Their biggest selling album. Jerusalem was released as a single in 1974, before being "banned" by the BBC (?). Toccata was probably the "weirdest" track they ever did....bonkers and brilliant. This is the peak of the band's career, along with their world tour in 1973/74. Many thought they went downhill from Works onwards. A remarkable band, hated by the press but loved by us adoring fans.
Dreadful pressing Jim and at too low a level to fully enjoy but I hope that the breadth of ambition hit home as much as it did for me hearing this record shortly after release when aged 14. I think I was aware of Jerusalem prior to that but was very impressed with this version and it's probably the only hymn that I can sing the whole way through without recourse to a hymn book. Toccata was indeed the future in 1973 (more of the future to come on side 2) and still stuns to this day - electronic percussion as deployed here was very fresh and exciting. Still You Turn Me On is a typically melodic Lake song and Benny the Bouncer is...Benny the Bouncer - a palate cleanser if you will (like a slug of very cheap whisky) The real highlight is the Karn Evil 9 saga (though three distinct pieces of music it really should be listened to as a whole) and I'll keep my comments on that until part 2.
Thank you for getting to this, Jim. I’ll admit I’ve been skipping a lot of videos the past few weeks, but this drew me right in. I basically agree with you regarding ELP. I’m more a fan of individual songs on their albums, rather than the full albums. From Brain Salad Surgery I enjoy “Still…You Turn Me On” and the full Karnival 9 saga. If you read this before you record side 2, please do have the lyrics before you. The entire Karnival 9 is a story which packs a powerful punch. Even without a lyric sheet, I hope you enjoy the rest!
I was given this for Christmas, 1973, as were thousands of other teens I suspect. The pressing was American but didn’t sound too bad. The insert in your copy is the same as the one in the original release. It’s considered by many to be the peak of their career but for me that was Trilogy. I’m really enjoying your summation, Jim.
Greg spent over 36 hours crafting his arrangement of the 2:46-47 "Jerusalem," in the studio, to tweak it exactly the way he wanted it to sound. He owned it and it's probably his best sociological statement on the class system in the UK along with the barely noticeable deep irony of all the levels of how he was "never" a choir boy, but he could sure sing like one. Listen to it again on Midsummer's Eve with a new sound system with no distractions in the dark, so you have to make yourself listen. and then go to see the William Blake art work.
This was the first ELP album I heard, back in 1973/4 and I spent many an hour listening to it on my headphones as a kid. I loved it and for many years it was my favourite album of theirs. Having now spent even more years listening to much more ELP though I can't say that I think it's their best album - that would probably be Trilogy for me now. BSS can be a bit grating at times, but it remains a phenomenal technical album brimming with new (at the time) instrumentation and a harder-edged sound. Sadly the 5.1 surround version I bought a few years ago is not a great mix IMO.
Can you imagine a bunch of New York teenagers trying to sing Benny the Bouncer over a few beers in 1976? ☕😅 This sounded fresh and as hell in the seventies, you would have to be old to know. lol
I always found the album was thin sounding anyway , I believe ( are you ready )Eddy Offord was on production duty for Yes unfortunately so couldn’t engineer this album !
I was about a year out of high school when this came out. The album was released in Quadraphonic. By this time I was already familiar with ELP, Yes, Genesis, Floyd, Zappa…. Your comment about bewilderment is understood. My impression was one of amazement. While prog had already gained my respect while pushing blues based rock aside, this seemed like the definitive expression of progress in terms of what could and should be done in modern music. I suspect that Jerusalem was played in a relatively understated manner in order to set up a sense of contrast to what would follow. Can't wait to hear your take on side two.
Yes, they did play toccata, Jerusalem, and all of Karn Evil 9 27:08 on the welcome back my friends to the show that never ends live album. The trilogy album had a song called the sheriff, which might sound a little bit like Benny the bouncer along with Jeremy BENDER as one of the other commentators noted.
Good stuff Jim 👍🏻 Super likeable reactor. I got into ELP in the 80’s,(although I was first blown away by them as a teenager in 1979… whilst recognising that I was aware of them from my childhood years of my Mom liking their ‘Copland’ cover of ‘Fanfare’ which was a radio 2 favourite in 1977 lol). At their best they’re brilliant, but if I had control of their output now I’d distill their stuff into moments, then songs, then albums of pure magic. But then who am I. These guys were undeniably brilliant.
