Lindsey Piano Work

[David]

What are some of your favorite piano or keyboard parts Lindsey plays on any of the Mac or solo albums?

I've always loved his piano arrangement on "September Song" on his '81 album. The arrangement is probably borrowed or adapted from elsewhere, but it is used intelligently & humorously within the framework of the track he develops. The arpeggiated figure -- ticktocky & nonstop & funny in its monotony -- laids the groundwork for the track, the same way that drums & bass are used ordinarily for that purpose.

It's a Fats Domino pastiche, essentially, & it's one of the comic high points on the album.

[Sahara]

I'm not sure if this counts, but my favourite is the synth at the end of Everybody Finds Out. There was some debate a while back over how this was done, some suggested that it was actually a guitar. Either way, it's an intense and epic climax to one of SYW's best songs. Love it love it love it.

[John Run]

I have no way of knowing this but I have always suspected that the synthesizer parts on Everywhere were played by Lindsey. It never sounded like something that Christine would play and it was somewhat further evidenced to me when Brett played that part on the Dance Tour.

Beyond that I think some of his Keyboard work on Go Insane was pretty good. I Want You, Go Insane, etc were pretty good stuff for the time.

There were keyboard parts of his on Say You Will but for the most part they seemed pretty sterile and programmed and did not stand out as anything more than atmospheric fill.

Piano, I have not heard enough of Lindsey on piano to make any judgments. I do remember Brett saying that Lindsey does a rather good/humorous version of Big Love on Piano...

[Sahara]

Originally Posted by John Run

Piano, I have not heard enough of Lindsey on piano to make any judgments. I do remember Brett saying that Lindsey does a rather good/humorous version of Big Love on Piano...

I'd kill to hear / see this.

[David]

Originally Posted by John Run

I have no way of knowing this but I have always suspected that the synthesizer parts on Everywhere were paid by Lindsey.

Interesting view. Would you elaborate? There are two fundamental synthesizer parts, are there not? The rapidly arpeggiated figure in the high reaches -- the I, II, III, & V ascending & descending, which is undoubtedly programmed -- & the triadic chords: I - V7 - I - V7 etc. I see nothing in the latter that distinguishes itself as something Chris would not play. Chords are chords.

And then there's the demo that Timothy White aired. Yamaha DX-7 famous voicing, like a Rhodes doubled by a vibraphone, used on broken-chord eighth notes. Nothing odd or unusual.

It never sounded like something that Christine would play and it was somewhat further evidenced to me when Brett played that part on the Dance Tour.

Interesting question for Christine: Why did she want to play maracas on that song in concert, not just for the 1997 tour but for the 1987 & 1990 tours, too (with Dan Garfield laying down the synth pad)?

[John Run]

Originally Posted by David

Interesting view. Would you elaborate? There are two fundamental synthesizer parts, are there not? The rapidly arpeggiated figure in the high reaches -- the I, II, III, & V ascending & descending, which is undoubtedly programmed -- & the triadic chords: I - V7 - I - V7 etc. I see nothing in the latter that distinguishes itself as something Chris would not play. Chords are chords.

Interesting question for Christine: Why did she want to play maracas on that song in concert, not just for the 1997 tour but for the 1987 & 1990 tours, too (with Dan Garfield laying down the synth pad)?

I think you hit in on the head. It is not played and Christine to me is a player. I think the parts were conceived and programmed in the studio by Lindsey. It just does not seem like something Christine would have sat down and played. Not only did she not play on it live, but Lindsey replaced one of the synthisizer parts that one could surmise he created in 1987 with a mimicing guitar part in 1997. He was quite vocal about how he moved away from the guitar to synthesizers in the 1980's as his primary creative tool in the song building process and then moved back to the guitar for that purpose in the 1990's.

When I get a chance I am going to have to listen to studio version of Everywhere on a pair of headphones and then listen to the live 1997 version and get my thoughts together in more organized manner.

[GoS]

Originally Posted by David

...The arrangement is probably borrowed or adapted from elsewhere...

Lindsey? Never.