prog rock & church organ

Rescenlty I found another church organ-driven gem: Il Paese dei Balocchi - "Ritorno Alla Condizione Umana" (from "Il Paese dei Balocchi" album).

Sir Hogweed wrote: Hi Fuxi. I love the organ work of both of the great composers you mentioned, but I also enjoy the organ work on Awaken very much.

Dear Sir, I can only admire your patience.

fuxi wrote: Surely it's no coincidence that prog virtuosos of impeccable taste such as David Sinclair, Dave Stewart and Kerry Minnear never use the church organ at all?

1. Please Man, there's nothuing like impeccable taste, taste is something personal that you can't measure, my taste is impeccable for me and your taste should be impeccable for you. Now if you need to adecquate your taste to other person's, then we're in trouble.
2. BTW: Virtuso keyboardists as Wakeman, Moraz, Nocenzi and par Lindh love Church Organ.

Iván

I find it thrilling when prog keyboardists use the church organ for special effect (e.g. the opening of Yes' PARALLELLS or the sudden appearance of a church organ in Refugee's CREDO), but these caped crusaders get on my nerves as soon as they attempt more extended pieces. For example, Rick Wakeman's noodling during JUDAS ISCARIOT and AWAKEN (accompanied by Jon Anderson's harp) is terribly irritating. There's simply not enough going on! Anyone familiar with the organ works of J.S. Bach or Buxtehude will know exactly what I mean. (Bach is THRILLING, you see, he rocks.) And that choir ah-ah-ing along on JUDAS ISCARIOT is a classic example of pure kitsch.

Surely it's no coincidence that prog virtuosos of impeccable taste such as David Sinclair, Dave Stewart and Kerry Minnear never use the church organ at all?

Don't think the Close to the Edge source has ever been proven. Six Wives (ugh!) had some tapes recorded at St Giles Cripplegate in London. Wakeman also definitely recorded in Vevey and, yes, piped (sic) it down the phone for Going for the One and other stuff. Par Lindh also definitely. The rest; most of it is studio trickery. Am unsure about Emerson, though - it sounds real enough, but...

john paul jones of led zeppelin actually played organ at the church service in his adolescense, before taking on the studio recording musician activity. this is proved by the brilliant intro to Your Time is Gonna Come from the first album. his father also was a jazz piano player and composer, and this among others made him the main progressive influence in the band, especially since 1970 when he came back to keyboards for live experiments that will grow in time as a strong progressive component of the band's music.

Ricochet wrote: skipping classics a bit, here's a moment of church organ recital I truly appreciate: Rick Wakeman's Lincoln Cathedral I think I said it in my review too, I gave the album to a friend of music, who plays the organ and has the music focus onto this point, and he pronounced over it as mature, nice, good structured. It's basically just the new age-like modern thematic (minimal) improvisations Rick usually does, but the organ atmopheres commences heavily and lifts up a notch...everything.

Also check out SBB keyboardist Jozef Skrzek's CDs Koncert Sweitokrzyski and Czas (organ + guest on Moog)!

skipping classics a bit, here's a moment of church organ recital I truly appreciate:

Rick Wakeman's Lincoln Cathedral

I think I said it in my review too, I gave the album to a friend of music, who plays the organ and has the music focus onto this point, and he pronounced over it as mature, nice, good structured. It's basically just the new age-like modern thematic (minimal) improvisations Rick usually does, but the organ atmopheres commences heavily and lifts up a notch...everything.

My list of great church organs:

Jacula / Antonius Rex (lots of church organs)
Par Lindh Project (lots of church organs)
Yes - Close to the Edge, Parallels, Awaken
Rick Wakeman - Jane Seymour, Judas Iscariot, Lax'x
Gli Alluminogeni - Thrilling
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Three Fates, The Hymn (Infinite Space)
Refugee - Credo
Trace - Final Trace, King-Bird
Tritonus - Far in the Sky
Styx - Little Fugue in D Minor, Father O.S.A., Hallelujah Chorus, I'm Okay
Il Rovescio Della Medaglia - La Mia Musica, Cella 503, La Grande Fuga
Glass Hammer - Run Lisette, Long and Long Ago
Anglagard - Jordrok
Ambrosia - Drink of Water
Birth Control - Hoodoo Man
The Trip - Corale, Analisi, L'Utima Ora E Ode a J. Hendrix
Fireballet - Night on Bald Mountain
Albatross - Devil's Strumpet
Pell Mell - Toccata
The Old Man & The Sea - Prelude
Collegium Musicum - Piesne z Kolovratku, Eufonia
Gerard - Keep a Memory Green
Ars Nova - Android Domina

And that's all "church organ in prog" I know in fact.

Going For the one, Yes, Going for the one album.