If you want to see this played live...it will help you understand it. The California Jam video is 1of the best...the weird stuff is actually the first time a synthesized drum set was used.
Fun fact... prior to the recording of this album, Carl spent a significant amount of time learning technique from the world's top master of the tympani. Carl was a true percussionist and not just a drummer.. Also the unusual synth type sounds during his solo in the middle of Toccata was all Carl. He experimented with attaching synth modules to some of his kit and rigged it to trigger when he whacked the skin... Mixing the electronic sounds with the drum's normal sound. On the topic of the drum kit, Carl wanted s new all-stainless steel set so went to British Steel to see what they had available. They had 0.25 inch and 0.50 inch. Thinking thicker is stronger he went for the half inch and ended up with an wonderfully engraved absolutely beautiful kit ...that weighed a freaking ton. The bass drum two burley stagehands to carry it to the stage. It actually collapsed a stage or two, after which they had to reinforce some. It didn't help either that the kit plus kettledrums, tubular bells, and two huge gongs were all set on a rotating pedestal. Never half measures with them. 🤣. I guess the kit got a bit unwieldy to tour with so after a while Carl sold the kit. It had a couple of homes..the eventually ended up in the possession of Tingo Starr who still it I believe.😊
Great to see you get to this one! You're right, they are four vastly different songs. Although "Toccata" is one of my favorite ELP tracks, I figured Jana would hate it, but I was pleasantly surprised that she seemed to have mixed feelings, rather just outright hate it. I guess she's coming around on prog!
hard to believe this stuff is 50 years old. Keith Emerson had to get classical composer Ginastera permission to get this version of Tocatta released. love your critique. happy Sunday.
Hey Nathan and Jana. I appreciate Jana's honesty. You can tell she wasn't crazy about this one, but she did find things to like and be positive about. Nice job Jana.👍😎
@@NathanOnShuffle I'm just passing by noticed somebody is listening to ELP, so just for giggles I'll subscribe ;) Now you're at "3.93K subscribers" plus me 😁(Oh! Have you heard Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas"?)
This can justifiably be seen as the pinnacle of ELP's career, although I prefer 'Trilogy' on the whole as an album. But there's no denying that the entire "Karn Evil 9" suite is the greatest composition this band put down on tape. But I'll say the same thing here as on another reaction channel that did this entire album side: ELP was *always* about variety (as was Keith's pre-ELP band, The Nice). You sort of just have to roll with the radical shifts in style that this album side forces on you.
Jerusalem is based on a famous hymn that everyone knows in the UK. Caused some waves that they arranged it, even though it follows the original very closely. Below the orginal movement the Toccata was based on. Carl Palmer created the electronically customized percussion for this piece himself. You should check out live performance of this piece here on youtube, amazing stuff. Originally Ginastera, didn't want to give permission to arrange it, then Emerson flew to Berlin to meet him and showed him a recording of what they did, then they got the permission: czcams.com/video/ODdh9LyCanY/video.html
The lyric" Someone Get me a Ladder" has always struck me as laughably absurd and terribly out of place. Just because it happens to rhyme with Matter is no reason to insert it. It was the beginning of the end of my love for ELP. Nowadays I just like them. I still love everything from the debut and Trilogy. KE9 became the prog critics (of the time) prime example of prog being overly self indulgent. Cheers!
It actually fits perfectly. This song is about the madness of fame. It is said to be an inside joke with the band, but it does help us understand the desire to just be taken out of the throngs of people who were literally tearing jewelry off of them.
Favorite group...Favorite album...And I was fortunate enough to be at the BSS concert that made that legendary album in '74. This is 3 guys, folks!!!
Toccata is here my favorite track, real prog is pushing the boundaries.
If you want to see this played live...it will help you understand it. The California Jam video is 1of the best...the weird stuff is actually the first time a synthesized drum set was used.
Fun fact... prior to the recording of this album, Carl spent a significant amount of time learning technique from the world's top master of the tympani. Carl was a true percussionist and not just a drummer..
Also the unusual synth type sounds during his solo in the middle of Toccata was all Carl. He experimented with attaching synth modules to some of his kit and rigged it to trigger when he whacked the skin... Mixing the electronic sounds with the drum's normal sound.
On the topic of the drum kit, Carl wanted s new all-stainless steel set so went to British Steel to see what they had available. They had 0.25 inch and 0.50 inch. Thinking thicker is stronger he went for the half inch and ended up with an wonderfully engraved absolutely beautiful kit ...that weighed a freaking ton. The bass drum two burley stagehands to carry it to the stage. It actually collapsed a stage or two, after which they had to reinforce some. It didn't help either that the kit plus kettledrums, tubular bells, and two huge gongs were all set on a rotating pedestal. Never half measures with them. 🤣. I guess the kit got a bit unwieldy to tour with so after a while Carl sold the kit. It had a couple of homes..the eventually ended up in the possession of Tingo Starr who still it I believe.😊
It’s a jolly good Proggy Sunday with the quirky frenetic bombastic Keyboard Wizardy of Keith Emerson on display!
Great to see you get to this one! You're right, they are four vastly different songs. Although "Toccata" is one of my favorite ELP tracks, I figured Jana would hate it, but I was pleasantly surprised that she seemed to have mixed feelings, rather just outright hate it. I guess she's coming around on prog!
I was impressed with her reaction! She has definitely become more tolerant of this kind of music over time!
George of the Jungle and Pink Panther, of course! That's why I watch haha. Great choices!
hard to believe this stuff is 50 years old. Keith Emerson had to get classical composer Ginastera permission to get this version of Tocatta released. love your critique. happy Sunday.
Thanks! Happy Sunday!
Hey Nathan and Jana. I appreciate Jana's honesty. You can tell she wasn't crazy about this one, but she did find things to like and be positive about. Nice job Jana.👍😎
It's my dad favorite band, Are You, Eddy?, Jeremy Bender, Tarkus, Karn Evil 9 suite is my childhood songs. Thanks dad
Prog overload!
Come on Nathan, push on to get above 4k. You are nearly there my friend. You can do it. We believe in you.. and Jana!
It’s slow going but I’m getting there!! I’ll just keep pressing on with what I’m doing!
@@NathanOnShuffle I'm just passing by noticed somebody is listening to ELP, so just for giggles I'll subscribe ;) Now you're at "3.93K subscribers" plus me 😁(Oh! Have you heard Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas"?)
Toccata. The first ever electronic stainless steel drum set ever. Moog made triggers for Carl to use. So ground breaking in the day.
This can justifiably be seen as the pinnacle of ELP's career, although I prefer 'Trilogy' on the whole as an album. But there's no denying that the entire "Karn Evil 9" suite is the greatest composition this band put down on tape. But I'll say the same thing here as on another reaction channel that did this entire album side: ELP was *always* about variety (as was Keith's pre-ELP band, The Nice). You sort of just have to roll with the radical shifts in style that this album side forces on you.
That is a fair point!
Karn Evil 9 is the best. The best.
Jerusalem is based on a famous hymn that everyone knows in the UK. Caused some waves that they arranged it, even though it follows the original very closely.
Below the orginal movement the Toccata was based on.
Carl Palmer created the electronically customized percussion for this piece himself.
You should check out live performance of this piece here on youtube, amazing stuff.
Originally Ginastera, didn't want to give permission to arrange it, then Emerson flew to Berlin to meet him and showed him a recording of what they did, then they got the permission:
czcams.com/video/ODdh9LyCanY/video.html
The lyric" Someone Get me a Ladder" has always struck me as laughably absurd and terribly out of place. Just because it happens to rhyme with Matter is no reason to insert it. It was the beginning of the end of my love for ELP. Nowadays I just like them. I still love everything from the debut and Trilogy. KE9 became the prog critics (of the time) prime example of prog being overly self indulgent. Cheers!
It actually fits perfectly. This song is about the madness of fame. It is said to be an inside joke with the band, but it does help us understand the desire to just be taken out of the throngs of people who were literally tearing jewelry off of them.