Who's the finest keyboard player of the rock era, HANDS DOWN?

[Bossy Monkey]

If you saw my earlier thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=5230935
you'll know that for some reason many people felt the need to present their choices with the phrase "HANDS DOWN" appended. As I pointed out at the time, since keyboard players (except maybe Jerry Lee Lewis) play with their hands down, this is redundant. Therefore, if anybody gives me any backtalk, I'm changing it to HANDS SIDEWAYS and putting on Weird Al and John Linnell. (Then of course, everybody would say it's Buckwheat Zydeco HANDS DOWN.:P)

Seriously, I'm putting on assorted folks who probably won't get votes within the first hour. Be not afraid; yell real loud and I'll most likely change out non-vote-getters within the editing hour. Probably won't change out Billy Preston regardless, but you can probably understand why.

My own choices, bourgeois boy that I am, are probably Elton John and Dennis DeYoung, but I'm not idiot enough to bother putting them on the poll.

[maxsolomon]

1. the guy who played on Alladin Sane

that's some cool piano on that album

[Bossy Monkey]

4. I'm wild-guessing here that Mike Garson wouldn't be buried in votes

but I'll try to put him on if somebody seconds him: http://www.mikegarson.com/home/home_discography.html

Edit: meaning no disrepect either to you or to Mike Garson. Unfortunately, time ran out before I could put him on.

[Spider Jerusalem]

20. Another vote for Garson here.

Not only was his work on Aladdin Sane brilliant, he did some good stuff on Bowie's 1. Outside (one of the most underrated albums of the '90's, IMO) and NIN's The Fragile.

[Jokerman]

2. Billy Joel

Back when he was still an angry young man. Before he got rich & married a supermodel.

I am willing to consider the argument that "Uptown Girl" disqualifies him from any award but i really like his early stuff.

[leftofthedial]

3. "keyboards" to me means multiple keyboards, not just piano

there are many truly great pianists, but as for the keyboardists who set standards and became influences on others . . .

T Lavitz

Billy Payne

Ray Manzarek

Tony Banks

Herbie Hancock

[Bossy Monkey]

6. I would have taken off Walsh in favor of one of these, but the phone rang

and the editing window expired while I was getting rid of the nuisance caller from Universal Orlando. Sorry 'bout that!

[CPMaz]

17. In that case can I combine

Roy Bittan and Danny Federici of the E Street Band for my vote?

[Tracyjo]

22. That's what I was gonna say!! n/t

E Street Band would not be without them.

[Crazy Dave]

5. Somebody else Gregg Giuffria

Not too many people know who this guy is. The bands he played in were one hit wonders but he's the best I've ever heard.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_Giuffria

[chaska]

9. Geez, talk about a dark horse. I actually liked Angel...

but I'm weird.

[Crazy Dave]

23. I liked Angel too

I saw them when the were the opening act for Rush. I'm sure a lot of people have heard songs like "Don't Leave Me Lonely", "Call to Your Heart" and "Sweet Victory" from Spongebob.

BTW - Did you know the Angel logo reads the same upside down?

[chaska]

26. Really? That's too freaky....

Oh brother....

I still have one or two of their albums on vinyl. The first one's pretty darn good. They definitely had a unique signature sound.

[chaska]

27. Wait a minute, is that Ann Coulter in that picture?!?!?!

[DBoon]

7. Ray Manzarek

of the Doors (and X)

[chaska]

8. Now this is a horse race!

[ohiosmith]

10. Liberace. Transcends all eras and genres.

[chaska]

11. You know, speaking of Steve Walsh...

I don't rate him as a technically gifted keyboardist BUT, I saw Kansas a few years ago where Steve was the only keyboard player and was astonished that he was able to cover all those keyboard parts (remember, they had two keyboard players playing most of the time) AND sing. And did it all amazingly well.

[chaska]

12. WHERE THE HELL IS YANNI?????

[Bossy Monkey]

15. (Slaps head) I KNEW I forgot somebody! n/t

[Catch22Dem]

13. Can't choose between Wakeman & Emerson

That's like making someone choose between one of their kids!

