“If you were stranded on a desert island with just one album to listen to, what would it be?” If you are my age, I’m sure you’ve answered this question many times. My response was pretty standard: Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson Lake and Palmer. Throughout the years, I have owned this on vinyl (twice), on cassette, on 8-track, and on CD. It is an album I never tire of listening to.
I dug out this stub because Greg Lake passed away a couple days ago. He died the same year that his bandmate Keith Emerson also died. 2016 has been a terrible year for musicians.
I went to this concert with my friend Bill, a former bandmate of mine and a writer for various music publications. He had acquired a pair of complimentary tickets, which included a pass to meet Greg after the performance. I have to say, I was pretty excited to meet someone who has inspired me musically for most of my life.
We drove to Raleigh, got some food, then went to the venue. The manager there was very accommodating and invited us in early, gave us more food and beverages, and made us feel like VIP’s. The venue was intimate and we had great seats. Finally, the lights went out and Greg Lake took the stage.
This was his “storyteller” tour, so it was just him on the stage, playing bass and guitar along with recorded tracks, and of course singing. He also spent a good deal of time between songs telling personal stories about bands, recordings, and life as a musician. I felt like I got to know him on a deeper level and gained a more rich understanding of him as an artist. He played a broad selection of music from his early days in King Crimson through ELP and solo material. For me, it was an amazing experience, but it got better.
After the performance, we went to the VIP guest room and waited for Greg to arrive. After a bit, he showed up and people queued up to meet him and ask him questions. I of course had to bring a copy of Brain Salad Surgery, which he graciously signed for me. I felt a little intimidated meeting him, but he was pretty relaxed. I asked him what new bands he listened to. He said none, really. I felt a twinge of sadness for him. There are some great musicians out there now, and I thought he might find enjoyment and inspiration from listening to them. To quote his song: “C’est la vie” (which he played).
Greg Lake will be sorely missed, but he has gone on to join the great gig in the sky. Godspeed.
The Stub Collection 
[…] The Stub Collection […]
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Ah yes, you’re seeing it more my way here! 🙂
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Further to the above, I just lit a candle and listened to BSS for the first time. Thank you for the recommendation! It’s like one of those “missing link” albums that fill in the gaps of younger days. So many different influences… not sure at what points they were *coming in from* or *going out to* other prominent artists. Great fusion of prog rock, classical, jazz, etc. Amazing musicianship. And I love the sound of those synths. New VST instruments try to emulate that. Some with reasonable success but nothing like the orig.
My sister had two of the big ELP lps but not this one. 🙂
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Glad you liked the album. Emerson played a custom analog Moog synthesizer in those days. The Moog factory is located walking distance from where I live, and on tours they talk about Emerson’s synth and there is even a giant mural on the building of it.
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That is so cool. Last night, after I posted that, I began to wonder if the term “analog” is a modern version of the old “solid state”- meaning, no tubes – or whether analog differs from solid state. Today, of course, the main dialectic is analog vs. digital.
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I believe there are still tubes in an analog synth, but that it has to do with the circuitry that connects the pots, tubes, etc. not a synth techie, so not 100% sure
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