Their most beautiful song yet that I've discovered! Lush and sublime are understatements, and those strings and choir are everything!! Thanks for watching! 🥰
You are spot on regarding the amazing versatility of this unbelievably talented group. From one end of the spectrum to the other, their songs are masterpieces! Thanks for another great review!
Another of Greg's acoustic masterpieces. The entirety of Greg's side 2 of Works vol 1 is pure gold. Other gems from here are: Lend your love to me tonight, Hallowed be thy name & the magnificent Closer to believing which will take you to heaven, the choral arrangement is beyond description. Incidentally it was an accordian used here, not sure if Keith played it in the session but he certainly did on the Works orchestral tour that followed. Shout out to Pete Sinfield, what a word smith, he & Greg go back to Crimson days, he is prominent in the other songs as well as on Karn Evil 9 from the previous album, all of which you seriously need to hear. Works was my entry into ELP back in '77, their last great album, a big departure from the hammond/moog era with Keith extensively using the Yamaha GX-1 on the band side (Fanfare & Pirates). Also love Keith's contribution with Piano Concerto nbr 1 & Carl's Enemy God & reworked Tank. Cheers
@@retroreactions.... , "Karn Evil 9" is becoming the Holy Grail of your channel! 😂 I'm afraid you'll find it no big deal when you finally come to it (or that you will be overwhelmed by its sheer complexity ---- they really needed all those 29 minutes to fit everything they wanted to play, think "Tarkus" more ethereal at times, more dramatic at others, but on steroids). Don't forget to search for the brilliant cover art of "Brain Salad Surgery", by Swiss cyberpunk artist H. R. Giger ("GHEE-gher"), the same guy who designed the visuals in the "Alien" movie. It's one of the most iconic and celebrated record covers ever, complete with foldable parts (which some luxury CD editions also have).
LOL....soon enough....Tarkus on steroids??? WOW....I wonder which will be more mind blowing, Karn Evil, War of the Worlds, The Ninth Wave by Kate Bush or Thick as a Brick...
Peter Sinfield could be called a prominent lyricist/songwriter of that time. He also worked with King Crimson on KC's debut album " In The Court Of The Crimson King ", Greg Lake was in KC at that time. Greg Lake(RIP) singing is ALWAYS a good thing
I thought you'd like that one. Simply gorgeous. I've often wondered why other standard bearers outside of rock haven't covered this beautiful romantic song. That last fully immersive stanza gets me every time. Greg Lake vocals at its best. RIP
Greg, Jon, Ian, Annie, Justin...so many sublime prog voices. Didn't realize Sinfield was behind this one, but he wrote great lyrics for King Crimson, and had a solo album of him own, on which Greg sang some sonorous bits. One song, "Still" is a masterpiece. It starts with Pete's humanly voice, but then transforms into Greg's heavenly voice midsentence. Quite the anthem, as is this luscious love song.
@@retroreactions.... He's a pretty underground dude. A poet. Akin to Syd Barrett and Jamie Muir. Zero concern for popularity. ua-cam.com/video/Z_tmCFYKplY/v-deo.html
@@kratino I agree entirely. Better than any ELP song in some ways. "As I race over this beautiful sphere..." gives me horripilations; makes the hairs stand on end. And again at the end with "Beatles and Bolan, etc..."
They way he writes and the phrasing is always gorgeous, just like the tone of his voice.❤ If you haven't yet, you should do "Take a Pebble" and "Still, you turn me on".😊
As I told you before in a previous ELP review, "C'est la Vie" was a big hit here back in the day because it was used in the soundtrack of a popular soap opera (soap operas are a BIG part of contemporary Brazilian popular culture, they have very high production standards and multimillionaire budgets, and are exported to over 100 countries, but like everything on old-fashioned broadcast TV everywhere, in recent years they've lost a lot of audience to Internet streaming, UA-cam, social networks, and such, and consequently are far less important today). So, in addition to being played on (monophonic big-tube) TV during the soap opera whenever a certain character appeared, it was played all the time on the radio (usually either battery-powered portable transistor radios or monophonic AM radios in taxis and such, always with extremely low sound quality, and it was a very much shortened radio edit) and on ambient music systems wherever you went. I listened to it more than 10 times a day, under these conditions (which made it sound extremely corny and overly sentimental), and it didn't take long for me to become allergic to it and to hate it viscerally. I was also puzzled how my beloved ELP could have gone so low as to make such crap. It was only a few weeks ago, after my previous comment here, that I decided to revisit "C'est la Vie", and after decades of detoxification and listening to it with good-quality headphones and hi-fi digital stereo sound, this time I was blown away just like you were now. What a gem had been stolen from me by overexposure and low audio quality! I was particularly impressed with the accordion solo, which was very much shortened in the radio version and sounded stupid (French title, French instrument, duh!), but I found amazing this time. But I didn't find any relation to "Fragile", a song I know well because Sting recorded a version in Portuguese of it for the Brazilian market, "Frágil", obviously with (loosely related) lyrics by a Brazilian composer (it's horrendous, he predictably butchered the pronunciation so much that it's barely understandable, it must have been recorded verse by verse after many attempts with a native coach, and when I went to a Sting concert in my hometown he sang it in English --- and it was precisely the "Nothing Like the Sun" tour). Brazilian pressings of "Nothing Like the Sun" (both on LP and CD) contain both versions and I heard that they're collector's items in other countries.
Yea, interesting how it all ended up for you with this one. (Bad?) edits and lower sound quality definitely have an impact on songs. I guarantee the radio stations here that I listened to for decades have never played this song or probably any ELP for that matter. They were very narrow in their rotating playlist, which is one reason I gave up radio. Glad you see the song's full brilliance now. The English sung version of Fragile has more impact on me. He clearly must have felt more comfortable expressing himself in his native language...
