CARL PALMER: ELP at 50 - The Show That Never Ends

[Progatron]

Here's a nice interview with Carl from a couple of months ago. I don't think I saw this posted here, some fans might find it interesting, some good quotes here. I guess at the time it wasn't known that tours would be shutting down, as he talks about touring through April, but it's still a worthwhile read:

https://www.velvetthunder.co.uk/carl...at-never-ends/

[Rarebird]

Interesting read.
I once had a DVD of Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy or rather the Carl Palmer Band, but I traded it after one spin. ELP music without keyboards, just doesn't cut it for me.

[Steve983]

Sadly the show has kind of ended though...

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[Rajaz]

Interesting read.
I once had a DVD of Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy or rather the Carl Palmer Band, but I traded it after one spin. ELP music without keyboards, just doesn't cut it for me.

Agreed. ELP music without keyboards is like listening to Jimi Hendrix without lead guitar or Chicago without a horn section, yes, it is THAT essential.

I find that Carl has little appreciation and respect to the Keith Emerson legacy if he wishes to call his band that way by playing the music Keith created so masterfully for keyboards but not for guitar sound. I have seen CP band live twice and neither could not give me a small taste of what ELP live were (that I also did see ELP with Orchestra and as Emerson-Lake duo May 2010).

Carl made his own Keith Emerson tribute concert in Florida (and did release it on DVD) but did not take part in the All-star tribute that took place in Los Angeles (that I was also fortunate to attend at El Rey theater on May 2016 but sadly never made DVD release) and for some reason did not explain himself of his notorious absence.

[floyd umma gumma]

I thought the guitar-centric approach was a nice idea. Even the best keyboard player would have been compared exhaustively to Emerson. The guys in the band are fabulous players and I enjoy seeing them cover the material - but it's a long show with out any singing. ELP had a lot of great instrumental product - but a lot of the songs were very well sung and I miss that part more than the keyboards when I see ELP Legacy. Carl Palmer is still playing extremely well, however. He's not in his twenties or thirties anymore but he takes few shortcuts with his playing and hasn't slowed the tempo, unlike a few other players of his vintage.

[Gizmotron]

I saw the band twice and was knocked out by the performances. Paul and Simon are insanely good.

[rickm]

I saw the band twice and was knocked out by the performances. Paul and Simon are insanely good.

Yes, they are good. Still I do not get why he waste so much time and energy playing the solo part. He does not need to prove anything. I would prefer listening him to play another song than the waste of energy.

[Man In The Mountain]

I initially wasn't going to read the article, but I just did and was very interesting and Carl was unusually about a lot of topics regarding his old band mates... perhaps that it's been a few years. It was a great surprised to see my CP logo at the top of the interview! His comments about Kieth struggling with negative criticism even back in the 70's was sad to read.

I'm not really into the idea of the Keith & Greg film alongside of Carl playing live. I would much rather see Carl put together a world-class band with keys and vocals and do a proper tribute. I get the sense that Carl really doesn't know how to lead such a band. He didn't write the material. When he has guests come on stage, they tend to just half-ass wing it. Paul & Simon are insanely tight & talented though, but they do all the heavy lifting and Carl just plays along.

[Man In The Mountain]

Carl made his own Keith Emerson tribute concert in Florida but did not take part in the All-star tribute that took place in Los Angeles and for some reason did not explain himself of his notorious absence.

I don't think Carl was really invited. Nor Greg. The Los Angeles show was really a tribute given by Keith's circle of friends and family. I don't think ELP were like Rush. They were not three brothers in music in through thick and thin. It was all business. 3 guys thrown together in 1970 who remained interconnected forever because they named the band Emerson Lake & Palmer.

[r2daft2]

I've seen Carl's band many times and they are excellent live. Their reinterpretations of ELP music are refreshing in this context but I've not rushed out to pick up a album!
One of the shows I saw was on CTTE and I took the opportunity to climb to the upper deck and watch from behind the stage.
I was absolutely mesmerised at the effort that Carl was putting into his drum work. Well impressed.
It doesn't bother me that there's no vocalist although Carl does invite one onstage occasionally when the opportunity presents itself (CTTE again).

