Don't know how I missed Keith Emerson died in 2016.

[MarathonMike]

I feel bad, I was a fan of Emerson Lake and Palmer back in the day. I always admired how Keith Emerson could play, he was unlike any rock pianist. More like a hybrid between a modern classical virtuoso and rock keyboardist. If you aren't familiar with him, listen to this song and pay attention to what Emerson is playing. It's incredible. I play pretty well and teach piano, but this is way beyond me.

 

[JGalt]

Yup, he's dead. I was surprised that he never got killed by that flying piano thing he did...

 

[fncceo]

I had to establish an alibi.

 

[toobfreak]

I feel bad, I was a fan of Emerson Lake and Palmer back in the day. I always admired how Keith Emerson could play, he was unlike any rock pianist. More like a hybrid between a modern classical virtuoso and rock keyboardist. If you aren't familiar with him, listen to this song and pay attention to what Emerson is playing. It's incredible. I play pretty well and teach piano, but this is way beyond me.

Oh, Mike! Dude! Keith Emerson was one of the great legends, Gods of the keyboard of the 20th century. ELP was one of the best bands to ever be. If only you could hear them as meant to be with unlimited, distortion free bass down into the subsonic! I have bad news for you, I keep track of this stuff and Keith passed away on March 10 of 2016, he committed suicide by gunshot to the head as he was not willing to live any longer as he was in his health condition, then December 7th later that year, Greg Lake, one of the best male rock vocalists of all time passed away as well, after long standing health issues he battled. All that is left now is Carl Palmer.

I feel lucky that I got to see Keith one last time in 2012 at a small theater in Phoenixville, PA (where they filmed The Blob), sat 20 feet from him and was able to meet, talk with and thank after the show.

The greats of rock are disappearing left and right; just in the past 10 years, we have lost:

Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
Alvin Lee (10 Years After)
Lou Reed
Johnny Winter
Chris Squire (Yes)
David Bowie
Keith Emerson
Greg Lake
John Wetton (UK)
Larry Coryell
Allan Holdsworth and
Gregg Allman.

Sad

Keith Emerson. Right up there with Rick Wakeman.

 

[Harry Dresden]

got to see them around 71-72.....a 4 channel set up.....

 

[Synthaholic]

His health situation robbed him of the ability to play like he always had, and it was in that depression that he decided to take his own life. Very sad, but as a keyboardist I understand. If I were ever at his playing level I know it would devastate me, too. It would be like Frank Sinatra having seized vocal cords.

One of the reasons why it didn’t get much coverage at the time: Prince died shortly after. Someone else, too, even closer to Emerson’s death date - I can’t remember.

 

[toobfreak]

His health situation robbed him of the ability to play like he always had, and it was in that depression that he decided to take his own life. Very sad, but as a keyboardist I understand. If I were ever at his playing level I know it would devastate me, too. It would be like Frank Sinatra having seized vocal cords.

One of the reasons why it didn’t get much coverage at the time: Prince died shortly after. Someone else, too, even closer to Emerson’s death date - I can’t remember.

Prince died about 40 days later. George Martin, Beatles producer had just died 2 days earlier.

 

[Likkmee]

Tom Petty

 

[Synthaholic]

His health situation robbed him of the ability to play like he always had, and it was in that depression that he decided to take his own life. Very sad, but as a keyboardist I understand. If I were ever at his playing level I know it would devastate me, too. It would be like Frank Sinatra having seized vocal cords.

One of the reasons why it didn’t get much coverage at the time: Prince died shortly after. Someone else, too, even closer to Emerson’s death date - I can’t remember.

Prince died about 40 days later. George Martin, Beatles producer had just died 2 days earlier.

I knew someone more famous eclipsed his news.

 

[Synthaholic]

I can't think of a more iconic or more famous synthesizer solo than 'Lucky Man'.