Greg Lake's vocals are so distinctive and flowing. Pete Sinfield put out an album titled "Still". In the song "Still" Pete Sinfield starts the song very mellow, with a soft voice, wondering if he had a prior life as a bird or a stream or a tree. However, mid-song the lead vocals switch to the familiar voice of Greg Lake which is much more powerful than that of Sinfield, yet the song flows beautifully. Not too many people know of this album and the song "Still". Obscure, yet Greg Lake makes it memorable.
Another surprise today… and early. Maybe another?? This is definitely another side of ELP. When I saw ELP back in 1997, they played this second on their set, after opening with “Karn Evil 9”. They were amazing live!
Hello. Just ones all week. Crazy schedule so I had to juggle video times around. I really want to change my filming schedule up to edit and upload at night for release the following morning early. Maybe that would increase some views. We shall see...Wow, 2 epic songs back to back...well I don't even know yet how epic Karn Evil is 😀
It's an actual accordion. And even though ELP were split up on this album and not always working on each other's music, that is indeed Emerson playing the accordion.
Peter Sinfield did some work with King Crimson during the early days of that band. "C'est La Vie" has a special place in my heart. The tune brings out the poet and the romanticist in all of us. Greg Lake's unique vocals, along with the heartfelt music is truly one for the ages. Greg and chorus evoke a flock of doves taking flight and disappearing into a slate grey Autumn sky over Paris. Of course, the accordion evokes a mental image of Paris in Autumn (for me, anyway). The LPs "Tarkus" and "Pictures from an Exhibition" are still favourites of mine. Greg Lake also composed, sang and played one of my favourite Christmas songs -- "I Believe in Father Christmas." Within that tune, some of the background melody is from "Troika" by Prokofiev. Many thanks, Retro Reactions! Keep up the great work!
@@retroreactions.... Many thanks. I feel like I've "lived" this song -- many times. This tune has often streamed through my mind whilst I walked through a nearby park in Autumn -- the wind blowing leaves all about me -- the skies bringing the first snows of the year. Gazing upward into a gray sky, I keep thinking, "Barbra Rose, I miss you beyond mere words and I love you beyond Time." Take care. -- W
@@retroreactions.... - When you allow the music to take you to special places in Time and in your mind, you start to understand the greater forces of this universe which are all around us. Great music is the magnet -- it draws us to it and holds us. Great music is the cure for all that is wrong in this world. Great music is Heaven's gift to us all. Peace be your journey. -- W
5:15 Very good point, but I'd say 3 sides instead of 2... Ballads- These are tunes featuring Greg Lake's vocals and acoustic guitar. Electronic (synth virtuoso)- The bulk of ELP music and obviously features Keith Emerson on a variety of electronic keyboard instruments and Carl Palmer on drums. Classical- While much of their electronic music is based on classical compositions (e.g. Fanfare), Emerson also provided us with fairly straight performances of classical piano pieces.
Did she touch your heart? Like me when I heard it for the first time in 1977, and since then it's been the most beautiful love song I've ever heard. All the songs Greg wrote, and you listed them yourself, are the opposite of Emerson, the ELP albums after Love Beach (horror) are Greg albums accompanied by Emerson and Palmer, IMHO
When I saw you were reviewing this song Beandon, I couldn't pass it up. This is such a beautiful song and recorded to perfection. Yes Keith played the accordian wonderfully but Greg's voice was probably my favourite in all the prog roxk world: so rich, so expressive. E.L.P. have many styles and are true prog roxk giants. For just three musicians they are unbeatable.
Hello Kevin, thanks for stopping by! Deep, rich and soul-satisfying voice for sure! Appreciate you watching and the comment. Have a great day & night!!
The double album Works is divided into 4 parts (record sides). One from Emerson, one from Lake, one from Palmer, and one from all three together. Songs like "C'est La Vie" are almost always written by Greg Lake. I think dividing ELP into 2 styles is not enough. There's the soft "ballad side", the rock and prog rock side, the classical side and the experimental side, and there are also a lot of fun songs. I don't think you've heard "Karn Evil 9" yet. The song sums up some of ELP's "range". You can hear 100% "classical" on Emerson's "Piano Concerto No. 1" on the album Works.
Hello! 4 or 5 styles works for me! Karn Evil still on the horizon...it's a bit intimidating, but hey I've already tackled Supper's Ready, Tarkus, Close to the Edge and 2112!! Thanks for watching!
Did you know there was a time in 1985- 1986, they came back but Carl Palmer was not available cause he had a contract with Asia, so they brought Cozy Powell and recorded one album titled "Touch and go"? There is an album from 1994 titled "In the hot seat" where there is a song, "Give me a reason to stay", it is a balad, a romantic one that I like the most. You should react to it!
@@retroreactions.... "Give Me" is very obscure in their catalog. I'd go with about 10 others before that. "Karn Evil 9," "The Endless Enigma," Closer to Believing," "Touch and Go," "Pictures at an Exhibition" (or at least "The Sage" from that album). "Still. . . You Turn Me on." Watch Greg's live performance of that last one at CalJam. It will floor you.
