HONKY TONK TRAIN BLUES

Keith Emerson enjoyed great popularity in Italy in the 1970s. In addition to inspiring the keyboard players of PFM, Banco and Orme, he and Lake and Palmer placed the trio's records in the Italian Hit Parade.

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.