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Joined: May 28 2011
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Topic: Keith Emerson suggestions? Posted: February 26 2012 at 16:22
It took me a while to get into Emerson, Lake, & Palmer. I've slowly come to really appreciate a number of things about their music, but the parts that really make me just go "Yes!" are Emerson's cool, moody solo piano sections. I only own Trilogy and Elegy by The Nice (but now that tape is warped).
Personally I feel like he could do a great album by himself on piano.
What ELP albums or other albums with Emerson do you think feature his best piano? Perhaps the question: "What's the best ELP/ Emerson album?" would get the same answers, but I thought I'd mention my specific interest.
As you like his piano work particularly, Keith's solo piano album is pretty good 'Emerson Plays Emerson' and the soundtrack to 'Inferno' features loads of spine tingly creepy piano.
Joined: February 18 2004
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Posted: February 27 2012 at 02:07
^ Indeed Inferno has some brilliant piano on that especially on the tracks Cigs ,Ices etc and Taxi Ride but also the main title theme.
You can find some of it posted up on Youtube. Have a listen its really good stuff.
Beyond that Emerson's solo stuff:
Nighthawks (O/S) - very little piano just on the disco track 'Nighthawking' which is of course brilliant
Honky - includes Bach Before The Mast and a few other tracks with piano. Worth checking out.
Best Revenge(O/S) - Some piano but not brilliant
Changing States - Best solo album , some nice piano including a version of Summertime
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Posted: February 28 2012 at 15:03
Some great piano work in ELP's debut (Take a Pebble, The Three Fates).
If you are only interested in acoustic piano, forget Pictures At An Exhibition, great album but all electric.
Tarkus is one of my favourites but also using mostly electric keyboards.
You have already Trilogy which another in my top list. Indeed amazing piano on this one.
Brain Salad Surgery is a mix, it has some very good piano parts but also a lot of electric keyboards, in any case a must have in my list.
If you enjoy classical music, Piano Concerto in Works I is great, I really recommend it.
Honky is not amazing overall but just because Bach Before The Mast alone it is worth the album, you will not listen to a much better piano section than this.
His 2008 record with Marc Bonilla has also some good piano performances.
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Posted: February 28 2012 at 15:33
I wouldn't suggest Brain Salad Surgery. It's a beginning of their downhill slope. They are some absolutely stunning moments, but not much piano. Tarkus is great, but there are only two piano pieces: Bitches Crystal and Infinite Space (Conclusion). Absolutely incredible sound clusters, captivating the best of ELP. Their debut is worth checking - three lengthy piano pieces out of this world: Take A Pebble, The Barbarian (middle part) and The Three Fates/Lachesis (Piano solo)/Atropos (Piano trio).
Of more recent stuff, Creole Dance is quite impressive.
Also, try some Nice: Hang On To a Dream is beautiful ,especially in live version.
Joined: February 18 2004
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Posted: February 28 2012 at 16:08
clarke2001 wrote:
I wouldn't suggest Brain Salad Surgery. It's a beginning of their downhill slope. They are some absolutely stunning moments, but not much piano. Tarkus is great, but there are only two piano pieces: Bitches Crystal and Infinite Space (Conclusion). Absolutely incredible sound clusters, captivating the best of ELP. Their debut is worth checking - three lengthy piano pieces out of this world: Take A Pebble, The Barbarian (middle part) and The Three Fates/Lachesis (Piano solo)/Atropos (Piano trio).
Of more recent stuff, Creole Dance is quite impressive.
Also, try some Nice: Hang On To a Dream is beautiful ,especially in live version.
Fair shout on ELP's debut. The piano solo on The Three Fates is amazing.
also The Nice - Elegy.
Features some great piano especially the version of Bob Dylans 'My Back Pages' and also the live version of 'Hang On To A Dream' as you mention.
Always though it a shame that Emerson didn't tour solo 'one man and his piano'. I saw ELP on the Black Moon tour and he played a few piano peices including something he 'had just written' on the journey down. Sheer brilliance. Always people focus on Emerson's 'pyrotechnics' somewhat understandably but he can play beautifull subtle quiet stuff of which Fugue is a great example.
Joined: May 28 2011
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Posted: February 28 2012 at 16:25
Lots of good suggestions everybody, thank you.
Emerson Plays Emerson looks really good, but it seems impossible to find at a decent price!
I'll look a bit deeper into some of his other solo albums.
Of course, I enjoy the electric stuff as well, it's just the piano work that sticks out the best to me. At some point, I'm sure I'll get around to hearing lots more of them.
I just so happened to come across their debut today on vinyl for just $2, so that worked out. I'll be listening to it soon.
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Posted: February 29 2012 at 10:35
ExittheLemming wrote:
clarke2001 wrote:
I wouldn't suggest Brain Salad Surgery. It's a beginning of their downhill slope. They are some absolutely stunning moments, but not much piano.
Also, try some Nice: Hang On To a Dream is beautiful ,especially in live version.
Erm...BSS is the culmination of everything ELP aspired to from the outset and the entire 2nd Impression is sublime piano skulduggery
Agreed however on the brilliant Hang on to a Dream live version on the (unjustly dismissed) Elegy from the Nice
Totally. I didn't realize at first that you were talking about the first track from Elegy because I usually don't pay attention to song titles. That was my favorite one from that album before (like I said) the tape got too warped to listen to D:
Joined: February 13 2004
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Posted: February 29 2012 at 10:56
I might catch some flak for this suggestion. If you can ignore the cheeeseland cover and title Love Beach has it's momments and is not as sh*t as everyone makes it out to be. I remember skipping school back in November '78 to wait at the record store to open at 9 o'clock in the morning . You have to remember Atlantic Records put them up to this simplified format and the cover and title wasn't their idea either. They weren't too thrilled with it and Emerson himself put the finishing touches on it.
There was Ccertainly a lot worse material to come in the future.
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Keith Emerson suggestions?
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