Completely agree on Jerusalem. Can't beat a full orchestral version, anything else does sound lightweight. This one had a feel of 'Jerusalem by numbers' and is unnecessary. Very much enjoyed the rest of it , Toccata sounds like it belongs on a 1960's scifi soundtrack. Still you turn me on is a beautiful track. Karn Evil is genius.
Thanks for this Jim, ELP, along with Yes, are one of those classic prog bands I just don’t get on with, I don’t know why, but they just don’t butter my parsnips. I’m more in the Van Der Graaf Generator, Genesis and King Crimson camp.
Greg doing his "cockney" vocals in Benny the Bouncer. A similar song to Are You Ready Eddy and Jeremy Bender. Karnevil 9 is their epic masterpiece...unbelievable musicianship from the masters of Prog.
You're old enough. I must say I'm surprised that you aren't aware of and love this album! As a 'colonist', I never knew Jerusalem was an old English Hymn until, 20 years after being introduced to it through this album, I came across the lyrics in a novel where a choir of ladies were singing it. Blew me out of the water! Quite a few skips on that album. :D P.S. when were they the biggest band on the planet? They were always a big hit with me, but never seemed to land that high up over here in the states. PPS Still LOVE the quacking fingers!
Hey Jim, as excited as I was to see you were going to be listening to this masterpiece of a record, my heart sank when you talked all over Jerusalem with the lack of attention it was screaming for. You missed Palmer rolling 8 notes for each beat while keeping time with his hihat down that massive range of toms, all Keith's embellishments and counter melodies and Greg roaring like a lion because you wanted to remember what Parry's first name was. Then you pronounce a review of "competent"?! You weren't there.
Your right about the cover artwork, it is extraordinary, but, tamed down from the HM Giger's cyber-erotic designs originally presented. Sadly the production and pressing quality, or mastering, varied enormously. You've got one of the turkey salad surgeries unfortunately.
I reckon you're the first person in history to refer to ELP's version of "Jerusalem" as "lightweight." It was banned by the BBC for being sacrilegious or some such shit. You need to listen to it LOUD.
I agree with your take on their take on Jerusalem. William Blake's lifemask at the Portrait Gallery in London must be slightly red whenever he thinks about this particular reduction. A waste. Benny, more waste. I like the Ginastera, but prefer the original Argentinian version. I got to see Mr. Ginastera and his wife, in the early '80s, when Boston University hosted a playing of his Piano Sonata and his wife's playing cello. Movt. 4 of the Sonata was a high point in concert-going. A decade earlier, in '74, ELP and PFM filled the speedway here in Charlotte with 250k people. Literacy was big in the '70s. BTW...those weird noises were Carl's new toy...a drum synthesizer. Sounds weird and out of place now. They were still just kids.
Yes… *If* you’re doing a full album listen at one time so you get the experience of the opening line of First Impression, Part II after flipping the album over. I’m pretty certain even if uploaded on different days that Jim continued listening in the same session, so I expect that opening line will have the intended meaning. I hope.
This album, and Karn Evil 9 specifically, is ELP's high water mark. They never reached these heights again almost as if this album burned them out. Aside from a nice few songs from the relatively disappointing Works Vols. I & II the band was spent.
@@mikewest1542 Well, Fanfare For the Common Man was okay and C'est La Vie I like, but after that, not at all impressive for a double album. Vol. II was a real stinker except for I Believe in Father Christmas. The word "hubris" comes to mind.
IMO this album was always mixed too low, plus Jim's isn't the most pristine vinyl, unfortunately. But the music still delivers. Greg is much more active on guitar on this album than past records, which they sort of needed to give the arrangements more variety (you can only flog the organ/bass/drums thing for so long). As an album, I feel BSS is less consistent than some others in the ELP catalog ('Trilogy', especially), but variety was always this band's MO (actually The Nice as well, when Keith was driving that group.)
“Toccata” is an adaptation of a classical piece, “Toccata Concertata" by the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. There’s an interesting story regarding Emerson getting permission to release it, should you want to do some research.
That doesn't look like the original Manticore label that I had on my 1973 LP when I bought. A brillliant album that is actually an easier listen on CD as all of Karn Evil Part One fits and is a continuous track. PS You were thinking of Benjamin Britten, methinks. PPS Not the best of copies either sadly. Been well played.
I am so glad you put a link to that video. I have heard to Qatar by Emerson Lake and Palmer 1 million times and knew what the song was based on but I had never heard the piano and Orchestra version. Thank you thank you thank you.
