What are the Heaviest Keyboard Songs/Albums in Rock History?

[mate stubb]

It's clear that we all define "heavy" differently.

 

To me it implies a bit of a stately tempo - you can't have gravitas when doing speed metal.

 

Hard and Heavy are different things.

[Sven Golly]

It's clear that we all define "heavy" differently.

 

+100

 

A little clarification would definitely go a long way (what does "the Heavy issue" mean? It'll be 2,045 pages? ).

 

Otherwise, we've got a lot of folks here who interpret "heavy" the way Tommy Chong does... and that might not be what we're being asked...

[drawback]

I was thinking along the lines of the new Steve Winwood Box Set. With 4CDs it may be heavier than say, the Ultimate Rick Wakeman set which has only 3.

 

 

 

[bloodyMary]

Seems to me that no one posted any songs written after 1977...

 

Well..you asked for it. This is much heavier than Highway Star

The keyboard is actually very important in this band, taking lots of leads and solos.

 

[video:youtube]tjZpqgeiGFQ&feature=related

 

The keyboard player's solo project:

 

[video:youtube]YtUcllgYJi0

[bloodyMary]

forget the previous post.

This is heavier (and features more keyboard).

The band - Finntroll. Finnish polka meets death metal.

 

[video:youtube]yGywo81G6lk

[HammondDave]

An off the wall entry here. "One Man Band" I always thought Three Dog Night's keyboardist, Jimmy Greenspoon never got enough recognition. Some nice leslie work at the beginning as I recall.

 

I agree! Greenspoon is greatly under-appreciated. Along with Booker T., me is a master of changing Leslie speeds... and also some great voicings.

[Stu McHopton]

An off the wall entry here. "One Man Band" I always thought Three Dog Night's keyboardist, Jimmy Greenspoon never got enough recognition. Some nice leslie work at the beginning as I recall.

 

I agree! Greenspoon is greatly under-appreciated. Along with Booker T., me is a master of changing Leslie speeds... and also some great voicings.

 

And let's not forget his contributions to the band Bread. Decidedly not heavy.

[lerber3]

Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding

 

 

[jerrythek]

An off the wall entry here. "One Man Band" I always thought Three Dog Night's keyboardist, Jimmy Greenspoon never got enough recognition. Some nice leslie work at the beginning as I recall.

 

I agree! Greenspoon is greatly under-appreciated. Along with Booker T., me is a master of changing Leslie speeds... and also some great voicings.

 

For sure... he/they covered Chest Fever and that was my introduction to the tune before I knew of The Band. An unsung hero... Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog really hurt people's sense of the band. Too bad.

[jerrythek]

How about Lee Michaels and Frosty? I'd nominate their live version of Stormy Monday.

[Les Mizzell]

Somebody pick something by Atomic Rooster - the first album...

[RABid]

After reading all the responses to this thread I think that my definition of heavy must be very different than most keyboardists here. Maybe it is me, or maybe it has something to do with the lack of keyboards in most heavy metal which may lead to the genre not being followed by most keyboardists. Pink Floyd, ELP, Styx, Elton John, Moody Blues, Michael McDonald, etc? RAY CHARLES!?! Heavy Metal or Heavy Rock? I have to agree with tonysounds, something is wrong. Before reading this thread I was debating on mentioning Billy Idol, worrying that he was not heavy enough. Goldy John of Steppenwolf is a pretty safe historical mention.

 

Modern metal? I occasionally listen to bands like Rage but there are no keyboards there. For a lot of metal bands, no keyboards seem to bring a kind of self imagined status. Thats ok. When I want keyboard metal I listen to something like The Crystal Method Tweekend and notice how the guitar sometimes gets a part to support the synths.

[Les Mizzell]

...and nobody has mentioned Brian Auger? Can't remember song titles but I'm sure there's something in there....

