Absolutely the Best

Artist: Keith Emerson & the Nice
Label: Varese Sarabande
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Original recording remastered
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 030206114225
EAN: 0030206114225
ASIN: B00005NWKE

Release Date: 2001-09-11

Absolutely the Best

Related Categories:

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock

| Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Rondo
She Belongs To Me (live)
Diary Of An Empty Day
For Example
Azrial (Angel Of Death)
America (live)
Happy Freuds
The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack (long version)
Hang On To A Dream
Flower King Of Flies
Bonnie K
America (single version)
Rondo 69 (live)

Customer Reviews:

Rondo!.......2005-07-21

Rondo Rondo RONDO! Kieth Emerson at his best! That is the reason to buy this album!

From the Beginning.......2005-06-21

This isn't the only CD available of "The Nice" on the market, but it's a good place to start and hits most of the band's high points on their first three albums for the Immediate label. I don't know if "The Nice" was the very first progressive rock band, but their meshing of rock, jazz and classical music certainly made its mark and paved the way for many other prog rock bands. I wanted to hear the beginnings of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and this CD clearly demonstrates the dominance of Keith Emerson's keyboards even at this early stage. These recordings were made shortly before the synthesizer was introduced to rock audiences and Emerson is limited to piano and organ. Brian Davison (drums) and Lee Jackson (bass, vocals) are a surprisingly effective rhythm section, but poor Davy O'List (guitar) is mostly lost in the shuffle. It's no surprise that O'List left the band during the recording of the band's second album.

It's astonishing to me that this music was recorded over 35 years ago, and yet much of it still sounds fresh. Sure the recording technology of the late 1960s isn't what it is today, but the musicianship of the band more than makes up for any deficiencies of the recording. That said, it would have been nice to hear the guitar parts given a little more prominence, and Lee Jackson is certainly not one of rock's great vocalists. Though Jackson gives it his all, he simply isn't a vocalist of Greg Lake's caliber and I find myself more attracted to the band's instrumentals and those songs that are predominantly instrumental.

This CD is recommended to ELP fans who want to hear the beginnings of the ELP sound and to progressive rock fans, in general, who want to hear some of the genre's earliest recordings.

pioneering progressive that rocks.......2001-09-26

First of all, I have to admit that I got this album because I love ELP and it has been so far the only album by the Nice I have listened to. And I loved it!
As soon as I started playing it, I felt enormous amount of energy coming from music. Rondo, She belongs to me (Bob Dylan's song), and Azrial are some of my favorites because they emanate lots of happy energy. America is a very beautiful song that absolutely captures the birth of prog rock, fusing clasical and rock music. The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack is passionate and inspiring. Hang on to a Dream is absolutely beautiful with its gentle and fragile beginning developing into more upbeat jazzy part. It shows off Emerson's keyboard mastery.

Music Album:

Music Album

Music Album

Music CD

Watershed ~ Henry Hey Trio

Lembrancas ~ Clare Fischer

Elec. Jazz ~ Music Revelation Ensemble

Swing ~ Various Artists

Danny's Island ~ Danny Lerman

The Dutchess ~ Fergie

20 Exitos De Oro ~ Duo Dinamico

Aris Samoladas ~ Aris Samoladas

Automobili ~ Lucio Dalla

And That's Saying ~ Natural Calamity