Waters Criticizes Emerson In Press; Emerson Fires Back

Roger Waters was interviewed recently and had some unkind works for Emerson Lake & Palmer. His comments are below.

Mark Brown: Some music from your classic era sounds timeless, like Dark Side or John Fogerty's anti-war songs. But some music from that era sounds dated and silly. You managed to avoid that with Dark Side and The Wall. Why is that?

Waters: It's because they're truthful and they spring from a passionate attachment to political and philosophical ideals that are based in the experience of others. If you were to name something that you now consider silly . . . not that I want to knock other artists, but you'd probably find the subject matter is fey in some way.

Mark Brown: I'm thinking music like Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Waters: Well, that wasn't about anything . . . it was a construct in order to sell records. It didn't have its roots in somebody's passionate belief in human life. It had its roots in wanting to be successful in pop music in the 1970s.

The interview is at this link.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/apr/25/another-look-at-dark-side/

Keith Emerson's response to Tony Ortiz (Archivist for ELP):

So, like inflating pigs to fly over Battersea Power Station disrupting Heathrow Airport, London wasn't a construct in order to sell records or a publicity stunt to be successful in pop music? ELP's music combined social comment with fun, artistry and variety which is more than I can say about his morbid dronings. He and I are in the business of entertainment and if He chooses to put himself in the category of pop activist so be it. I learned the lesson early enough. Don't mix politics with music by burning flags. Leave all that to Bono and Sting. Either become a politician or a musician. Although he made a lot of money with his mono tonal ramblings on the latter I think he should stick to the former as long as he preaches his politics in some remote area like a worm sanctuary in Siberia.
K. E.

PS I enjoyed being part of his tribute album