Best Piano based Rock album.

[sunvalleylaw]

I have touched on this topic before, but I could not find a thread per se. This is a guitar forum and therefore most of our talk here is about guitar oriented rock and music. But I started as a kid in piano, so I have always loved rock that had a strong piano influence. What are your favorite rock piano oriented albums?

Here are a three of my favorite albums, with a favorite track from each:


Springsteen - Born to Run album

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KngiJUNdsu0
Born to Run was composed mostly on the piano, and the other instrumentation was added later, so the Boss interviews go. It sure sounds like it to me. So it gets number one listing.


Supertramp - Crime of the Century album

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEBeqeLYsKQ
I always wanted to be able to play this solo. Supertramp was key to me in junior high/high school.

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI6IW--tQZ8&feature=related
This guy started it all for me in music I did not learn about on Saturday cartoons, or from my parents or the AM radio. His rhythms, syncopation, progressively played chords (Bennie and the Jets), and just all of it were huge to me.

 

[t_ross33]

I've been digging the Gabe Dixon Band lately. Almost makes you forget there are no guitars in there... *gasp*

 

[vroomery]

I second the Gabe Dixon band. I saw him play with Dave Barnes a week or 2 ago and Gabe Dixon absolutely rips it up. Great vocals and keys.

 

[Jimi75]

Springsteen is such a great example - can't top this SVL! Getting goosebumps watching the Springsteen clip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :master: :master: :master:

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Springsteen is such a great example - can't top this SVL! Getting goosebumps watching the Springsteen clip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :master: :master: :master:

Yah, that clip is awesome. If you have not seen it, get or rent the full DVD of that '75 Hammersmith Odeon performance. It is truly a high point for Bruce and the "E" Street Band.

http://www.brucespringsteen.net/albums/borntorun_30thbox.html

Here is Thunder Road from that DVD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYPSZiE0OAs&feature=related It is a better recording than the 76 show above.



And one more from that show: She's the One. Amazing!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-8LUvW9qv4&feature=related

"Born to Run" just holds up as an album without question after all these years. After reading your post, I had time tonight to "go out walkin' " with the dog, and had time to listen to the whole thing on my iPod during the walk. Just a great album.

Come on, someone list some more. What about a Jerry Lee Lewis album, or something?

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I have to put one more up from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Just a big album to me.

 

[piebaldpython]

I just saw ELTON in Las Vegas over Easter vacation. He was fabulous.

As for piano players......well, they just don't get any better than Ann Rabson of Saffire:The Uppity Blues Women. An absolute powerhouse of a piano player. AWESOME!!

I have 6 or 7 of their CD's.

 

[tunghaichuan]

I grew up on Elton John, GYR was one of my favorites. Lots of tasty guitar parts on that album.

As much as it pains me to admit, I was a Supertramp fan back in the 70s during my early teen years. Then I discovered Black Sabbath and Led Zep. :rockon:

tung

 

[R_of_G]

I still love early Elton John stuff too. He got a bit too poppy for me once the 80's rolled around, but his 70's stuff is great classic rock.

So here's an album choice from a band that's typically associated with guitars, The Allman Brothers Band 1973 Brothers and Sisters. This was the first full album recorded after Duane's passing. Rather than bring in another guitar player, they made the wise move of adding pianist Chuck Leavell to fill out the sound.

This is probably the most clear example of what he brought to the band...



There are some other great contributions by Chuck on this album as well.

 

[Heywood Jablomie]

For Springsteen, David Sancious was a fantastic keyboardist (first 2 albums plus some of BTR). I love Bruce but Roy Bittan at best is mediocre.

 

[Rocket]

Not necessarily Rock, (or any other concrete genre,) I can listen to Bruce Hornsby all day.
I was also forced into piano lessonage as a child but found a guitar to be much lighter to carry.

 

[just strum]

Stand - Sly & The Family Stone

Let's say keyboards or electric piano

 

[Tig]

I grew up on Elton John, GYR was one of my favorites. Lots of tasty guitar parts on that album.

As much as it pains me to admit, I was a Supertramp fan back in the 70s during my early teen years. Then I discovered Black Sabbath and Led Zep. :rockon:

tung

Nice thread to revive, kurt.

My first thought after reading the thread title was Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 17-11-70, and Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.
These were staples in my early musical interests. I need to get new copies.

While I wasn't a huge fan of Supertramp, I did appreciate them. If I listen to some of the guitar parts I appreciate them even more now. The most famous person ever to enter my house was Dougie Thomson, their bass player in the 70's and 80's. He was a friend of my Dad's friends and came by for dinner before they all went to a club, and I went to a Van Halen concert. One of those moments in time that stick.

 

[Spudman]

Nice thread to revive, kurt.

My first thought after reading the thread title was Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 17-11-70, and Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.
These were staples in my early musical interests. I need to get new copies.

Those are my two favorites as well. No other piano albums have ever hit me as hard as both of those. I grew up a bit like Bernie in a rural farming area and can really relate to his feelings and what he sees around him. I think both those albums are timeless, along with Madman Across the Water.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

After revisiting this thread, I have to elevate GYR to top status, or at least a tie with BTR. GYR was first though. I remember many rainy afternoons laying on the floor with the big double album cover looking at the art work and lyrics while i played that thing over and over again. I never owned Dirt Cowboy. Just picked up the hits from that one on my Greatest Hits album.

 

[Retro Hound]

Something by Little Richard or Jerry Lee Lewis, though I also like some Billy Joel and Dr. John.