Keith Emerson (1944–2016)

Keith Emerson is one of my musical heroes and his music became part of my life in so very many ways: from studying for college exams listening to the Live Works album (with the symphony orchestra), to playing "Pictures at an Exhibition" starting in college, to meeting him at the 1986 Emerson, Lake & Powell tour. His ability to re-conceive of music in so many styles was a magnet, and his audacity to bring keyboards front and center in rock and roll fit with my love of the piano.

This book is fun and quirky, much like I'm sure he was on his good days. His descriptions and turns of phrase kept me on my reading toes and pointed out that he was more than a dull rock star. Other reviewers have pointed out how detailed the events are with his first band, The Nice, and I really have to agree. He puts a lot of detail into his early years, childhood, school exploits, and the like, which is expected in an autobiography. But. While his career started with The Nice, they had nowhere near the impact of ELP on the world of music.

And glossing over the part of the book that ELP fans want to know about (how did he develop the Fugue in Endless Enigma? Where did the inspiration for Karn Eval 9 come from, and how did that music develop?) might have been because so much more of ELP was documented than The Nice was. Maybe also the constant fighting in the band was still troubling and he wanted to just dash off the bare minimum about the band and their history. Or maybe he just wound down from the first part of the book and couldn't continue the momentum.

Another troubling aspect was the constant reference and relaying of his and bandmates' sexual exploits. Unnecessary, and makes me wonder who he was trying to impress. Loved ya for your music, Keith.

But. I'm glad I found this book at a halfway reasonable price and read it. He was a friggin' musical genius, and I grieve for his passing by suicide.… (meer)