The Brutality of the Hammond: Tarkus

Epignosis wrote: "Tarkus" is one of the greatest prog epics ever written, and I agree- the organ is awesome throughout.

Rivertree wrote:

I really like the live versions of Tarkus from YouTube as well. There was one that had really good sound despite tilting the camera upside down a few times. 

Epignosis wrote: "Tarkus" is one of the greatest prog epics ever written, and I agree- the organ is awesome throughout.

JD wrote: Atavachron wrote: richardh wrote: Emerson did actually compose the instrumental sections on a piano and then transferred it to Hammond. ooh I'd like to hear the piano originals, or a new piano-based version.. c'mon Keith, revisit the old xenarthran ! Ah...you do know Keith is no longer with us right??

Atavachron wrote: richardh wrote: Emerson did actually compose the instrumental sections on a piano and then transferred it to Hammond. ooh I'd like to hear the piano originals, or a new piano-based version.. c'mon Keith, revisit the old xenarthran !

Ah...you do know Keith is no longer with us right??

rogerthat wrote: Dave Stewart on The Polite Force?  I am not certain about what all equipment he was using, but this is some nasty keyboard playing.  I do prefer Stewart's playing to Emerson's as such.  I feel Emerson didn't show much growth from his initial, revolutionary burst.  Stewart's playing on the Khan album after this, then Hatfield and finally National Health at the end of the same decade all show varied influences and developments in his style.

Same with me. To me, Dave Stewart is an underappreciated maestro and one of the most gifted musicians I have ever heard play.
As opposed to Wakeman, Sinclair, and Emerson, who used B3/C3 type organ, Stewart used a so called spinet model (L-122), similarly to Rick Wright (M-100), Thijs Van Leer, Hugh Banton or Tony Banks to name a few. These give a much smoother, brighter sound, and less what you might associate with jazz or soul, but rather with church organ. I've found that these models tend to react better with fuzz, hence Stewart's nasty fuzzed out, bulldozer-like organ tones. Long Piece No. 3 is a perfect display of various sounds he was able to achieve.

But yeah, Tarkus is a perfect demonstration of where the great late Keith Emerson could go with his organ. I particularly like the percussive sound of his Hammond.

In terms of Hammond demons, my go to guy probably has to be Hugh Banton of Van Der Graaf Generator, especially during the Pawn Hearts-era.

I've always preferred the way Jon Lord abuses a Hammond:

Alberto Muñoz wrote: Dave Stewart have the most sinister tones of any album of any prog artist to date.

I was gonna say..........Dave Stewart is No. 1 for Hammond. Keith was stupendous with his Hammonds, but Dave - that solo at the beginning of Dreams Wide Awake - Keith was never that wild - or perhaps a different 'wild' , but never played as ripping as Dave. Still love Tarkus - Iconoclast - that Hammond is ALIVE !!