Category: Music

Here’s a new recording, a cover of Keith Emerson’s Karn Evil 9, 2nd Impression, originally off the ELP album Brain Salad Surgery.

If you know me you know that Keith Emerson had long been one of my big musical idols. As a kid I was really into synthesizers and admired his pioneering synth work, although in those days most of his piano stuff was way beyond me. When Lizzy was a baby I quit playing in bands and had a big hole in my life. I bought a piano (up until that time I only had synths and my Fender Rhodes) and decided to finally learn how to really play, to get to the next level on piano as opposed to “keyboards”. I played a variety of stuff but focused mainly on jazz, and eventually stride, because without a rhythm section you can get across a whole song in a stride style. In the rock/pop realm there are only a handful of musicians who write on piano and have stuff that’s musically interesting and hangs together without a band – Lennon/McCartney, Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Randy Neuman, Joe Jackson and a few others.

And then there’s Keith Emerson. Emerson Lake and Palmer were pretty much the prototype for a large swath of subsequent prog rock, and at the heart of it is Keith’s keyboards. I set out to learn a few of his big pieces, and they are head-and-shoulders above anything else I’ve studied in terms of imagination, complexity and difficulty. So I thought it would be a good idea to really work up a few and learn his secrets. I mastered three: Take a Pebble, The Endless Enigma, and Karn Evil 9, 2nd Impression. Here’s one aspect of it: his music sounds high energy because it takes a lot of energy to play. He loves fast tempos and wide melodic intervals, so your hands are really moving a lot. Better be warmed up before you break into one of these numbers.

My version is a bit different, hopefully somewhat my own. I memorized it long ago and since it’s drifted from the original, so some parts are condensed and others expanded. Also, I play without the bass and drum accompaniment. Perhaps the biggest change is I use a Rhodes rather than a grand piano, to bring out the jazzy aspect of the piece. Although Emerson is widely regarded as a classically influenced pianist, he also has great jazz chops and sensibility, and was a big disciple of Dave Brubeck among others, and some of his best stuff is as much jazz as classical. I’ve often wondered why he didn’t do more in that direction. After all other prog guys Bill Bruford have tried their hand at it to the point where you could make the case that there is such a thing as British jazz. I guess once you’ve conquered arena rock there’s no great compulsion to stow the cannons and go for something more intimate and subdued.

(Aside: I read in the news recently that Keith survived some alarming emergency abdominal surgery. Stuff like that reminds you that everyone’s human. I wish him a speedy and full recovery, and hope to see him touring again before too long.)

My version is a bit more rubato, and perhaps not quite as strident or uptempo. The method I used was to record to a click track, merging together multiple takes. Once I was done I felt it sounded a bit stiff, so I ended up going back in and penciling in tempo changes to simulate the kind of feel that I give the tune when I play without a click track. That turned out to be pretty successful.

As far as the mix goes, there are actually six piano tracks. I triple tracked the part with three different samples, each in stereo. The main track is a straight-up Rhodes. Second is a Rhodes with tremolo and other effects, mixed to the left to provide some sonic motion. Third is a grand piano, mixed to the right and way down low, almost subliminal, to provide a bit of plonk on the low and trinkle on the high notes, just a bit of general attackiness. I put the effects on a bus rather than as channel inserts, to try and unify the sounds as one voice. I’ve been reading some books on mixing (more on that in another post) and got some ideas I wanted to try. The effects chain consists of some pretty heavy compression, followed by a really short delay and then a plate reverb. The return is mixed in just enough to add some presence without sounding overly processed. Then, since I’m not doing a legit mastering step for this song, I threw a limiter on the main bus on the way out. I think it came out quite nice.

Face The Heat, the new album from Buzzy Tonic is now on sale on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/face-the-heat/id398782886

My friend John already wrote an excellent review, which includes song-by-song commentary. I’ve never heard Jeannie described as “non-Yoko” before. Ha! Just for the record, on the Who Can Fool Me, the opening riff is stolen from Thelonious Monk and the main groove is inspired by Duke Ellington’s East St. Loius Toodle-oo, but in 7/8 and with a flat 9 in there.

So go over there and buy yourself a copy, and a few to give to your friends. Write some more reviews and help build the buzz. While your at it, go ahead and pick up a copy of Buzzy Tonic’s first disc, The Brothers Zing.

Face The Heat, the new CD from Buzzy Tonic is now on sale at CD Baby at (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/buzzytonic) So go over there and buy yourself a copy, and a few to give to your friends. If you already have a copy, do me a favor and review the album and help me get some word of mouth going. While your at it, go ahead and pick up a copy of Buzzy Tonic’s first disc, The Brothers Zing (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/brotherszing).

I also update my music pages to link to teaser versions of the songs, just the first minute or too, to give all y’all further incentive to go and buy the CD.

My album is done! I sent the master CD off to get duplicated this morning. In the tradition of obsessive bands like Boston or Steely Dan, this record was close to four years in the making, so I feel good about having reached this point. Soon it will be for sale on my web site and elsewhere. Meanwhile, here’s some images of the album cover, sleeve, etc. Enjoy!

Winding down a long busy stretch at work today with a big demo. Having nothing to do with that, here’s a new lyric idea for a song I will never record, mainly because it’s a mash up of all the drinkin’, smokin’ and drug takin’ allusions from every Steely Dan song I could think of. My friend John says “I bet that would have some wicked chord changes!” I suppose it might be fun to string together all the relevant samples and tack a sax solo onto the end.

Party At Dan’s

They got the booze they need
Libations that stagger the mind
She serves the smooth retsina
Drink kirschwasser from a shell
The Cuervo Gold
It’s grapefruit wine
Lucy still loves her coke and rum
The water will change to cherry wine
In the land of milk and honey
She drink the zombie from the cocoa shell
Drink your big black cow
And a Piña Colada my friend

Tobacco they grow in Peking
Show me the sparkle in you China
Smoking cobalt cigarettes
I take one last drag as I approach the stand
The fine Columbian
I was smokin’ with the boys upstairs
You were very high

We’re gonna break out the hats and hooters
Pull out the hardware let’s do it right
No I’m never gonna do it without the fez on
My friends say no don’t go for that cotton candy
But yours was kitchen clean
Would you care to explain?
It was forty eight hours ’till Lonnie came around
Close inspection fast revealed his favorite kind
Pick up what’s left by daylight
You know I’m through with Buzz

Here they are at long last. I’m happy to announce that the final masters for my record, Face the Heat, now complete. Many thanks to Erik Blicker and all at G&E Music. You can listen to the tracks here, but only for a limited time. Once I get CD’s made and for sale on CD Baby and the iTunes store, I’ll change the links to be just 30-second-ish samples.

Heat Wave – 5:31
Fine Red Wine – 4:47
Earthbound (I Wanna Fly) – 5:08
Who Can Fool Me – 3:19
Making Miles – 5:11

Touch the Ceiling – 6:30
Green Glove – 3:42
The Nine – 4:07
Angel Or Alien – 8:12