Keith Emerson RIP

lowend1 · March 11, 2016, 12:53:13 PM

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/keith-emerson-dies/

chromium · March 11, 2016, 01:32:37 PM

Ugh. More sad news

RIP

All these years, and I had no idea until that article that Lemmy gave him the knife

gweimer · March 11, 2016, 04:12:01 PM

Our list grows...

uwe · March 11, 2016, 04:48:44 PM

His hand had been giving him issues for more than a decade and given his athletic playing style he found that very frustrating, but I would have never envisaged suicide with him. Very sad. He was to rock keyboard playing what Clint Eastwood was to Western movies.

Rick Wakeman, who in the 70ies battled it out with Keith and Jon (Lord) who of them would lead the "best keyboarder" polls (so much that Jon Lord once introduced himself at a DP Mk III show in 1974 with: "And my name is Rick Emerson!" to uproarious audience laughter), must feel very lonely now.

Denis · March 12, 2016, 06:37:23 AM

What another huge loss. ELP was and is one of my staples in prog rock.
I would never have thought suicide would do him in, but I guess you never can tell. I suppose that facing the end of what has been his life's work and ability, I could see why, though still it's very sad.
This morning on WXDU I played Roy Harper's "Hell's Angels", which featured The Nice as backing band, then "America" from The Nice" and then finally "Karn Evil 9" in its entirety.

rahock · March 12, 2016, 06:42:24 AM

I saw Nice once and saw ELP at least a dozen times. In their heyday ELP was one of the best shows you could catch. Keith Emerson never failed to wow the crowd.
RIP amigo.
Rick

Highlander · March 12, 2016, 12:28:26 PM

Welcome back my friends... Ol' Grim Reaper gatherin' his'self one heluva band... rip...

Alanko · March 12, 2016, 03:12:48 PM

I once interacted with Keith, via a 3rd party. I emailed into his old website asking how he got feedback from a Hammond organ. He replied, via some sort of agent, that the feedback came about from the speakers in the L100 interacting with his amp rig (presumably the whole organ became microphonic under extreme gain, provided by a Fuzz Face). I'm touched remembering it now, because it really was only one small corner of Keith's stagecraft, but he took the time to write a response.

Anyway, RIP Keith! Thanks for bringing some much need delinquency to the pompous 6th Form Boys dormitory of prog rock.

westen44 · March 12, 2016, 09:40:15 PM

Quote from: Highlander on March 12, 2016, 12:28:26 PM
Welcome back my friends... Ol' Grim Reaper gatherin' his'self one heluva band... rip...

All joking aside (or not,) it's already better than any band that can be found on earth--by my estimation.

I find this situation with Keith Emerson more tragic than most. I can't imagine how it could have turned out much sadder.

uwe · March 13, 2016, 05:59:39 AM

True, he already had his status as a keyboard god (it's funny how "keyboard gods" only existed during a comparatively short span in the 70ies, not before or after, other decades didn't see the rise of an Emerson, a Wakeman, a Banks or a Lord), no illness should have taken that away. But Emerson never really found his feet again after the demise of ELP, reunions of ELP and Nice were fraught with personal issues and those of his handicapped hand, his solo career never took off, his post-ELP output is reagarded as uneven even in diehard prog circles. And unlike Palmer, there was no Asia mega-success in a new setting for him either. I only saw him live once, late 90ies, on an ELP reunion tour opening for DP (but with a full set) - his keyboard fortress of solitude was a sight to behold!

Basvarken · March 13, 2016, 07:00:56 AM

Quote from: uwe on March 13, 2016, 05:59:39 AM
it's funny how "keyboard gods" only existed during a comparatively short span in the 70ies, not before or after, other decades didn't see the rise of an Emerson, a Wakeman, a Banks or a Lord

No keyboard gods. But maybe demi-gods.
This band called Orgel Vreten (Organ Devouring) is rather popular in The Netherlands.

westen44 · March 13, 2016, 07:39:40 AM

Quote from: uwe on March 13, 2016, 05:59:39 AM
True, he already had his status as a keyboard god (it's funny how "keyboard gods" only existed during a comparatively short span in the 70ies, not before or after, other decades didn't see the rise of an Emerson, a Wakeman, a Banks or a Lord), no illness should have taken that away. But Emerson never really found his feet again after the demise of ELP, reunions of ELP and Nice were fraught with personal issues and those of his handicapped hand, his solo career never took off, his post-ELP output is reagarded as uneven even in diehard prog circles. And unlike Palmer, there was no Asia mega-success in a new setting for him either. I only saw him live once, late 90ies, on an ELP reunion tour opening for DP (but with a full set) - his keyboard fortress of solitude was a sight to behold!

The two local keyboardists in my immediate area that I knew well both met tragic ends. I was in a band with one of them for years. He died in a car wreck. The second one reminded me more of Emerson. He developed some serious physical problems and faced a lot of struggles. After his wife left him, he killed himself. Both he and the former bandmate were superb musicians.

uwe · March 13, 2016, 08:42:44 AM

I'm not saying that there aren't great keyboard players around today - obviously, the guy from Dream Theater is great, even if you despise that band - but they are not as elevated to rock star status as some of the 70ies guys were. Not even someone like Neal Morse is in that old league.

It's funny, keyboards (or shall I say: keyboard-triggered digital sounds?) are more present in today's music than ever before, but the men playing them are less prominent.

For me, it's a joy to play with a keyboard guy in a band that is not afraid to be heard (and seen), I love piano, organ and synth solos. They can even wear a cape (though not mandatory)! But unfortunately, on a non-pro band level, these people are few and far between.

There was something great to Emerson, Wakeman and Lord hovering and crouching in their corners among all their over-the-top equipment like coiled up snakes waiting to sneak in the next keyboard run.

I have some office work today to do and I think I'm gonna listen to the ELP Trilogy Remix a little!

westen44 · March 13, 2016, 09:47:40 AM

I can still remember the great joy I felt when I was able to convince that keyboardist I mentioned to play in our band. He was literally the last missing piece. Just a very talented guy. A little eccentric, but that was okay. He always had the Gregg Allman look going on, too. That was the last band I played in with a keyboardist, but it did last quite a long time.

Alanko · March 13, 2016, 10:07:54 AM

Jordan Rudess is something of a keyboard god, just in prog-metal circles (and I don't like his keyboard sounds).

I think keyboards lost their way when their equipment became more complex. It seems to me that keyboards were developed more and more to ape the sounds of other instruments. Emerson's Hammond was the sound of rock organ; every bit as raging and muscular as a Les Paul or P bass. Case in point, when Emerson moved over to the plastic synths and midi tones all the balls went out of his sound.