[calyx]

I don't think Carl was really invited. Nor Greg. The Los Angeles show was really a tribute given by Keith's circle of friends and family. I don't think ELP were like Rush. They were not three brothers in music in through thick and thin. It was all business. 3 guys thrown together in 1970 who remained interconnected forever because they named the band Emerson Lake & Palmer.

I'm not sure it was always this way - or, in other words, that bad. Palmer does acknowledge that it went sour one last time after he turned down Emerson and Lake's suggestion that they keep it going after the one-off 2010 reunion. To be honest, I've preferred not to watch the 2010 concert and what I've read others write about it suggests that it was as bad as I feared it would be, or as Palmer implies it was. My impression is that Carl was the only one at this point who didn't delude himself about the fact that they, as a band, were only a shadow of their former selves and could only further tarnish their legacy if they kept going. ELP's music was always based largely on technical prowess, and Emerson's issues with his hands made it impossible for him to play a lot of this very demanding music. To be honest, I've just recently heard the Paris 1997 concert I was at and while Emerson did an admirable job considering his issues, he was already struggling to play a lot of it. As for Lake, his voice lost a lot of his range and had this smokey/grating quality that didn't really suit the acoustic ballads he was most famous for, and his renditions of early KC or ELP songs were sometimes barely recognisable as him. It's all very sad if you had any affection for these guys - what Emerson went through towards the end of his life, and the fact that Lake didn't produce any new music in the last twenty years of his. I can't really blame Palmer for taking the decision he did. Maybe Emerson's L.A. friends resented him for it, and it seems Emerson and Lake themselves did, judging by what Palmer says in the interview, but there was no easy option there.

[JJ88]

What I saw of High Voltage suggested a rough performance from all three, IMHO. And that's with a set-list which already avoided anything too difficult (for instance, no 'Eruption' in the bit of Tarkus they did play).

I thought Emerson was playing well throughout the 2000s, but ISTR (might be wrong) High Voltage followed in the wake of more physical issues he had in 2009 or so. But as I said I don't think Lake/Palmer sounded that great on that show either.

[Kcrimso]

I saw High Voltage gig live. It was not a catastrophe as some want to indicate but not a very good performance either. Just about adequate. But what boggles the mind is that they had a full month of rehearsal for that one gig. That tells me that they just could not cut it anymore.

[Man In The Mountain]

Carl was constantly rushing the tempos at high voltage. Probably because he used to playing with young guys, he couldn't slow it down for the seniors he was doing the show with. Personally I didn't like the High Voltage show, but speaking to Keith on the phone (was the last time) he was mixing the film and said he liked it. He liked a few of the solos he played during the show. Oddly, when I told him his Keith Emerson Band Moscow DVD was fantastic, he said he had not seen it, and couldn't bare to watch it. That was just odd. The High Voltage show is pretty below standards, but the Moscow show kicks F-ing ass. I mean, just watching the Moscow show Keith looks like he's having the time of his life. I was dumbfounded.

Carl is an interesting fellow. A gas tank full of energy, a bit hot-headed, and very business minded. He's never been a jerk to me, he's cordial and business-like. But has no interest in being friends with me at all. And like all 3 guys in that band, they all have their own history of events. Keith had been trying for years to get ELP to tour with a 2nd keyboard player and additional guitarist. Carl would have none of it. He insisted it be only the three of them or forget it. The Emerson & Lake Tour was a warm-up tour for Greg to get used to playing again, and then propel that into a full ELP show. It was good to hear Carl admit that's why Greg didn't talk to him for 6 years until his death, because of that. Perhaps if Carl would agreed to Keith's idea, or maybe did a different type of show, like a story-tellers or acoustic show... it could have worked. I think Carl really was just happy doing his own thing, and didn't need to be bothered.

