Fans and scholars may argue that BBS was, or wasn’t, the quintessential 70′s prog album, but few can deny it was the baddest. Regardless, every so often one should stop and pay respect to the dark, moog-monolithed, gatefold masterpiece that was Brain Salad Surgery. And there’s no better place to start than brain-salad-surgery.de.
Greg Lake doesn’t update his website as often as we’d like, but when he does it’s always compelling stuff. On Friday, Greg shared fond memories of witnessing both Pavarotti and Elvis Presley:
As far as singing is concerned, the human voice is a matter of the expression of passion in the understanding of the human condition, and upon seeing both of them perform I very quickly came to realize that they were each capable of expressing more than I had ever thought possible.
There’s fresh news (finally) from KeithEmerson.com. Keith is working on new solo material with producer Marc Bonilla, and fans will be able to “witness this new development” soon on MySpace and YouTube. Keith has also added a new section to his website (EM-COUNTERS), where he dishes about various encounters with LA area musicians and celebrities.
Carl Palmer will perform, along with other drumming luminaries, at “Drum Days” in Ludwigsburg, Germany, September 29th. Check out the official website for more details.
Photo: © 2005 Carl Kendall-Palmer Ltd
Writer Ore Koren, of the online music magazine Perfect Sound Forever, has written an excellent treatise on the critical legacy of ELP. Very highly recommended.
Every time I am listening to one of ELP’s early records, all I have to do is close my eyes and I am there, walking from Oxford St. to Regent St. There you are, going through Soho, watching King Crimson perform in Hyde Park or David Bowie at the Hammersmith Apollo, or just wandering around in the streets of London at its peak; traveling in a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth.
Shout Factory Records will release a remastered Emerson Lake and Palmer’s “Welcome Back My Friends…” Tuesday, August 7th. Recorded during their “Someone Get Me A Ladder†tour of 1973-74, the (originally 3 LP) live opus showcases the three-piece at the height of their power.
It’s always a challenge to try and crystallize the experience of seeing a great band in their prime, but this album establishes a case for Emerson Lake & Palmer as one of the great live bands in rock history.
