The Brutality of the Hammond: Tarkus

Okay, I'm 'round  'bout two sheets to the wind it being Friday night.  But..if ya want to hear pure Hammond fury, that Tarkus ranks right up there.  Emerson is taking no prisoners, he's got the Hammond drilled down to it's essence, the tone-wheels at their edge.  Percussion set to Third, probably with some extraneous modifications.  Yes there are better players I suppose, but this is the Hendrix of the Hammond.  We hear every nuance of that instrument.  We hear every wail and every high and every low it is capable of.  sh*t, clear the battlefield. 

I agree the Hammond on Tarkus is wonderfully brutal, but I'd also give some love to Jon Lord of Deep Purple who got some wonderfully brutal, almost fuzz guitar, sounds out of the Hammond.

Tarkus is indeed an awesome accomplishment. I don't even really like ELP, but that is a great track with some great organ on it. Overall though, I perfer Vincent Crane's playing to Emerson's.

Only 1 1/2 sheets tonight.  I've nothing against Vincent Crane nor John Lord nor any others who've made a mighty noise with a Hamnond.  But we tend to almost irresponsibly marginalize Emerson's work.  Listen.  Really listen.  Tarkus, you'll hear that Hammond  breathing, especially in the lower registers. Really you'll almost hear it sucking in the air and pushing it back out.  It's respiring is what it is.   We hear something that is unusual even for E.  I dunno, maybe it's the production, but I hear every click as the note hits the contact, and the contact relays down to the tone wheel, and ol' Rocky has got it all working just so.  It's one of life's little joys.

I am an ELP fan but Rod Argent and Jon Lord were the real masters of this instrument imo. Emerson as a talent was always too big for just one instrument as well demonstrated on ELP's debut album where he shows virtuoso albility on Three Fates and a wonderfull appreciation for the possibilties of the Moog synth.

Keith was a true master of the Hammond and the Moog, and I fully agree that when you listen to Tarkus in detail it's mind-blowing. But the actual fact that for me put Keith over Dave Stewart, John Lord and many others was his use of the grand piano.

Emerson did actually compose the instrumental sections on a piano and then transferred it to Hammond. As Moshkito says its a very grand symphonic peice that could easily be orchestrated.

The best Hammond sound is to be found on a certain 70s prog lp.

^indeed there is, where it says 'Post Options' there you can click and edit it.  

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 !

yep, for me as a lad Tarkus was the prog album that started it all.  Truly a church of Prog.







Edited by Atavachron - December 22 2010 at 22:44