The other day, I pulled up Facebook, and I saw a post that I
had hoped was one of those hoax things that someone put up to be a smart ass.
Sadly, it wasn’t…there was another one from a reputable source, that confirmed
it. Keith Emerson has died at 71! I think I sat there with my mouth open for
about two minutes while I read the article.
For some weird reason, I was going through some of my music earlier that
day, and since I have so much, it’s a struggle at times to decide upon what
genre I wanted to listen to at any given moment. It’s easy if someone comes out
with a new album, but when there’s that dry period where you think “hmmmm what
to listen to?” It’s tough! Some times I would rather have less music
than I have sitting around! As I was
leafing through one of my CD portfolios, I saw ELP, and thought, ok, there’s an
option for what’s on deck, haven’t really given them a good listen in a while.
I had a few things sitting in my car, and thought once those were done (discs
of a band that I had just purchased tickets to see) I’d play some of that. Well as I read those words, I knew that what WAS
in the CD player had to come out and ELP or something with Keith Emerson had to
go in. A little later that day, I read that
Keith’s death was caused by a single gunshot wound to the head, and later it
was confirmed that he DID take his own life.
That made me even sadder, wondering what would have happened to make him
take his own life, then the next day I read something that his girlfriend
posted, and it was because of nerve damage in his hands, and that he only had
good use of about eight fingers, and it was expected to get worse… It also read
that he had an event coming up, and was nervous about being able to play at his
usual high standard. And, to complete the trilogy of sadness, I also read in that
article that Keith was upset because of things he had read online that people
had said about his recent playing, stuff saying that he’d “lost it” and he wasn’t
the virtuoso he once was… Ok, NOW besides being sad, I was pissed off!
The fact that people have this incessant NEED to slam someone’s
abilities online is one of the most disgusting things on the internet
today! I’ve given up reading most online
forums for different activities because it’s one slam after another by someone
who acts like they are an expert of any given activity! I used to love reading Scubaboard when I was
first learning how to dive, I got a lot of good information, and things to
watch out for, and look for when I was going through my classes in order for me
to make the most of the instruction. After a while, once I learned a few
things, I started to read what people with no clue had to say, and things got
really “cheap” sounding, so I decided to just stop reading that forum, other
than a few areas where I had made friends. (and that’s now a private Facebook
group, and we all avoid that forum) I
also liked music forums, and was an avid reader of a Rush based forum. I stopped after hearing constant complaining
about certain aspects of their music, and playing abilities. People complained about setlists during
tours, really? Go to the show and enjoy
what they play, regardless of my not being a huge fan of a particular song, it’s
still one of my favorite bands playing it; you won’t like everything everyone
releases…Now that Neil Peart decided that his abilities aren’t what they used
to be, and that he doesn’t want to disappoint the fans, he’s decided to hang it
up, and Rush is now not a touring band (although, there is a possibility that
they MAY release an album in the future, but not tour in support of it)
Speaking of Rush, and regarding the act of “losing it”, Neil Peart wrote about Ernest Hemingway having
trouble responding to an invitation to some event, and being “Hemingway” he
felt that he should write something poignant in his RSVP, this is what Neil
wrote in the song:
The writer stares with glassy eyes
Defies the empty page
His beard is white, his face is lined
And streaked with tears of rage
Thirty years ago, how the words would flow
With passion and precision
But now his mind is dark and dulled
By sickness and indecision
And he stares out the kitchen door
Where the sun will rise no more...
Later in the song….
…Sadder still to watch it die
Than never to have known it
For you, the blind who once could see
The bell tolls for thee...
Hits home when you think of it. A man such as Ernest Hemingway having trouble
responding to an invitation, this is the man that wrote some of greatest novels
of our time! But the fact that he has “lost
it” and is struggling with something as simple as a response to an invitation
is just sad!
