Taking Sides! Rick Wakemen vs. Keith Emerson!

Although come to think of it, Wakeman (and Steve Howe) did play on Lou Reed's rather underrated first solo alb...

Wakeman's 'technical proficiency' basically consists of playing right- handed arpeggios/scales/Baroque patterns very very quickly, while his left hand does basically nothing but provide anchor notes for said arpeggios/scales/Baroque patterns. In other words, wow he plays very very fast on his right hand...big deal.

Emerson, on the other hand...has way more stylistic range (certainly he has access to a huge jazz element that Wakeman is completely lacking), relatedly has a much more sophisticated harmonic vocabulary when it comes to writing (Wakeman's pieces are all comparatively pedestrian), and can play unbelievably intricate bits on his left hand, which I have never seen Wakeman tackle to a similar degree.

When I was a teenager, I learned and completely memorized Rick Wakeman's "Six Wives" solo (as printed in the "Yes Complete" songbook) in a reasonably short amount of time, like a week. When Keyboard magazine printed the transcription to "Eruption" (from Tarkus), I tried that, and it was obvious from the start that this was a much more sophisticated piece to learn (and that's only..what, the first two minutes of the piece?). After a much longer term of practicing/learning it, I could make it all the way through the piece fairly accurately, but still couldn't play it as seamlessly as I wanted to. Some time later, I acquired a transcription to "Karn Evil 9 2nd impression"...this was a total fucking monster...After a while, I just gave up. It was just totally fucking insane. Whenever I listen to it, I can't believe that he can actually play what he is playing as fast and as precise as he does. I've never heard a Wakeman piece that even approaches something on that scale, again in terms of technical proficiency.

I gather you don't like Emerson's take on Pictures of Exhibition. Well, I agree with you--I think it sucks, too. But that's a very different issue than saying he is not a technically excellent (and superior to Wakeman) keyboardist, which he clearly is (or at least, he was, before his hand surgery of a few years back).

It might not be as technical as some of emerson's other work but i still think it sounds great

(also, it's got a nice instrumental passage or two)

For his association with this delightful monstrosity alone, you've gotta give this thread to Emerson. But he's also the more technically skilled of the two, though they both were very traditionally "musical," with phrasing and so forth. And, yes, his soundtrack work is periodically interesting, esp. that Argento film he did.

Demerits, though, for never having performed on ice.

www.yesworld.com

Click on "News" and scroll down about half-way..

Somebody on another forum joked that Chris Squire appears to have morphed into Edgar Froese of Tangering Dream :)

http://www.yesworld.com/images/tour_2004/yes_jack_black.jpg

so there!!

(and i have to sing and play bass guitar as well. phew!!)

Graham - Dark Asylum

dave q otm.

Thats not Rick Wakeman, Sundar! Thats Tony Kaye!