Friday Five

[ericcoleman]

Top Five Favorite Rock Keyboardists
1 - Billy Currie - Ultravox (the original band)
2 - John Evan - Jethro Tull
3 - Jon Lord - Deep Purple
4 - Tony Banks - Genesis
5 - Garth Hudson - The Band

Comments

[bammba-m.livejournal.com]

FINALLY, a list i feel i can comment on!

i have to totally agree on Tony Banks. We'd watch him in awe when i was in high school. Totally awesome.

[ericcoleman]

I have to admit to hating the 80s Genesis, but Tony's playing was still exceptional ...

[bammba-m.livejournal.com]

he was the only part about Genesis that my friends would all agree on. Everything else was a big argument. (Peter, post-Peter, Mike and the Mechanics, Phil...ugh. But we all agreed Tony was cool.)

[ericcoleman]

I am firmly a fan of the Gabriel era Genesis ... There are moments of the Phil years that I like, but generally I can do without it.

[wormquartet.livejournal.com]

No Greg Hawkes?!?? I'm shocked and terrified!

Mine:
1. Steve Margoshes - various Jim Steinman projects
2. Greg Hawkes - The Cars
3. Jens Johansson - Stratovarius / Yngwie Malmsteen / Dio / etc.
4. Roy Bittan - Bruce Springsteen / various Jim Steinman projects
5. Jon Oliva - Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra / Jon Oliva's Pain

-=ShoEboX=-

[ericcoleman]

and indeed you should be terrified. I'm just not that big of a Cars fan ...

Roy could make my list, I would have to put him with Danny Federici, since they work best as a team

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

Lord, Banks, Hudson - excellent choices. I'm not going to say anything else because I know you'll just mock me and I can get that sort of abuse on my own LJ.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

I agree with Lord, Hudson, and Banks too. I'd also put Billy Preston in there. I mean, you get to work with the Beatles and the Stones, and both ask you to join 'em.....how good do you have to be? The Hammond on 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' is a defining moment in Rock Music.
I think Tony Banks, good as he is, is batting a bit out his league in this list: but still better then the Keith Emersons or Rick Wakemans of the world, who can argue about the final place.

[ericcoleman]

Banks to me defines 70s prog, much more so than Emerson or Wakeman. Mostly because he was the solid musician. The other two were too busy showing off too much of the time.

Preston, OH YEAH ... one of the greats, and could certainly make this list if I had been listening to certain albums when I made it.

[ericcoleman]

I am more inclined to mock you for not standing up for someone ... if you do stand up for someone who I don't like, I'll just disagree with you and tell you why

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

I LIKE Emerson, Wakeman and Mike Pinder. I'm not likely to stop liking them whatever anyone else thinks.

[ericcoleman]

And I like all of them too (although most of the Moody's stuff leaves me cold), I just like this lot a lot better

[rsmit212.livejournal.com]

No Ray Manzarek? I really think Ray was what kept The Doors cohesive.

[ericcoleman]

But they had this problem ... of course he's dead now ... but pomposity will out unfortunately.

[mike46.livejournal.com]

Favorite keyboardists ... hmmm

1. Jon Lord
2. Ken Hensley - and yes I know he wasn't all that technically proficient
3. Steve Walsh/Kerry Livgren
4. Don Airey
5. Dennis DeYoung

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

Hensley was one of the first people to do an "all-the-instruments" solo album - even before Todd Rundgren.

[ericcoleman]

I love Hensley's playing, screw technique, feel is MUCH more important