Downes/Lake collaboration

[Farpoint Kevin]

Interesting...

Ride the Tiger

[ytserush]

Interesting...

Ride the Tiger

I remember this! I guess I never got it because it was never released. This would have been what 1987? 88?

[JKL2000]

Weird, another song called Blue Light. Unless it's a Gilmour cover.

[revporl]

I remember reading about this at the time and was disappointed that nothing came out of it. I'll get this. Ace.

[bondegezou]

Several (but not all) of these have been released on various Greg Lake collections. They are pretty demo-y. I'm tempted to say for completists only... but I am a completist and will be getting this. ;-)

Henry

[Frankk]

Considering the number of songs and assuming they didn't record an "epic", this will be an "EP-length" release (they even had to add an alternate mix to at least pass the 30 minutes mark, I think). But, I'm very happy to see these songs properly released and what excites me more is that, since this is "pre-Black Moon" material, Greg Lake's voice was still in fine form

[calyx]

Michael Giles was supposedly on at least some of this. Not that this alone would make it better than it seemingly is...

[jamesmanzi]

Interesting...

Ride the Tiger

Money Talks and Lover Under Fire are on a Lake retrospective called From the Beginning. Money Talks became ELP's Paper Blood on Black Moon, and Lover Under Fire ended up on the first Downes/Payne Asia album.

(Edited to correct the song that Asia used.)

[Frankk]

Do you know if this is a Greg Lake approved release? We haven't heard anything about the man lately (just the "Greg Lake is seriously ill" hoax!). Is he retired from the music business??
I remember a couple of years ago he insisted in his website that he had a new solo album coming out (in pure Jon Anderson fashion). He even gave some details saying that it consisted of full orchestral arrangements of his ELP & solo material.

[bondegezou]

Considering the number of songs and assuming they didn't record an "epic", this will be an "EP-length" release (they even had to add an alternate mix to at least pass the 30 minutes mark, I think).

The label appear to be pricing it as a shorter length release.

Henry

[Dan Roth]

Do you know if this is a Greg Lake approved release?

This, along with the upcoming release of Lake's first two solo albums, are highlighted on Lake's website: http://greglake.com/News/DoubleCDandRideTheTigerWeb.pdf

[lak611]

Has anyone purchased this CD? If so, how is it?

[bondegezou]

Has anyone purchased this CD? If so, how is it?

We've heard about half of this on prior releases, and the other tracks are similar in style. They're demos and they sound like that, and this is Lake and Downes at their poppier. But, for completists, it's interesting enough.

Henry

[lak611]

We've heard about half of this on prior releases, and the other tracks are similar in style. They're demos and they sound like that, and this is Lake and Downes at their poppier. But, for completists, it's interesting enough.

Henry

I don't have any of the compilations mentioned, nor do I have anything at all by Asia or "Black Moon" by ELP.

Would I be better off getting this Downes/Lake demo, another Lake compilation, something from Asia with Payne (whom I've never heard), or "Black Moon"?

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[bondegezou]

I don't have any of the compilations mentioned, nor do I have anything at all by Asia or "Black Moon" by ELP.

Would I be better off getting this Downes/Lake demo, another Lake compilation, something from Asia with Payne (whom I've never heard), or "Black Moon"?

Depends what you want! I quite like Black Moon and Aqua's not bad, both of those having re-worked songs from the Downes/Lake collaboration. But if you're really into Greg Lake, some of those compilations are interesting. If you want great albums, there are better ELP albums and better Asia albums. http://www.relayer35.com/Yescography/RideTheTiger.htm and links thereform have more details.

Henry

[lak611]

Depends what you want! I quite like Black Moon and Aqua's not bad, both of those having re-worked songs from the Downes/Lake collaboration. But if you're really into Greg Lake, some of those compilations are interesting. If you want great albums, there are better ELP albums and better Asia albums. http://www.relayer35.com/Yescography/RideTheTiger.htm and links thereform have more details.

Henry

I have everything by ELP up to and including "Love Beach". I don't have the live album with the orchestra or any of the 90s recordings (but I do have the Royal Albert Hall and Montreux DVDs). I also saw ELP in the 90s, so I'm familiar with a few songs from "Black Moon".

I've never heard Payne at all, and never even heard of him until browsing this forum. In fact I was unaware that Asia even existed after the end of the original lineup in the 80s. Other than the brief time Lake was in Asia, I thought Wetton was its only bassist/vocalist. How does Payne sound compared to Wetton and Lake?

I have Lake's two solo albums from the 80s "Greg Lake" and "Manoeuvres".

