ELP Emerson Lake & Palmer Cataloge in 5.1 Surround

[rontoon]

IMHO the music inside the cover is much worse than the picture on the cover. An album's cover image is always forgivable if the music has some redeeming value.

 

[DuncanS]

@ DuncanS, your XTC comment was kinda a "slap in the face".. we are talking about ELP and the greatest music ever made, not some silly 1980's girlie music. I suppose you are also waiting for the GoGos to be done in 5.1?

Well basically no expects the !

Cor blimey Dennis its the Bangles I'm after! :sun .....oh and Trilogy!

 

[rtbluray]

IMHO the music inside the cover is much worse than the picture on the cover. An album's cover image is always forgivable if the music has some redeeming value.

My thoughts exactly. I listened to almost the entire album last night again (except for the 20-min epic), and it was so incredibly painful!! (especially with that album cover staring me in the face)
Oh my, how far they fell…
Almost every other Prog band had some great moments after their hey-day in the 1970s but NOT ELP IMO
But that is just it. It's my opinion!
Give me an XTC album like "Drums & Wires" or "Black Sea" any day over albums like "Love Beach" and "Tormato"...

 

[kap'n krunch]

Well, I had never listened to it until LAST year because of all the poo-pooing...
And , in my opinion, they did what Altantic told them to do ...get in the studio and make a record...
OBVIOUSLY it'snot NEARLY as good as any of their other LPs (hmmmm...Works II comes close, though), but I found it enjoyable and just "normal" (since all of their stuff was outstanding)...

I still think it's not that bad of an LP...

Remember folks, these were the times of Quaaludes!!!!!

 

[rtbluray]

Has anybody had a chance to read the review of the new BSS box set in PROG magazine?

A few particular bits that stuck out to me:

Speaking specifically about "Jerusalem":

Jakko Jakszyck's new mix is a revelation, improving on the original in crispness, clarity, dynamism, and sheer emotional impact.

And on the album as a whole:

While newcomers should seek this out, upgraders (the more likely market for such a lavish box set) will also find that it's never sounded better. Jakko Jakszyck's remixes are staggeringly good, and need to be heard.
Brain Salad Surgery's core material has finally been accorded the remix, remaster and 5.1 expansion that it's always deserved.

Ok, now I'm REALLY excited for this!

 

[pklshpu]

My thoughts exactly. I listened to almost the entire album last night again (except for the 20-min epic), and it was so incredibly painful!! (especially with that album cover staring me in the face)

Well, IMO, what is worth hearing in "Love Beach" is precisely that 20-min epic! It saves the album!!! Whereas Side One of "Love Beach" has some really embarrassing moments musically and lyrically (both thanks to Mr. Lake as far as I know), Side Two could be with any TOP ELP album. it has some original things in it which were never to be seen again on KE, GL and CP discography.

"Love At First Sight", for instance, has one of the toughest piano lines of Emerson's career, as it's based on Chopin's "Etude Op. 10/1" (and even quotes it at the beginning). Constructed melodies, chords far from the obvious, a subtle acoustic guitar solo by Lake, and a surprising Glockenspiel part by Palmer. So, ears on, eyes closed, by now that ridiculous album cover should be far behind.

"Letters from the Front" is a unique chance to get to hear a jazzy Emerson on a Fender Rhodes, with fantastic GX-1 lines and effects that would anticipate (and maybe surpass) Emerson's "Nighthawks" soundtrack cues.

"Honourable Company" is not that original, of course, it's a kind of a new "Abbadon's Bolero" (which by the way was not that original itself, once it was a kind of a crossing between Ravel and Wendy Carlos). But to me, "Company" has more a colorful (synth) orchestration than Abbadon's.

I could also mention "Prologue/Education": what's in it that is such a shame? In what does it pair with the album cover? In it, I can remember a very atmospheric piano/vocal duet, followed by a powerful, climatic, song structure with good GX-1 solos. For those who like Lake's singing, a must hear.

