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Thread: Brain Salad Surgery 40th Anniversary details revealed!

  1. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doctor Flang View Post
    I agree that it is a lousy DVD, but isn't the version of Rondo a complete performance?
    Sorry, I should have been clearer. The music on the soundtrack to that rip-off is from the IoW, a little over an hour of music, but the visuals from ELP's second concert ever last about 2 minutes. I already had the music on a CD that came out in 1997, I was livid that I paid for footage of a boat race and the festival trash heaps.

    If they didn't film the whole IoW show or the footage was lost/damaged, just say so. Otherwise, it's just another shoddy product in a depressingly long list of shoddy ELP products.
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  2. #27
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    I never did see that ELP IOW DVD, but the few minutes in question were already used in the overall film of that festival, 'Message To Love'.

    What do people feel about that early show that was captured for Belgian TV? Although somewhat solo-heavy for my taste (forgivable because they didn't have much material early on) I find it fascinating to see how much fun they had on stage early on. There's a stark contrast between the loose feel of that show and the much more choreographed, tightly arranged orchestral show in Montreal IMHO. I don't think it was a change for the better, really.

    I dug out 'Welcome Back...' recently and was again just in awe at the long 'Aquatarkus' on that, brilliant stuff, some of the best playing they ever recorded IMHO.

  3. #28
    ^ It's pretty amazing what a fast tempo they play on Tarkus, WBMFTTSTNE version. Emerson was a monster back then.

  4. #29
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    I dug out 'Welcome Back...' recently and was again just in awe at the long 'Aquatarkus' on that, brilliant stuff, some of the best playing they ever recorded IMHO.
    That Aquatarkus really is incredible, it's a perfect example of the ELP philosophy of "maximum freedom within strict arrangements". What's clear if you listen to the Aquartarkus's from the available BSS tour bootlegs is that every night really was different, Keith would do the wildest stuff and Greg and Carl kept up with him.

    What blows me away the most about the WBMF version is that Emerson has *total* control of the modular Moog: from the way he uses the filter sweeps to keep the raga-esque drone interesting, to how he uses touches of vibrato to keep the solo line interesting. Sure, he "borrows" the basic idea and a few of the melodies from Dick Hyman's The Minotaur



    but it's what he does with it that's so fantastic. There's the melody at 6:32 that's just killer, AFAIK he never repeated it exactly:



    Then, of course, there's the mindblowing part at 8:24 --"It's like.....like.... the Universe is collapsing in on itself!" a stoned friend said once -- that leads in to the Eruption reprise.

    And full praise to Carl Palmer, who takes what could be a very boring rhythm and does amazing things with it.

    Yeah, I kinda of like the WBMF Aquatarkus!
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  5. #30
    There are many far better examples of Tarkus. Sure they are on boots but Welcome Back is not of particularly good quality.

  6. #31
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    The only unfortunate thing with 'Welcome Back...' is the sound isn't as dynamic or clear as, say, 'Pictures' was. Maybe it's down to the bigger venues they were playing.

    I know some have criticised the sound of BSS as well, but I personally think that's a terrific recording, I've never heard another album sound quite like it.

  7. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    The only unfortunate thing with 'Welcome Back...' is the sound isn't as dynamic or clear as, say, 'Pictures' was. Maybe it's down to the bigger venues they were playing.

    I know some have criticised the sound of BSS as well, but I personally think that's a terrific recording, I've never heard another album sound quite like it.
    Yes, Pictures is an awesome recording, BTW just seen where you are from! Shwmai from Abertawe!!

  8. #33
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    There are many far better examples of Tarkus. Sure they are on boots but Welcome Back is not of particularly good quality.
    There's "many far better examples of Tarkus"? Where are they all then? Buffalo 7/24/74 sure, maybe Rotterdam 5/25/74 but all of the pre-BSS versions have a fatal flaw for me: the Aquatarkus is pretty weak compared to the way it way played on the BSS tour. Sure, using Grieg's Hall Of The Mountain King melody was pretty cool, but still. Plus, it's the little things on the BSS tour like Lake using a fuzz box when the band goes back in to Eruption, or the change in style due to his steel drum kit by Palmer.

    Mileage varies, of course.

    Maybe it's down to the bigger venues they were playing
    No, it's because for Pictures they spent three days fine-tuning their instruments and the PA system and getting the mobile gear in shape. They knew they were going to release it as an album and they took their time with it. For WBMF, the King Biscuit people showed up in Anaheim with the Wally Heider mobile truck and recorded the gig, like they did for numerous other bands. *sigh* I miss the glory days of the King Biscuit Flower Hour.

    I know some have criticised the sound of BSS as well, but I personally think that's a terrific recording, I've never heard another album sound quite like it.
    Yeah, the whole package just works: the songs, the recording, the album cover. My only nitpick is that I think Trilogy sounds incredible, I wish he'd recorded BSS for ELP, but then Offord himself kind of lost the plot clarity-wise with Yes with Tales and Relayer.
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  9. #34
    I have about 100 boots up until the New Jersey gig in 1974. I have been playing the Rich Stadium, Orchard Park for the last few weeks. I think that Tarkus is awesome. I know it has been released in one of the box sets but there must have been a different source as mine is far better. I have about 300 ELP audio boots and (60 or so DVDs). I'll have to go through my list but I do have some interesting shows.
    Perhaps you'd want to PM me and swap notes?

  10. #35
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeremy Bender View Post
    Sorry, I should have been clearer. The music on the soundtrack to that rip-off is from the IoW, a little over an hour of music, but the visuals from ELP's second concert ever last about 2 minutes. I already had the music on a CD that came out in 1997, I was livid that I paid for footage of a boat race and the festival trash heaps.
    No, I just watched it, and i do think Rondo on the DVD is a complete performance. No visual tricks, people on a beach or anything. However, it was the only song that was captured by the film crew.

  11. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    The only unfortunate thing with 'Welcome Back...' is the sound isn't as dynamic or clear as, say, 'Pictures' was. Maybe it's down to the bigger venues they were playing.
    I'm sure the bigger venue had something to do with the sound fidelity, but most of all it was because of the way it was mixed. It was only ever mixed for quad and the stereo is just a fold-down of that.

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