Personally, brandon, I prefer "Closer To Believing" from the same album, but it's a very, very close call; absolutely beautiful! Peter Sinfield is a fabulous lyricist and his work with King Crimson is marvellous too, especially on the "Islands" album, and the eponymous track is fabulou; Gaunt granite climbs where gulls wheel and glide Mournfully glide o'er my island My dawn bride's veil, damp and pale Dissolves in the sun Love's web is spun, cats prowl, mice run etc. On "Lizard", especially the eponymous track sung by Jon Anderson, is beautiful. But Gordon Haskell's singing part has the most amazing lyrics: Night enfolds her cloak of holes Around the river meadow. Old moon-light stalks by broken ploughs Hides spokeless wheels in shadow. Sentries lean on thorn wood spears Blow on their hands, stare eastwards. Burnt with dream and taut with fear Dawn's misty shawl upon them. Three hills apart great armies stir Spit oath and curse as day breaks. Forming lines of horse and steel By even yards, march forward… Beware King Crimson, or should I say Robert Fripp, can be utter arseholes about reaction videos. How else will youngsters discover King Crimson unless guys like Brandon react to these.
Absolutely love this song. I remember the first time I heard it, when I bought ‘The Works’, back then. It’s still among my Vinyl collection. Love the vocal harmonies, the Orchestra and when the Accordion comes in with that beautiful Parisian sound, it instantly gives me goosebumps. It just transports you away to, ‘Gay Paree’. (Meaning happy and carefree). Weirdly, that Accordion sound also made me think of Peter Sarstedt’s Classic 60’s song, ‘Where Do You Go To My Lovely’. 🎶❤️🎶
@@retroreactions.... oh yes you can see the magic of Keith Emerson up close and the Bass playing of Greg Lake and Carl Palmer using his 2 Giant Gongs 🔥🔥🔥
Good reaction. I've loved this song ever since I met it over 30 years ago. You should react to Jean Michel Jarre, one of the fathers of electronic music, or to Heilung, a Nordic group that will surprise you like no other. Thanks.
@@retroreactions.... Phew... Jarre is so complex and disparate that it's nearly impossible to select a couple of favorite tracks. I could lean towards Zoolookooloogie and equinoxe Part 5 in the most commercial part. In the less commercial and more planning part, in quotes, they could be Magnetic fields Part 4 or, for example, Rendez vous Part 2, Arpegiator... A hug. Ah, if you put some of the great Franco Battiato that would be great too.
Beautiful combination of nostalgy and sadness where the wonderful voice of Greg (r.i.p) fits perfectly. C'est la vie monsieur Brandon... if you want another one similar to this one, but more extensive, reacts to "Closer To Believing"" if you want an epic, short and glorious song, reacts to "Jerusalem" and if you want an accoustic, soft, christmas feeling, react to "I Believe in Father Christmas" . A la prochaine fois, dans le passé ;)
Sooooooo pretty. Love the flute. The accordion is inspired. And the middle 8 switching to waltz time. Totally with you on the Nights in White Satin comparison. Interesting your point about two sides -- the one song that combines both is "Still You Turn Me On."
@@retroreactions...., @sourisvoleur4854 is absolutely right. How could I forget "Still... You Turn Me On"? You can add my vote for it, too, it's an amazing song!
There are two (three) very different sides of ELP. One is the complex, polyphonic, modern music of Emerson and the other is the simple music with strong melodies of Lake where his beautiful voice shines. Often they are simply presented separately but when both come together and complement each other, then something particularly great is created (Eg. synth solo in Lucky Man. Not really here for me. A synth wizzard playing an accordion 😉 )
I don't think Lake didn't anything resembling country. They did a few Western-influenced songs, The Sheriff and Hoedown, but country music uses very different instrumentation and lyrical themes than ELP ever did.
Keith also played brilliant acoustic piano, if you recall. He could play anything with a keyboard, and an accordion has one. The accordion is gorgeous in this song, so I'm confused by this comment.
@kratino You're right, country music is a genre. I deleted it. But you should listen to the acoustic guitar part on “Take a pebble”. This is pure country music, at least for me.
@@kratino You don't need to be confused. It's very simple. An Accordion is not a synthesizer, piano or Hammond organ which he normally played. And an accordion doesn't fit into the sound of prog rock music. Here in this song it fits.
5:25 "Journey type songs"? Is this a reference to the band Journey? I am wounded sir! One should never say the master is like the student. I am fine with the Moody Blues comparison since they were on par with ELP and were kings of orchestral Prog.
At the risk of frustrating the unfailing fans of ELP, the amateur all the same assiduous that I am of this band has always considered this composition as the most banal (on the verge of a failure if it were not for the melody in the French sauce and the very enveloping orchestral arrangement) of their production. It was necessary to fill in "Works, Volume 1"! Sorry, this song is totally outside the ELP identity. Thanks.
It doesn't frustrate me. I just think it's silly. Where do you get the idea that it was necessary to fill in Greg's side? ELP's identity? What identity? Have you actually listened to ELP?
@@kratino I only gave my point of view. I never claimed that this one had universal truth value and didn't force anyone to agree with me. I did not attack anyone and my comment remained within the bounds of courtesy and politeness. Telling me "you're not frustrated" with my judgment while adding that it's "idiot" is, to say the least, incoherent and slapstick. But if, according to you, ELP has never had an identity, then I strongly question the quality of your ear and your musical knowledge and guess, by this, that when on its initial release I acquired "Works , Volume 1", you weren't born yet... and probably very far from being born. I regret your peremptory tone because we could have had a profitable exchange. This channel has always displayed, until this video, only measured exchanges; I hope that the aggressive tenor of your answer will remain a distressing exception. Mr. Brandon and I do not always share the same perception of the compositions and yet neither of them has yet felt "frustrated"; still less to feel the need to come to insults. He reacts, I react... you overreact. This will be my only response to your address.
