ELP FIRST TIME COUPLE REACTION to Closer to Believing | Another ELP MASTERPIECE!! BMC request

[@NicknLex]

So far this video has gotten 0 subscribers! What's going on ELP fans? We posted another video right before this. So far 600 people have subscribed. What gives?

[@garyarnett1220]

Good question, that surprises me as well. Maybe most of the 2K views already subscribe?

[@bmac1205]

Good music lovers are getting old and dying off. But at least there are young people like you around that appreciate good music.

[@bmac1205]

Any since?

[@lynby6231]

This was written by King Crimson lyricist Peter Sinfield also off this is a song called “C’est la vie” a beautiful song (which was covered by a French singer called Johnny Hallyday and reached no1 in France) also “Lend your love to me tonight”

[@lynby6231]

You really should listen to “Beside” by Jon and Vangelis (that’s Jon Anderson of Yes)…and “Turn of the Century” by Yes

[@Jack-D-Ripper]

My favourite Greg Lake song of all time. Absolutely beautiful. And with the driftwood of acquaintance, light the fire of Love once more. [...} I need me, you need you, we want us!

[@secretgardenpoetrybyfredbe4181]

Fabulous love song. Absolutely lovely lyrics (thank you Peter Sinfield).

[@rogeriomendes880]

Tem muito do Peter Sinfield nessa canção.

[@johnimhof6568]

Greg Lake had a majestic voice. I was fortunate to see ELP five times in the 1970's.

[@davmtu]

I only got to see them twice. Once with an orchestra and then the secondary tour without. I have some great pictures from those.

[@davidmckenzie420]

Twice for me too. Brain Salad Surgery tour. Awesome.

[@joelliebler5690]

I wish I had seen them live in my youth!

[@penelopehornswaggle102]

"CEST LA VIE" is gorgeous.❤

[@hanssipkes8179]

Greg with an Orchestra, a choir, his guitar and that beautifull voice... it just can,t get any better.

[@bmac1205]

👍

[@stevenm.6886]

I was 16 when this came out, my buddies just didn’t get it, I couldn’t get enough of it. Now in my 60’s here you are telling me I’m not crazy. Incredible music

[@jpirard]

Greg Lake wrote this song with Pete Sinfield, who he worked with in King Crimson when Greg formed the band in 1969. Sinfield and Lake continued working together when Emerson, Lake & Palmer formed, and the pair also collaborated on Lake's seasonal hit, "I Believe In Father Christmas." Lake said that "Closer To Believing" was one of his favorites, even though it was not easy to write. "It actually took us three months solid, without a break," he told us. Three months we worked on the song. Day in, day out, day in, day out, three months. And that was hard. But in the end, we felt that was worth it. We were very proud of the result." (Here's our full Greg Lake interview.) The orchestral arrangement was by Godfrey Salmon and Tony Harris, the orchestra and choir were conducted by Godfrey Salmon.

[@franciscodiaz183]

When a band is made up of three great musicians and there is room for each one to express themselves, the musical richness is multiplied. In this case, the great Greg Lake leads this magnificent song with his creativity and his voice.

[@clannad99germany70]

This was my favorite song ot that amzing ELP "Works" album in 1977 of Greg Lake, beside "C'est la vie" !!!

[@amigodalua]

C'est la Vie is fantastic.

[@kevinrombouts3027]

Totally agree.

[@andythain3923]

Yep bought this album on double cassette tape which still plays. Every track a musical masterpiece. Still play and enjoy to this day

[@bmac1205]

👍

[@joelliebler5690]

Pure genius and yet I believe this is my first time listening to this masterpiece!Wow!

[@shyshift]

Side 4 is ELP. Fanfare For The Common Man and Pirates which is the Prog epic of Works. Side 1 is Keith Emerson’s Piano Concerto 1,2,3. Side 2 is Greg Lake solo material. Side 3 is Carl Palmer with guests. I saw them on this tour in San Francisco 1977 but without the orchestra because due to expenses had to drop them. Just the 3 of them were still phenomenal though. Journey opened.

