Newsweek interview with Greg Lake and Carl Palmer

[lak611]

SPEAKING WITH ELP’S L&P: GREG LAKE AND CARL PALMER

http://www.newsweek.com/interview-gr...mer-elp-507023

Good interview here.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

[Obscured]

****Greg, do you foresee performing any of the ELP material live someday?
Lake: Totally not.*****

[JJ88]

Contrary to what Palmer says, 'Tomorrow Night' was not a UK Number 1- it was a hit, but not that much of one. I think 'The Devil's Answer' was the bigger hit but that wasn't a Number 1 either.

Totally agree with Lake on the 'Rock Hall- 'parochial' sums it up. I feel like it's always had a problem with European rock bands...the fact David Bowie wasn't inducted as soon as he was eligible (not that he cared!) sums it up, it took a few years even for someone as obviously important as that. And acts like Roxy Music are still not there.

[Oreb]

Very well-researched interview for a mainstream publication.

I get the point about "European" music, but I think they are over-stating it. IMO there's a very strong strain of US music in ELP right from the start. I think it comes from E's love of jazz and rags - it's in his improvs and even in L's guitar (e.g. the country break in "Take a Pebble". By adapting the classical stuff they were often U.S.ing it.

[JJ88]

I agree. Emerson's knowledge of jazz was considerable. He'd slip things like 'Round Midnight', 'Cotton Tail', 'St Thomas', 'Salt Peanuts' etc. into solos- only a few seconds but nods to where he's coming from.

[Big Ears]

These retrospective interviews, with a lengthy gap after the events, can be a bit misleading. For example, Carl Palmer often seems reliable in interviews, but the drum solo in Tank had been used in Rooster's Decline and Fall. Nevertheless, the stories about Lucky Man and Jerusalem are interesting and do carry the ring of truth.

[Svetonio]

" (...) The guy [Lake] didn’t sing with a bluesy voice, he sang with a choirboy church-like voice, and so we played classic adaptations, not rock, not really out and out rock ’n’ roll (...)

This is pretty a definition of Symphonic rock genre.
And indeed that back in the day people weren't discussing about "what is prog" but "is sympho-rock really a rock music?".
Also, he perfectly explained how much the way of singing is important to define Symphonic rock.
A great interview; thank you for posting this.

[Yellow Jester]

Very well-researched interview for a mainstream publication.

I get the point about "European" music, but I think they are over-stating it. IMO there's a very strong strain of US music in ELP right from the start. I think it comes from E's love of jazz and rags - it's in his improvs and even in L's guitar (e.g. the country break in "Take a Pebble". By adapting the classical stuff they were often U.S.ing it.

Another strain of American music that was part of the ELP sound was their versions of the Aaron Copeland songs "Hoedown" & "Fanfare For The Common Man".

[Yellow Jester]

SPEAKING WITH ELP’S L&P: GREG LAKE AND CARL PALMER

http://www.newsweek.com/interview-gr...mer-elp-507023

Good interview here.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

Very good interview. Thanks for posting.

[Rick Robson]

Great interview and documentary! Thanks for that lak611.

Carl Palmer: "His first jazz album was my first jazz album: Time Out by Dave Brubeck. "

My very first Jazz album too. Never I would imagine at the slightest stretch how on earth I would happen to love so much a Jazz album.

Carl Palmer: "We decided that because I had a technique—and just because it was there didn’t mean we had to use it. The way the group sounded bigger was if I were to reinforce the whole thing rather than just keeping time, which is quite a mundane thing to do."

Not many rock drummers have such a master command when it comes to that approach.

Greg Lake: "It was a different ELP; it was ELP viewed through the prism of an orchestra, as opposed to the raw three-piece band ..... , it was very impressive, it couldn’t help but be, but it wasn’t ELP. It was ELP as members of an orchestra. "

It turns out actually clear here how different was Keith's perspectives when it came to that approach.

Carl Palmer's thoughts on “Jerusalem”: "It had everything. It was so grand, it was so English, and it was absolutely perfect for the voice. And it just painted a thousand pictures when you played it. So it was definitely the piece that meant an awful lot. We released it in defiance because that was truly ELP form, and the fans loved it, and we played it onstage quite a few times. I’m still playing it today actually. I’ll be playing it the rest of this year because it’s part of the program I discussed with Keith. And I did record it in Florida for the tribute DVD for him, but I actually used a choir from Florida to sing along with that one. So I’m very pleased we’ve got that for him."

IMO, there is no need to include a choir, since the band's reinterpretation of that song was a unique enough approach. If want to hear a more "back to the original" approach I would go for the astounding Vangelis' version (Chariots of Fire) with full blown Church Organ.

[lak611]

^^I'm glad you like it.

My only complaint about "Jerusalem" on BSS is that Greg's vocals are buried in the mix on the first verse by the keyboards. That's more evident on the CDs than on the original LP.

[JJ88]

^It appears that most CDs have used the wrong mix of 'Jerusalem', that is wrong compared to the original album one, which it seems had less reverb.

I always liked ELP's interpretations of older tracks, much more radical than just slapping a rock beat behind an old song.

[rockcup]

"Earlier this year, two progressive-rock legends were on the verge of reuniting. After planning to play in Japan with his group in May, keyboardist Keith Emerson intended to perform with drummer Carl Palmer and his group, ELP Legacy. It would be their first time playing together since 2010."

I am very surprised to read this.

[A. Scherze]

Nevertheless, the stories about Lucky Man ... carry the ring of truth.

The LM story is the same BS one that they have been telling for decades and is not true.

[Gravedigger]

The LM story is the same BS one that they have been telling for decades and is not true.

What is the truth, then? I've always been curious about the timeline:

They have always made it seem like "Lucky Man" was the last thing recorded for the album with the Moog just taken out of the box,
but there is plenty of synth on the second half of "Tank".

[Mr.Krautman]

****Greg, do you foresee performing any of the ELP material live someday?
Lake: Totally not.*****

Does it mean he'll finally expunge Lucky Man, C'est La Vie and Still... from his live repertoire and never play these songs again ?

[Jeremy Bender]

For me, it's not event the timeline of Lucky Man but other things. According to Ed Macan's book, Lake would sneak in to Advision Studios when the other two weren't there and work on Lucky Man. He got "caught" by Keith and the Moog solo at the end was a peace offering to him. To be honest, considering how often Keith and Greg clashed over stuff from the very beginning of the band, it's kind of amazing that they even made it as far as recording an album, let alone touring.

[ytserush]

For me, it's not event the timeline of Lucky Man but other things. According to Ed Macan's book, Lake would sneak in to Advision Studios when the other two weren't there and work on Lucky Man. He got "caught" by Keith and the Moog solo at the end was a peace offering to him. To be honest, considering how often Keith and Greg clashed over stuff from the very beginning of the band, it's kind of amazing that they even made it as far as recording an album, let alone touring.

I still need to get this book. It never ends.

[lak611]

For me, it's not event the timeline of Lucky Man but other things. According to Ed Macan's book, Lake would sneak in to Advision Studios when the other two weren't there and work on Lucky Man. He got "caught" by Keith and the Moog solo at the end was a peace offering to him. To be honest, considering how often Keith and Greg clashed over stuff from the very beginning of the band, it's kind of amazing that they even made it as far as recording an album, let alone touring.

I still need to get this book. It never ends.

I read it but don't remember that "Lucky Man" story.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk