Moog Modular featured in latest ELP DVD

[GregAE]

The lastest ELP DVD 'Birth of a Band' (actually a dual CD/DVD disc) features a clip of Keith Emerson demonstrating the Moog Modular synth as it appears today. The synth clip starts about 15 minutes into the video. As Keith plays, you can hear how amazing this room-divider-as-an-instrument still sounds. Keith explains that he keeps it in his rig because "nothing else makes a sound like it", and judging from the incredible sound it still produces, I'd agree.

('Birth of a Band' cronicles the debut performance of ELP at the Isle of wight Festival, a sort of 'British Woodstock' that took place in August, 1970. For those who don't know, this is the show that introduced ELP to a major audience (about 600,000!). The DVD disc side features a good bit of footage from the actual concert, interspersed with interviews of Keith, Greg and Carl. The CD side is the complete audio performance. Highly recommended for all ELP fans - I'm one!)


- Greg

[Modularfan]

Hey Greg -

Thanks for the head's up. What songs did ELP play? Also, what's the quality of the video on the disc? The films of those old shows can be pretty grainy.

MF (another ELP fan)

[Brian G]

Thanks Greg Cool.

Haven't picked it up yet but it's on the list

Guess I should have waited to buy the "Isle of Wight Festival" CD a few years ago . Oh well multiple copies to get additional features is worth it. But as ELP fans it required to buy all releases.....right ?

The Track listing is supposed to be:
1. Pictures at an Exhibition
2. Take a Pebble
3. Rondo
4. Nutrocker

I think there are two versions available, the dual disc and DVD only.

Here's a website with more informationhttp://www.eaglerockent.com/ecards/ELP-Birth/index.htm

[MC]

Nothing elses sounds like that Emerson Moog modular. I should know - I played it at winter NAMM 2001. Keith had the modular set up and running at the Monster cable booth, and his tech occasionally swung by to give it a run. Man what a huge sounding synth.

[GregAE]

What songs did ELP play? Also, what's the quality of the video on the disc? The films of those old shows can be pretty grainy.

MF

MF -

See BrianG' s post for the track listing. The film of the event is amazingly good - either they used really good equipment to cover the show or they put the film through some kind of restorative process. Either way, there's no significant difference between the recent video footage (the interviews) and the older film.

As for ELP's performance at the show, I'd call it ragged and unpolished at best; definately not the confident showmanship and skillful playing that we've come to expect from ELP. To be fair, this was only their 2nd outting (a 'warm-up' date was played a few days earlier, before a crowd of about 3000 at Plymouth Guidehall), and the Isle of Wight crowd was HUGE - that fact alone is enough to rattle most musicians. Still, the performance is historically notable and worthy of including in a true fan's video collection, IMO.


- G

[Arpmoogscience]

I picked up a ELP dvd a few ago called beyond the beginning that
has a lot of good old footage plus a documentry.
There is a bit with Bob Moog talking about his meeting keith ect
that is really cool. Someone told me this was Moogs last interview
before his passing but I dont no.
I went and seen Steve Howe last week and this guy was telling me
the first time he seen ELP a portion of there set was King Crimson.
IF true that would have been something seeing Keiths take on
20 century schizoid man and court of the crimson king.

[GregAE]

Someone told me this was Moogs last interview
before his passing but I dont no.
I went and seen Steve Howe last week and this guy was telling me
the first time he seen ELP a portion of there set was King Crimson.

I had suggested here that Bob's appearance on that DVD 'might' have been the last interview before he died, but I don't know that for certain. It is good that a number of 'Bob Moog appearances' were captured on video before the great man's passing, especially the Moog movie.

ELP certainly could have played some of the KC stuff early on to round-out their live set, since they didn't have a lot of original tunes. Greg Lake did come to ELP from KC, after all, so it's possible. ELP's version of '21st Century Schzoid Man' appears on the 'The Return of the Manticore', a four disc box set from 1993. (Related: 'Fire', a song from The Crazy World World of Aurthur Brown, the band that Carl was in before ELP, is also in the box set, along with 'Hang on to a Dream', a song from The Nice, Keith's former band) Also, Greg quotes a few lines from 'Court of the Crimson King' on a live version of 'Pictures at an Exhibition' (can't recall the recording that it appears on - "ELP in Concert' perhaps?)

- Greg

[Sweep]

Also, Greg quotes a few lines from 'Court of the Crimson King' on a live version of 'Pictures at an Exhibition' (can't recall the recording that it appears on - "ELP in Concert' perhaps?)

He also goes into part of Epitaph, from the Court of the Crimson King album during Battlefield on the Welcome Back My Friends live album. I wonder if he did that quite often during live gigs?

[GregAE]

Also, Greg quotes a few lines from 'Court of the Crimson King' on a live version of 'Pictures at an Exhibition' (can't recall the recording that it appears on - "ELP in Concert' perhaps?)

He also goes into part of Epitaph, from the Court of the Crimson King album during Battlefield on the Welcome Back My Friends live album. I wonder if he did that quite often during live gigs?

Sweep -

You're right. I'm sure the 'Epitaph' quote was the one I was actually thinking of. I stand corrected (and am off to dig out my WBMF vinyl and give it a listen).

FWIW, I don't think Greg Lake quoted lyrics from his older songs that often. Sting, on the other hand...



Greg