KEITH EMERSON
Crossover Prog • United Kingdom
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Keith Noel Emerson - November 2, 1944 (Todmorden, UK) - March 11, 2016
KEITH EMERSON is regarded by many as the most influential keyboard player on progressive rock, even acquiring the name 'Hendrix Of The Organ' for his organ stabbing routines on stage with both THE NICE and EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER during the Sixties and Seventies. Outside of Jerry Lee Lewis, keyboard playing is normally for quiet characters who stare fixatedly at the keyboard usually not even acknowledging the existence of the audience.Not so for EMERSON, who would jump on top of the organ, ride it across the stage and then throw it away once he had his 'evil' way with it in a grand display of over the top showmanship.Audiences lapped it up, while critics complained about ''Keyboard masturbation'' and ''pretentiousness''.
This all somewhat hides the fact that EMERSON was a serious musician. Studying classical music from an early age, he was fascinated by the relationship between classical music (like Bach) and rock music. He fully understood the importance of counterpoint as shown when The Nice performed 'Brandenburger'. The Nice were also quite happy to play live with orchestra as demonstrated by the 1969 Fairfields concert of 'The Five Bridges Suite'.
In 1970 EMERSON was to focus his attentions towards the recently invented Moog Synthesiser. ELP were one of the most significant innovators of this instrument in prog. Tracks like 'Lucky Man','Toccata' and 'Tarkus' showed EMERSON's prowess on the Moog. He worked closely with the inventor himself to develop new keyboards and to refine its use. Robert Moog was a great fan of EMERSON and regarded him as the foremost player of the instrument.
EMERSON, however, was still keen to pick up his classical/orchestral ambitions, and in the mid Seventies composed his first (and to date only) Piano Concerto. This eventually (almost by accident) found its way onto ELP's 'Works Volume One' as the prog trio ventured further towards classical/jazz and symphonic music. However, the emergence of punk brought further cries of 'self indulgence' from music critics. ELP were to crash and burn, but EMERSON was still justifiably proud of his classical creation. Not only aired on classical radio, this fine piece of music has even been adopted by professional orchestras.
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KEITH EMERSON discography
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KEITH EMERSON top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
3.31 | 57 ratings
Inferno (OST) 1980 |
2.93 | 58 ratings
Honky 1981 |
3.30 | 35 ratings
Nighthawks (OST) 1981 |
3.58 | 20 ratings
Best Revenge (OST) 1982 |
2.67 | 3 ratings
Harmagedon (OST) 1983 |
2.95 | 20 ratings
Murderock - Uccide A Passo Di Danza (OST) 1983 |
2.89 | 26 ratings
The Christmas Album 1988 |
2.12 | 6 ratings
La Chiesa [Aka: The Church] (OST) 1989 |
2.71 | 17 ratings
Iron Man - Vol 1 (OST) 1994 |
3.31 | 31 ratings
Changing States 1995 |
3.77 | 44 ratings
Emerson Plays Emerson 2002 |
3.60 | 100 ratings
Keith Emerson Band featuring Marc Bonilla 2008 |
3.40 | 44 ratings
Keith Emerson Band: Three Fates Project 2012 |
3.43 | 14 ratings
Beyond The Stars 2018 |
KEITH EMERSON Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
2.84 | 20 ratings
Keith Emerson - Glenn Hughes - Marc Bonilla. Boys Club - Live From California 2009 |
4.16 | 27 ratings
Keith Emerson Band Featuring Marc Bonilla - Moscow 2011 |
3.42 | 22 ratings
Live From Manticore Hall (Emerson & Lake) 2014 |
KEITH EMERSON Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)
4.76 | 20 ratings
Keith Emerson Band Featuring Marc Bonilla - Moscow 2010 |
KEITH EMERSON Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
2.26 | 4 ratings
Chord Sampler 1984 |
0.00 | 0 ratings
The Emerson Collection 1986 |
4.00 | 1 ratings
Best Works Collection 1992 |
3.81 | 17 ratings
At The Movies 2005 |
3.15 | 10 ratings
Hammer It Out - The Anthology 2005 |
3.02 | 22 ratings
Off The Shelf 2006 |
KEITH EMERSON Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)
3.00 | 1 ratings
Honky Tonk Train Blues 1976 |
3.00 | 1 ratings
Taxi Ride (Rome) 1980 |
4.00 | 1 ratings
Inferno 1980 |
4.00 | 1 ratings
Salt Cay 1980 |
4.00 | 1 ratings
I'm A Man 1981 |
0.00 | 0 ratings
Rum-A-Ting 1982 |
5.00 | 1 ratings
Children Of The Light 1983 |
4.00 | 2 ratings
The Christmas Single 1995 |
3.40 | 5 ratings
The Keith Emerson Trio 2015 |
KEITH EMERSON Reviews
Showing last 10 reviews only
Keith Emerson Crossover Prog
Review by sgtpepper
Keith Emerson Crossover Prog
Review by
jamesbaldwin
Prog Reviewer
In 1977, the prog era having passed, Emerson had a great and unexpected success with a 45 rpm, 'Honky Tonk Train Blues', a piece that made boogie-woogie and jazz history (it was written by Meade Lux Lewis in 1927). The track was used as the theme song of the television programme 'Odeon. Tutto quanto fa spettacolo su Rai 2', created by journalists Brando Giordani and Emilio Ravel, and thus became a national-popular catchphrase that made it one of the best-selling singles in 1977.
There is little to say about the song, which is well known: everything hinges on a rhythmic pianism (the piano as percussion instrument) that engages and gives no respite until the end. The interesting parts of Emerson's version are especially in the second part of the piece, when drums, piano and wind instruments go wild, creating almost frenzied and distorted passages. Rated 8.
SideB. The second track, writtenby Keith Emerson, is another boogie piece, arranged in the same way: drums and horns. In this case, there are also woodwinds (clarinet?), making it even more of a vintage saloon tune, especially in the middle section, where Emerson unleashes himself on the keyboard with ever-rhythmic liquid pianism. The ending is a little repetitive. It is a true revival track, very epigonic (in fact it sounds like a variation of Honky Tonk Train Blues), but enjoyable. Rated 7+.
Pop revival music suitable for showing off Emerson's piano technique, but competently performed and enjoyable.
Rated 7.75.
Three stars.
Keith Emerson Crossover Prog
Review by
richardh
Prog Reviewer
This is the third Emerson film soundtrack and really the last one that is worth taking seriously. I did check out the film and unfortunately it's not up to much. Emerson though does a great job the highlight being the 15 minute track called Orchestral Suite to Best Revenge. It compares favourably to Pirates in my view although you may ask , ''but there is no Carl Palmer?'' Instead we have Aynsley Dunbar of all people. Not a bad swap! I enjoy this album a lot , Emerson's choppy style of keyboards coming to the fore on The Runner and dear ole Brad Delp (Boston) even appears on Playing For Keeps. No bad tracks and a well organised album this is probably the best of the OST's that Emerson did. Can't quite go 5 stars but still a well earned 4 stars in my book.
Keith Emerson Crossover Prog
Review by
richardh
Prog Reviewer
Keeping Godfrey Salmon on board for conducting duties, this altogether has a much more cohesive feel compared to Inferno. I love the track The Chase , the second longest and best track on the album , showing Emerson's ability to construct a piece inventively. Tramway is also another fine track as he utilises the Fairlight to great effect. Some might dislike Nighthawkin , a disco track but I like the groove and the way it almost imperceptibly appears to speed up as Emerson happily improvises on the piano. In fact I like all of it and a special nod to Neil Symonette on drums aided by Tristram Fry and Frank Scully on percussion.
Keith Emerson Crossover Prog
Review by
richardh
Prog Reviewer
Keith Emerson Crossover Prog
Review by black/note
All over Band Feat. Marc Bonilla Keith displays the whole range of his instruments, from Grand Piano to Pipe Organ, through the magniloquence of Hammond Organ & the update effects of his Custom Moog Modular Synth, always proving himself proud & rough & keen. Keith was from rare musicians able to get involved, to explore their limits, to cross/break them! Perhaps less spectacular & virtuoso than in EL&P fantastic live rides, surely more peremptory & authoritative, he always makes the point, then apparently disappears from the front line, at last re-emerges - as you can see for example on Marche Train - with his Moog or Hammond peculiar sharp shades!
