Keith Emerson - Honky (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

Honky

Allen Bondar | Grayling, mi. United States | 01/08/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"OK Keith....You will always be the KING.. But, It is time for a Piano Album or an album of material that only YOU like to play. The farther you get from commercialism the more you SHINE. I will always buy anything you sell but please, delete anything that you might consider FILLER. I think you have a hardcore following that would applaud your attempt to make an album that defies the buying public. It is time to give us the finest album of your entire life."

Keith Emerson's First Solo Album - Ok, But Nothing Spectacul

Steven Sly | Kalamazoo, MI United States | 02/12/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This was Emerson's first solo album recorded after the demise of Emerson Lake And Palmer following the ill fated "Love Beach" album. Like "Love Beach", "Honky" was written and recorded in the Bahamas. There is heavy island influence on this album and the majority of the tracks reflect tropical / nautical themes. Unfortunately the album suffers from some of the same problems that plagued "Love Beach". The music, although not terrible, does not really stand out either. The opening 3 tracks "Hello Sailor (intro)", "Bach Before The Mast" and "Hello Sailor (finale)" all sound like they could fit on an ELP album, but none of them are all that good. In fact some of the playing almost sounds like it is off time in spots. I assume this was intentional, but it does not really work to my ears. The rest of the album is a mix of honky tonk piano, Hammond organ solo's and a bit of gospel thrown in as well. Again, it is all ok and pleasant, but nothing here would I consider essential. The album is instrumental for the most part with a few quick spoken word segments and a gospel choir accompanying the finale "Jesus Loves Me". I understand what Emerson was trying to get across on this album, but to my ears it only partially works. For the ELP completest I would probably only pick this one up after getting the entire ELP catalogue (with the possible exception of "Love Beach" and "In The Hot Seat")."

Trek 570@AOL.com asks Keith for MORE!

Fred T. Lopez | 08/18/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Honky is not a particularly strong album such as Keith's Christmas cd, but is well worth having. It would have been more than nice if new material was added for this reissue. 'Hello Sailor Intro', 'Bach Before The Mast', 'Hello Sailor Finale,' & 'Chickcharnie' are by far the best tracks. Chickcharnie will sound familiar to those who have the soundtract to 'Nighthawks'. Keith! We want more!"

Almost a great album

Stuart M. Paine | Arlington, VA USA | 11/01/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Emerson recorded HONKY in the Bahamas and in 1983 it was the second LP released on his Chord label. The first, in 1981, had been NIGHTHAWKS. Neil Symonette (bass) and Kendall Stubbs (drums), who assist him here, had also worked on that film score project. This is a good album and belongs in every Emerson fan's collection. For me the highlights are the 3-part "Hello Sailor" suite and "Chickcharnie", an instrumental version of "Nighthawking".

Some thoughts on the tracks:

1) "Hello Sailor Intro", 2) "Bach Before the Mast" and 3) "Hello Sailor Finale" - The main body of the suite is "Bach Before the Mast", a Bach-style fugue by British harpsichord virtuoso, George Malcolm (1917-1997), based upon the traditional English melody, "Sailor's Hornpipe". The "hornpipe" tune is instantly recognizable to folks nowadays from its use in the old Popeye cartoons. Emerson performs Malcolm's active and slightly humorous fugue very cleanly and energetically on piano. The Intro is an understated and leisurely tease of a duet with the bass. The Finale is a series of variations for keyboard, guitar, sax, bass and drums. The whole thing is brilliant.

4) "Salt Cay" - a happy little rocker reminiscent in places of Caribbean music. Its coda, a simple melodic couplet of alternating I and V is almost half its length, fading out after more than a dozen iterations. With synths, organ, bass and drums, this is a BRAIN SALAD SURGERY type of sound.

5) "Green Ice" - a mechanical and angular I IV V exercise.

6) "Intro-Juicing" - a few seconds of KO clowning around at a radio station mike.

7) "Big Horn Breakdown" - by Billy Taylor. Piano, bass, drums and kazoo (kazoo?!) do a kind of music hall tune. Similar to the piano coda in "The Sheriff". Real nice.

8) "Yancey Special" - Meade "Lux" Lewis's hard rockin' standard I IV V boogie w/ piano, saxes and brass.

9) "Rum-a-Ting" - a funky tune, this music was NOT on the LP. (According to Wikipedia, "ting" is a carbonated grapefruit beverage.)

10) "Chickcharnie" - "Nighthawking" with a mini-Moog substituted for the vocal. On the original HONKY LP, THIS track was entitled "Rum-a-Ting". (A chickcharnie is a Bahamian barn owl.)

11) "Jesus Loves Me" - not the familiar melody but a live jam w/ Emerson on organ. Sounds unrehearsed - begins w/ noisy shouting by the "chorus" and doesn't improve. The "singers" never find the key, are all over the place and appear tone-deaf. Maybe that's what Keith wanted (Charles Ives went for this kind of thing, too), but for me this track's the low point of the album. "Silent Night" (THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM) would work out much better.

All in all, very cool. Get this Castle remaster and not the old CHORD disc with its incorrect track order and muted sound. You'll also miss out on "Rum-a-Ting" with that one. TT: around 44 minutes.

"

What a "fun" album!

M. Read | 12/30/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album took awhile for me to warm up to, but I think there are some interesting tracks and one treasure on this quirky album. The album is eclectic to say the least, but what amounts to mostly noodling for most of the album is redeemed in the track "Chickcharnie". This upbeat number sets itself up as Keith vs. Rhythm Section, and not to outdo one another, they create a delightful tension with the meter and Keith commands some precision playing and a great piano solo to finish out with.

This is not an album you'll "get" immediately, but with it's calypso, gospel, honky tonk, boogie woogie, and some straight up goofy tracks and influences, it's a "fun" album short on ego and demonstrates a mastery of his craft and talent."

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