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Thread: Carl Palmer interview on ELP's Brain Salad Surgery

  1. #1

    Carl Palmer interview on ELP's Brain Salad Surgery


  2. #2
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    From the interview:
    That's why you've never heard the whole of 'Trilogy' or 'Brain Salad Surgery' in their entirety.
    They played all of Brain Salad Surgery on the 1973/74 tour.

    Thanks for the link, I just wish Greg and Carl wouldn't use their oft-repeated stories so much.
    ...or you could love

  3. #3
    "Well, 'Brain Salad Surgery' was so experimental, so it took a bit more time to get right. There were loads of overdubs on the record. 'Trilogy' was the first album on which we experimented with lots of overdubs, and we progressed further on 'Brain Salad.' The agreement we had was that backing tracks had to be so good, they could stand on their own as instrumentals. That was the first premise—they had to be really, really good. After that, we added voice, lyrics, choruses, whatever.

    For the first few albums, we were just a really good three-piece band, and our sound was on the record. From 'Trilogy' and into 'Brain Salad Surgery' was that big overdubbing period. That's why you've never heard the whole of 'Trilogy' or 'Brain Salad Surgery' in their entirety. We were never really able to take those records to the stage."

    There is something wrong about this.
    I'm sure I read interviews with them saying that because Trilogy had lots of overdubs, and it was difficult to play it live, they decided that Brain... was going to be "easy", no overdubs so they could play it live!

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    ^Indeed. Although there was some fiddling around with the arrangement on KE9 when played live- a fair amount of it was played in a considerably lower key (F, from memory).

    I too think BSS is by far the peak for the band. But it also has that 'where can we go from here but down' feeling...it's pretty extreme in places!

    Oh, and I liked the interviewer bringing up Palmer's notorious rushing tempos! He's done that ever since the days of 'I Must Be Mad' (The Craig single from 1968- more here, http://www.45cat.com/record/tf715)! And Palmer calling Asia a 'corporate-rock band'!
    Last edited by JJ88; 10-22-2016 at 06:12 AM.

  5. #5
    Yes; ELP did play most of "BSS" (except for 'Benny The Bouncer') on tour during 1973/74 (and recorded it for the 'Welcome Back..." Live album). Otherwise, good interview from Carl Palmer.

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    If you listen to WBMF, during the crowd noise after that incredible Aquatarkus, you can hear Keith testing out the Moog Apollo, the polyphonic synthesizer that was one of the parts of the Moog Constellation system he used only on that tour (a mono, touch-sensitive synth was also used, he didn't use the bass pedals part, which became the Taurus bass pedals).

    http://www.brain-salad-surgery.de/mo...tellation.html

    That's what was used on Benny the Bouncer. I have the song on a couple of bootlegs. It would have been bizarre to play all of the album but not the 2:18 long pop song.
    ...or you could love

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    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    ^Indeed. Although there was some fiddling around with the arrangement on KE9 when played live- a fair amount of it was played in a considerably lower key (F, from memory).

    I too think BSS is by far the peak for the band. But it also has that 'where can we go from here but down' feeling...it's pretty extreme in places!

    Oh, and I liked the interviewer bringing up Palmer's notorious rushing tempos! He's done that ever since the days of 'I Must Be Mad' (The Craig single from 1968- more here, http://www.45cat.com/record/tf715)! And Palmer calling Asia a 'corporate-rock band'!
    Greg refused to sing in the key used on the album. He announced that less than a week prior to the first show. Keith had to transpose KE9.
    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    'Benny...' was played live; it was even played at the Anaheim shows used for Welcome Back My Friends..., but they chose to use a medley ('Jeremy Bender'/'The Sheriff') from an earlier tour instead.

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    Laura

  8. #8
    I knew someone who would not listen to this album just because of the name.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Toad View Post
    I knew someone who would not listen to this album just because of the name.
    There was a different working title referencing the skull image, but they lifted Brain Salad Surgery from a Dr John lyric.

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    Member lak611's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Reid View Post
    There was a different working title referencing the skull image, but they lifted Brain Salad Surgery from a Dr John lyric.
    Whip Some Skull on Yer

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    Laura

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    Member PhilIsLife's Avatar
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    Love Carl <3

  12. #12
    Oops!; didn't know that ELP played 'Benny The Bouncer' during the 73/74 tour. I assumed that it wasn't played since it wasn't included on the "Welcome Back..." Live album.

  13. #13
    Member -=RTFR666=-'s Avatar
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    ELP performed BtB on their last visit to Phoenix before disabanding - 1998 or so - at Phoenix Union hall. What was amusing about the performance was a fistfight broke out in the 3rd row.
    -=Will you stand by me against the cold night, or are you afraid of the ice?=-

  14. #14
    Member lak611's Avatar
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    Carl's claim that Eddy Offord was not the engineer because they wanted a change is false. Eddy Offord was busy with Yes and was unavailable.
    Laura

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by lak611 View Post
    Carl's claim that Eddy Offord was not the engineer because they wanted a change is false. Eddy Offord was busy with Yes and was unavailable.
    "I can't remember, to tell you the truth. I guess we just wanted a change."
    Claim!? He dont remember, so he guess!

  16. #16
    Member lak611's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by olivetti View Post
    "I can't remember, to tell you the truth. I guess we just wanted a change."
    Claim!? He dont remember, so he guess!
    He was wrong about never playing BSS in its entirety.

    They purposely bought a theatre so they were able to make a record they could play live, unlike Trilogy.

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    Laura

  17. #17
    My take from his comments about BSS in its "entirety" was due to all the overdubs, not that they didn't play the whole album at one point or another.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    ^Indeed. Although there was some fiddling around with the arrangement on KE9 when played live- a fair amount of it was played in a considerably lower key (F, from memory).

    I too think BSS is by far the peak for the band. But it also has that 'where can we go from here but down' feeling...it's pretty extreme in places!

    Oh, and I liked the interviewer bringing up Palmer's notorious rushing tempos! He's done that ever since the days of 'I Must Be Mad' (The Craig single from 1968- more here, http://www.45cat.com/record/tf715)! And Palmer calling Asia a 'corporate-rock band'!
    I almost consider rushing the tempo part of his style now.

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by lak611 View Post
    Greg refused to sing in the key used on the album. He announced that less than a week prior to the first show. Keith had to transpose KE9.

    on the 'get me a ladder' tour -- the one that preceded the official BSS tour -- they played an early arrangement of KE9 1st Impression....sung in the original key:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zza1MY4ANc

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