In a few words: maturity, experience & enormous talent. KE this was! Therefore we all regret his sudden disappearance in 2016. The artistic heritage he leaves is immense, and - in my opinion - even today unexplorated, sometimes underrated by short-sighted persons, shelf-styled connoisseurs!
Keith Emerson Crossover Prog
Review by black/note
Surely - on the contrary! - THIS album feat. KE only at the acoustic piano - i.e. usually a nine-foot Steinway Grand - reveals & demonstrates The Other Side of K's imagination: here he's maybe a finger-breaker, whether in the classical Creole Dance originally written by Alberto Ginastera, or in the boogie-honky tonk-ragtime inspired pieces, like Cajun Alley, Roll 'n Jelly, Hammer It Out; here he's certainly a sort of magic wizard, in depicting smooth paysages, imaginary landscapes of his vast mind not less than (of) his profound heart.
That's The Project KEY! Recorded in different times, the 22 short pieces we found in this album can be distributed per genres/styles: jazz efforts, in which B&W Blues literally overwhelms a clumsy, mechanical Summertime; soundtrack traces, from the Best Revenge series and Lucio Fulci's 1984 italian thriller Murderock; early jazz oriented rags - i.e. Jelly Roll Morton, Eubie Blake, Meade Lux Lewis - including Honky Tonk Train Blues recorded in 1976 with "monster" Oscar Peterson (!) at BBC TV Piano Party Programme; a true GEM, the Creole Dance by Alberto Ginastera - i.e. Keith re- arranged it... with rough/sincere composer's & his wife's approval (!); live pieces - i.e. For Kevin (Gilbert) recorded at Gorge at George, Washington 1996 and Close To Home, Royal Albert Hall, London 1992.
At last - but they connect & amalgamate - not less than eight meditative & introspective pieces, seemingly piano improvisations... but they aren't (!) Here Keith, afar from sleight-of-hands demonstrations, is more than once Close To The Edge, that's always on the ridge between music & painting, playing nothing but the essential - i.e. the Vagrant is a dedication by Keith to his Steinway Grand Piano which is "vagrant" as him... and the Outgoing Tide contains an evident quote from Ludovico Einaudi piano work.
In a few words, Plays Emerson isn't a typical K's album: it's one that classical pianists (!) - especially the ones who dig jazz roots & american composers of the XX century - can esteem & appreciate more & more! nb. Sleeve Notes by Keith are translated in German & in Italian too...
Keith Emerson Crossover Prog
Review by black/note
Keith Emerson Crossover Prog
Review by
SouthSideoftheSky
Special Collaborator Symphonic Team
I don't normally rate singles unless they offer something different from the full-length album from which the music in question was taken (like a single edit, alternative mix, or a non-album track), but I make an exception on this occasion as I think that this single deserves a higher rating than the Inferno soundtrack album overall. While the album is a largely orchestral affair, this single release brings together two of its perhaps "rockiest" tracks. The excellent a-side Taxi Ride (Rome) features drums, bass, and synths in addition to piano, and the track would not have been out of place on an ELP album. The b-side Mater Tenebrarum is equally strong, and features a gothic choir and organ. These are my two favourite tracks off the Inferno soundtrack, and I enjoy them in isolation a great deal more than I do the soundtrack album as a whole. Which is why I award an extra star to this single compared to the album.
Keith Emerson Crossover Prog
Review by
SouthSideoftheSky
Special Collaborator Symphonic Team
This official soundtrack album for the Italian horror movie La Chiesa ("The Church") features four pieces performed by Keith Emerson. These are The Church (Main Theme); Prelude 24 (From Well Tempered Clavier); The Possession, and The Church Revisited, all four of which have also been included on the Keith Emerson "At the Movies" 3CD set. Emerson's contributions add up to about 13 minutes of music all in all.
The rest of the music on this soundtrack is by other artists, including several tracks by Italian Prog band Goblin (who specialized in movie soundtracks). On their own the Goblin tracks do not stand out, but they work rather well in between Emerson's. (However, it would have been more interesting if they had worked together on the same pieces.)
Had we been spared the vocal tracks by Zooming On The Zoo and Definitive Gaze, which are both downright awful, this album would be a much more enjoyable listen. Since Emerson's contributions are by far the best here, I would recommend the At the Movies release instead.