Customer Reviews

Pm

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After Emerson Lake & Palmer fizzled out the first time by 1980, Emerson went into composing film scores for mostly Italian B-movies, Greg Lake went on to a solo album stint with guitarist Gary Moore, and Carl went on to enjoy success with Asia. But in between ELP and Asia, he had P.M., a poppy band made up of American guys which made Asia's 'Alpha' sound like Brain Salad Surgury. None of the songs exceed 5 minutes, most are 3 minutes. None of this music is going to thrill the Tarkus-and-nothing-else type ELP fan. If you hated 'To The Power Of Three', 'Love Beach' or 'In The Hot Seat', then stay away. However, the thing that separates P.M. from those other commercial attempts is that these songs are fun, catchy as all hell, and played well. Only one or two bits are anything like ELP, and even though it's simpler music, it's nothing like Asia. In fact what you'll hear here is closer to the slick, slight new wavey pop power of The Tubes or Todd Rundgren/Utopia than ELP or Asia. The band looks and sounds very typical of that 1979-81 period right before MTV. Carl's drumming is still stellar, and even when he's playing simpler you can still tell it's him. His style is very identifyable. The songs are so catchy I simply could not hate them. You'll like them right off the bat. Don't look for ELP here, look for Carl Palmer as a member of The Tubes(not as ridiculous as it sounds). Try this album, you may be suprised.

It's awful 80's dreck. The only thing saving it is that Carl Palmer is on drums - at least there's no drum machine! It won't find my CD player again for a long time.

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings from the 60's and 70's.

Please be careful! Depending on which PM you clicked on not to be confused. One of the listings of songs and its discription have nothing to do with Carl Palmer from ELP, Asia, and Three! The PM tracks total 10 and start with "Dynamite."

In 1980 Carl Palmer released a record so different from what the fans and record executives expected the album didn't have worldwide distributorship. Palmer's calling card of incredibly complex but always tasty drumming and percussion took a backseat to an album that featured ten short tracks.

You can use any terminology you please from power pop to commercial but it can best be described as the Cars with a more serious approach.

Having grown up with Emerson, Lake, & Palmer and collecting every note possible, I was happy to have been warned in advance the material would not be anything close to Atomic Rooster, ELP, or Asia.

With an open mind, I remember very specifically being surprised that the songs were catchy enough to hook me in. Even after the initial time when the needle left the turntable, I felt with or without Palmer, I would have wanted this in the collection.

Carl does some nice fills but his intention wasn't to bring fellow musicians Todd Cochrane (Automatic Man) keyboards + vocals, Barry Finnerty (Miles Davis + Brecker Brothers) guitar + vocals, John Nitzinger (Nitzinger + Alice Cooper) guitar + vocals, and Erik Scott (Flo & Eddie + Alice Cooper) bass + vocals into the progressive rock landscape. It was to try his hand at a very different sound and work with some different players.

One of the great misconceptions (Since the album didn't promote the resumes of the others) is Palmer was forced to water down the product because of the guys he recorded with. When you look at the varied names and styles of music his band mates play, Palmer could have taken them into a more exploratory journey.

Carl had a vision and carries it well to fruition. The opening track "Dynamite" sets the direction. Catchy beat, properly phrased vocals, and good production set the course on the right path.

"Green Velvet Splendour" is another memorable cut. The basic rock structure with Carl's beat creates the proper texture.

"Do You Go All the Way" is delivered with a sense of humor. The words stick with you as it leads to the next cut.

If you are willing to give Carl's idea for something different (Completely) these songs may find their way to a CD player near you.

Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

Boy, I've heard junk over my 40 years in the music business but, this takes the cake! This is almost as bad as when Edgar Winter attempted disco for the Blue Sky label!! One of the best drummers in the world, who can easily hold his own next to Rush's Neil Peart, should have bought back every copy of this CD, crossed out his name, and denighed every playing on such utter crapola! How do musicians reduce themselves after having successful careers is beyond my imagination. It is so fortunate for Carl that he was able to redeem himself in Asia, which contains some of the most outstanding percussion I've ever heard! Listen to the debut album and Phoenix -both have Carl at his best. But, stay away from 1PM as if it was the black plague! This album will definitely cause you to drive off the road into oncomming traffic. I've seen this happen way too often..prog guys falling apart at the musical seams. Just look at Jeff Lynne, still recovering from a fallen ELO spaceship that once ruled the airwaves. Or how about Robert Plant, after doing everything spectacular, why dont we just team up with Allison Krauss and go bluegrass??? What's next, Mariah Carey?? Guys, stay away from genres you have no business being in as the cheap imitation. If I wanted to hear the Cars, I'd listen to their far superior albums. You don't see Rick Ocasek trying to copy ELP do you? Stay away from bad pop. Stay away.... stay away!!!

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings from the 60's and 70's.

In 1980 Carl Palmer released a record so different from what the fans and record executives expected the album didn't have worldwide distributorship. Palmer's calling card of incredibly complex but always tasty drumming and percussion took a backseat to an album that featured ten short tracks.

You can use any terminology you please from power pop to commercial but it can best be described as the Cars with a more serious approach.

Having grown up with Emerson, Lake, & Palmer and collecting every note possible I was happy to have been warned in advance the material would not be anything close to Atomic Rooster, ELP, or Asia.

With an open mind, I remember very specifically being surprised that the songs were catchy enough to hook me in. Even after the initial time when the needle left the turntable, I felt with or without Palmer, I would have wanted this in the collection.

Carl does some nice fills but his intention wasn't to bring fellow musicians Todd Cochrane (Automatic Man) keyboards + vocals, Barry Finnerty (Miles Davis + Brecker Brothers) guitar + vocals, John Nitzinger (Nitzinger + Alice Cooper) guitar + vocals, and Erik Scott (Flo & Eddie + Alice Cooper) bass + vocals into the progressive rock landscape. It was to try his hand at a very different sound and work with some different players.

One of the great misconceptions (Since the album didn't promote the resumes of the others) is Palmer was forced to water down the product because of the guys he recorded with. When you look at the varied names and styles of music his band mates play, Palmer could have taken them into a more exploratory journey.

Carl had a vision and carries it well to fruition. The opening track "Dynamite" sets the direction. Catchy beat, properly phrased vocals, and good production set the course on the right path.

"Green Velvet Splendour" is another memorable cut. The basic rock structure with Carl's beat creates the proper texture.

"Do You Go All the Way" is delivered with a sense of humor. The words stick with you as it leads to the next cut.

If you are willing to give Carl's idea for something different (Completely) these songs may find their way to a CD player near you.

Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"