Written by Trent Richer and Photographs by Lee-Ann Wylie
During the 70’s I was a huge fan of rock bands like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and The Who, but I also liked “Prog Rock” bands like YES, King Crimson and Genesis. One day a friend came over and said you have to listen to this! It was ELP’s debut album. Even though I loved their balled, Lucky Man, which was a huge hit on the radio, the album was even more amazing! I was hooked!
One of the members out of that trio was Carl Palmer. Palmer had drummed for Atomic Rooster and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown before meeting up with Keith Emerson and Greg Lake (who rounded out the trio to form ELP). In 2003 Palmer teamed up with guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and in 2005 Bassist Stuart Clayton to move forward in a new vein on some classic ELP music.
The Carl Palmer Band has been to Hamilton a few times and I thought it was time to see what his trio had to offer. They were performing at Hamilton Place, The Studio. The evening was nearly sold out. I looked at the crowd of around 300 people and judged the average age to be 55+ and predominantly male.
The stage was a very simple setup, with one small screen in behind the drum kit, with projected images. The drums were front and centre with a mike up front, off to the right, so Palmer could come out and host the evening between songs.
The evening started with Mancini’s “Peter Gunn” theme and then they then thundered into “Welcome Back My Friends”. It was interesting following who was covering the vocals and keyboards since they had neither. Would it be guitar or bass? Or both? During “Welcome Back”, Clayton covered the vocals high up the neck on his 6 string bass.
They then followed up with Aaron Coplands, “Howdown” from the ELP Trilogy album. After they finished, Palmer came to the front of the stage and asked to have the house lights brought up for the show as he wanted to be able to see the audience, to be more in touch with them.
Next was “Knife Edge” off ELP’s first album. It was interesting to see from a musician’s standpoint, how Knife Edge was covered without keys and vocals. In this rendition, Bielatowicz added guitar and replicated the bass line with the use of effects while the Clayton used the bass to cover the vocal lines. The musicianship was outstanding.
Palmer told the story of how ELP was sued over “Knife Edge”. He added humour to a not so funny situation! The song was based on the first movement of Leoš Janáček’s “Sinfonietta” (1926) and his family sued ELP. The credit was changed to reflect Janáček’s name. It was funny when Carl was saying they were merrily playing the song and then a knock came to the door – no more playing that song!! At least until proper credit was given. I guess you had to be there!
As far as “The Man”, his playing ability, agility, speed and tempo are all still intact! Influenced by great drummers like Joe Morello, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, Palmer is the powerhouse behind yet another trio. Watching the smile on his face emanates the passion he still has for his music.
I had to laugh, after a blistering tune Palmer would run out to the mike and tell a story, say some kind words or tell a joke while panting and then run back to the kit to pound through the next piece of music.
The band covered Leonard Bernstein’s “America” from West Side Story and a few other favourites including “Tarkus”. Watching Clayton cover the keyboard parts in “Tarkus” was a treat; I was on the edge of my seat!
Then Palmer and Clayton left the stage allowing Paul Bielatowicz to perform solo. It was a nice touch to listen to a more melodic piece, as opposed to the 80’s style of tapping and playing. It was followed by the return of the other members, and eventually the playing evolved into a bass solo by Clayton. When he started playing Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” I thought, if I hear this song one more time I am going to scream. Within minutes I was totally won over by the craftsmanship! Once more the band reunited to close off the set before taking a 15 minute break.
The musicianship in these two players that Palmer has plucked is almost indescribable. They go beyond playing their instruments; they have mastered them with their speed and technique.
While I was out at the merchandise table during the break, I was talking with some friends as to their take on the band. They were also ELP fanatics, but with one difference. They loved the new band and the revamp of the ELP material. I didn’t share their opinion. I am stuck on having keyboards and vocals in ELP material. I went with an open mind, and it just didn’t happen. All amazing musicians but I couldn’t evolve. I was impressed by Palmer’s playing and the ability of the band. But, for me, it was like listening to Eddie Van Halen, replace Paul McCartney and John Lennon and having no vocals in the Beatles music. Also, I found from the second level that I couldn’t hear the bass guitar in the mix that well, and the actual tone of the drums was ok. NOW having said that I still think if you are an ELP fan this is a must see, show! Even if you are a purist or stuck on the old arrangements as I am, it is still worth seeing the magical talents of these 3 musicians!
In closing I would like to thank Carl Palmer who is still “The Man” and still solos like no one else! And to his band for a great musical experience.