I look at the cover art by Mr Alien then hear the music and just feel..... disparity....a disconnect in the design of the album. The ELP debut record looked how it sounded if you get my drift....like that record much more personally.
I'm in the vast minority here, but until Karn Evil 9 starts, I'm really not a fan of side 1 of this record. I don't like Jerusalem, Benny the Bouncer is a joke they did before better, Still... is just average Greg Lake, and Toccata is unentertaining to me. But of course Karn Evil 9 is a masterpiece, so, while it doesn't make the rest something I ever play, it does redeem the side somewhat. And side 2... well, that's another story entirely.
Hi Jim, Never got interested in ELP because I didn’t like the extravagant showing of by Keith Emmerson. I always saw and still see it as ’Look how good I am’, ‘I’m the best and I’ll make sure you know it. That put me off and the lack of some coherence in the songs. Do I like Jeruzalem…no, not really. Not a song I would remember after five minutes. I do love the original though. Second song. Showing off as I mentioned earlier. No thank you. And if it wasn’t the showing off, I still wouldn’t like it. Pure chaos to me. Third song. Mwah. Punk song. Terrible Fifth song. The only thing I like is the tiny organ solo in the middle. The rest is to quickly forget. No, I still really don’t like ELP, I need more structure. The only song by them I like is Peter Gunn.
I thought this was the start of the downward slope for ELP. Jerusalem and Toccata are pretty pointless and Jerusalem is particularly cringe-worthy. Still... is an attempt at the regular Greg Lake ballad that has been done better on previous albums. Karn Evil 9 has some great playing but that cod sci-fi story and the songs themselves are really embarrassingly juvenile.
Mmmmmm......not the best sounding record ever heard. It's thin and also the music sounds like intros or intermissions to 70s kids tv shows...and sometimes like forgettable performances by orchestras at proms... The song track is more like it... Feeling a bit more 'turned on'...for a sec....😊...then Benny the bouncer......oh dear....🤦♂️
‘Benny The Bouncer’… they often included a sort of comedy track. I’m fine with it as daft as it is. It’s clear they were willing to prick their own bubble and have a sense of humour about things,( whilst simultaneously being precognizant of ‘Chas and Dave’ it would appear).
Very British... ELP were pushing the edges of prog rock. Exceptional musicianship, but for me often excessive. They didn't have the same assort of band cohesion as Yes, or the song writing skills. ELP pieces were more in line of classical compositions, with a hard rock sound of synths, bass and drums. Keith Emerson could do it all; jazz, rock, classical... you name it. The band seemed to exist more to show off musical chops. And they did.
My favorite band, favorite album, etc. Saw them on this tour--TWICE.
wow lucky man.... their pinnacle, so jealous mate
Their biggest selling album. Jerusalem was released as a single in 1974, before being "banned" by the BBC (?).
Toccata was probably the "weirdest" track they ever did....bonkers and brilliant.
This is the peak of the band's career, along with their world tour in 1973/74.
Many thought they went downhill from Works onwards.
A remarkable band, hated by the press but loved by us adoring fans.
I’ve been waiting since I knew of Jim’s channel for him to listen to this especially Karn Evil 9 third impression. Can’t wait.
Amazing album by an amazing band
ELP I LOVE IT ❤👍🎼🎸🎹
H. R. Giger who did the album art, also did the art for the movie Alien.
Dreadful pressing Jim and at too low a level to fully enjoy but I hope that the breadth of ambition hit home as much as it did for me hearing this record shortly after release when aged 14. I think I was aware of Jerusalem prior to that but was very impressed with this version and it's probably the only hymn that I can sing the whole way through without recourse to a hymn book. Toccata was indeed the future in 1973 (more of the future to come on side 2) and still stuns to this day - electronic percussion as deployed here was very fresh and exciting. Still You Turn Me On is a typically melodic Lake song and Benny the Bouncer is...Benny the Bouncer - a palate cleanser if you will (like a slug of very cheap whisky) The real highlight is the Karn Evil 9 saga (though three distinct pieces of music it really should be listened to as a whole) and I'll keep my comments on that until part 2.
Thank you for getting to this, Jim. I’ll admit I’ve been skipping a lot of videos the past few weeks, but this drew me right in.
I basically agree with you regarding ELP. I’m more a fan of individual songs on their albums, rather than the full albums. From Brain Salad Surgery I enjoy “Still…You Turn Me On” and the full Karnival 9 saga.
