MOTM

Thought some of you might get a kick outta this post I sent to the 
ELP digest in remembrance of the 30th anniv. of Brain Salad Surgery - 
or at least will be able to confirm, once and for all, my mental 
instabilities.   John is asking for submittals, remembrances, etc...

hope its not horribly OT...

the original post:


Hi ALL,

Thought I'd take John up on his offer to take a trip down BSS memory 
lane...

please excuse, I haven't ever posted here before...

(Quartal tone harmony music fades in...)

I was in 6th grade - playing first-chair clarinet (yes- I know..) in 
the Lincoln Jr. High School band and orchestra.  Most everyone there 
hated me for this knack I had with the ol' licorice stick.  The 
second chair dude, sorta a nerdy twit kinda guy - yes more than I - 
told me about this BSS album.  Basically he said: "Check it out, it's 
F@#king WEIRD!".  Thats about all he said.

At the time I was just getting into rock - and more 
definitively 'prog'.  I was totally into the Deep Purple/John Lord 
thing  - after giving up the Ritchie Blackmore/gtr. thing - and was 
beginning to noodle with keyboards (the piano) on the side.  I was 
especially enamored with synthesizers as I had seen on the cover of 
Wendy Carlos' Switched on Bach.  Now THAT thing looked interesting!  
Where the heck does one get one of those?

Bought BSS later that week - not that I trusted this band-guy mind 
you, he was a nerd after all - but I was starting to get seriously 
into music so I checked it out.  He was right, it WAS F@#king weird  -
 and I just didn't know the where or the what or the how, that this 
stuff existed at all. They HAD to be ALIENS!  And the keyboard player 
had one of those strange machines - and he kinda looked menacing!

I thought perhaps that I had a stroke or something.  It haunted me 
for weeks...and I really kept trying to like and understand the music 
and everything - all this, from the viewpoint of a "swiftly 
approaching puberty" kinda goofball that I was and still am. (ok the 
puberty part's way past me...)  

My reality had been shattered and I then really started to ponder - 
just how hip was this clarinet thing?  The chicks were not flocking.

As time went on, a year or so, I couldn't NOT listen to this album 
less than 2-4 times a day.  It became obssessive.  My parents were 
concerned - the neighbors were up in arms. I listened LOUDLY. But, it 
slowly led to me to realize that I just had to have a synth.

I got a PAIA in 7th grade and built the darn thing in about a week.  
I had threatened ANARCHY with my parents if they didn't get this 
thing for me.  Burnt many fingers, singed the eyebrows, and still 
have permanent 'Dain Braimage' from the solder fumes.    I think the 
folks were slightly amused however.

I really got into synths initially to try and make all those weird 
sounds like those on Toccata.  Yet I started to transcribe some of 
the 'easier' solos which I found I could eventually play on my new 
monophonic patchcord beast.  Wasn't worried about the left hand at 
this point...

From there it is history...I pretty much gave up life to pursue 
music.  Eventually threatened my folks again - to get a Hammond M-3.  
Played in my first High School band and did Hoedown, Tarkus, Fanfare, 
Welcome Back, etc - and some Yes and Gentle Giant stuff too.

I was completely "Assimilated" at that point  - and never returned.  
I basically got pretty good at keyboards by transcibing mostly just 
Keith's music.  Thanks Keith!

I now have about 20 synths in my recording studio and am building a 
SynthTech MOTM  - a rather large analog modular synth  - as a mid-
life crisis "have-to-do" kinda thing.

I've had the great fortune of meeting Keith Greg and Carl, a couple 
of times, and have always been amazed at how cool they are.  I even 
have a 'cast' from a broken leg, signed by all 3 and still am totally 
mystified at just how to display the darn thing without offending too 
many people.

ELP is such a vast part of my religious philosopy (Monty Python and 
music composition the other) that I cannot even begin to approach the 
words to express the respect and admiration I have for these guys.

Having been in several pretty decent prog bands by now - I don't 
really care about "whos doing what now?" or "why isn't he doing 
something...?"

Get into a band yourself and you'll soon find out the "real whys 
(mostly) " as to the current scene with ELP or anyone else for that 
matter.

I'm just happy that there's still MUSIC in their blood - and 
understand: thats how its always going to be  - when you get spirits 
like these guys who've done the kinda things that they've done - it 
just DOESN'T END.

I'll refrain from the obvious theme creeping in here....

Best to all - be kind to those who've brought you here!

And START or KEEP making the music - it cuts right through the bs - I 
promise.

Thanks again E L and P for creating such wonderful effects!  
Brain Salad Surgery  - was a stellar one for me.

Roger Rossen
mididood@...