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[Paulrus]

There's a couple real cringe-worthy tracks on this set (and it's a fairly short disk) that fortunately never went any farther. As Henry detailed, the rest has turned up either in ELP or Downe's-related projects over the years.

IMO definitely for completists only.

[musicislife]

I have everything by ELP up to and including "Love Beach". I don't have the live album with the orchestra or any of the 90s recordings (but I do have the Royal Albert Hall and Montreux DVDs). I also saw ELP in the 90s, so I'm familiar with a few songs from "Black Moon".

I've never heard Payne at all, and never even heard of him until browsing this forum. In fact I was unaware that Asia even existed after the end of the original lineup in the 80s. Other than the brief time Lake was in Asia, I thought Wetton was its only bassist/vocalist. How does Payne sound compared to Wetton and Lake?

I have Lake's two solo albums from the 80s "Greg Lake" and "Manoeuvres".

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Getting caught up in the "completism" disease has its downsides. IMO, Payne was ok with Asia, but he had a sort of generic voice that so many other rock singers of that era had. For me, Asia was always a huge disappointment for many reasons, not the least of which is that Downes just doesn't cut it as the huge "star" he was being made out to be. The fact that Wetton followed him down that rosy path into "same old, same old" territory was nothing less than a shame, given how much of a monster he was with King Crimson alone. YMMV, of course, but I wouldn't get too caught up over having to hear tracks that just happen to be missing from your collection no matter how much you love Lake for his achievements from the days of yore.

[lak611]

Getting caught up in the "completism" disease has its downsides. IMO, Payne was ok with Asia, but he had a sort of generic voice that so many other rock singers of that era had. For me, Asia was always a huge disappointment for many reasons, not the least of which is that Downes just doesn't cut it as the huge "star" he was being made out to be. The fact that Wetton followed him down that rosy path into "same old, same old" territory was nothing less than a shame, given how much of a monster he was with King Crimson alone. YMMV, of course, but I wouldn't get too caught up over having to hear tracks that just happen to be missing from your collection no matter how much you love Lake for his achievements from the days of yore.

Other than with King Crimson, has Wetton recorded anything really worthwhile? TBH, I never bought anything by Asia since I thought they sounded too commercial.

I really wasn't all that fond of Lake's two solo albums either. They reminded me of Phil Collins' solo material. Is there anything else worthwhile by Lake other than the ELP and King Crimson material?

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[musicislife]

Other than with King Crimson, has Wetton recorded anything really worthwhile? TBH, I never bought anything by Asia since I thought they sounded too commercial.

I really wasn't all that fond of Lake's two solo albums either. They reminded me of Phil Collins' solo material. Is there anything else worthwhile by Lake other than the ELP and King Crimson material?

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If you can stand it (ha ha), try to preview any of the 4 Wetton/Bruford era KC albums (Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black, Red, USA). It literally is music you haven't heard done before........or since. He was a monster bass player. The first (eponymous) U.K. album is also stellar (mostly due to Holdsworth and Bruford, who left after that band toured). By that time, Wetton's bass playing was beginning to sound sanitized. By the time Asia was formed, he was a completely different animal. I saw Asia on their first US tour -- OUCH. You'll have to find someone else who knows more about Lake's discography to weigh in on your last question. Those 2 early 90s ELP albums did absolutely nothing for me.

[lak611]

If you can stand it (ha ha), try to preview any of the 4 Wetton/Bruford era KC albums (Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black, Red, USA). It literally is music you haven't heard done before........or since. He was a monster bass player. The first (eponymous) U.K. album is also stellar (mostly due to Holdsworth and Bruford, who left after that band toured). By that time, Wetton's bass playing was beginning to sound sanitized. By the time Asia was formed, he was a completely different animal. I saw Asia on their first US tour -- OUCH. You'll have to find someone else who knows more about Lake's discography to weigh in on your last question. Those 2 early 90s ELP albums did absolutely nothing for me.

I already have the KC albums with Wetton. I'll have to check out the first UK album. I don't have any KC recordings other than those with Lake and those with Wetton. I consider the version of KC with Wetton to be the best.

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[musicislife]

I already have the KC albums with Wetton. I'll have to check out the first UK album.

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Here ya go!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHJrOg79kQU

[lak611]

Here ya go!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHJrOg79kQU

Thanks! 😊

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[musicislife]

Thanks! ��

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You're welcome! Enjoy. Beware, though - that may push you into other areas of exploration, like catching up with Holdsworth, or checking out the first couple of Bruford solo albums with Holdsworth - if you haven't already done so, of course. Things can get expensive in a hurry

[ProgArtist]

As it seems you are a big ELP fan, I would give "Black Moon" a try. No, it's not as good as their first several albums, but I enjoy most of it.