortunately, I have never seen ELP live, but I have 6 DVD's and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the music I have heard for a couple of decades played live. I have a couple of DVD's from the early 70's and a couple from the 90's and it is amazing how the three have aged, but can still rock:rawk: But it is satisfying to see the "recorded" music being played "live".

Again, I wish you much harmony and marital bliss:flutter:

Regards,
Ted

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

There's a Nearfest 2006 thread you can pull up and read some thoughts about Emerson's performance there.

That's OK. I never saw Gentle Giant.....or anybody before 1979....:mad:

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Rick,

Thanks for letting me in on the Nearfest thread. I'll give it a look! :-V

Ted

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

As I consider ELP's discography - in a humours vein - I have neglected one song that may need to be considered :rawk:

That song - from the unacclaimed album 'Works 2' :knowing: and the song is: "So Far To Fall". While it is short, there is interesting music involved, soaring vocals, screaming synths:flutter: , but the best are the one line of lyrics:rolleyes: - raucous from any perspective - outrageous from every other perspecitve:knowing:

I mean - how can you go wrong with a lyric like: "She did her thang to my thang , like it has never been done before" :flutter: :knowing: :rawk:

So - give it anohter listen - audacious as it is:hand:

Any thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? Recall votes?:headscrat

Wonderingly,
Ted

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Hodown

(And for the purpose of this review, the version on "Welcom back my friends...")

First i have to comment that , in a general way, I really like to hear people take a song and re interpret it and to "make it their own". Which is why I like many of the 'Tribute' type albums. It is also one factor in going to see Jethro Tull... Ian always seems to 'shine a new light' on his own tunes and that is great (and a different thread, i suppose)

Where was I? Oh Yeah...

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends.... Ladies and Gentleman.... Emerson, Lake and Palmer!

Emerson's rendition of Aaron Copland's Hoedown has energy, style and substance. He takes a 'classical' composition and ... as as we used to say to describe Emersons compositional style.... he "Tears it's limbs off to create a new monster" Great composition and a great opening song for a concert.:rawk: Palmers drumming is high evergy and gets the concert started.

THAT is why Hoedown is in my Top10 (or 30) ELP Favs.

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Peter - Thanks for your comments. You make a GREAT point - "re-interpretation" - having watched Emerson do it with "Fanfare" and "Tocatta", "Dances Creole", even stuff like "Maple Leaf Rag" and "Honky Tonk Train Blues". Again - the whole group contributes to the overall interpretation and sound.

One thing I seem to have noticed is that Emerson's left hand often plays the same part that Lake's Bass is playing - offering a more "layered" bass sound.

Peter - do most of your re-interpretation comments also apply to "Fanfare" also by Copeland?

BTW - I love the DVD version of Hoedown from "Live at Montreaux" - KE uses his ribbon controller to "rub his backside"! - He does the same thing in another song on the "Live at Royal Albert Hall" DVD. Always the "showman":headscrat

So, Peter, Have you enjoyed reading this thread as much as I have? What about you ELPBSS?

Thanks again to ALL the contributors to this thread!!

Typingly yours,
Ted:knowing:

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Speaking of interpretations, Mike Visaggio (whose CD may be on the Moon soon) has one titled "Blues variations", which is the cover of the Emerson cover. I played it a few weeks back on the show. be sure to check it out!

Oh yeah, please chime in on the ELP tribute record thread. A lot of dispararte views, fun reading....

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Rick & Roll,

Thanks for including more ELP - even as tributes!! I will check out the ELP tribute record thread.

ALso - has anyone on hear heard of the "remix" cd's from ELP and some famous remix artist? I have the 3CD set - and I go back and forth. I love hearing the samples, but I am not sure that I like the "drum track" - palmer is much, much better!!

Ciao,
Ted

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Tarkus is still my favorite, but others have brought up Jerusalem, Pirates and the Copeland covers. I love Jerusalem, but since it's a cover, it doesn't make my ELP favorite list, but it *is* my favorite recording of that song that I know of, Lake's voice on that track is truly great. Pirates is also a great epic, sad that it's not more well known outside circles such as the Moon. As for the Copeland covers, I love 'em all, not that I prefer the ELP versions to a symphony rendition, at least not nowadays, although I admit that when I was younger I thought "Fanfare" was superior because it really rocked. Even though I'm not willing to say the ELP versions of the Copeland Pieces outshine what can be done with a symphony, I still like them quite well. Another favorite of mine is "Still You Turn Me On", again Lake's voice on that tune is incredible.

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

Barbarian !! Its the Power Hammond and Striking Piano. I love the airiness as it gets quite...then all Hell breaks Loose. A sound that they have chased ever since.

Re: Favorite ELP Song
 

From the begining
of course