@@sagitt1856 I didn't use the word "idiot." Maybe you have me confused with someone else. When you call a beautiful piece of work that had Brandon practically passing out with bliss "banal," them's fighting words. I was born in 1959, so don't patronize me. You came in with guns blazing, and now you're incensed that someone has the temerity to push back. I also minored in music and taught piano. I'm quite familiar with ELP's catalog, and their identity is incredibly diverse, so to say this song doesn't comport with their "identity" outs you as someone who doesn't know them at all. And I mean at all. Just count the number of insults you hurled at me in your last post alone, not to mention the one about this song, which, as you admit, probably means a lot to the fans watching this reaction. So no. There will be no "profitable exchange," whatever that is. BTW, if you consider "silly" an insult, what do you consider "incoherent" and "slapstick"?
@@retroreactions....He says it's not his favorite. It's not my favorite either, but I'm not sure that means he doesn't care for it. I genuinely dislike a few ELP songs, but this is one I can't imagine anyone disliking. We do have one sorehead weighing in here who says it's "sappy." It went to #1 in Canada. So he's outnumbered. I'm with you. I find its beauty almost unbearable.
Yea, it just depends on how your musical brain is wired. Every person's musical profile is unique, and of course I think that's a good thing and fascinating. That's why I can love interesting combinations of music like disco/prog/opera/classical/synthpop/trip hop/gothic rock/etc...
This is the song which, when it came out, made me think Prog is loosing itself. No more adventurous searches, too mellow and pop sounding songs. I was angry about ELP and stopped listening to them (except for their previous albums). Now I relisten it here for the first time. I still find it too mellow and I get why I hated it back then: the use of accordeon to give this French cliché, the melody that is so mainstream. Well today I must admit it's a nice song, well done, but still, for me, much sirupy strings effects. Not tock enough.
@@kratino I agree with that. But their last production didn't appeal to me… Works was a great deception for me. I don't say it's a bad album, just I didn't like it at all.
@@kratinoI'm sorry I have to7 disagree with you sugar bear❤ the great Keith Emerson himself said from the very beginning he wanted to put the best three piece progressive rock musicians together on the planet😮 Carl Palmer was really the only one bet did not like the progressive rock label stating that ELP were eclectic. Keith and Greg always referred to their selves as progressive rock😊 thank you Pooh Bear. Whenever you have a question you can ask me because I have a near genius IQ especially when it comes to Emerson Lake and Palmer😊 peace and love❤
Of course I see this one very differently than you. Thanks for any watch time though, and I've added your vote for Toccata. Should happen in the next 1-2 rounds for ELP!
Their most beautiful song yet that I've discovered! Lush and sublime are understatements, and those strings and choir are everything!! Thanks for watching! 🥰
You have to listen "Lend your love to me tonight"...
For me, the best song of ELP, I love it!
Nice!!
Not ELP, this is Greg song
Greg was such a brilliant vocalist who will be on repeat in heaven forever.
YES! Thank you my friend...
Singing harmonies with himself!
I saw him perform this in Chicago in 77’ with a 70 piece symphony. 87,000 people struck silent.
Wow, that sounds amazing!! Epic memory for sure...
You are spot on regarding the amazing versatility of this unbelievably talented group. From one end of the spectrum to the other, their songs are masterpieces! Thanks for another great review!
There are far, far more than two sides of ELP. They're insanely versatile.
I'm quickly learning that here in the comments....thanks!
Wait until you hear “Closer to Believing “ from that same album. It took him 17 weeks to produce. Try it, it will leave you in awe.
17 WOW! I added your vote for it, thank you!
Another of Greg's acoustic masterpieces. The entirety of Greg's side 2 of Works vol 1 is pure gold. Other gems from here are: Lend your love to me tonight, Hallowed be thy name & the magnificent Closer to believing which will take you to heaven, the choral arrangement is beyond description. Incidentally it was an accordian used here, not sure if Keith played it in the session but he certainly did on the Works orchestral tour that followed. Shout out to Pete Sinfield, what a word smith, he & Greg go back to Crimson days, he is prominent in the other songs as well as on Karn Evil 9 from the previous album, all of which you seriously need to hear. Works was my entry into ELP back in '77, their last great album, a big departure from the hammond/moog era with Keith extensively using the Yamaha GX-1 on the band side (Fanfare & Pirates). Also love Keith's contribution with Piano Concerto nbr 1 & Carl's Enemy God & reworked Tank. Cheers
Hello. Thanks for the info and suggestions. Got me excited for side 2! Yes, Karn Evil looming on the Retro Reactions horizon...
@@retroreactions.... , "Karn Evil 9" is becoming the Holy Grail of your channel! 😂 I'm afraid you'll find it no big deal when you finally come to it (or that you will be overwhelmed by its sheer complexity ---- they really needed all those 29 minutes to fit everything they wanted to play, think "Tarkus" more ethereal at times, more dramatic at others, but on steroids). Don't forget to search for the brilliant cover art of "Brain Salad Surgery", by Swiss cyberpunk artist H. R. Giger ("GHEE-gher"), the same guy who designed the visuals in the "Alien" movie. It's one of the most iconic and celebrated record covers ever, complete with foldable parts (which some luxury CD editions also have).
LOL....soon enough....Tarkus on steroids??? WOW....I wonder which will be more mind blowing, Karn Evil, War of the Worlds, The Ninth Wave by Kate Bush or Thick as a Brick...
Peter Sinfield could be called a prominent lyricist/songwriter of that time. He also worked with King Crimson on KC's debut album " In The Court Of The Crimson King ", Greg Lake was in KC at that time.
Greg Lake(RIP) singing is ALWAYS a good thing
What a lyricist in Peter and what a vocalist in Greg...did watch a couple of interviews with Greg and he seemed like a great down to earth guy!
In fact Sinfield wrote all the lyrics for KC's first four studio albums, up until _Larks Tongues._ A master lyricist.