The fact that a person such as Keith Emerson, who in a lot
of people’s minds is a MASTER of his craft,
and one of the most intense and proficient keyboard virtuosos to live in
this century has killed himself because people were talking about him, and he
felt he now wasn’t good enough! Because of some nerve damage, he was starting
to not be able to play as he once had is just sad by itself, but to have people
actually make comments about him losing it is pathetic and takes the definition
of the word “classless” to a newer low level! One recurring theme I’ve seen as
people post their tributes is from people that have actually met him. I recall
an article years back about the time CD’s were first really making an impact as
a medium to listen to music. A
journalist that was interviewing Keith brought him (if I recall correctly) a CD
version of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, which ELP did a remarkable
job of “covering”. Keith was THRILLED that this person brought the CD, and was
happy when he got to hear it. He also
seemed genuinely appreciative that this person thought enough to bring him a
copy of it. People that I know that have
met him over the years said that he is one of the nicest people that you would
ever want to meet, which is great to know, in a world of pretentious famous
losers that seem to just suck the life out of everyone for the sake of their
own “self-promotion”. One such person is Jeffrey Beigel, who is one of the few
classical piano performers to attempt Keith’s piece, and he does a wonderful
job! (and I’m hoping that he gets some invitations to perform this around the
country!) I just watched a version he recommended
off of YouTube where he performed it with the Sheboygan Symphony, and it was just
amazing! I have to find a way to get one
of our local symphonies’ to learn this piece, and invite him to play!
When you listen to what Keith did through the years, and how
it sounded, you can’t help to be amazed!
I had the privilege of seeing him twice over the years. The first time
was with Emerson, Lake and Powell (when Carl Palmer had a commitment to ASIA, and
couldn’t get away, but Keith and Greg wanted to play together again, so Keith
called his friend Cozy Powell to play) which was an AMAZING show (that almost
didn’t go off due to lack of tickets sales at the venue, but the band decided
that it “needed the practice”). The main highlight was the end of the concert
when he did his “knives in the Hammond” act which is just a classic to
see! (Not only that, I had second row
seats, and he did it right in front of me)
I think they had a great time playing because it was a low stress event
(I think there were only about 2,000 seats sold)
The second time I had the privilege of seeing him was with
ELP (with Palmer) while opening up for Jethro Tull (and if I remember
correctly, this was a warm up for a bigger headline tour of their own, after
Keith had some surgery on his arm, and didn’t want to start with two hour shows,
so he just wanted to make sure he could still do it) The fact that I finally
got to see “THE band” was a highlight, even though it was a shorter show.
The night I heard he passed, I was able to sit and listen to
some things online, and was amazed at a version of Tarkus that was done with
his “solo” band in Moscow back in 2011 which was just off the charts! I’m amazed I never got to hear any of that,
and was glad that I had a version of that concert (on Mp3 downloaded) and was
able to listen to it on a trip I needed to take this week. The whole show is
great, but that version of Tarkus was just beyond amazing! (I’m planning on
getting the CD version for posterity) Leaving for home from my overnighter this
morning, I played a CD entitled “The Three Fates Project” which looks like a
version of some of his masterpieces with him, a small ensemble, and an
orchestra. As I got on the road after
picking up my coffee, the version of Fanfare for the Common Man came on, and “hit
home”. His interpretation of it is just
amazing, but the poignancy of it just put me away! I’m thinking of putting that on the list of
songs to have my wife play at the beginning of MY funeral. (she’ll
be thrilled to know that)
You can see that this band had a major impact on me. If
anything, it really introduced me to classical music. My mother used to open my
bedroom door and look at me with this odd look in her eyes, whenever I had ELP
on, I think the first odd one was when I
had the Piano Concerto playing; “CLASSICAL
MUSIC?!?! When did you get into classical?”, then the next time was when I had
Pirates playing, (Summer time, the bedroom window was open and she was doing
something in the flower bed under my window) and I think she admitted to liking
it! (although the other side story was that my mother knew of ELP, and came
into my room prior to one Christmas to see if there were any holes in my ELP collection, so she wrote down all of the
ELP titles I had in my record rack, and went to the record store…ONLY to
purchase ELO albums! So technically, my
mom got me into ELO…kinda cool!)
Digressing…The fact that a major virtuoso and composer has
passed is still a shock. What’s even worse is how it happened, and why it
happened that way. The day this happened
affected me in the same way as the day Robin Williams passed, just true masters
of their craft, driven to end their own lives because of the results of health
issues, although Keith’s was a little more involved since people were
criticizing him. One thing that people
need to learn, regardless of what you think about someone; PLEASE learn to not
hit send! It’s ok to write that post, or
write that email if it makes YOU feel better, but just don’t hit send. The devastating
loss that it may cause could be as catastrophic as a master of his craft deciding
that he’s “just not good enough anymore”. I have had many posts on many forums,
and emails where I just had to vent on something or someone, but deleted the
post before I hit send. The internet is
just a bad place for people with opinions.
RIP Keith! We have
the memories of the live shows, and the CD’s to remember, but not having you to
be here to thank is just sad! That band
in Heaven is just getting better and better all of the time! God rest your soul!!
