Keith Emerson, of the legendary prog-rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer, died last week. I was originally exposed to Emerson's work in high school through that other incarnation of ELP, with Cozy Powell on drums, but shortly thereafter got ahold of Brain Salad Surgery, the actual vinyl album form with the gatefold sleeve adorned with Geiger art. Pretty amazing. I never got into ELP as much as, say, Pink Floyd, but there have been long stretches of my life where their music forms the predominant soundtrack of my life. I never got to see them in concert, and now it appears as if I never will. Their interpretation of "Fanfare for the Common Man" gives a pretty good impression of the group's musical skills, Emerson's keyboards in particular. Watching this video, all I can think is that it must've been damn cold in Montreal that day. I'll wager the band's primary goal was to get the video shot in one take.
I've been a life-long ELP fan since their very first self-titled album. I was at college at the time, and it was almost 20 years before I got to see ELPowell play live and meet Keith and Greg in El Paso TX at the start of the ELPowell tour. A great loss - and such a tragedy that he took his own life. I know he had some serious health issues over the last couple of years.
I've been a life-long ELP fan since their very first self-titled album. I was at college at the time, and it was almost 20 years before I got to see ELPowell play live and meet Keith and Greg in El Paso TX at the start of the ELPowell tour. A great loss - and such a tragedy that he took his own life. I know he had some serious health issues over the last couple of years.
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