Make 'Works Vol. 1' a masterpiece!

[Dave (in MA)]

My "Works" album on my MP3 player is: Vol.1 Side 1, Vol.1 Side 3, Vol.1 Side 4, Vol.2 minus a couple of Lake ballads.

[Scott Bails]

Not a big Lake fan, eh Dave?

[Dave (in MA)]

Well, I just re-checked. I have all of Vol.2 loaded after all, just not side 2 of Vol.1.

[A. Scherze]

Well, for starters ditch Prokofiev, Bach and Copland
Then get rid of the Neil Diamond, disco and funk sounding tracks
And apart from Tank ditch all the remaining Palmer tracks
Then lose movt 1 & 2 from the piano concerto

And here is my running order from the original:

Toccato con Fuoco (previously called Piano concerto - 3rd movement)
C'est la Vie
Closer to Believing
Tank
Pirates

Then add the following from Works Vol. 2:

Tiger in a Spotlight
When the Apple Blossoms.....
Watching Over You
So Far To Fall
I Believe in FC

Then that's one solid disc I'd listen to.

No, you would have succeeded in turning it into a disaster piece.

[Jeremy Bender]

I once played Keith's/John Mayer's piano concerto for a friend of mine who didn't listen to pop music at all but was an encyclopedia when it came to orchestral music, chamber music and opera. I put it on without telling him who it was by, just "I found this at the library, I like it". He spent the entire 18 minutes pointing out where Emerson/Mayer stole their ideas from. I wish I had written them down! The piano concerto in its original state is occasionally done by orchestras/soloists in Europe. I wonder why Keith never fully pursued a film score career, but he has done some good work on soundtracks I think. I love the score to Inferno and his score for Nighthawks is quite good too.

My remastered Works (LP format, no BSS-era or earlier stuff):

Side 1:
LA Nights (5:42)
So Far To Fall (4:56)
Closer to Believing (5:33)
Honky Tonk Train Blues (3:09)
The Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits (3:20)

Side 2:
Pirates (13:18)
Fanfare for the Common Man (9:40)

[A. Scherze]

The piano concerto in its original state is occasionally done by orchestras/soloists in Europe.

Jeffrey Biegel has performed it in the US on more one occasion.

From Facebook:

Keith Emerson has been chosen for the 2013 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts & Humanities Award from Orchestra Kentucky at the Opening of the 2013-14 season in September! Mr. Emerson will attend my performance of his Piano Concerto with Jeff Reed conducting, composed in 1977, and a special 'debut' of another work composed recently by Keith for orchestra! He will receive the prestigious award the following evening in a special banquet and tribute to his life in music, from The Nice, to Emerson, Lake and Palmer to the present. In 2012, Neil Sedaka was the recipient of this special honor after the orchestra premiered his "Kentucky Capriccio", which was the result of my 2011 performance of Neil's "Manhattan Intermezzo". Maestro Reed plans to continue the trend of commissioning pop artists to compose new works for symphonic programs.

[A. Scherze]

I'm not a fan of Lake's standalone stuff. I prefer it when he integrates it into ELP material.

However, I think that his side is his best solo work. I like all the songs, especially "Hallowed Be Thy Name", although I'm not hot on "Nobody Love You Like I Do" (but, it's not a bad song).

Except for "The Enemy God" and "Tank", I don't care for the Palmer stuff. I, too, would have preferred his Concerto.

[GuitarGeek]

The real problem with this is that, "Brain Salad Surgery", "Tiger in A Spotlight" and "When the Apple Blossoms bloom" are all out-takes from the Brain Salad Surgery sessions and would therefore diminish the impact of "Works" as an album of new stuff.

I see the point you're making, but I don't think it would diminish the album at all. A good song is a good song, who cares when it was recorded.

[Scott Bails]

A good song is a good song, who cares when it was recorded.

This absolutely deserves repeating.

[PeterG]

No, you would have succeeded in turning it into a disaster piece.

You're entitled to your opinion, even when it's wrong.

[Sunhillow]

The other thing I would have done is perhaps advise them to save the solo material for...a solo album! They took, what? FOUR YEARS between Brain Salad Surgery and Works and none of them could get it together to do a proper solo record?

I was born in 1970, so in hindsight four years seems like a long time. These days, bands disappear easily for four years before bringing a new release, and nobody blinks an eye. Suppose 1970 was 2000 and we were now in 1983 as a result. ELP's discography would have then be:

2000 ELP
2001 Tarkus
2002 Trilogy
2003 Brain
2007 Works I
2008 Works II
2009 Love Beach

It's funny to do the same for Genesis, Yes, etc (or use 1990 instead of 2000).

I always wonder if I was born in - say - 1950 - if the seventies and eighties would have flashed by me the same speed as it does today? One Genesis-album every year! My God!