[@scottanderson8420]

I saw the same tour in Texas no symphony just the 3 of them. I couldn’t remember what year it was I knew it was either a senior or junior in high school. 77 so I was a junior. They opened with Fanfare for the common man, it wasn’t Journey that opened I have no memory of the opening act. I remember that I made my Dad listen to Pirates on my stereo he actually liked it. I wish I still had the album along with a whole bunch of other records that are lost to the years and the miles.

[@scottanderson8420]

I have not listened to this in a long while. I was a junior or senior in high school when Works came out. I played it to death. Lake’s voice is incredible and that ominous dissonance welling up changes the dimensions of the song. Great Request Bmac.

[@bmac1205]

👍

[@gazza8127]

Loved your reaction guys, have adored this since first hearing it back in '77. Thing to remember though, this album is quite unique as it's essentially 3 independent solo projects on sides 1 to 3 combined with the band project on side 4. As far as I know both Keith & Carl had no involvement on side 2, Greg's project. The music was written by Greg with lyrics by his old mate from King Crimson days, Pete Sinfield. Godfrey Salmon conducted the orchestra & choir as well as providing the choir arrangements. Tony Harris did all the orchestral arrangements on side 2. Two more great songs from Greg on this album are "Lend your love to me tonight" & "Hallowed be thy name". Best wishes

[@garyarnett1220]

And C'est La Vie

[@gazza8127]

​@@garyarnett1220Absolutely, I didn't mention it as I thought they'd already done it but not so, what a gem!

[@jwine4145]

Thanks for reacting to this ELP deep cut!

[@thomassanchez-oo6sb]

Pirates!!!!🏴‍☠️

[@kratino]

YES! PLEASE! Video of live at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

[@damirhlobik6488]

I'm a big fan of ELP, but everything after Welcome back... is redundant, they started to destroy everything that was good with Works, and especially with what followed

[@marklockey4434]

My favourite track from Greg’s solo side. Lovely lyrics and beautiful vocals. I have some personal Greg merch….bass strings from 1992, given to me by his guitar tech. Guitar pic from High Voltage 2010 and, get this…his chewing gum he discarded when he got out of his Range Rover in 2012 on his solo tour !!!

[@Tarkus7]

You possess the DNA of Greg Lake!!!!!!

[@kevinrombouts3027]

It's stunningly beautiful. Very unique, even by ELP's standards.

[@StephenCaruso-o3t]

Stephen Caruso here at work! BMAC!! that stands for bringing me all classics! ELP is awesome ! I had several of their albums including their debut when I was 12 !

[@BRIANZ969]

This is a great song-Thanks for reacting !!!!!!!!!!! I requested this many times-Hooray Brian Birch

[@69fogdog]

I love your ELP reactions! I was lucky enough to see them on opening night of the Works tour with the orchestra in Louisville, KY. I actually saw them 34 times and to this day the best concerts of my life.

[@bmac1205]

34 times! Holy Moly! 6 times for me which includes counting ELPowell and 3

[@69fogdog]

@@bmac1205 I saw Emerson Lake and Powell 7 times on top of the 34 ELP shows. Those were great shows too!

[@miguelangelmontenegro9939]

I Saw ELP 6 times in Argentina, 93 and 97 , and 7 times Carl Palmer ELP legacy. With dinner and chat in the backstage with the whole band, plus Will Alexander, Stewart Young and Keith Weschler. Cheers from Buenos Aires

[@bmac1205]

👍

[@BrianBakken]

Was fortunate to see ELP with the full orchestra in 77, $6.50 General Admission sitting on the floor a third of the way back. There's a YT of the following nights show in Iowa somewhere then they lost the orchestra. My dad was a band teacher who loved brass. Only concert I felt I should have taken him too. He would have loved it. Still have the t-shirt.

