HONKY

Sure, this album doesn't take itself seriously, but some of the greatest films ever made were comedies. While I'm not saying that this is a comedy, some of it certainly is a lot of fun, and about seventeen seconds are downright silly (Intro-Juicing). But that aside, it has some fun tunes. Not exactly prog, but anyone with eclectic tastes will recognize a very Caribbean flavor to the whole deal. Hints of reggae, especially in Rum-a-ting. Hello sailor is fun, not incredibly special, but pretty pleasant at least. Tunes like Big Horn Breakdown and Yancey Special are somewhat silly, but still very fun. Salt Cay and Green Ice are both catchy and memorable without being simplistic. Rum-a-Ting is very reggae, but in a surprisingly Emerson way, considering the flavor of the album, and turns out to be pretty good. Chickcharnie is a fast-paced tune, turning out to be one of the most infectious tunes I've heard. Jesus Loves Me is Emerson recording a gospel song being sung during a church service in the Bahamas, where the whole thing was made. All in all, the album is a whole bunch of fun--if albums like CLOSE TO THE EDGE are CASABLANCA, this is IRON MAN. I enjoy it, people with a more conservative mindset might not. Regardless, don't pick this album up if you want Emerson. It is not the Keith Emerson we all know and/or love.