[Robbie G]

Good stuff, fellow keyboardists. And yes, the late 60's through the early 80's were quite a fertile time for keyboards in heavy rock. And while the 80's had the juice of heavy metal to replace the prog rock that faded a bit with the 70's, there was a bit of a drop off as the metal years themselves ended. Had Nirvana had a keyboard player, the 90's would have been waaaaay different. But either way, there were great bands and albums that came about before the turn of the century. So how bout it, ya'll? What about the 90's? Industrial? Metal? Just plain Rock? Yes, Rammstein. Yes, Porcupine Tree. Yes, NIN. And yes, even Stabbing Westward. But what else you got that qualifies as usage of keys in sonically heavy music since, say... Ozzy's "No More Tears" In 1991 and GnR "November Rain" in 92? Post an iconic song or album, not just a band name. PS- good call on the Aardvark! I've been digging through slightly obscure bands like Frumpy and Ken Hensley's Weed. Youtube the song "Sweet Morning Light" and enjoy some Weed! You'll be glad you did

[Robbie G]

Turbo Lover was guitar synths, no keyboards as far as I can tell.

[gryphon]

Had Nirvana had a keyboard player, the 90's would have been waaaaay different.

No.

[StartRun]

...and nobody has mentioned Brian Auger? Can't remember song titles but I'm sure there's something in there....

 

...good point.

 

I'm not sure he's a "Rock" musician; but if you want a song title-"Indian Rope Man" from his "Streetnoise" album w/Julie Driscoll; circa '69, would certainly qualify...

[retrokeys]

Of course, Virgil Fox a classical organist, used to tour with an electronic version of a pipe organ and play Bach back in the 60's and 70's. The tour, light show included, was called "Heavy Organ." Given how many times "Chest Fever" comes up here with its obvious Toccata and Fugue roots, we have to give old JSB some recognition in the heavy department.

[moj]

Head East - Never Been Any Reason

 

 

Saga - On The Loose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQLWMvJ3sp4&feature=related

 

Gary Moore - Out in the Fields

 

 

Styx - Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)

 

 

Starcastle - "Lady Of The Lake"

 

 

Bill Nelson - Empire of the Senses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw4RgW9jHEc

[MAJUSCULE]

Money Talks-Deep Purple (Rapture of the Deep). Gets me rocking every single time.

[Les Mizzell]

After looking through all of this and really thinking about it - there have been plenty of rock bands *with* keyboards in a supporting role, but Deep Purple, in my opinion, probably has to be the definitive "first" or at least "most notable" rock band with keyboards in a *feature* role. Others followed (Uriah Heep for example), but my coinage goes to DP as sorta the founding father of heavy rock with featured keyboards.

[mate stubb]

After looking through all of this and really thinking about it - there have been plenty of rock bands *with* keyboards in a supporting role, but Deep Purple, in my opinion, probably has to be the definitive "first" or at least "most notable" rock band with keyboards in a *feature* role. Others followed (Uriah Heep for example), but my coinage goes to DP as sorta the founding father of heavy rock with featured keyboards.

 

The other one of the same vintage is Vanilla Fudge. They are not remembered as fondly because their music doesn't age as well, but you cannot fail to apply the adjectives "heavy organ" to their version of "Keep Me Hangin' On".

[ELP71]

After reading all the responses to this thread I think that my definition of heavy must be very different than most keyboardists here. Maybe it is me, or maybe it has something to do with the lack of keyboards in most heavy metal which may lead to the genre not being followed by most keyboardists. Pink Floyd, ELP, Styx, Elton John, Moody Blues, Michael McDonald, etc? RAY CHARLES!?! Heavy Metal or Heavy Rock? I have to agree with tonysounds, something is wrong.:

 

Distinction between 'heavy' and 'hard' probably - subjective. I hold ELP's 'The Barbarian' (not the 'piano' section) up against anything though in terms of 'heavy', and certainly DP's 'Highway Star'.

[Ken Beaumont]

Uriah Heap, Stealin When I Should Have Been Buyin.

I love the intro organ and vocals builds up then the song takes off and there is tasty organ going throughout the whole song.

