RIP : Keith Emerson

[glow worm]

Keith Emerson has died at the age of 71. Police are treating the death as suicide

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12192058/Keith-Emerson-musician-obituary.html

[brainstormer]

Yes, its very sad. The whole world is talking about it. I wish he could have diminished the influence of "rock" and saw himself more as a composer....think of Beethoven still going after he became deaf.

[varice]

Wow… such sad and terrible news.

ELP was one of my favorite bands in the 70’s. Keith’s Moog modular solo at the end of Lucky Man just blew me away when I first heard it, and I have been hooked on synthesizer music ever since. One of my cousins had the debut album which we played it over and over, especially the tracks The Barbarian and Knife Edge.

One time late at night while listening to a local AM radio station from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, they auditioned the just released ELP live concert rendition of Pictures at an Exhibition. What a fantastic mix of rock and classical music. It is both magical and haunting. For my next birthday present, I asked my parents to buy the LP. My Dad hated it and thought it was just a waste of money. Oh well…

While visiting my cousin again a year or two later, her boyfriend had an 8-track tape recording of Tarkus. I bugged him to play it over and over as we cruised around in his car through the streets of Vidalia, Louisiana and across the Mississippi River into Natchez.

I finally got to see ELP live in Baton Rouge when they were touring in support of their Brain Salad Surgery album. What a great concert! Keith, Greg, and Carl put on one hell of a show.

RIP Keith. Thanks for expanding my sonic universe, and thanks for all the great music and memories.

[MusicMan11712]

I never saw ELP live, but when I had a college radio show, one of my staples was The Nice (esp. Five Bridges) and later ELP. Nutrocker is still an amazing cover of the original (from the early 60s, I think). Keith Emerson made Tchaikovsky rock for sure!!!
Steve

[glow worm]