I thought you'd like that one. Simply gorgeous. I've often wondered why other standard bearers outside of rock haven't covered this beautiful romantic song. That last fully immersive stanza gets me every time. Greg Lake vocals at its best. RIP
You know me well! Top level in all aspects..
Wow. Kind of brought a tear. ELP were awesome. Waiting for Toccata!
Stunningly beautiful in my opinion. Yes they were! Hopefully soon...Toccata and Karn Evil have the most votes on my to do list. Thanks for watching!
Greg, Jon, Ian, Annie, Justin...so many sublime prog voices. Didn't realize Sinfield was behind this one, but he wrote great lyrics for King Crimson, and had a solo album of him own, on which Greg sang some sonorous bits. One song, "Still" is a masterpiece. It starts with Pete's humanly voice, but then transforms into Greg's heavenly voice midsentence. Quite the anthem, as is this luscious love song.
Oh, didn't know Pete has his own albums. No one reacts to him on YT strangely. Thanks for the info bud...
@@retroreactions.... He's a pretty underground dude. A poet. Akin to Syd Barrett and Jamie Muir. Zero concern for popularity. ua-cam.com/video/Z_tmCFYKplY/v-deo.html
"Still" is overwhelmingly beautiful when Greg comes in.
@@kratino I agree entirely. Better than any ELP song in some ways. "As I race over this beautiful sphere..." gives me horripilations; makes the hairs stand on end. And again at the end with "Beatles and Bolan, etc..."
@@MisterWondrous I don’t agree it’s better than any ELP song, but it is magnificent.
They way he writes and the phrasing is always gorgeous, just like the tone of his voice.❤ If you haven't yet, you should do "Take a Pebble" and "Still, you turn me on".😊
Keith pi’s playing the Accordion you should see the live version🔥🔥🔥
Nice! i will have to look it up live on UA-cam. Thanks for stopping by!
As I told you before in a previous ELP review, "C'est la Vie" was a big hit here back in the day because it was used in the soundtrack of a popular soap opera (soap operas are a BIG part of contemporary Brazilian popular culture, they have very high production standards and multimillionaire budgets, and are exported to over 100 countries, but like everything on old-fashioned broadcast TV everywhere, in recent years they've lost a lot of audience to Internet streaming, UA-cam, social networks, and such, and consequently are far less important today).
So, in addition to being played on (monophonic big-tube) TV during the soap opera whenever a certain character appeared, it was played all the time on the radio (usually either battery-powered portable transistor radios or monophonic AM radios in taxis and such, always with extremely low sound quality, and it was a very much shortened radio edit) and on ambient music systems wherever you went. I listened to it more than 10 times a day, under these conditions (which made it sound extremely corny and overly sentimental), and it didn't take long for me to become allergic to it and to hate it viscerally. I was also puzzled how my beloved ELP could have gone so low as to make such crap.
It was only a few weeks ago, after my previous comment here, that I decided to revisit "C'est la Vie", and after decades of detoxification and listening to it with good-quality headphones and hi-fi digital stereo sound, this time I was blown away just like you were now. What a gem had been stolen from me by overexposure and low audio quality! I was particularly impressed with the accordion solo, which was very much shortened in the radio version and sounded stupid (French title, French instrument, duh!), but I found amazing this time.
But I didn't find any relation to "Fragile", a song I know well because Sting recorded a version in Portuguese of it for the Brazilian market, "Frágil", obviously with (loosely related) lyrics by a Brazilian composer (it's horrendous, he predictably butchered the pronunciation so much that it's barely understandable, it must have been recorded verse by verse after many attempts with a native coach, and when I went to a Sting concert in my hometown he sang it in English --- and it was precisely the "Nothing Like the Sun" tour). Brazilian pressings of "Nothing Like the Sun" (both on LP and CD) contain both versions and I heard that they're collector's items in other countries.
Yea, interesting how it all ended up for you with this one. (Bad?) edits and lower sound quality definitely have an impact on songs. I guarantee the radio stations here that I listened to for decades have never played this song or probably any ELP for that matter. They were very narrow in their rotating playlist, which is one reason I gave up radio. Glad you see the song's full brilliance now. The English sung version of Fragile has more impact on me. He clearly must have felt more comfortable expressing himself in his native language...
I saw ELP in the works volume one tour. Keith did play the accordion solo on an accordion. Amazingly Journey opened for ELP. Excellent concert.
His voice is as unique as that of Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues.
For sure. So rich and deep and emotive! Thanks
Oooh, La La......Very Nice!! ♥🎼🎹🎸🎤🎶🎶
Happy Wednesday! Nice indeed....
Yes, Happy Wednesday. 😃
Greg Lake's vocals are so distinctive and flowing. Pete Sinfield put out an album titled "Still". In the song "Still" Pete Sinfield starts the song very mellow, with a soft voice, wondering if he had a prior life as a bird or a stream or a tree. However, mid-song the lead vocals switch to the familiar voice of Greg Lake which is much more powerful than that of Sinfield, yet the song flows beautifully. Not too many people know of this album and the song "Still". Obscure, yet Greg Lake makes it memorable.
Hello. I will add your vote for Still.... thanks
Another surprise today… and early. Maybe another?? This is definitely another side of ELP. When I saw ELP back in 1997, they played this second on their set, after opening with “Karn Evil 9”. They were amazing live!
Hello. Just ones all week. Crazy schedule so I had to juggle video times around. I really want to change my filming schedule up to edit and upload at night for release the following morning early. Maybe that would increase some views. We shall see...Wow, 2 epic songs back to back...well I don't even know yet how epic Karn Evil is 😀
Agree with the nights in white satin never spotted that before . Orchestration is magnificent on this one and that voice!!!!