[Xipe Totec]

14. Me neither

Picked Emerson just because he had less votes than Wakeman.

[ornotna]

16. Vincent Crane - Atomic Rooster

A personal favorite of mine. Maybe not "the best" but it works for me.

[mduffy31]

18. Elton John?

Or are we not including piano players

:shrug:

[Bossy Monkey]

25. I'm with you, as I mentioned in the OP

but there was a whole previous best keyboarder thread (still is; it's been revived and is on the Lounge front page again as I type) with 60-odd replies, none of which mentioned Elton. I think Elton is stunning and amazing and don't particularly care that he never seems to play anything but piano. Then again, I think exactly the same of Tori Amos, whom no one mentioned either.

[Robeson]

19. Gregg Allman, Ray Manzarek, and Keith Emerson.....

...hard to go wrong with that trio.

[Richard Steele]

21. Trick question: Keyboardists are not part of the ROCK era!

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: .....:hide:

[Burma Jones]

24. Bill Payne of Little Feat

for the "Rock" Era

for "Rock and Roll" Definitely Johnny Johnson - Chuck Berry's Collaborator and Pianist on Johnny B. Goode - in fact he was Johnny B. Goode. Played with Berry until 1973.....

[Orsino]

28. Wakeman or maybe Emerson.

Lot of great players up there, but none got to demonstrate the chops these two showed all the time.

[martymar64]

29. Leon Russell, Brent Mydland, Greg Rolie

All fine players of the keys.

[Bossy Monkey]

34. Leon could really lead a band with just his left hand

I'm thinking "Jumpin' Jack Flash" from "Concert for Bangladesh" particularly.

[last_texas_dem]

30. I gave Nicky Hopkins a vote

'cause he didn't have one yet. He did seem great work with the Stones, and really stands out on Quicksilver Messenger Service's Fresh Air.

I like Elton John, too, and another of my favorites is Burton Cummings of the Guess Who. Mainly just 'cause they're one of my favorite groups and his work really drives their sound.

[warrens]

31. Little Richard

Good god!

[warrens]

32. Jools Holland deserves a vote too

Ron Mael too.

[patcox2]

33. "great rock keyboard player" is an oxymoron.

Rock, keyboards? Okay, I would vote for Paul McCartney or Eddie Van Halen for the keyboard riff in "Jump." Rick Wakeman and his ilk are not rock, they are the evil opposite of rock.

There's been some great R&B keyboardists, though; soul and R&B are good with keyboards.

[wildhorses]

35. do we HATE billy joel and elton john around here?

not saying they are the greatest, I voted for Nicky Hopkins BTW, but aren't they at least worthy of a mention?:shrug:

[Bossy Monkey]

36. See original thread linked in OP

(but please don't reply to it; it deserves to die). Nobody mentioned either; that's where I got the names from, except for the still shut-out Walsh, suggested by a buddy and added to see what would happen. Thought I'd have time to replace him with somebody nominated vociferously from the peanut gallery, but the peanut gallery took that afternoon off. As I've mentioned at least twice now, Elton would be my own choice.

[LynneSin]

37. Although John Paul Jones did some great work for Zeppelin...

...ultimately I went with Wakeman since Yes's music was much more keyboard driven than Zeppelins

[MissMillie]

39. I think Yes music was driven by all their musicians

There was so much going on in all of their songs, hard to pick which instrument was driving it all. I will say that the keyboard lines in Yes music were more difficult to play.

Without a doubt, Yes is filled with the most raw talent of any band rock band out there. I love a lot of their stuff, not all, but a lot.

[LynneSin]

40. That's why Yes is #3 on my list of all time favorites

I could listen to STarship Trooper on repeat all day and never group bored

[bridgit]

38. Jerry Lee...

[meegbear]

41. I'm going with John Lord ...

since you specified the "Rock Era" and Deep Purple is the hardest rock group in the poll. Overall, I would vote for either Emersom or Wakeman.

[tigerbeat]

42. Brian Eno

in the roxy music days he was the jimi hendrix of keyboard players.