The Brutality of the Hammond: Tarkus

No live Hammond stage sound was ever bigger than Billy Ritchie with Clouds; like listening to two organists playing in unison. You can hear that to some extent on 'Cold Sweat' the the middle and coda of 'Sing Sing Sing'. Fastest ever hands too. He cut off before the Prog era really got going, so doesn't (in my opinion) really qualify as a true Prog keyboard player, he was a Hammond organist, and that's it, I'm not sure he could even have translated himself into the synth era to the standard of excellence brought by Emerson and Wakeman. But Hammond, yes, absolutely the best. It was a massive sound, The Nice couldn't live with that on a live stage. Tony Kaye (Yes) even tried copying the Hammond settings Ritchie used, but it still didn't sound the same, much to Tony's puzzlement. What he needed was a left hand as strong as his right. 

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

That might as well be, but this thread is about Hammond.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.