Does this Grumpy tour have any connection with the death of Grumpy Cat? The timing is just too good for it not to be.
Does this Grumpy tour have any connection with the death of Grumpy Cat? The timing is just too good for it not to be.
I'm not so sure I'd put Pink Floyd at the top of the po-faced stakes. I remember reading about how in the mid 70's, they had a tour program, I think during the '74-'75 touring cycle, which had a series of comic strips that depicted each band member as some sort of super hero thing, and had each band member answering one of those "quiz" things the teen magazines used to have (ya know, where some teen idol would be asked to ask questions like "What's your favorite colour" or "If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go").
Also, there's some of the bits in the Pompeii film (e.g. Nick Mason's quest for the perfect piece of pie, and David Gilmour's "You can trust us" line when discussing their reputation as a "drug orientated band"). You've also got the videos they did in the early days (e.g. Arnold Layne, Point Me At The Sky, etc) which seemed to suggest there was more than one madcap in that band. I think things like Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast and the Sir Jimmy Young tape* also betray a sense of humor. See also Nick's occasional comments during his recent performances.
*Sir Jimmy Young was a BBC DJ that the band members apparently a dislike towards, due to his tendency to babble. They apparently took some tapes and chopped them up and rearranged the bits so as to render the babbling completely nonsensical. If you recall the instrumental One Of These Days, well it was Sir Jimmy they were wishing to "cut into little pieces". They used this on various occasions dating back to at least December 1970 (it's on the one and only live recording I've ever heard of Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast). There's a couple purported "early draft" versions of One Of These Days that use the Sir Jimmy tape, and there's at least one show from the 1974 UK tour where they use it to introduce Raving And Drooling.
I think ELP were a good deal more po-faced than the other bands. Or at least they were at the time. Keith and Carl demonstrated that they knew how to laugh at themselves decades, when I saw each do a solo show circa 2005-6.Listen to the live tapes of the band from the 70's, where Chuckles Fripp entertains the audience (or tries to, anyway) with his dry wit.
King Crimson less po-faced than Yes? I don't think so!
BTW, the Wakeman show I saw, he played both piano and synths. As I recall, he had a baby grand piano, and a couple synths. There was one piece he did, I think something from the Merlin record, he started on the synths and had to move to the piano for the coda. In order to accommodate this the way he wanted, he retrieved a volunteer from the audience, and basically had her sustain the last note he played on the synth, until he got over to the piano and gave her the cue to stop playing.
Are we talking about the same ELP who did "Are You Ready Eddie," "Jeremy Bender," "Nutrocker," and "Benny the Bouncer"? With the guy who wiped his ass with the Moog ribbon controller? And vaulted over his Hammond organ, tipped it over on himself, and played the keyboard backwards? And the drummer whose shtick was taking his shirt off while playing a drum solo? These guys had a high goofiness quotient.
Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx
My music literature teacher in the 10th grade worked at Cain Park, where they have concerts throughout the summer. Back then, it was mostly jazz, pre-rock n roll pop singers, musical theater, etc that they'd have. Anyway, he said it was common practice for the road managers to carry around notebooks that had all the "best" pianos in any given city listed in it, by make, model and serial number, along with the rental places where said instruments could be found.
So, when e.g. George Shearing or Ray Charles came to town, part of the contract rider was that Cain Park had to provide whichever Steinway serial number whatever, with all the contact info for arranging the required rental.
And how do they know it was the best piano in town? Well, presumably the given pianist went to a showroom wherever, and tried them all out. You might think that's absurd, but I once saw a documentary about Steinway pianos, and there was a bit where they showed a couple pianists, I can't remember who, doing just that at a place in NYC, I believe. I think it was someone like Harry Connick Jr or Pierre Armaud Laurent, I'm not sure which. Anyway, you'd see the pianist sit down at a piano, play for about 10 seconds, say "No, I don't like the action on that one" then move onto the next one, play for about 30 seconds, then write something down in a notebook, and so on.
I somehow don't imagine Rick is going quite that extreme, but I imagine he does have a rider saying that, if at all possible, the venue or promoter or whoever, has to provide a baby grand.
Point taken. Actually, when you take Jeremy Bender, Benny The Bouncer, etc into account, they were actually a lot less po-faced than Yes. I mean, at least you have the goofy side right there in the music. Whereas with Yes, you had to read interviews with Wakeman to realize not everyone in that band was taking things oh so seriously.
Even grumpier and older: Rick is 70 today.
Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx
Happy 70th birthday, Rick!
"Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)
Could someone post the contract terms?
Judging by what I've heard of Wakeman's Jurassic 'humour' on Planet Rock Radio, this might as well be re-titled 'A Night with the Pub Bore and a Piano.' Good to see that Wakey's putting his energies into something truly useful in his dotage, rather than engaging in the pointlessly flippant like, y'know, actually making an ARW album or something.
You ridicule Sir Wakey (I'm not sure if he's a Sir but bloody well should be as he has single-handedly saved England from the brink of keyboard demise), but since he has not posted on his monthly blog in May, he might be hunched over his keyboard, white as a ghost but do you care? No.
Rick Wakeman has been the most prolific artist in the Yes family. Yet, it will never be enough for some.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
What is a Po Face?
The Prog Corner
Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx
The Long Island show is going the GroupOn route https://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-rick-wakeman
Some videos starting to pop up:
The Show In Montreal was excellent, funny stories - even though I already heard some of the them, and virtuoso musicianship.
What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)
I hope Rick will never play a later Talk Talk or Mark Hollis cover.
Listening to Help / Eleonor Rigby and again, I have to say he doesn't do those songs any service. And yes I like Rick Wakeman, but not what he is doing here.
For what it's worth, my wife (who's a pretty big Yes fan) and I enjoyed the show in Harrisburg, PA last night. First time I've ever seen him play solo (and first time I've seen him at all since the Union tour, I believe), so the jokes and stories were new to me.
The thing that got to me was how all the songs started sounding pretty much the same after a while. One flashy, rippling arpeggio after another, just with slight melody changes. And I say that as someone who generally enjoys Wakeman's music. He could use a band behind him to help mix things up a bit.
Still, it was only about a 15 minute drive each way and it certainly beat another evening sitting at home watching TV.
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