It's an actual accordion. And even though ELP were split up on this album and not always working on each other's music, that is indeed Emerson playing the accordion.
Nice, thanks for clarifying and for watching!!
He didn't play it on the studio version, but he does play it live.
@@kratino According to Greg Lake's autobiography "Lucky Man," it's Emerson on the studio version.
@@TheRKae Emerson says it is not.
@@kratino Their recollections often disagree. I guess it's just going to come down to which one took the most drugs.
Great song... Rarely reacted to... You picked the best version imo.
Thanks so much for watching!!
Watery eyes and hairs standing up on my arms...... as usual with this magical memory. RIp Greg .... and Keith
Peter Sinfield did some work with King Crimson during the early days of that band. "C'est La Vie" has a special place in my heart. The tune brings out the poet and the romanticist in all of us. Greg Lake's unique vocals, along with the heartfelt music is truly one for the ages. Greg and chorus evoke a flock of doves taking flight and disappearing into a slate grey Autumn sky over Paris. Of course, the accordion evokes a mental image of Paris in Autumn (for me, anyway). The LPs "Tarkus" and "Pictures from an Exhibition" are still favourites of mine. Greg Lake also composed, sang and played one of my favourite Christmas songs -- "I Believe in Father Christmas." Within that tune, some of the background melody is from "Troika" by Prokofiev. Many thanks, Retro Reactions! Keep up the great work!
Wow, awesome review of the song Walter! You're welcome and thanks so much for watching and for the compliment!!
@@retroreactions.... Many thanks. I feel like I've "lived" this song -- many times. This tune has often streamed through my mind whilst I walked through a nearby park in Autumn -- the wind blowing leaves all about me -- the skies bringing the first snows of the year. Gazing upward into a gray sky, I keep thinking, "Barbra Rose, I miss you beyond mere words and I love you beyond Time." Take care. -- W
Thanks so much for sharing a little of your story. Peace my friend..
@@retroreactions.... - When you allow the music to take you to special places in Time and in your mind, you start to understand the greater forces of this universe which are all around us. Great music is the magnet -- it draws us to it and holds us. Great music is the cure for all that is wrong in this world. Great music is Heaven's gift to us all. Peace be your journey. -- W
Beautiful way to put it all.....🎶🎵💙🎵🎶
5:15 Very good point, but I'd say 3 sides instead of 2...
Ballads- These are tunes featuring Greg Lake's vocals and acoustic guitar.
Electronic (synth virtuoso)- The bulk of ELP music and obviously features Keith Emerson on a variety of electronic keyboard instruments and Carl Palmer on drums.
Classical- While much of their electronic music is based on classical compositions (e.g. Fanfare), Emerson also provided us with fairly straight performances of classical piano pieces.
Ah yes, forgot about Fanfare! Just love them all around... thanks
Did she touch your heart? Like me when I heard it for the first time in 1977, and since then it's been the most beautiful love song I've ever heard.
All the songs Greg wrote, and you listed them yourself, are the opposite of Emerson, the ELP albums after Love Beach (horror) are Greg albums accompanied by Emerson and Palmer, IMHO
Nice song..
..a cinematic treat.
Agree! Hello and thanks for being first here today! 🥇 Have a nice day....
I saw them play this live in Nashville in the spring of 1977 and yes he actually used a accordion
That's awesome. Gotta love Keith! Thanks for watching.
When I saw you were reviewing this song Beandon, I couldn't pass it up. This is such a beautiful song and recorded to perfection. Yes Keith played the accordian wonderfully but Greg's voice was probably my favourite in all the prog roxk world: so rich, so expressive. E.L.P. have many styles and are true prog roxk giants. For just three musicians they are unbeatable.
Hello Kevin, thanks for stopping by! Deep, rich and soul-satisfying voice for sure! Appreciate you watching and the comment. Have a great day & night!!
Nights in White Satin is a great comparison. I've kind of thought that too. Great review!
Thanks for all your support and compliments!!
I second the request for closer to believing. The orchestra and choir are even better.
I've added your vote. Thanks!
One of my favorites from ELP catalog.
I'd be in agreement with you!
The double album Works is divided into 4 parts (record sides). One from Emerson, one from Lake, one from Palmer, and one from all three together. Songs like "C'est La Vie" are almost always written by Greg Lake. I think dividing ELP into 2 styles is not enough. There's the soft "ballad side", the rock and prog rock side, the classical side and the experimental side, and there are also a lot of fun songs. I don't think you've heard "Karn Evil 9" yet. The song sums up some of ELP's "range". You can hear 100% "classical" on Emerson's "Piano Concerto No. 1" on the album Works.
Hello! 4 or 5 styles works for me! Karn Evil still on the horizon...it's a bit intimidating, but hey I've already tackled Supper's Ready, Tarkus, Close to the Edge and 2112!! Thanks for watching!
Did you know there was a time in 1985- 1986, they came back but Carl Palmer was not available cause he had a contract with Asia, so they brought Cozy Powell and recorded one album titled "Touch and go"? There is an album from 1994 titled "In the hot seat" where there is a song, "Give me a reason to stay", it is a balad, a romantic one that I like the most. You should react to it!
Oh wow, never heard that. So they had albums in 1985 and 1994, wow! I will add "Give Me" to the list, thanks
@@retroreactions.... "Give Me" is very obscure in their catalog. I'd go with about 10 others before that. "Karn Evil 9," "The Endless Enigma," Closer to Believing," "Touch and Go," "Pictures at an Exhibition" (or at least "The Sage" from that album). "Still. . . You Turn Me on." Watch Greg's live performance of that last one at CalJam. It will floor you.
Adding your votes for all those, thanks
Reminds me of yes wondrous stories another beauty love you
Oh nice, guess I'm gonna love that song too! Thank you David...
