New Love Beach Documentary

[Sean]

This guy did an amazing run of shows about Zeppelin and has starting branching out into other bands.
He does really detailed work, check it out!

[bondegezou]

Looks interesting.

[per anporth]

I watched this.

First things first: he's no Rael (from this parish)!

He has a very odd take on Pirates, which gets even odder when he's comparing it (unfavourably) with Memoirs (a piece I've always liked, nevertheless).

The best section is around the middle, when he's collated some rehearsal tapes, which point at a very different sound that the the record could have had - with some very heavy & loud drum sounds from Palmer.

[Vic2012]

That was kind of interesting. I'm not a huge ELP fan but I like rock documentaries. I have a compilation that contains the epic Tarkus, and Brain Salad. I'm curious about Memoirs of An Officer...... Is it any good?

[Splicer]

He has a very odd tale on Pirates, which gets even odder when he's comparing it (unfavourably) with Memoirs (a piece I've always liked, nevertheless).

Does this mean he doesn't like "Pirates"?

[Mister Triscuits]

I'm curious about Memoirs of An Officer...... Is it any good?

Yes, it’s quite good. It has some fine florid piano from Emerson, slightly reminiscent of “Trilogy.” None of the sheer ferocity you get from classic ELP, and a lot of people have issues with the mawkish lyrics, but I think it’s a worthy ELP epic.

[Vic2012]

Yes, it’s quite good. It has some fine florid piano from Emerson, slightly reminiscent of “Trilogy.” None of the sheer ferocity you get from classic ELP, and a lot of people have issues with the mawkish lyrics, but I think it’s a worthy ELP epic.

I'll check it out on YT.

[gallen1964]

Always thought Love Beach was Palmer's best stripped back playing . Much less busy but still some interesting fills , also it’s not the stainless steel kit , it’s wooden shell Gretsch , it sounds fantastic

[per anporth]

Does this mean he doesn't like "Pirates"?

He most certainly does not!

[Vic2012]

Ok, I heard Memoires. I probably don't need to hear it again but it was ok. I'd call it Yacht Prog. I mean, the second half has a bit of adventure.

[Splicer]

He most certainly does not!

I guess some people like me love Broadway and some don't.

[Vic2012]

I heard...Canario.... It's bouncy, proggy, and cute..

I might as well listen to the whole album..

[Mister Triscuits]

I heard...Canario.... It's bouncy, proggy, and cute..

I might as well listen to the whole album..

Not much else worth hearing on the album...except "Taste of My Love" which is worth hearing just because it's so appallingly bad.

[Soc Prof]

Not much else worth hearing on the album...except "Taste of My Love" which is worth hearing just because it's so appallingly bad.

If we're going for the "so bad it's good" thing, I vote for the backing female vocals on "The Gambler".

[Sputnik]

I'm curious about Memoirs of An Officer...... Is it any good?

Not in my opinion. There's maybe 4-ish minutes around the 11-minute mark that are somewhat interesting, but to me, the rest is a jumble of poorly arranged, boring, overly sentimental drivel, that almost completely lacks energy and any sense of direction.

I did watch the documentary, and I think the guy comparing "Memoirs" to "Pirates" is laughable. The worst knock on the lyrics for "Pirates" is that they're a bit cliched, though at times, I think they're actually quite clever, and at least capture the "spirit" of Pirate mystique (though as Sinfield has rightly pointed out, not the reality). I think the music is exceptional, and rocks even better in live versions that don't include the orchestra. The idea that "Memoirs" is some kind of "hidden ELP gem" is stretching things beyond the breaking point, imo. I think the fact that ELP included "Pirates" in their later reunion tours is testimony that they liked the piece, and Palmer is even on record that he liked the lyrics.

Some of the history in the documentary was interesting, and the rehearsal material was definitely eye-opening at times. It truly sounds nothing like the almost uniformly execrable results that were released. The guy's obviously entitled to his opinions about how the music stacks up, but for me, this remains among the worst albums ever made, and I doubt any of his calls to ignore the cover and give the songs a shot will change many minds.

Bill

[Bytor]

Not a bad homemade doc at all. His opinion of Pirates is the total opposite of mine.

