quote:the amazing gag where the Steinway levitated above the stage and then started rolling end-over-end while he's still playing. Never knew if that was real ...
It was. Keith tells the story of how it came about on
his Wikipedia page. 
[abandons attempt to paste the story here, even after brutally editing it down to random phrases. Just scroll down about halfway, can't miss it.]
I was 17 when Brain Salad Surgery slammed it's way into my rather thick skull, in Dave Swonger's room, after school. I remember the moment.
To this day, listening to it just isn't the same without Dave's dad banging on the door and yelling; TURN IT DOWN! I think ELP would have appreciated that, since it seemed to be what they were aiming for.
I want to try something, because I'm really sad. Ready? Just think of the first thing that pops in your head when I say this:
Keith Emerson scandal.
See? Nothing! To have been one of the most spectacular showmen ever born, with the rarified musical genius so few are granted ... And a nice guy.
It doesn't get any better than that. A life well-lived. Here's all I could find of ELP's hedonism;
Bad rock star. No biscuit.
I mean, Bowie joining Major Tom just about dropped me to my knees. This is a different kind of sadness for some reason, that reaches a place in my core.
I think I may have honed in on its source. I read Eric Idle's account of a conversation with George Harrison. Eric was complaining about people constantly asking when Monty Python would reunite. It had become the bane of his existence. Nobody on earth was asked that question more than an ex-Beatle, but George had asked his guru about it, and his response changed everything. From then on, George felt it was the highest form of compliment one could offer, or receive, because it came from the most cherished innocence of our souls.
George said; when they ask me when the Beatles will reunite, what they're actually saying is; 'can you make us young again?' The answer is; 'of course. Just put one of our albums on.'
The working title of Brain Salad Surgery was Get Me A Ladder. I love that.
This is the Moog Constellation module in Toronto (nothing plugged in, Keith as poseur. Doing a bang- up job of it, though.) The top module (Apollo) originally had a Tektronix Oscilloscope mounted in it - as a joke. You can tell the succession of rigs by how big the monitor became over time.
It's even part of the
Knucklebonz Keith Emerson statue. 
Good joke, Keith.
Considering where we are...
Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends, we're so glad you could attend ...