So I think "Love Beach" is the dead dog everybody loves to beat.
While many punk bands could get away with murder (musically), the idea of "Love Beach" being the apex of mediocrity, and ELP the example of pretentiousness in Rock, just do not give up.

As if rock were to be completely free of disappointing albums had "Love Beach" never existed... As if never before nor after there were cases of good rock musicians being lost and making screwed up records...

If composition, harmony, structure, form, performance skills and even analogue synth-programming count for anything, I'd say "Love Beach" beats the crap out of most acts that were around 1978, like Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and, yes, The ABBAs. Yet in some aspects that album is ELP's biggest shame.

But maybe it's acceptable to say it's harder for an ELP to keep the musical level they once reached than the other acts I mentioned here to keep their own, simply because one can objectively say that, musically, technically, those acts never got as high as ELP (in other aspects I really don't care about, maybe "social", "anthropological" ones, they might have easily surpassed ELP by far). That would perhaps also explain why during the '90s ELP would never ever get close to what they once were in the '70s. Decadence just beats harder those who were once high enough to have a huge fall.

For the record: I lost any interest in whatever KE, GL and CP have been doing during the last 20 years. To me: unambitious, repetitive, boring, past driven, re-re-release driven, "we're only in it for the money" driven. The only things I'd really pay some good bucks for nowadays, regarding ELP, are (1) a full set Cal Jam '74 video and (2) a release of the Quad mix of WBMFTTSTNE with no wow and flutter issues.

Sorry for the long post here, I usually just read the topics. But I think ELP is severely and unfairly punished many times not because it’s truly bad, but because it could never be as good again.

 

[rontoon]

Here's a pretty reasonable observation of that album...
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/emerson-lake-palmer-love-beach/

 

[kap'n krunch]

OK, so , this one is NEVER gonna get a MCH release...unless I get all the tracks in 96/24...
The thing is that this is when they went to the studio with no incentive or an order from Altlantic Records to deliver the last LP on their contract.. (or maybe an incentive to BE a POP band...the last track is the ONLY PROG song there....,,,excuse me...can I go somewhere wlse?...."Tiger in a Spotlight"? ---one of he most cop-out songs ever--CATCHY TOO and of course any credit is worthy of mentioning--)
It's basically ELP trying to be a POP band ...and , of course ...it didn't work...gotta admire them..2 Scorpions and an Aries....
..,my .02 EUR worth...

 

[pklshpu]

Here's a pretty reasonable observation of that album...
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/emerson-lake-palmer-love-beach/

Nice review indeed! The author put some effort into making the reader get a bigger picture of album context.

 

[rtbluray]

https://soundcloud.com/emerson-lake-palmer

Here you can listen to the Alternate Version of "Karn Evil 9 3rd Impression".

 

[kap'n krunch]

Here's a pretty reasonable observation of that album...
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/emerson-lake-palmer-love-beach/

That's what I said..thank you!

 

[blue.monk]

https://soundcloud.com/emerson-lake-palmer

Here you can listen to the Alternate Version of "Karn Evil 9 3rd Impression".

Thanks! Killer stuff. Sounds like a straight, live run-through in the studio. Extremely energetic and powerful. Bring on the box!

 

[DennisMoore Jr.]

Well, IMO, what is worth hearing in "Love Beach" is precisely that 20-min epic! It saves the album!!! Whereas Side One of "Love Beach" has some really embarrassing moments musically and lyrically (both thanks to Mr. Lake as far as I know), Side Two could be with any TOP ELP album. it has some original things in it which were never to be seen again on KE, GL and CP discography.

"Love At First Sight", for instance, has one of the toughest piano lines of Emerson's career, as it's based on Chopin's "Etude Op. 10/1" (and even quotes it at the beginning). Constructed melodies, chords far from the obvious, a subtle acoustic guitar solo by Lake, and a surprising Glockenspiel part by Palmer. So, ears on, eyes closed, by now that ridiculous album cover should be far behind.