I've been telling to a friend for years how much I would love an instrumental version of this album. There's some cool stuff buried under the those horrible lyrics. Keith does some cool flourishes here and there and Carl drum production is probably the greatest thing on this album. Canario is classic ELP. Memoirs has very beautiful piano passages. Keith is channeling the Romantics (not the band ) on this one. The last part has some cool synth orchestration, but overall the song has an unfinished feeling to it, like a good fleshed out demo, but still a demo. Greg sounds like he doesn't give a damn bass wise, playing mostly guitar (He already showed a lost of interest towards bass playing during the Works tour).

[dropforge]

There's some cool stuff buried under the those horrible lyrics.

Remove the lyrics from "Taste of My Love"?? No way!

Call up room service
Order peaches and cream
I like my dessert first
If you know what I mean

Yeah, taste it, taste it, taste it
Around the maze of pleasure
To the gates of pain
You're driving me insane

Take all you need from the taste of my love

I'm gonna love you
Like nobody ever loved you
Climb on my rocket
And we'll fly

[arturs]

I really enjoyed the doc. I remember buying LB as a cutout LP circa 1981 or 82 for $1.99 because, you know, it's ELP, how bad could it be?? Well, hehe, worse than I could have possibly imagined... I agree that the doc narrator has far too charitable a view of Memoirs. I've never been able to sit through the whole thing.

But the doc does a great job explaining the pressures felt by even one of the world's largest acts of the 1970s. Times were changing, they were all used to the lifestyles of royalty by this time, the machine had to be fed. I can't imagine this is what Ahmet Ertegun had in mind when he pushed them to make a more commercial record. I'm sure he would not have released it had he actually heard the damn thing.

[zeprogmeister]

Yeah that JCM guy does some good videos. I don't agree with his opinion on Pirates either, but everyone is entitled to their own.

I like LB better than In the Hot Seat, and I think also better than Black Moon. There's a few dreadful Lake tracks but Canario and Memoirs are pretty good.

[JJ88]

The first few songs on here are all lousy. They had a few very well-written 'commercial' tracks in the past ('Lucky Man', 'From The Beginning', 'Still...You Turn Me On'). They could have easily made that transition into doing more radio-friendly material. But these ones are just so, 'will this do?'.

'Canario' is easily the best thing on here, but it's nothing new for them really. There's a very mawkish quality to 'Memoirs...' for my taste, particularly on Sinfield's part. I'm not a big fan.

With 'Pirates', I do increasingly find that doesn't hold up quite as well for me as their earlier work. It gets a bit too major-key after that great instrumental intro. But it's obviously still in another league to anything on Love Beach.

[bondegezou]

Yeah that JCM guy does some good videos. I don't agree with his opinion on Pirates either, but everyone is entitled to their own.

I like LB better than In the Hot Seat, and I think also better than Black Moon. There's a few dreadful Lake tracks but Canario and Memoirs are pretty good.

Agree about In the Hot Seat. People who call Love Beach "among the worst albums ever made", have you heard In the Hot Seat??? LB is a shining star of excellence in comparison.

[Kcrimso]

Agree about In the Hot Seat. People who call Love Beach "among the worst albums ever made", have you heard In the Hot Seat??? LB is a shining star of excellence in comparison.

I have heard both. I like few songs from In The Hot Seat but nothing from Love Beach.

[starless and bible black]

I watched the Documentary on ELP's Love Beach. While I've never liked the album (and Never Will), JCM does dig up an interesting fact about the making of it. ELP had to do Love Beach in order for Atlantic Records to get behind the solo careers of Keith, Greg & Carl (I already knew that ELP owed Atlantic one more record and that it had to be "simplified").

PS: JCM also points out that Atlantic's promise to get behind the group's individual solo careers proved false since they all recorded their solo projects on other record lables during the '80s after the group broke up.

[bondegezou]

I have heard both. I like few songs from In The Hot Seat but nothing from Love Beach.

I am shaking my head in disappointment... Go on, which songs do you like from ItHS?

[Conti]

I didn't really warm up to the doc. There are not many "new" facts disclosed in it and the analysis is too focused on the poor quality of Sinfield's lyrics. I strongly disagree with the author's opinion regarding Pirates vs. Memoirs although I have nothing to complain about the latter except for the fact it sounds tired and uninspired to my ears. Perhaps Love Beach is not as dreadful as often mentioned, but is definitely a huge step down from what came before (well, Works was already a huge step down too IMO). I will give it a spin today anyway.