[@jazzmaan707]

When ELP toured with their small Orchestra, it added another Grand Quality to their music, at their stadium concerts with 100,000 ELP Fans being blown away. If you haven't seen them doing their song PIRATES Live at the Montreal Stadium. Enjoy. Lex would freak out at this live performance. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXWcdGSXr56Nj8U

[@Tarkus7]

Outstanding performance. Doesn't get better than that.

[@1918SMLE]

You had mentioned synths playing the choral parts. There were no synths on this song. It is chorus, full orchestra, piano and Greg Lake on vocals and guitar. This is an incredible song and nearly brings me to tears at every listen. 35 years after first hearing it.

[@amigodalua]

Listen to c'est la vie on the same album, lake at the best of his vocal performance.

[@Galahad-hk4bb]

The 70s was a great decade of music !!! For me it was… YES, Genesis, and of course…ELP !!!

[@brucebrown73]

I saw this tour in Chicago 1977. 87,000 people in Soldiers Field and Foghat, Climax Blues Band, and J. Giles preceded them. The stage was torn down then quickly rebuilt. It went from stacks of hundreds of speakers to only 16. 8 speakers each side of stage the height of an entire diesel rig. Then a Hiel Air Motion speaker perched above each. It stunned us all to silence. Nick, stop over analyzing things. Lex gets the pure beauty of it.

[@markoliver630]

I was there too….very good but I wanted to see them without the orchestra. R.I.P.

[@brucebrown73]

Took 17 weeks to produce this song

[@AntonioSanchez-td6bk]

De este album mi favorita es "Ces't La Vie" quizá la canción mas hermosa de ELP.

[@sergebrunet4218]

they were on tour that year ! was a concert in Montreal at the Olympic Stadium ! I missed that show cuz i wasn t around Montreal !🤔

[@MJ1]

We all know the story. ELP going to take the orchestra on tour but after a few dates it was deemed too expensive and they had to cancel the orchestra. I had tickets. We were so bummed we wanted to finally see ELP with an orchestra. Somehow in 48 hours, in between shows, the band had to redesign and build a new stage… change all the lightening… and most problematic they had to rearrange all these songs that were designed to be performed by an orchestra! It’s a miracle they pulled it off. We the fans knew the band had to be depressed about it all… and the fans response was unlike anything I’ve ever seen at a concert. What stuck out was hundreds of fans brought signs, saying things like “We don’t need an orchestra,” and “You guys got this.” The mood when they took the stage was like seeing the Beatles. The energy was crazy. But most of all like a sports team that is behind in the score, the fans showed up to do their part and rally the boys. You could see Keith moved to tears. They were overwhelmed by the response before they played a single note. One of the all time great shows.

[@alinmantua]

Where did you see them on this tour. I saw them in Pittsburgh and Cleveland..waa a little disappointed that the orchestra wasn't with then but boy did ELP pull it off...true professionals..i did make it to Montreal for the orchestra show..it was absolutely beautiful

[@MJ1]

Ok, if you saw the Montreal show, you’ve got us all beat. Saw them in Long Beach Cali.

[@bmac1205]

Someday. you'll see the vid with the Orchestra from Olympic Stadium in Montreal. We'll get there some day.😊

[@BrianHatfield-t2b]

One of the best love songs ever written ... A throwback to a simpler time...

[@AlbertoMartinez-ps9bv]

On each album was a lake acoustic song which most were hit singles for the band . I saw them in 92 . Great 3 piece IMHO!

[@dwglover55]

There are a couple more tracks from the Works albums that Lex would enjoy. C'est La Vie which was inspired by Greg's love for the city of Paris. And, Watching Over You which was inspired by Greg's daughter.

[@MisterWondrous]

To get that dark effect, they use what is called an "unsettling torch". At least it is possible. Though I find the prospect itself unsettling. The anti-co-dependency message was parallax with the zeitgeist, which itself might not yet have realized the possessiveness that still remained in the lyrics. "You are mine"? Really? Bought and paid for? But I digress. Always loved the song. Thanks BMac & Bollio...and Nilex.