If you read this before you record side 2, please do have the lyrics before you. The entire Karnival 9 is a story which packs a powerful punch. Even without a lyric sheet, I hope you enjoy the rest!
I was given this for Christmas, 1973, as were thousands of other teens I suspect. The pressing was American but didn’t sound too bad. The insert in your copy is the same as the one in the original release. It’s considered by many to be the peak of their career but for me that was Trilogy. I’m really enjoying your summation, Jim.
Great album,Mr. JIm! Thanks for reacting to this one! Hard to believe you've never heard it before,matey.. :-O T
Greg spent over 36 hours crafting his arrangement of the 2:46-47 "Jerusalem," in the studio, to tweak it exactly the way he wanted it to sound. He owned it and it's probably his best sociological statement on the class system in the UK along with the barely noticeable deep irony of all the levels of how he was "never" a choir boy, but he could sure sing like one. Listen to it again on Midsummer's Eve with a new sound system with no distractions in the dark, so you have to make yourself listen. and then go to see the William Blake art work.
i remember getting a flexi disc free with NME mag, it had excerpts from the album, and the single Brain salad surgery
I still have mine. Somewhere 😉
This was the first ELP album I heard, back in 1973/4 and I spent many an hour listening to it on my headphones as a kid. I loved it and for many years it was my favourite album of theirs. Having now spent even more years listening to much more ELP though I can't say that I think it's their best album - that would probably be Trilogy for me now. BSS can be a bit grating at times, but it remains a phenomenal technical album brimming with new (at the time) instrumentation and a harder-edged sound. Sadly the 5.1 surround version I bought a few years ago is not a great mix IMO.
This mirrors a review I would have written too, great minds .......
You should have opened the video by saying
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
Haha! You haven’t watched part 2 yet have you!
@@JimNewstead just watched it
Yeah, you said it
😹🤭
Can you imagine a bunch of New York teenagers trying to sing Benny the Bouncer over a few beers in 1976? ☕😅
This sounded fresh and as hell in the seventies, you would have to be old to know. lol
A classic album for sure. :)
Musiche che resteranno
in eterno✌️🙌
Nice one Jim, it had to be done! Sound was a bit thin for some reason?
I always found the album was thin sounding anyway , I believe ( are you ready )Eddy Offord was on production duty for Yes unfortunately so couldn’t engineer this album !
The pickup did jump in a couple of places. I remember it well from when bought it 73.
I was about a year out of high school when this came out. The album was released in Quadraphonic. By this time I was already familiar with ELP, Yes, Genesis, Floyd, Zappa…. Your comment about bewilderment is understood. My impression was one of amazement. While prog had already gained my respect while pushing blues based rock aside, this seemed like the definitive expression of progress in terms of what could and should be done in modern music. I suspect that Jerusalem was played in a relatively understated manner in order to set up a sense of contrast to what would follow. Can't wait to hear your take on side two.
Yes, they did play toccata, Jerusalem, and all of Karn Evil 9 27:08 on the welcome back my friends to the show that never ends live album. The trilogy album had a song called the sheriff, which might sound a little bit like Benny the bouncer along with Jeremy BENDER as one of the other commentators noted.
Good stuff Jim 👍🏻
Super likeable reactor.
I got into ELP in the 80’s,(although I was first blown away by them as a teenager in 1979… whilst recognising that I was aware of them from my childhood years of my Mom liking their ‘Copland’ cover of ‘Fanfare’ which was a radio 2 favourite in 1977 lol).
At their best they’re brilliant, but if I had control of their output now I’d distill their stuff into moments, then songs, then albums of pure magic.
But then who am I.
These guys were undeniably brilliant.
Completely agree on Jerusalem. Can't beat a full orchestral version, anything else does sound lightweight. This one had a feel of 'Jerusalem by numbers' and is unnecessary.
Very much enjoyed the rest of it , Toccata sounds like it belongs on a 1960's scifi soundtrack. Still you turn me on is a beautiful track. Karn Evil is genius.
Thanks for this Jim,
ELP, along with Yes, are one of those classic prog bands I just don’t get on with, I don’t know why, but they just don’t butter my parsnips. I’m more in the Van Der Graaf Generator, Genesis and King Crimson camp.
I’m with you!
So glad you're listening to this album. Enjoy.
BSS is ELPs best ever best ever best ever..... a prog milestone
Well I'm back as you go back to classic prog. Great.
Greg doing his "cockney" vocals in Benny the Bouncer. A similar song to Are You Ready Eddy and Jeremy Bender.