 

[sparky]

one popular around campfires>>>



~S~

 

[sparky]

~S~

 

[sparky]

Rob Grill>



~S~

 

[toobfreak]

I can't think of a more iconic or more famous synthesizer solo than 'Lucky Man'.

Lucky Man gets a lot of credit for establishing Keith's world dominating bass synth especially starting at 3:14 in, but often overlooked is what really established ELP as the new standard in bass and organ in the song TANK, where at about 4:09 in is I believe the most powerful, cataclysmic subsonic crescendo of bass energy ever in any song before or since, even by ELP themselves.



Frankly, I'm impressed they were able to cut it into the vinyl.

Do not worry about listening for it on your computer though, not even on your home stereo if you have one. Very few music systems can come close to producing it. All you'll hear is a sort of faint "heartbeat" with a few thumps---- ----unless you saw them live or are lucky enough to have a truly full range 11 octave music system as I do capable of going flat down to below the level of human hearing at high power, you'll never hear it as they produced it.

I've blown up power amps and subs trying to reproduce it, including a bridged 200W SAE Mark IIICM and a custom built sub the size of a fridge. I can only do it now with the use of a special 1000W powered sub with DC BASH amplifier going into a special XBL ultra-linear full excursion bass driver with a 40 pound motor. To this day I cringe playing the climax at high volume not because I fear damaging the system anymore but because I fear breaking the window or knocking things off the shelf on the other side of the house.

To the neighborhood, it sounds like a 5 ton block of concrete just hit the ground dropped from 30 feet high. This was the essence of Emerson Lake & Palmer. No band has ever exceeded ELP for sheer power rock much less musical virtuosity. They were a once in a lifetime confluence of rare talent.

 

[Synthaholic]

“I've blown up power amps and subs trying to reproduce it”

All you need is a Moog Modular and some 18” speakers.

 

[MarathonMike]

I feel bad, I was a fan of Emerson Lake and Palmer back in the day. I always admired how Keith Emerson could play, he was unlike any rock pianist. More like a hybrid between a modern classical virtuoso and rock keyboardist. If you aren't familiar with him, listen to this song and pay attention to what Emerson is playing. It's incredible. I play pretty well and teach piano, but this is way beyond me.

Oh, Mike! Dude! Keith Emerson was one of the great legends, Gods of the keyboard of the 20th century. ELP was one of the best bands to ever be. If only you could hear them as meant to be with unlimited, distortion free bass down into the subsonic! I have bad news for you, I keep track of this stuff and Keith passed away on March 10 of 2016, he committed suicide by gunshot to the head as he was not willing to live any longer as he was in his health condition, then December 7th later that year, Greg Lake, one of the best male rock vocalists of all time passed away as well, after long standing health issues he battled. All that is left now is Carl Palmer.

I feel lucky that I got to see Keith one last time in 2012 at a small theater in Phoenixville, PA (where they filmed The Blob), sat 20 feet from him and was able to meet, talk with and thank after the show.

The greats of rock are disappearing left and right; just in the past 10 years, we have lost:

Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
Alvin Lee (10 Years After)
Lou Reed
Johnny Winter
Chris Squire (Yes)
David Bowie
Keith Emerson
Greg Lake
John Wetton (UK)
Larry Coryell
Allan Holdsworth and
Gregg Allman.

Sad

Keith Emerson. Right up there with Rick Wakeman.


View attachment 287440

Yeah I've been catching up on what happened to him. It has to be devastating when you have that level of ability and your body starts to fail you and you can't do it anymore.

 

[MarathonMike]

I always liked this one. More of a feature of Greg Lake but Keith does some really cool things on it.

 

[karpenter]

ELP Welcome Back - YouTube

 

[Synthaholic]

I like ‘Brain Salad Surgery’ and ‘Tarkus’ the most.

 

[MarathonMike]

I like ‘Brain Salad Surgery’ and ‘Tarkus’ the most.

Yep good stuff there for sure.