[@Quietventurer]

Been an ELP fan since the early 70s. I saw them in concert for this Works Tour. For me, this is quite possibly the most beautiful song by them!

[@danrue3263]

His voice do Father Christmas 🎅 😊

[@danrue3263]

Need to do

[@lynda3860]

Greg Lake wrote this, anything melodic is Greg who was also in the original king crimson, keith emerson wasn't involved in the writing

[@bmac1205]

👍

[@kenthomas1845]

The ELP song closest to From The Beginning is probably Still, You Turn Me On…. I love that song

[@joedouglas9217]

When Works came out they had the great idea of touring with an orchestra. It ended up being too expensive and they had to drop the orchestra partway through the tour. I luckily saw them with the Orchestra and they were amazing! In the 1980s and 1990s bands like the Moody Blues learned they could tour and arrange to play with different local orchestras. But that was unknown in the 1970s. ELP was often on the cutting edge. Pirates, Fanfare..., Emerson's Concerto, the Lake ballads, all great with the Orchestra.

[@michaelgray5100]

ELP definitely one my favorite bands. Just a fantastic band. Love the album "Brain Salad Surgery".

[@chrisbanks5925]

If you've not done 'Pictures At An Exhibition' yet, you should make it your next ELP reaction.

[@bmac1205]

From side 2 of Works Volume One. Side two was Greg's solo side. On this song, his instrument is his voice. He does play an acoustic guitar, but it is not prominent. The orchestral arrangement was by Godfrey Salmon and Tony Harris, the orchestra and choir were conducted by Godfrey Salmon. Pete Sinfield of King Crimson helped with the Lyrics. Keith is not involved in this song at all.. All written by Lake and Sinfield.

[@richarddobson815]

Great choice BMac. Such a brilliant vocal by Greg with an eerie orchestration that if my memory serves me well was not done by Keith. Nevertheless a great song. Have Nick and Alexia reacted to 'Pirates' off this album? If not, that would be a fun reaction.

[@rmac8008]

In case your not aware Works is a double album One side for each member solo One side for the band ❤️🎶 Closer was written by Pete Sinfield (wrote the lyrics for King Crimson)

[@bmac1205]

All orchestra and choir accompaniment. No synths.

[@MonsterSound.Bradley]

ThX guys and BMAC. I just finished watching your XLNT Gustav Holst vid. WoW, What a difference. 😎👍🍁 P.S. Nick, you're right about the big reverb plus the occasional dissonant undertones.

[@bmac1205]

👍

[@sarahfish132]

One of the most beautiful songs ever. We played it at our wedding. Second marriage for both of us and it seemed to really fit our relationship. We've been married 28 years now.

[@wisardofw]

Keith had nothing to do with that song, It's all Greg Lake and I believe Godfrey Salmon did the orchestral arrangement

[@bmac1205]

Woooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! 😁

[@penelopehornswaggle102]

Do "Still, you turn me on" and "cest la vie" and "Lucky Man". Greg is georgious. ❤

[@NicknLex]

Have done still you turn me on and lucky man! Check them out! :)

[@bmac1205]

They also did an entire BSS Album review on Patreon

[@danrue3263]

Piano and choir my god ❤

[@BrendaChristensen]

Their best song. My favorite song for 40 years.

[@damirhlobik6488]

It's GREG song, not ELP

[@jancarryperez1164]

You should listen to ELP's Fanfare for the common man or even better, Tarkus

[@bmac1205]

Nick has done FFTCM

[@jancarryperez1164]

@@bmac1205 then say no more, they shall react to Tarkus

[@bmac1205]

They did that too!😊

[@alinmantua]

The delay in the voice..I believe is very intentional..they recorded everything to be played live..except for Trilogy...after that album they made a vow to only record what could be done live...truly a great band...but so much better live

[@TheSTEVEANDEILEEN]

I agree with whatever Lex says.