Personally, brandon, I prefer "Closer To Believing" from the same album, but it's a very, very close call; absolutely beautiful!
Peter Sinfield is a fabulous lyricist and his work with King Crimson is marvellous too, especially on the "Islands" album, and the eponymous track is fabulou;
Gaunt granite climbs where gulls wheel and glide
Mournfully glide o'er my island
My dawn bride's veil, damp and pale
Dissolves in the sun
Love's web is spun, cats prowl, mice run
etc.
On "Lizard", especially the eponymous track sung by Jon Anderson, is beautiful.
But Gordon Haskell's singing part has the most amazing lyrics:
Night enfolds her cloak of holes
Around the river meadow.
Old moon-light stalks by broken ploughs
Hides spokeless wheels in shadow.
Sentries lean on thorn wood spears
Blow on their hands, stare eastwards.
Burnt with dream and taut with fear
Dawn's misty shawl upon them.
Three hills apart great armies stir
Spit oath and curse as day breaks.
Forming lines of horse and steel
By even yards, march forward…
Beware King Crimson, or should I say Robert Fripp, can be utter arseholes about reaction videos. How else will youngsters discover King Crimson unless guys like Brandon react to these.
Absolutely love this song. I remember the first time I heard it, when I bought ‘The Works’, back then. It’s still among my Vinyl collection. Love the vocal harmonies, the Orchestra and when the Accordion comes in with that beautiful Parisian sound, it instantly gives me goosebumps. It just transports you away to, ‘Gay Paree’. (Meaning happy and carefree).
Weirdly, that Accordion sound also made me think of Peter Sarstedt’s Classic 60’s song, ‘Where Do You Go To My Lovely’.
🎶❤️🎶
Agree, what a wonderful song!
1997 live from Montreux Jazz Festival Pictures at an Exhibition 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥❤️✌🏼🇺🇦🇺🇸
Better than the 1970 live version?
@@retroreactions.... oh yes you can see the magic of Keith Emerson up close and the Bass playing of Greg Lake and Carl Palmer using his 2 Giant Gongs 🔥🔥🔥
@@retroreactions.... it’s truly Amazing
2 gongs?!!!
Carl Frikin Palmer🐐🔥❤️🇺🇦✌🏼🇺🇸
Angel Voice
The accordion was played by Emerson. In this video it can be seen. ua-cam.com/video/qAYzSHOzRHQ/v-deo.html
Good reaction. I've loved this song ever since I met it over 30 years ago. You should react to Jean Michel Jarre, one of the fathers of electronic music, or to Heilung, a Nordic group that will surprise you like no other. Thanks.
Thank you! I have a couple on my list for Jean. Do you have a favorite song?
@@retroreactions.... Phew... Jarre is so complex and disparate that it's nearly impossible to select a couple of favorite tracks. I could lean towards Zoolookooloogie and equinoxe Part 5 in the most commercial part. In the less commercial and more planning part, in quotes, they could be Magnetic fields Part 4 or, for example, Rendez vous Part 2, Arpegiator... A hug. Ah, if you put some of the great Franco Battiato that would be great too.
Thanks! I see he likes to split many of his songs into multiple parts. Thanks for the suggestions!
@@retroreactions.... Man.... when asking, I would prefer Jarre's entire albums hahaha. A hug.
🤣🤗
They were before Journey!
Sorry for the confusion! I meant songs that take you on a journey, like with Tarkus and Genesis songs...
So beautiful. Listen to Peter Hamill fools mate
Beautiful combination of nostalgy and sadness where the wonderful voice of Greg (r.i.p) fits perfectly.
C'est la vie monsieur Brandon... if you want another one similar to this one, but more extensive, reacts to "Closer To Believing""
if you want an epic, short and glorious song, reacts to "Jerusalem"
and if you want an accoustic, soft, christmas feeling, react to "I Believe in Father Christmas" .
A la prochaine fois, dans le passé ;)
I have reacted to Jerusalem. Adding your votes for the other 2....
Tu sais que je serai là, à groover !
"Journey- type songs" ??😮 Maybe Journey had "ELP-type songs"?
No, I meant a song that takes you on a journey.. 😊
Ok. My mistake.🤷
No worries. I didn't say it the right way..
Sooooooo pretty. Love the flute. The accordion is inspired. And the middle 8 switching to waltz time. Totally with you on the Nights in White Satin comparison. Interesting your point about two sides -- the one song that combines both is "Still You Turn Me On."
Glad you love this one too! Will add your vote for that one. Enjoy the rest of your day!!
@@retroreactions...., @sourisvoleur4854 is absolutely right. How could I forget "Still... You Turn Me On"? You can add my vote for it, too, it's an amazing song!
Done!
There are two (three) very different sides of ELP. One is the complex, polyphonic, modern music of Emerson and the other is the simple music with strong melodies of Lake where his beautiful voice shines. Often they are simply presented separately but when both come together and complement each other, then something particularly great is created (Eg. synth solo in Lucky Man. Not really here for me. A synth wizzard playing an accordion 😉 )
I don't think Lake didn't anything resembling country. They did a few Western-influenced songs, The Sheriff and Hoedown, but country music uses very different instrumentation and lyrical themes than ELP ever did.
Keith also played brilliant acoustic piano, if you recall. He could play anything with a keyboard, and an accordion has one. The accordion is gorgeous in this song, so I'm confused by this comment.
@kratino You're right, country music is a genre. I deleted it. But you should listen to the acoustic guitar part on “Take a pebble”. This is pure country music, at least for me.
@@kratino You don't need to be confused. It's very simple. An Accordion is not a synthesizer, piano or Hammond organ which he normally played. And an accordion doesn't fit into the sound of prog rock music. Here in this song it fits.