[JJ88]

Carl was constantly rushing the tempos at high voltage. Probably because he used to playing with young guys, he couldn't slow it down for the seniors he was doing the show with. Personally I didn't like the High Voltage show, but speaking to Keith on the phone (was the last time) he was mixing the film and said he liked it. He liked a few of the solos he played during the show. Oddly, when I told him his Keith Emerson Band Moscow DVD was fantastic, he said he had not seen it, and couldn't bare to watch it. That was just odd. The High Voltage show is pretty below standards, but the Moscow show kicks F-ing ass. I mean, just watching the Moscow show Keith looks like he's having the time of his life. I was dumbfounded.

He plays very well on Emerson Plays Emerson (which does have a few older recordings, but was mostly new) and that Keith Emerson Band album. Better than he had in those mid-late 90s ELP shows, for sure. I remember the footage of the KEB 'Piano Concerto' included on the DVD with the latter was posted on YouTube about a year before its release, and people on here were raving about it.

I think it was in 2009 that he developed further problems, sadly. Lake's voice might still have been an issue, but had the ELP reunion happened earlier in the 2000s it would probably have been better than High Voltage.

[JJ88]

The promo film for Emerson Plays Emerson where you get a bit of his solo playing.



I'll have to listen to that CD of The Nice reunion which was from around this time, actually. I listened to all their 60s/70s work over the past few months.

[jefftiger]

He liked a few of the solos he played during the show. Oddly, when I told him his Keith Emerson Band Moscow DVD was fantastic, he said he had not seen it, and couldn't bare to watch it. That was just odd. The High Voltage show is pretty below standards, but the Moscow show kicks F-ing ass. I mean, just watching the Moscow show Keith looks like he's having the time of his life. I was dumbfounded.

I recently watched the Moscow concert again and remain amazed by the contrast of Keith's performance there versus at HVF a few years later. I agree that Keith was having a fantastic time in Moscow. You could tell that he had some hand issues, but he accomodated them well. The HVF concert that I've only watched once on Bluray was painful for me, as a fan of the group since its inception. It was a disappointing final performance. On that issue, I agree with Carl's decision to break things up at that point.

[per anporth]

Carl was constantly rushing the tempos at high voltage. Probably because he used to playing with young guys, he couldn't slow it down for the seniors he was doing the show with. Personally I didn't like the High Voltage show, but speaking to Keith on the phone (was the last time) he was mixing the film and said he liked it. He liked a few of the solos he played during the show. Oddly, when I told him his Keith Emerson Band Moscow DVD was fantastic, he said he had not seen it, and couldn't bare to watch it. That was just odd. The High Voltage show is pretty below standards, but the Moscow show kicks F-ing ass. I mean, just watching the Moscow show Keith looks like he's having the time of his life. I was dumbfounded.

Carl is an interesting fellow. A gas tank full of energy, a bit hot-headed, and very business minded. He's never been a jerk to me, he's cordial and business-like. But has no interest in being friends with me at all. And like all 3 guys in that band, they all have their own history of events. Keith had been trying for years to get ELP to tour with a 2nd keyboard player and additional guitarist. Carl would have none of it. He insisted it be only the three of them or forget it. The Emerson & Lake Tour was a warm-up tour for Greg to get used to playing again, and then propel that into a full ELP show. It was good to hear Carl admit that's why Greg didn't talk to him for 6 years until his death, because of that. Perhaps if Carl would agreed to Keith's idea, or maybe did a different type of show, like a story-tellers or acoustic show... it could have worked. I think Carl really was just happy doing his own thing, and didn't need to be bothered.

"Oddly, when I told him his Keith Emerson Band Moscow DVD was fantastic, he said he had not seen it, and couldn't bare to watch it. That was just odd."

This really is odd. The work of the KEB both in the studio, & live, stands in stark contrast to the work he did with L&P in later years. I always put this down to the energising impact of Bonilla, & the assumption that Lake had a more or less opposite impact! Given the evident fun that Emerson - & the whole KEB - were having, I wonder what it was that left him feeling this way?

Wth regards to High Voltage - I recall hearing that the band on before ELP massively ran over their allotted time, & because of the curfew on live music outdoors in London, ELP had no time to soundcheck before they went on - with one consequence being that they were playing more or less without being able to hear one another. But even if this is the case, it doesn't fit with Emerson's feelings about HV compared to KEB in Moscow.

