Author Topic: Progressive (Read 222 times)

David Houck · « **on:** July 04, 2010, 08:11:11 PM »

One of my all time favorite albums is Tarkus, the second album by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. For me, Tarkus is Emerson's best work.

So last night I ran across a cover of Tarkus by Jordan Rudess off his 2007 album, The Road Home. Very cool. It's a great cover, at times faithful to the original, at times embellishing upon the original, and at times substantially departing from the original. Rod Morgenstein on drums, and guitar work from Ricky Garcia and Ron Thal, but this is primarily a keyboard showcase. About half of it can be heard here. But if your interested you should really hear the whole thing, which in my view is how Tarkus was always meant to be heard. If you have Grooveshark, that's where I found it.

terryc · « **Reply #1 on:** July 05, 2010, 12:15:47 AM »

dave, ELP were my teen heroes(one of them!)
I saw them when they did the 'Brain Salad Surgery' tour at Wembley in London in 1974 and prior to that I am in the audience on the live album 'Pictures At An Exhibition' recorded in 1971 at Newcastle in the UK.
My favourites are the first 'ELP' and 'Brain Salad Surgery'
Prog rock at it's best, I certanly will give this version a listen.

David Houck · « **Reply #2 on:** July 05, 2010, 08:24:24 AM »

The whole album (except one solo piece) is essentially a tribute to bands that influenced Rudess when he left Julliard to focus on rock music. In addition to ELP, he covers Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, and King Crimson. There are several guest guitar players and guest singers.

bigredbass · « **Reply #3 on:** July 05, 2010, 11:40:08 AM »

So can any of you guys clue me in on the evident feud between Greg Lake and the band? This may be old news, but I never quite grasped what was wrong. I also wonder why Carl Palmer never surfaced with anything much after ELP's salad days.

J o e y

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2010, 12:41:42 PM »

Somewhere in the early 70s, my buddy Crazy Mike bought a used eight-track deck for his '64 Mecury; it came with 3 tapes - Sly and the Family Stone's Greatest Hits, Fever Tree, and Tarkus. Many are the mail boxes & road signs we shot - er, I mean, boy we sure had fun cruising - to those!
Joey, I don't know what the problem is, but I do remember reading back then they couldn't stand each other, & took 3 separate limos to the gig.

Peter

David Houck · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2010, 01:04:42 PM »

Joey; after ELP, Palmer was in a little band called Asia. In fact he's still with them; they have a new album out and are touring the US this August and September. He's also in a band called the Carl Palmer Band, with whom he apparently will be touring in October and November. According to his website, he was unable to play with Emerson and Lake this year because of his commitments to Asia and the Carl Palmer Band. Emerson and Lake toured the US this past April and May.

jacko · « **Reply #6 on:** July 06, 2010, 04:56:23 AM »

... lest we forget, Jordan is a member of Dream Theater, currently my favourite listening;-)

Graeme

terryc · « **Reply #7 on:** July 06, 2010, 07:42:10 AM »

I don't think they hated each other, the separate limos were a 'we have loads of money' statement.
They all contributed and were flamboyant in their own right.
Emerson had his huge Moog Modular synth and Hammond organ wrestling on stage, Palmer had his custom built drum kit which was made of stainless steel with brass and was engraved(which weighed 5 tons..they had to reinforce the stage to support it). Lake had his Persian carpet to stand on and his 8 string Alembic.
70's rock excess to the extreme!!!

bigredbass · « **Reply #8 on:** July 06, 2010, 07:51:16 AM »

Geez, Asia . . . . I really need to get out from behind the four walls more often!

I saw ELP on tour behind Brain Salad Surgery (still my favorite album cover), the quadrophonic PA, the end-over-end grand piano stunt, Carl's whirling drum kit, and I remember Greg onstage with the Alembic at times.

I could not imagine touring with that modular Moog. His keyboard roadies must have had the patience of Biblical saints, and the memory of a Los Alamos physicist to remember the correct patch points. Never did see him take the sword to the Hammond though.

Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends!

J o e y

David Houck · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2010, 09:44:12 AM »

Graeme; I've been listening to Dream Theater (or rather watching youtube videos) a lot recently too. Initially drawn to the instrumental stuff, and more recently focusing on John Petrucci, I like their covers of Pink Floyd as well. And this is really cool - Great Gig In The Sky. Turn this one up loud and let her voice fill the room.

terryc · « **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2010, 11:17:00 AM »

bigredbass..I forgot about the piano stunt..it is a long time ago..
There wasa rumour that the large Moog was just for show and the keyboard/ribbon controller was plugged into a couple of Mini Moogs.
'Tocatta' still makes me shiver..very menacing track heard on many TV shows in the UK as incidental music

bigredbass · « **Reply #11 on:** July 06, 2010, 10:01:22 PM »

Terry, I came up playing piano as a kid. Seeing all the 70's rock bands only reinforced my urge to switch to bass: I could NOT see me lugging around a Hammond + Leslie, a Rhodes, a Wurlitzer, etc. Shortly followed by the first round of monophonic, temperamental synths like Minimoogs and ARPs. I didn't have roadies! In those days a CS80 or Jupiter 8 seemed like impossibilities, much less DX's or the things we have now.

But geez I still LOVE a Hammond. Suzuki bought up the Hammond patents/rights and is now building a modern drawbar, two manual Hammond, in/as it's own roadcase for around $35,000 ! !

J o e y

eligilam · « **Reply #12 on:** July 07, 2010, 07:10:02 AM »

Tarkus is truly sublime...my favorite ELP album taken as a whole.

My favorite ELP song, however, is Karn Evil No.9-- Second Impression...the eerie bass during the intro is great, and this song has one of the best kick in moments of all time. Anyone know what bass Lake used on Brain Salad Surgery?

(Close second for best ELP kick in: the tremendous break to 7/8 time at the end of Trilogy...)

Good Stuff!

terryc · « **Reply #13 on:** July 07, 2010, 07:35:04 AM »

Bigredbass..hammonds have a great sound, a long time ago there was a social club in my area which went bankrupt, my dad was a member and I was playing keys at the time, there was a Hammond B3 with a Leslie, one day it was there, the next it wasn't and no one knew where it went. We would have most probably got it for a song but didn't have the chance.

On another note(loads of puns here!), I was in a blues band last year(I have now left due to the singers & guitar players attitude and you will see why)..he played harmonica but hated the Hammond organ sound...hang on..you like blues but hate the Hammond..something lacking there!!!

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #14 on:** July 07, 2010, 08:49:17 AM »

The old Moogs & Arps were amazing for the time, the stuff they have now is truly mind-boggling - but the hippest electronic keyboard ever made is, was, & always will be the B3!

Peter