Karnevil 9 is their epic masterpiece...unbelievable musicianship from the masters of Prog.
Cover H.R.Giger Fribourg Switzerland❤
He also designed the Alien.
"Benny the Bouncer" probably reminded you of "Are You Ready Freddy" from the "Tarkus" album.
Whenever I hear Jerusalem I think of Monty Python.
Hey everybody, someone said "Mattresses" to Mr. Lambert twice!
You're old enough. I must say I'm surprised that you aren't aware of and love this album! As a 'colonist', I never knew Jerusalem was an old English Hymn until, 20 years after being introduced to it through this album, I came across the lyrics in a novel where a choir of ladies were singing it. Blew me out of the water! Quite a few skips on that album. :D
P.S. when were they the biggest band on the planet? They were always a big hit with me, but never seemed to land that high up over here in the states.
PPS Still LOVE the quacking fingers!
Hey Jim, as excited as I was to see you were going to be listening to this masterpiece of a record, my heart sank when you talked all over Jerusalem with the lack of attention it was screaming for. You missed Palmer rolling 8 notes for each beat while keeping time with his hihat down that massive range of toms, all Keith's embellishments and counter melodies and Greg roaring like a lion because you wanted to remember what Parry's first name was. Then you pronounce a review of "competent"?! You weren't there.
Your right about the cover artwork, it is extraordinary, but, tamed down from the HM Giger's cyber-erotic designs originally presented. Sadly the production and pressing quality, or mastering, varied enormously. You've got one of the turkey salad surgeries unfortunately.
I reckon you're the first person in history to refer to ELP's version of "Jerusalem" as "lightweight." It was banned by the BBC for being sacrilegious or some such shit. You need to listen to it LOUD.
2:25-3:15 Jim, it's called "Brain" "Salad" "Surgery". Hope that helped 😏
Palmer sings Bennie in his live shows these days, but that was Lake on the studio version.
Bemused expression in the thumbnail... this will be a fun one! 🙂
I agree with your take on their take on Jerusalem. William Blake's lifemask at the Portrait Gallery in London must be slightly red whenever he thinks about this particular reduction. A waste. Benny, more waste. I like the Ginastera, but prefer the original Argentinian version. I got to see Mr. Ginastera and his wife, in the early '80s, when Boston University hosted a playing of his Piano Sonata and his wife's playing cello. Movt. 4 of the Sonata was a high point in concert-going. A decade earlier, in '74, ELP and PFM filled the speedway here in Charlotte with 250k people. Literacy was big in the '70s. BTW...those weird noises were Carl's new toy...a drum synthesizer. Sounds weird and out of place now. They were still just kids.
In Part II, you need to include the first impression. It's meant to be ingested as a whole.
Yes…
*If* you’re doing a full album listen at one time so you get the experience of the opening line of First Impression, Part II after flipping the album over. I’m pretty certain even if uploaded on different days that Jim continued listening in the same session, so I expect that opening line will have the intended meaning.
I hope.
🙌✌️🙌✌️✌️✌️🙏
Karn Evil parts 1&2 amazing and Jerusalem
This album, and Karn Evil 9 specifically, is ELP's high water mark. They never reached these heights again almost as if this album burned them out. Aside from a nice few songs
from the relatively disappointing Works Vols. I & II the band was spent.
Disappointing for Works 1 was an understatement, a truly dreadful album!
@@mikewest1542 Well, Fanfare For the Common Man was okay and C'est La Vie I like, but after that, not at all impressive for a double album. Vol. II was a real stinker except for I Believe in Father Christmas. The word "hubris" comes to mind.
Loro erano venuti in italia ❤😊
sound level is too low.
28:30 Sarcasm: HOW DARE you criticize ANY part of this album. 😱😏🙂
Hubert Parry Jim.....
Jim, the record sounds very low in your sound mix today
IMO this album was always mixed too low, plus Jim's isn't the most pristine vinyl, unfortunately. But the music still delivers. Greg is much more active on guitar on this album than past records, which they sort of needed to give the arrangements more variety (you can only flog the organ/bass/drums thing for so long). As an album, I feel BSS is less consistent than some others in the ELP catalog ('Trilogy', especially), but variety was always this band's MO (actually The Nice as well, when Keith was driving that group.)
I got this album, not sure if i like it or not tbh.
There sure is a lot of popping for that record being fairly new looking. You might’ve got a crap pressing.