 

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K63pu7nd6Q&feature=related

[Les Mizzell]

Of course, Virgil Fox a classical organist, used to tour with an electronic version of a pipe organ and play Bach back in the 60's and 70's. The tour, light show included, was called "Heavy Organ."

 

For "Heavy Organ", Virgil toured with a large custom Rodgers - probably this one:

http://www.rodgers550.com/beauty.html. It was a pretty cool spectacle - all those rock fans listening to classical organ.

 

He did another tour later with a large custom Allen - http://www.allenorgan.com/www/special/VirgilFox/VF-2.html

 

I had the pleasure of helping with some tour arrangements and stuff when he performed in my area with the Allen. Got him settled into his room after the concert, and got a phone call very shortly after. Seemed he liked scalding hot showers, and the water in the shower wasn't hot enough for him in his current room. He ended up paying for another room 20 miles away just to take a shower.

 

He was a very charismatic person, and was absolutely fascinating to talk to. As a impressionable high school student taking classical organ at the time, it was a highlight to get to spend some time with someone like him.

 

He drove a lot of classical purist crazy with his showmanship and "interesting" interpretations of classical repertoire. That aside, I have *never* seen anyone play pedals like Mr. Fox:

 

 

[JpScoey]

...Deep Purple, in my opinion, probably has to be the definitive "first" or at least "most notable" rock band with keyboards in a *feature* role.

 

I couldn't agree more ..... at the age of about 13 (1976), my curiosity in rock music had just started.

 

I was 'advised' by some of the older lads/rockers at my school

 

(Afghan coats/very long hair/patchouly oil/Pot etc! was the thing then! - just before the Sex Pistols had taken off)

 

 

to check out 'Made in Japan' by Deep Purple. I put it on my Christmas list, & Santa duly delivered!

 

Apart from being dragged away for Xmas lunch, & the bloody Queens speech, I listened to that album all day.

 

Of course the 1st track is Highway Star, & if it hadn't already been mentioned before,

 

I'd put that right at the top of 'keyboard-based' heavy rock songs.

 

That album changed my life forever (musically).

 

 

[genesisfan]

Here are a few:

The Steppes-Steve Hackett

Every home is wired-Porcupine Tree

Birdsong and reprise-Anthony Phillips

The pump-Jeff Beck

Goodbye blue sky-Pink Floyd

Conversation piece-Dixie dregs

Abacab-Genesis

Invisible sun-The Police

The Trees-Rush

Shot in the dark-Ozzy O.

Last in line-Dio

Solid Rock-Dire Straits

Flying in a blue dream-Joe Satriani

Eighteen-Pat Metheny Group

Lucky Me-Tony Banks

[Nordude]

Yes, Rammstein. Yes, Porcupine Tree. Yes, NIN. And yes, even Stabbing Westward.

 

Yes, YES...

 

Only saw Roundabout mentioned.

I'd say Close To The Edge: CTTE, AYAI and SK contain some pretty heavy keyboard loads and are pretty heavy as a total band sound effort indeed. Not only technique-wise (which wasn't the main issue here), but soundwise. Thick layers, thick mellotrons, think organs, thick lead sounds.

 

But, eventually I could list all Yes albums, at least their 70s thingies.

[Pulse Field]

Alaska U.K.

Carrying No Cross U.K.

 

 

 

considering that Eddie used a C3, CP70, CS-80 and Minimoog on these, I'd say that at roughly 950 lb. total, these songs qualify as the heaviest keyboard songs ever recorded. With the possible exception of Oxygene 1-6.

[Dave Pierce]

No one has yet mentioned Santana. There's probably several good candidates, but I'm gonna go with Hope You're Feeling Better, mostly for the opening riff.

 

I'm late to this thread, and I've been reading wondering whether I would be the first to post this. Should have known another SF Bay Area guy would beat me to it.

 

I often think "do I really need to carry the added weight and complexity of my Speakeasy Vintage Tube Preamp? What does it really add?" Then this song comes up on the set list, and I play the opening riff.

 

Oh, yeah. Right.

 

 

--Dave