"Letters from the Front" is a unique chance to get to hear a jazzy Emerson on a Fender Rhodes, with fantastic GX-1 lines and effects that would anticipate (and maybe surpass) Emerson's "Nighthawks" soundtrack cues.

"Honourable Company" is not that original, of course, it's a kind of a new "Abbadon's Bolero" (which by the way was not that original itself, once it was a kind of a crossing between Ravel and Wendy Carlos). But to me, "Company" has more a colorful (synth) orchestration than Abbadon's.

I could also mention "Prologue/Education": what's in it that is such a shame? In what does it pair with the album cover? In it, I can remember a very atmospheric piano/vocal duet, followed by a powerful, climatic, song structure with good GX-1 solos. For those who like Lake's singing, a must hear.

-edited-

@pklshpu: No apology needed for a well thought out & composed post. A refreshing change actually!

I dare say you are a musician & a piano player? I consider your assessment of "Memoirs..." to be spot on. It is a fine musical piece with all the elements of what made ELP shine. Two things that may have let down the masses were the lack of organ and the military march at the end.
A march is always hard to swallow unless one has just been conscripted, then I suppose it would be even worse...Nonetheless it is a beautiful piece and one that deserves a second look by the haters. But... like you said; the Lake ballads on side one are truly horrible. The cover art is a disgrace and I found it to be disgusting when it came out in 1978. I am not big on male nudity.

@the group: Is there an updated release date for the box set? I'm ready to buy now. No more waiting needed on my end.

 

[rtbluray]

@pklshpu: No apology needed for a well thought out & composed post. A refreshing change actually!

I dare say you are a musician & a piano player? I consider your assessment of "Memoirs..." to be spot on. It is a fine musical piece with all the elements of what made ELP shine. Two things that may have let down the masses were the lack of organ and the military march at the end.
A march is always hard to swallow unless one has just been conscripted, then I suppose it would be even worse...Nonetheless it is a beautiful piece and one that deserves a second look by the haters. But... like you said; the Lake ballads on side one are truly horrible. The cover art is a disgrace and I found it to be disgusting when it came out in 1978. I am not big on male nudity.

@the group: Is there an updated release date for the box set? I'm ready to buy now. No more waiting needed on my end.

Same date that's been up there for the last 2 months. May 12.

 

[rtbluray]

Also amazon.com (US) now has a pre-order for the smaller 3-disc edition up.

 

[wavelength]

Also amazon.com (US) now has a pre-order for the smaller 3-disc edition up.

Can't find it.
This is what I have for Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brain-Salad...TF8&qid=1399654996&sr=1-1&keywords=B00FAC2GKA

 

[fredblue]

so the big-ass box set I ordered is out on Monday!? how about the smaller package w/DVD-A? that's delayed isn't it? Soooo Confusing! @:

 

[rtbluray]

Can't find it.
This is what I have for Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brain-Salad...TF8&qid=1399654996&sr=1-1&keywords=B00FAC2GKA

http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Salad-Surgery-Emerson/dp/B00J89SG0U/

And yes the "big-ass box" is out on Monday from the UK. The smaller set will be out in the UK at the beginning of June (beginning of July now in the US)

 

[wavelength]

http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Salad-Surgery-Emerson/dp/B00J89SG0U/

And yes the "big-ass box" is out on Monday from the UK. The smaller set will be out in the UK at the beginning of June (beginning of July now in the US)

Well the usual confusion...

Your link (Amazon US) goes to a 2-disc set. Label: Razor & Tie
My link (Amazon UK) goes to a 3-disc set. Label: Sony Music CMG

What is going on?

 

[rtbluray]

Well the usual confusion...

Your link (Amazon US) goes to a 2-disc set. Label: Razor & Tie
My link (Amazon UK) goes to a 3-disc set. Label: Sony Music CMG

What is going on?

That's only in the "Product Details" section. The Tracking Listing and "Editorial Reviews" both clearly state 3 discs.