Rock's best organist - Garth Hudson

[demnan]

So little has been written about this quiet bearded classically trained guy who was in the background of the Band and Dylan's albums. But this guy is a consumate genius of the keyboards. In the Last Waltz you can really hear so much of his work, as you can in all the Band's albums. There is really nothing like this guy. His musicianship, his style is so original, so musical, there is nothing like him in the Rock world before or since.

Here's to you, Garth Hudson!

[disgruntled_goat]

1. yes, Yes, YES

G A R T H!

he's like some old gnarled laughing wizard, incanting a new spell on his hammond.

IOW, I totally agree.
But then again, everyone in The Band was a steller talent AFAIK.

Dean/Hudson '04!
;)

[demnan]

2. Welcome to DU, goat

not sure Garth is running for anything, but I'm sure he'd appreciate your indorsement and welcome to DU! :hi:

[phaseolus]

3. Yes!

Lots of Garth updates at a Band fansite, http://theband.hiof.no/updates.html . Couple months back, there was a link to an interview where he says he's learned a lot in the last few years, and is playing better than he ever has before in his career...! And a project with Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm (who've settled their differences) is in the early stages...

[mitchum]

4. His long improvisation in "Chest Fever" is the only thing ...

I've ever liked about The Band. However, Levon Helm is a very good actor. Robbie Robertson? Never heard his "genius"

[Elidor]

5. Music for the Native Americans

The album of that name is Robbie's genius, among others. Listen to Ghost Dance and Coyote Dance and tell me that isn't genius. Some of the best music ever made. Underworld of Redboy has some moments, too.

[rppper]

6. jon lord

i saw the deep purple reunion tour in 85, and he blew the rest of the band away. lord was f'n intense...the keyboards were actually swaying back and forth as he played.

[Spirochete]

8. I consider Jon Lord..

the best I've ever heard, also. Better than Keith Emerson, Rick Wright, Rick Wakeman, who are all great.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. Not Better Than Emerson, Though

I'm a big John Lord fan. Always thought he was a way better soloist than Blackmore. Best player in the band, except for the short stint Satriani played with Purple.

But, Emerson is the best organist i've ever heard in rock. He melded classical, jazz, and rock elements into his playing and his technique is quite superior to John Lord's.

Wakeman's technique is far better than Lord's (better than Emerson's too) but his playing is far more predictable and less adventerous.

However, if i had to take one guy as a "pure" organist, it would be Lord.
The Professor

BTW: I do like Hudson too! He was the best player in The Band, IMO.

[TrogL]

7. Keith Emerson

of Emerson Lake and Palmer

blows him out of the water

[Sufi Marmot]

9. Yeah, but the Band is still listenable 30+ years later, ELP isn't....

And I say this as someone who proudly owned all of ELP's albums (even "Love Beach") in high school...Be honest, when was the last time you dusted off "Tarkus"? ;-)

-SM

[newyawker99]

10. Congrats Sufi Marmot!! 900 posts

:toast:

[TrogL]

13. Last week

I got tired of listening to my kids' crap and Ahknaten's whiney females.

Have you heard what's on the radio lately.

I prefer music that has:

• a melody with more than two notes
  
• harmony with more than one chord
  
• lyrics consisting of more than three words
  
• a real drummer/percussionist
  
• a real vocalist rather than a vocoder
  

[Sufi Marmot]

14. Point noted...

I just find myself listening to "The Band" and "Music From Big Pink" much more often than "Brain Salad Surgery". Although, maybe I'm being unfair to Keith Emerson, as it's Greg Lake's lyrics (some, not all...) that make me cringe these days much more than Emerson's keyboarding...

-SM, who will admit to still enjoying "Karn Evil 9" and "Lucky Man" these days when they appear on the radio...

[tsakshaug]

11. he is great

Saw the band once, he had some technical problems at the start, but after he crawled around and under the keyboards, things got rocking. He did some production and session work in the 80's, I think The Call comes to mind (I may be wrong). Saw Wakeman, different deal, he did not really take over at anytime like Garth did.