SCOTTS HIDDEN TREASURES #46 - All Keyboardy

The next few SHT lists will be focusing in on specific instruments. You know, songs that showcase cool guitars, driving bass lines and thunderous drumming! We'll start with the keyboards this week...

No this is not a ballad edition. Rather, its songs whose identity is closely associated with a keyboard riff. Rock and Roll keyboards! When I think of rock bands that are heavy keyboard bands, I think Styx first, followed by bands like Giuffria. Both of which are not in this playlist! Because were treasure hunting...

Here’s where my mind went when I was putting this together. What came to yours?

Playlist Vitals....

10 songs
Length: 53 minutes 47 seconds
Link: http://www.podsnack.com/playlists/11ad41b5e62de9db826c9068ba620438

Title: Bat Out of Hell
Band: Meat Loaf
Album: Bat Out of Hell
Year: 1977
Time: 9:52
Jim Steinman hit platinum with his keyboards on this album. No one song more recognizable than the title track. A mini-epic unrivaled, the bombastic track hits you on all fronts. With Meat Loaf on vocals, Steinman's compositions’ really came to life through the production of Todd Rundgren. Now with a team like that how could the keyboards not be a centerpiece? Great track.

Title: Grey Seal
Band: Elton John
Album: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Year: 1973
Time: 4:00
I simply had to put this song after Bat Out Of Hell. Hear that opening riff? Do you think maybe there’s a slight influence on Steinman’s playing? Just sayin'.... Cool track from Johns most glitzy and prolific period.

Title: Roll With The Changes
Band: REO Speedwagon
Album: You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tune Fish
Year: 1978
Time: 5:37
Answer this... Do you play air guitar to this song or do you also play an air keyboard? Be honest. Now name another song you air keyboard to? Had to think about it? hahaha. Great classic rock track too, it’s one of those tunes that make a career for a band.

Title: Portrait (He Knew)
Band: Kansas
Album: Point Of Know Return
Year: 1977
Time: 4:33
Their most successful album yields some cool hidden gems like this one. The remix on the expanded disc is cool as well. But Walsh's keyboards are always a highlight of a Kansas album. Portrait also showcases a nice balance of their pop-sensibility and their progressive tendency. That’s one of my favorite styles.

Title: Run Buddy Run
Band: Jerry Doucette
Album: The Deuce is Loose
Year: 1979
Time: 4:06
Hailed as an up and coming guitar hero. The Deuce fit some keyboard work in his second album which came out like gangbusters and died a month so later when the Mushroom label failed to follow through with the promotion of the album. I remember seeing posters and ads for this album and then *poof* nothing. Weird, because it was so good! Anyway, I liked what he did with this keyboard, I thought it was really cool and one of my favorite keyboard riffs to this day.

Title: Not As You Were
Band: Ambrosia
Album: Life Beyond L.A.
Year: 1978
Time: 3:53
Another example of late 70's pop-sensibility and progressive tendency. Ambrosia enters their commercial period with this album, but left behind some real treasures like this one.

Title: Say You Love Me
Band: Fleetwood Mac
Album: Fleetwood Mac
Year: 1975
Time: 4:10
Christine McVie doesn’t get enough credit for this bands success, but she was just as important as Buckingham/Nicks. Even though this is probably best suited for a soft rock playlist, the piano carries this tune into a really cool and great place, so it belongs in this list.

Title: Take Me To The Top
Band: Loverboy
Album: Get Lucky
Year: 1981
Time: 6:10
The first time I heard this song, it stopped me in my tracks. At the time, I had never heard anything like before. The keyboard arrangement is still very cool to crank up and jam to. What’s a poor boy to do?

Title: Turn It On Again
Band: Genesis
Album: Duke
Year: 1980
Time: 3:49
Confession time... I don’t like the album Duke. I like this track and Misunderstanding and that’s about it. I liked it enough to make a trip to the record store and buy it in 1980. But this one is still a great show opener and sets a great tempo and mood.

Title: Child of Vision
Band: Supertramp
Album: Breakfast In America
Year: 1979
Time: 7:31
One of the most well-crafted albums in rock history (IMHO). There is not one bad track on this one. I got the idea for this playlist some time ago when Jon mentioned that he would prefer this track over another Supertramp track I picked. The keyboard work that closes the tracks last 3:50 seconds is some of the finest work you will ever hear.

Hope you enjoyed this...

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Scott on May 26, 2011 at 7:20am

Very cool info Niels! Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Niels (Mod) on May 26, 2011 at 12:21pm

4. I've only heard a couple of Kansas-songs, and all of them have been here on this site. They've all been good, except this one. I don't really like this one. The Steve Walsh-album, Jon had in LAOTW#43, sounds MUCH better.

5. Booring radio-type of song comes to mind. It reminds me a bit of Steve Miller-band or a bad Night Ranger-song (only because his voice reminds me of Jack Blade's). I HATE Steve Miller-band!!!

6. This is much better. A little Who-feeling (or Pete Townshend-solo) in the beginning. Then it sounds a BIT like ToTo. It's not a bad song. The riff sounds very much like PT.

7. I don't consider myself a Fleetwood Mac-fan. Not at all. Again, it sounds like something booring from the radio. I've only got Rumours on vinyl, that's all, and even that album has got a few booooring tracks. Stevie Nicks was hot, and Lindsey Buckingham had a lot of talent, but ....nah, it's not me!!

8. What a gay cover. Man, I would'nt have bought that album, back in the day only because of that cover. The music is pretty gay too. AND the band-name. But as a Moderator, I'll say, I've got NOTHING against gay people, Scott.