[@STEPHENPRICE-e9r]

I like ELP but I particularly like Greg Lake. Great guitarist but what a great voice too.

[@davmtu]

My first comment disappeared. This song is from the Works album which highlights each member. Greg Lake performed this piece, but I don't believe Keith or Carl played on it.

[@bmac1205]

correct Only Keith appeared on one or two of Carl's tracks on Carl's Side Three.

[@cassmcmlix]

Just so you're not misled, that dissonant shimmering drone you hear is primarily the Moog, not just the orchestra. The orchestra is mixed into the synth and provide the high end of the sound but the lower registers of that sound are Keith. The reason why I know this is because he uses that same dissonance on the live album of Pictures at an Exhibition to transition between the Sage and The Old Castle.

[@bmac1205]

There is no Moog on this at all. All orchestra recorded in real time. Not sure where you got info, but you're totally off the mark.

[@bmac1205]

Come on peeps! Lets get this couple to 110K by the new year!!! Come on. Click on that subscribe button.

[@garyarnett1220]

Greg Lake solo song.

[@FrogUncle264]

Excellent tour in '77! ELP had a 70-piece orchestra in tow. I believe they went bust financially on this tour and had to dump the orchestra. The debut show was in Louisville, but we got the second one here in Nashville. 😎 #nicknlexrequest I don't see any Arlo Guthrie. Alice's Restaurant; Motorcycle Song; Garden Song; Gabriel's Mother's Highway Ballad #16 Blues and Last Train.

[@PeterSokol-bl5vz]

First time I saw E.L.P…Kent State Ohio…..1971…I was 12… my older sister took me…a year after the National Guard shot and killed students for protesting… Crosby Stills Nash and Young wrote a song about it…Ohio.

[@damirhlobik6488]

not ELP, it's Greg song

[@BaileyBuns9]

This song was written by Robert Fripp of King Crimson.❤

[@bmac1205]

You're joking of course (I hope)

[@kratino]

Uh, no.

[@lindaulloa4786]

Lex if you love From the Beginning you should check out the song "But Still You Turn Me On" from the Brain Salad Surgery Album. It's another beautiful song.

[@NicknLex]

We did that one!! :)

[@lindaulloa4786]

​​​@@NicknLex can't find it when I search KZbin. You should watch the live video of that song from the California Jam. Greg is chewing gum the whole time while performing the song! Check out the live video of Greg Lake doing the song "The Sage" from a concert. It's a beautiful song on acoustic! The crowd is mesmerized . It's easy to find.

[@NicknLex]

Here you go!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJDaeZmuqJJ7edU

[@bmac1205]

Piano is uncredited musician from the Orchestra.

[@TheodorFuchs-b8n]

#nicknlexrequest I love Greg lake Talk to the wind please play it Thanks Theo

[@martynhill3286]

You n3ed to check out Greg lakes solo album maneuvers

[@kratino]

Amazingly, Keith didn't have anything to do with this song. Greg wrote the music, Sinfield wrote the lyrics, and this was on Greg's side of the Works I album. Keith would have played on it for a 1979 live album, but he didn't play on the studio version. Lake re-recorded this song just months before he died of pancreatic cancer in December of 2016. Here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJerlYyYl5imZ8U

[@tedysurf]

I subscribed to your channel, make a reaction Gabriel Henrique - One Sweet Day (Cover Mariah Carey)♥♥♥♥

[@mellotronin54]

I am not sure that Emerson or Palmer are actually on this. It was an ELP double album but they had a side each with very few collaborations until side 4.

[@TheReaperMan275]

And you haven't reacted to Yes in an incredibly long time, either.

[@aum1083]

This song would sound sooo much better without the orchestra, just acoustics.

