CARL PALMER RELEASES NEW, LIVE SOLO ALBUM:
WORKING LIVE – VOLUME I

Album features new interpretations of several Palmer classics

Carl Palmer, legendary rock drummer and founding member of Emerson Lake & Palmer and Asia, has released Working Live, Volume I, a new solo album and the first to feature his new  solo band. The new trio, simply called Palmer, includes the famous drummer along with bassist Dave Marks and guitarist Shaun Baxter.  The record features live interpretations of some of Palmer’s best known songs, originally recorded with ELP and on his solo albums.

“ I am very excited and happy with the new album,” says Palmer, who produced the record, with the assistance of recording engineer Paul Kennedy. “Although these appear to be live recordings of songs I had released prior, it really is quite different.  The major decision for me was to replace the keyboard with an electric guitar.  I didn’t want to have band that was the same instrument line up as ELP.  Having Shaun on guitar allowed me to give these songs a whole new interpretation, and gave me a chance to address them from a different musical environment.  In a lot of ways they are the same and recognizable; but in a lot of ways, they are totally different.”

Working Live Volume I  was released Monday, March 17th
in Europe on Sanctuary Records. The record is due to be released in America and elsewhere, later in the year.

 “I think my fans will be pleasantly surprised when they hear this CD,” says Palmer. “We took a big risk to record it when we did.

We recorded it at one of the UK’s best known clubs, The Robin Hood 2 Club, which has a world class recording studio inside it. The opportunity to capture the band’s live show so easily was too good to pass up, so we went for it. “

“In reality, the record was done at what was only the band’s fourth gig,” admits Palmer. “We did it two weeks after forming and after only about seven days of rehearsal. But, it turned out great, and there is something to be said about the passion and energy a new band has when they’re flying without a net, so to speak.”

 The record contains Palmer solo and ELP classics such as “The Enemy God Dances,” “Tank”, “LA Nights” and “The Barbarian.” 
Also featured were the band’s interpretations of “Toccata,”
“Canario,” and other songs. Thus far, Carl Palmer has been touring for over a year with this line up, and will continue to do so during the spring and early summer of this year.

Known as a “drummer’s drummer”, Carl Palmer emerged from ELP and Asia, two of the biggest superstar bands to break out of the British music scene in the 1970s and 1980s, respectively.  With Emerson, Lake & Palmer he has sold over 40 million records, and with Asia, he enjoyed sales of over 17 million.

To learn more about Carl Palmer, check out:

www.carlpalmer.com
www.emersonlakepalmer.com
www.originalasia.com
Working Live Album Reviews
 

Carl Palmer's explosive new trio PALMER (Carl Palmer, Shaun Baxter & Dave Marks) played to rave reviews throughout 2002 with their highly charged renditions of many of Carl's classic ELP tracks. 

"Palmer and his new virtuoso pals, guitarist Shaun Baxter and bassist Dave Marks, played and intense, technically stunning support set based around ELP masterpieces like Hoedown, The Barbarian, Tarkus, Toccata and Fanfare For The Common Man."

RECORD COLLECTOR, MAY 2003

The ELP drummer captured live with his band of razor sharp player guitarist Shaun Baxter and bassist Dave Marks in 2001.

The eight track set predictably includes a drum finale (and any one who`s seen the technician in action knows that he`s right at the top of the tub thumping tree) while much of the remainder is a slick instrumental run through of some ELP classic`s.

Hence we get the tempestuous percussive maelstrom of Barbarian all wiry runs, Crimson like ebb and flow mewling guitar. Then the dicordent The Enermy God gives way to a Vai-esque, blues tinged L A Nights and an ultra twiddly take on Tank. Elsewhere there are more start stop rifle bursts of the drum and guitar, not least a whirring three headed monster in the shape of Toccata.

If you like instrumental virtuosity this should sit well with you

Tim Jones

CLASSIC ROCK, MAY  2003

WORKING LIVE - VOLUME 1

One third of ELP caught live with his band performing ELP classics. That may sound like a desperate attempt to sell records, but in actual fact "WORKS" is considerably better than might be expected.

The venerable Palmer, who is still great Drummer, leads his current line up of Guitarist SHAUN BAXTER & DAVE  MARKS though impressive reworkings of ELP music and for the most part it entertains rather than thrills.

Listening to the way they tackle The Barbarian, Tank and Toccata, one cannot help but feel that even a Modern day version of the legendary trio might not sound as tight, confident and bullish.

There's an energy and edge here that belongs to 2003. The music might go way back, but the musicainship is most certainly from here and now. And Baxter is a  revelation making light of the absence of the trademark Emerson touches 

****FOUR STARS       MALCOM   DOME