[Mister Triscuits]

However, I think that his side is his best solo work. I like all the songs, especially "Hallowed Be Thy Name"

I wondered if anybody was ever going to mention that song. It's pretty much my favorite of all the solo tracks on the album (except possibly for the third movement of the concerto). I was thinking I must be the only one who liked it. Great piano on that one, and amusing lyrics.

[A. Scherze]

I wondered if anybody was ever going to mention that song.

I was wondering why everyone wants to get rid of it.

[A. Scherze]

These days, bands disappear easily for four years before bringing a new release, and nobody blinks an eye.

As I pointed out earlier, the hiatus only lasted two years. (And, they did work during the hiatus.)

[Dave (in MA)]

Peter Gabriel and Tom Scholz scoff at a 2 year hiatus.

[GuitarGeek]

As I pointed out earlier, the hiatus only lasted two years. (And, they did work during the hiatus.)

So exactly what did they did during those two years that kept them from making solo albums (or any other records, for that matter)?

[Scott Bails]

Peter Gabriel and Tom Scholz scoff at a 2 year hiatus.

[GuitarGeek]

Peter Gabriel and Tom Scholz scoff at a 2 year hiatus.

There was a thing on VH-1 Classic recently about the making of So, where it was suggested that it's still the one album he spent the least amount of time working on. And it took him a year to make it!

Then there's Jeff Beck, who managed to deliver exactly three albums during the 1980's, and then another three during the 90's (one of which was a rockabilly covers record)!

I do find it fascinating that there was a time when bands and artists put out a new album or single every few months. Look at how much music The Beatles produced between 63 and 67 (they kinda slowed down once they got to Sgt Pepper, which took six months to record)! Same thing with The Stones or most other bands during that era. Hawkwind churned out an album a year throughout the 70's (and most of the 80's), plus a gaggle of non album singles.

At the time, I'm sure a lot of eyebrows were raised by the pace during which Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin released albums during the mid 70's (Floyd took two years each between DSOTM, WYWH, and Animals, and three years between Animals and The Wall, while Zep took I think two years each between Houses Of The Holy, Physical Graffiti, Presence and In Through The Out Door).

Of course, that constant treadmill of record/tour/repeat is one of the reasons why some of those guys are either dead or have been through rehab multiple times. I guess at the time, the label bosses were worried if you didn't stay constantly visible to the public, you'd lose whatever career momentum you had and you'd end up in the Where Are They Now file.

Now you're lucky if you can get two albums out of most bands during the space of time that bands like The Beatles, The Stones or even Kiss did three or four.

[A. Scherze]

So exactly what did they did during those two years that kept them from making solo albums (or any other records, for that matter)?

PFM released Chocolate Kings in '75 and Jet Lag in '77.

I have never heard anyone even mention their two year hiatus. Have you?

--

See also #46 in the Greg Lake thread.

[syncopatico]

I do enjoy the Piano Concerto especially the more percussive elements and the sections where Emerson throws in some jazzy minor key piano elements. I'm not saying it's Rhapsody In Blue but still an enjoyable listen, imo, and definitely worth the $1.29 i spent to download the single 18:25 min. 256 kbps file from amazon!

[A. Scherze]

I'm not saying it's Rhapsody In Blue

RiB got ripped by critics including, IIRC, one Aaron Copland.

[syncopatico]

RiB got ripped by critics including, IIRC, one Aaron Copland.

Really?! Wow, i thought it was *against the law* to say anything negative about Gershwin. What did Copland say about it that was negative? Was it the jazz aspect?

[GuitarGeek]

PFM released Chocolate Kings in '75 and Jet Lag in '77.

I have never heard anyone even mention their two year hiatus. Have you?

What the hell does PFM have to do with it? They didn't fill three quarters of a double LP with solo material, never mind solo material that many fans find a bit tepid.

[Progbear]

I can’t help but worry that there are people out there recommending improving Works Vol. 1 by adding tracks from Works Vol. 2, one of the worst “prog” albums it’s been my misfortune to hear. Love Beach sounds nice by comparison.

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"Parece cosa de maligno. Los pianos no estallan por casualidad." --Gabriel Garcia Marquez

N.P.:“Morning Song”-John G. Perry/Sunset Wading

[A. Scherze]

What the hell does PFM have to do with it? They didn't fill three quarters of a double LP with solo material, never mind solo material that many fans find a bit tepid.

No. PFM only released their best album, took two years off (at the exact same time as ELP), and then released their worst album.

--

Many fans love the Works solo material.

And, in '77 (the year of the Sex Pistols (talk about a pretentious name)), Works went to 12 in the US and 9 in the UK.
Not a dud by any stretch of the imagination.