@@synthplayer1563 It's a keyboard. He played it brilliantly. It was perfect in the song. What's your point?
Can you cover Genesis Selling England By the Pound. ill sing it for you.
You mean create a cover version? Unfortunately my plate is totally full right now, so creating music is probably going to be a rare thing..
5:25 "Journey type songs"? Is this a reference to the band Journey? I am wounded sir! One should never say the master is like the student. I am fine with the Moody Blues comparison since they were on par with ELP and were kings of orchestral Prog.
Oh no, I meant songs that take you on a journey like Tarkus. No comparison to Journey in my head, though I love both bands!
@@retroreactions.... Oh, Cool. I bet you like Styx too since they are like a more progressive version of Journey.
Yup, always liked Styx, I have a few reactions to them on the channel, and they will be a long term band on the channel..
The song stops you right in your tracks
At the risk of frustrating the unfailing fans of ELP, the amateur all the same assiduous that I am of this band has always considered this composition as the most banal (on the verge of a failure if it were not for the melody in the French sauce and the very enveloping orchestral arrangement) of their production. It was necessary to fill in "Works, Volume 1"! Sorry, this song is totally outside the ELP identity. Thanks.
It doesn't frustrate me. I just think it's silly. Where do you get the idea that it was necessary to fill in Greg's side? ELP's identity? What identity? Have you actually listened to ELP?
@@kratino I only gave my point of view. I never claimed that this one had universal truth value and didn't force anyone to agree with me. I did not attack anyone and my comment remained within the bounds of courtesy and politeness. Telling me "you're not frustrated" with my judgment while adding that it's "idiot" is, to say the least, incoherent and slapstick. But if, according to you, ELP has never had an identity, then I strongly question the quality of your ear and your musical knowledge and guess, by this, that when on its initial release I acquired "Works , Volume 1", you weren't born yet... and probably very far from being born. I regret your peremptory tone because we could have had a profitable exchange. This channel has always displayed, until this video, only measured exchanges; I hope that the aggressive tenor of your answer will remain a distressing exception. Mr. Brandon and I do not always share the same perception of the compositions and yet neither of them has yet felt "frustrated"; still less to feel the need to come to insults. He reacts, I react... you overreact. This will be my only response to your address.
@@sagitt1856 I didn't use the word "idiot." Maybe you have me confused with someone else. When you call a beautiful piece of work that had Brandon practically passing out with bliss "banal," them's fighting words. I was born in 1959, so don't patronize me. You came in with guns blazing, and now you're incensed that someone has the temerity to push back. I also minored in music and taught piano. I'm quite familiar with ELP's catalog, and their identity is incredibly diverse, so to say this song doesn't comport with their "identity" outs you as someone who doesn't know them at all. And I mean at all. Just count the number of insults you hurled at me in your last post alone, not to mention the one about this song, which, as you admit, probably means a lot to the fans watching this reaction. So no. There will be no "profitable exchange," whatever that is. BTW, if you consider "silly" an insult, what do you consider "incoherent" and "slapstick"?
@@sagitt1856 And again, I'd like you to answer my question. Where did you get the idea this song was needed to fill in Works I?
Not my favorite tune...But as it's my favorite group, I try to appreciate it...And it does have its good points. Like Greg's vocals.
Fair enough...I'll even say there's a few from Depeche Mode (my #1 favorite band) that I don't really care for...
@@retroreactions....He says it's not his favorite. It's not my favorite either, but I'm not sure that means he doesn't care for it. I genuinely dislike a few ELP songs, but this is one I can't imagine anyone disliking. We do have one sorehead weighing in here who says it's "sappy." It went to #1 in Canada. So he's outnumbered. I'm with you. I find its beauty almost unbearable.
Yea, it just depends on how your musical brain is wired. Every person's musical profile is unique, and of course I think that's a good thing and fascinating. That's why I can love interesting combinations of music like disco/prog/opera/classical/synthpop/trip hop/gothic rock/etc...
@@retroreactions.... You're the best kind of music lover to appreciate this incredible band. Thank you for diving into their work. It's so worth it.
This is the song which, when it came out, made me think Prog is loosing itself. No more adventurous searches, too mellow and pop sounding songs. I was angry about ELP and stopped listening to them (except for their previous albums). Now I relisten it here for the first time. I still find it too mellow and I get why I hated it back then: the use of accordeon to give this French cliché, the melody that is so mainstream. Well today I must admit it's a nice song, well done, but still, for me, much sirupy strings effects. Not tock enough.
ELP didn't consider themselves prog partially because they didn't want to be limited.
@@kratino I agree with that. But their last production didn't appeal to me… Works was a great deception for me. I don't say it's a bad album, just I didn't like it at all.
@@kratinoI'm sorry I have to7 disagree with you sugar bear❤ the great Keith Emerson himself said from the very beginning he wanted to put the best three piece progressive rock musicians together on the planet😮 Carl Palmer was really the only one bet did not like the progressive rock label stating that ELP were eclectic. Keith and Greg always referred to their selves as progressive rock😊 thank you Pooh Bear. Whenever you have a question you can ask me because I have a near genius IQ especially when it comes to Emerson Lake and Palmer😊 peace and love❤
Simply put, this is ELP's cheesiest song and has very little to do with the rest of ELP's music. Please Toccata!
Of course I see this one very differently than you. Thanks for any watch time though, and I've added your vote for Toccata. Should happen in the next 1-2 rounds for ELP!
@@retroreactions.... Yes, I'm a bit harsh, but I like the complex songs with lots of synthesizer sounds much better.
@@synthplayer1563 So why are you listening to this reaction?