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The best pop-rock tunes using piano


schmoron13

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Originally posted by Dave Pierce:

Well, most of what I thought of has already been mentioned, but there's a couple more:

Love You Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)

Is there any piano in "Just the Way You Are"? I thought it was Rhodes only.

 

I'll toss in a favorite Billy Joel tune, "The Ballad of Billy the Kid".

 

I figured most of the Billy & Elton catalogs qualify as "best pop-rock tunes using piano".

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Originally posted by mzeger:

Originally posted by Dave Pierce:

Well, most of what I thought of has already been mentioned, but there's a couple more:

Love You Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)

Is there any piano in "Just the Way You Are"? I thought it was Rhodes only.

Well, yeah, I guess that's true. :o I just think of Billy Joel as a piano player so much that I assume all his songs are piano, without really thinking about it. :rolleyes:

 

--Dave

Make my funk the P-funk.

I wants to get funked up.

 

My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/

 

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This topic reminds me of the 'Best Rock Keyboardist' award that Keyboard magazine did for a few years - when they figured out Emerson was going to win every year they took him out of the voting and named him like 'all time high priest' or something like that. The same could be said for Elton John and Billy Joel with regard to piano pop/rock tunes.

 

Many of my faves have been mentioned. how about:

 

the play-off of 'Layla' - Derek and the Dominos

 

'Brick' - Ben Folds Five (to me, not representative of the artist but still sticks to the idea of the thread)

 

'Lady Madonna' - Beatles...boy I thought I was hot stuff when I learned that intro

 

'You And I' - Stevie Wonder

 

I could go on and on.

 

As for Norah Jones and Vanessa Carlton - they are worthy exponents of the piano...esp Jones. I feel that Carlton is moe of a 'product' that I'm supposed to 'like'. I like Jones' honesty.

Weasels ripped my flesh. Rzzzzzzz.
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Another one here...

A Thousand Miles (Vanessa Carlton)

 

also, I'm amazed nobody has mentioned

Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon and Garfunkel)!

 

I learned 'Troubled' a few years ago and everyone I've played it for loves it!

BTW - I'm only 18 and yes I like Simon and Garfunkel

Also, I'll second any votes for Piano Man (Billy Joel). I reckon I might buy some more of his sheet music.

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"Glad" by Traffic (Steve Winwood). Anyone know this tune?

Joe Pine (60's talk show host who sported a wooden leg) to Frank Zappa -- "So, with your long hair, I guess that makes you a woman." Frank Zappa's response -- "So, with your wooden leg, I guess that makes you a table."

 

 

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2001&alid=-1

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allman brothers - jessica

beatles - lovely rita meter maid

all leon russel /freddie king songs

jeff beck - I'm goin down

joe cocker - I'm fellin alright

 

it's always nice to see someone out there with brains thanks

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Hey, Ty. Check it out here. Glad. You can listen to it streamed on RA. Let me know what you think! ---LEE

 

Originally posted by Tyrone:

nope.

Joe Pine (60's talk show host who sported a wooden leg) to Frank Zappa -- "So, with your long hair, I guess that makes you a woman." Frank Zappa's response -- "So, with your wooden leg, I guess that makes you a table."

 

 

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2001&alid=-1

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Whilst it's not a "pop" tune, one of my favorite rock piano pieces is "Benny The Bouncer" by ELP. God, but that's a fun tune! (Though it's a veritable BITCH to play!) It has a killer walking left hand bass, and the piano lead in the middle is just a ball to hear.

 

You can get a little taste of it here at MP3.com:

http://www.artistdirect.com/store/artist/album/0,,1570243,00.html

Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4.
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Originally posted by joegerardi:

Whilst it's not a "pop" tune, one of my favorite rock piano pieces is "Benny The Bouncer" by ELP. God, but that's a fun tune! (Though it's a veritable BITCH to play!)

Imagine having to play it twice, double-tracked! That's how Keith had to do it back in `72, long before digital chorusing. I remember reading an interview with him in Keyboard magazine back in `77. That's what they had to do back then to make a pristine Steinway grand sound like a tired old bar piano!

 

No doubt, Keith's amazing! :)

 

Peace all,

Steve

><>

Steve

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Forgot about Glad by Traffic. A very, very underated band considering all the material they wrote.

 

Another pianist that isn't well recognized is Leon Russell. He performed with a lot of folks, as well as on his own solo albums.

_____________

Erlic

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Originally posted by Bucktunes:

Originally posted by joegerardi:

Whilst it's not a "pop" tune, one of my favorite rock piano pieces is "Benny The Bouncer" by ELP. God, but that's a fun tune! (Though it's a veritable BITCH to play!)

Imagine having to play it twice, double-tracked! That's how Keith had to do it back in `72, long before digital chorusing. I remember reading an interview with him in Keyboard magazine back in `77. That's what they had to do back then to make a pristine Steinway grand sound like a tired old bar piano!

 

No doubt, Keith's amazing! :)

 

Peace all,

Steve

IIRC, that was "Jerusalem" that he did that on, to get that really chorused, slightly phased Hammond sound. "Benny" was just an old upright that the song was hammered out on.
Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4.
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..."Glad"-another Steve Winwood classic that has been hear by too few and appreciated be even less. It's also a blast to play...

One piano-based song from Genesis-"That's All" was a dandy, though there was very little out front playing.

On the other hand-"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu" (Johnnie Rivers?) absolutely bled piano-and it was great to play in bar bands.

We will not waiver; we will not tire; we will not falter; and we will not fail!

George W. Bush

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Yesrssiree, Jazz. That's why I put a link to 30 seconds worth of it, in my hope that some who are unfamiliar with Steve Winwood's body of work, could get a little "taste". That riff is legendary in it's own right, IMHO! :cool: ~~~~LEE

 

Originally posted by PianoJazz1951:

..."Glad"-another Steve Winwood classic that has been hear by too few and appreciated be even less. It's also a blast to play...

One piano-based song from Genesis-"That's All" was a dandy, though there was very little out front playing.

On the other hand-"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu" (Johnnie Rivers?) absolutely bled piano-and it was great to play in bar bands.

Joe Pine (60's talk show host who sported a wooden leg) to Frank Zappa -- "So, with your long hair, I guess that makes you a woman." Frank Zappa's response -- "So, with your wooden leg, I guess that makes you a table."

 

 

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2001&alid=-1

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