On Wed, 7 May 2008 07:00:07 -0700 (PDT), progea hotmail.com>
wrote:

On a side note, but more to the point - Pink Floyd has release far
more commercial (ie pop tunes, likable on radio) than ELP has. I
don't think that any album that ELP has made has been made with that
parody of itself stigma going on.

"Money", "We Don't Need No Education", eh? Money became somewhat of a
hit and it was to be anti-money? heh! I think that Waters needs an
education with the second offering. The social commentary involved
with PF's older works is apparent. ELP made music for music's sake.
They may have come up on the political / offbeat side as a side
effect, but not as a focus. Or so it seems to me.

Instead of dreaming about friends long past and "Wishing You Were
Here" Syd themes constantly running through their music, ELP brought
the dead or dying back into the light without pity or remorse. Ask
Ginastera about "Toccata".

Where Floyd was into verbalizing their discontent, ELP played music to
shake up the aficionados and the upper crusties of the world. Both
had the knack to do that, mind you, but I believe that ELP approached
it sonically.

Having said all that, I have a special place in my music locker of a
heart for both PF and ELP. Not the political, infighting or the
martyrdom of Syd. Both have made decent music throughout their
careers and that is that.

I will always like "Ummagumma - Live", "Meddle", "DSOTHM" as well as
"ELP", "Pictures", "BSS" and "ELPowell" - not to mention their 3
record set "Welcome Back...". Having seen Floyd without Waters a few
times leaves one a little flat at times, but Gilmour is no slouch,
despite the pundits. I have also seen Waters a few times as well. Not
as much dramatics as a Floyd show. Granted that Waters wrote more
lyrics, but Gilmour could play rings around Waters sonically, which he
is trying to reproduce for the DSOTHM tour coming up.

Musically, Emerson and Gilmour are extremely gifted in their crafts,
although I lean towards Emerson for technique and mastery of several
styles, I lean towards Gilmour for creating his own easily
recognizable style in the myriad numbers of guitbox slingers out
there.

Lake versus Waters? Lake can sink into the depths of despair as well
as Waters, but Waters seems to be taking the larger anti-depressant
dosage. Lake can probably play rings around Waters in a heartbeat.
Although some here think that Sinfield's lyrics are shite, I believe
that the KC relation between Lake and him were an integral part of the
vocals being what they were in ELP. I mean to say that overall I can
handle them quite well.

Palmer vs. Mason? Mason was well off, according to the trades, so
this was just fun time for him. Palmer has been around the block, in
more ways than one. Who's better? Who's to say, I'm sure FOR will
come up with a list for this soon enough. Palmer's timing issue vs.
Mason's Tom Tom bashing? Both have gongs!

Poor Rick Wright has the task of being odd man out - sort of. His
playing picked up over the years and it has rounded out that Floyd
sound, to be sure. He's no Emerson, but he can play his way out of an
Animal bag.

I'm sure this will raise the hackles of a few posters here, but since
it hasn't been cross-broadcasted, we may yet see some familiar faces
taking me to task. I invite the discussion.