[JJ88]

I remember stories about a very bad atmosphere backstage- it was Joe Elliott's Mott The Hoople tribute act who over-ran creating some serious tensions. And some of that filtered its way on-stage, with Lake's 'Feedback! Feedback! Feedback!' rant.

[Man In The Mountain]

"Oddly, when I told him his Keith Emerson Band Moscow DVD was fantastic, he said he had not seen it, and couldn't bare to watch it. That was just odd."

This really is odd. The work of the KEB both in the studio, & live, stands in stark contrast to the work he did with L&P in later years. I always put this down to the energising impact of Bonilla, & the assumption that Lake had a more or less opposite impact! Given the evident fun that Emerson - & the whole KEB - were having, I wonder what it was that left him feeling this way?

Wth regards to High Voltage - I recall hearing that the band on before ELP massively ran over their allotted time, & because of the curfew on live music outdoors in London, ELP had no time to soundcheck before they went on - with one consequence being that they were playing more or less without being able to hear one another. But even if this is the case, it doesn't fit with Emerson's feelings about HV compared to KEB in Moscow.

It was indeed a WTF moment I had with Keith, I'll never forget it. But as a general rule, Keith didn't like watching video of himself play. He was also very anti-bootleg. Didn't like people posting videos of him on youtube. I made the mistake of pointing out certain videos to him on youtube twice, and both mysteriously disappeared from youtube days later. After the 2nd time, I knew it was Keith.

[Rajaz]

I saw High Voltage gig live. It was not a catastrophe as some want to indicate but not a very good performance either. Just about adequate. But what boggles the mind is that they had a full month of rehearsal for that one gig. That tells me that they just could not cut it anymore.

Actually, they had a FULL TOUR (without Carl) to rehearse the material. I saw Greg and keith one final time when they played on their semi-acoustic in the studio shows across North America in Spring 2010. They did admit this tour was done as a warm-up for the BIG show at High Voltage. And for those who see this as an ill fated buildup to the main event like myself have a very good reason to be disappointed with the final show.

Of course, it will never be the same playing live with a drum machine like Emerson & Lake played that tour but the keyboard parts and vocals did not change. My only regret as far as the final setlist is that they did not play PIRATES at HVF. This title IMHO was the pinnacle of their bombastic tracks, even bigger than Tarkus. But I feel Keith was no longer up to play this very demanding song especially playing the keyboard orchestrations. Interesting enough, Keith did master playing it without the Orchestra during the down scaled tours of late '77 and early '78 for Works Vol. II

Just think how many live recordings have been officially released by ELP, it is mind boggling! Starting with the Isle of Wight, Pictures, Welcome Back, Live Works, Cal Jam, Live in South America (a full box set), at RAH, at Montreaux, Mar y Sol and more that are testament how skilled and brilliant these three guys were LIVE and will never be equalled. That past vault is what I give most value and sadly not to the High Voltage Farewell Concert.

[JJ88]

^That King Biscuit trio show from 1977 (Wheeling, West Virginia, I think?) is another good one, and should have come out instead of the botched In Concert (and the later hodge-podge Works Live). It has a purpose of its own, because it presents various Works tracks without orchestration.

There was a perfectly good 'Pirates' from the Royal Albert Hall in the 90s (although I don't like Palmer's drum sound in that period). Those initial reunion shows were just before Emerson's issues...indeed, if you look at the video version of 'Tarkus' you see him clutching his wrist before playing.

Playing that Vivacitas Nice reunion album again and Emerson's playing fairly well. On a personal level I'm not that fond of the piano/string-synth combination he used from the 90s onwards, but that might be just me! I much prefer the Hammond to all these other digital sounds on here as well.

[Mascodagama]

Here's a nice interview with Carl from a couple of months ago. I don't think I saw this posted here, some fans might find it interesting, some good quotes here. I guess at the time it wasn't known that tours would be shutting down, as he talks about touring through April, but it's still a worthwhile read:

https://www.velvetthunder.co.uk/carl...at-never-ends/

Skillet, LOL