“Toccata” is an adaptation of a classical piece, “Toccata Concertata" by the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. There’s an interesting story regarding Emerson getting permission to release it, should you want to do some research.
I honestly don’t know why Emerson bothered as the track is awful and unlistenable, only my opinion as the rest of the album is superb !
@@mikewest1542 Toccata is one of my favorite ELP pieces, so tastes do differ.
That doesn't look like the original Manticore label that I had on my 1973 LP when I bought. A brillliant album that is actually an easier listen on CD as all of Karn Evil Part One fits and is a continuous track. PS You were thinking of Benjamin Britten, methinks. PPS Not the best of copies either sadly. Been well played.
This version is a re-release and tbh is a real rice crispy !
Hmmm... well, when it 1st came out I listened to this and went - They've done better. And went back to sleep. Nothing exciting here, alas. Oh well
I would say that about Works 1 , I hope you review it Jim, and Love Beach 😮
A.Ginastera Piano Concerto No.1 "Toccata"
th-cam.com/video/6hfkLobjxew/w-d-xo.html
I am so glad you put a link to that video. I have heard to Qatar by Emerson Lake and Palmer 1 million times and knew what the song was based on but I had never heard the piano and Orchestra version. Thank you thank you thank you.
William blake poem?
It was the runner-up for a good reason ( to me it doesn't even merit finishing 2nd in the previous vote) 😂
I look at the cover art by Mr Alien then hear the music and just feel..... disparity....a disconnect in the design of the album. The ELP debut record looked how it sounded if you get my drift....like that record much more personally.
Jim….you definitely need to purchase a new copy of this album!!!!
Your copy is very distracting and takes away from how great an album this is!!!!
Volume low
I'm in the vast minority here, but until Karn Evil 9 starts, I'm really not a fan of side 1 of this record. I don't like Jerusalem, Benny the Bouncer is a joke they did before better, Still... is just average Greg Lake, and Toccata is unentertaining to me. But of course Karn Evil 9 is a masterpiece, so, while it doesn't make the rest something I ever play, it does redeem the side somewhat. And side 2... well, that's another story entirely.
Hi Jim,
Never got interested in ELP because I didn’t like the extravagant showing of by Keith Emmerson. I always saw and still see it as ’Look how good I am’, ‘I’m the best and I’ll make sure you know it. That put me off and the lack of some coherence in the songs.
Do I like Jeruzalem…no, not really. Not a song I would remember after five minutes. I do love the original though.
Second song. Showing off as I mentioned earlier. No thank you. And if it wasn’t the showing off, I still wouldn’t like it. Pure chaos to me.
Third song. Mwah.
Punk song. Terrible
Fifth song. The only thing I like is the tiny organ solo in the middle. The rest is to quickly forget.
No, I still really don’t like ELP, I need more structure. The only song by them I like is Peter Gunn.
I thought this was the start of the downward slope for ELP. Jerusalem and Toccata are pretty pointless and Jerusalem is particularly cringe-worthy. Still... is an attempt at the regular Greg Lake ballad that has been done better on previous albums. Karn Evil 9 has some great playing but that cod sci-fi story and the songs themselves are really embarrassingly juvenile.
Mmmmmm......not the best sounding record ever heard. It's thin and also the music sounds like intros or intermissions to 70s kids tv shows...and sometimes like forgettable performances by orchestras at proms...
The song track is more like it... Feeling a bit more 'turned on'...for a sec....😊...then Benny the bouncer......oh dear....🤦♂️
‘Benny The Bouncer’… they often included a sort of comedy track. I’m fine with it as daft as it is. It’s clear they were willing to prick their own bubble and have a sense of humour about things,( whilst simultaneously being precognizant of ‘Chas and Dave’ it would appear).
@@davidwylde8426Their best comedy/jokey song ( by a country mile) is The Sheriff , that is class !
@@mikewest1542 that actually is a good song as well. The medley of that song and ‘Jeremy Bender’ from the live album is great.
Very British... ELP were pushing the edges of prog rock. Exceptional musicianship, but for me often excessive. They didn't have the same assort of band cohesion as Yes, or the song writing skills. ELP pieces were more in line of classical compositions, with a hard rock sound of synths, bass and drums. Keith Emerson could do it all; jazz, rock, classical... you name it. The band seemed to exist more to show off musical chops. And they did.
This abum is so bloated and unbalanced, can't believe they sold millions of this
Still you turn me on is the only good thing on this album