[@DAYHOMEONE]

Actually Keith is not playing that piano and had nothing to do with the track. The "sinister" thing you are reacting to is a dissonance in the chords. Sides 1-3 of Works is each of the 3 members by themselves. The only time I saw ELP was the tour for this album and they started the tour accompanied by a full orchestra but had to abandon it because it was just too expensive. My town was the third stop on the tour and the last one with the orchestra.

[@murdockreviews]

Some of those Greg Lake ballads are bit too much for me in terms of kitsch/bombast sometimes, though Lake's voice is sublime. It would be great, if you could react to some of the Carl Palmer pieces from 'Works' - they are quite jazzy and funky at times.

[@damirhlobik6488]

I'm a big fan of ELP, but everything after Welcome back... is redundant, they started to destroy everything that was good with Works, and especially with what followed

[@fernandomontezafernandomonteza]

Helo,im new here & new viewers here,i watch & i love ur channel now thats why i subcscribe in ur channel,can i request & suggest also a reaction video to filipino famous & amazing singer he is Marcelito Pomoy,pls do his cover song THE POWER OF LOVE by celine dion,he sing it live also in Wish Bus radio station,pls.comment & give reaction to his powerful voice of like celine dion,he really sounds her celine dion❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@fernandomontezafernandomonteza]

Helo,i really love ur channel,pls i just want to request & recommend Marcelito Pomoy,his cover song THE POWER OF LOVE by celine dion,pls.give reaction to his powerful voice of celine dion

[@reyskw3553]

Essa fase do E,L&P é bem chata

[@hanielyngalano2518]

Please do react to Gigi de Lana and Darryl Ong I Finally found someone Latest cover

[@billjones8503]

A nice song, but not like the greats of ELP imo.

[@mvunit3]

Have to start out by acknowledging that "sinister" part Nick. I have always wondered why Greg and the Conductor/Arranger (help from Keith?) chose those modes for the orchestra. I'm thinking about it now and nothing I come-up with makes any sense :p. Especially because it's a "Love Song", and it was a track that I dedicated to my Ex, along with "Lend Your Love to Me Tonight" (with TONS of other songs we grew-up with and stuff she had never heard) to make her feel warm and fuzzy when we were a couple :). Though "C'est la vie" ended-up being prophetic in our relationship sadly (and again, a bunch of tracks I put together for those dealing with heart breaks and unrequited love, but years before we met). Heck, maybe those _sinister_ chords were also prophetic in our relationship. Hmm, possibly that dissonance represented a love among rough times through Greg's lyrics. But there is a tragic bend in the lyrics . . . "To be closer to believing To be just a breath away On the death of inspiration I would buy back yesterday But there's no crueler illusion There's no sharper coin to pay As I reach out... It slips away" If you read the rest of the lyrics, I'd almost say there was a rift in the marriage (being away from home, on the road possibly straining the relationship) . . . "I need me You need you We want _us_ to live forever So don't let the curtain fall Measure after measure Of writing on the wall That burns so brightly It blinds us all" When the Choral voices come in, it's like "Hope" because the love is worth saving :). Its funny that many dislike this album (critics hated it for the "self-indulgence" of 3 sides dedicated to each member, and the 4th; where the 3 contribute as 1 band), but when I purchased it on Lp around 1983, I loved the music as-well as the way they put the packaging together, it's very "elegant" looking (with the ELP logo embossed, and gatefold cover for 2 Lp's), and the pic of Keith Emerson with the Grand Piano has such a beautiful composition. And Carl's pic is very contemplative sitting at his drums, and Greg's shows his more happy personality. Well . . . "Pirates" is my fave track, which is much like a Stage "Musical", as I always imagined Greg telling the story as a Pirate (think "The Pirates of Penzance" stage play/musical). Very _nautical_ and with the full orchestra too. YARR Matey!!! I know someone had gotten you guys Works Volume 1 & 2 on Lp, so hopefully you'll get a turntable soon (or get the CD's) to enjoy them on your own :). - Thank you Bmac, it's a gorgeous track.