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The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack

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The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack is the 1967 debut album by the English psychedelic rock and progressive rock group the Nice. It is considered one of the first albums in the latter genre.

The name Emerlist Davjack is a pseudonym created by combining the last names of the four members of the group; Keith Emerson, David O'List, Brian Davison, and Lee Jackson.

The album was promoted by a sampler (featured on the Castle Communications 2000 box set "Here Come The Nice" (CMETD 055-1)) featuring a commentary by John Peel, which included the following comments:

1967 was a strange year for pop music with groups experimenting with new sounds and bouncing on and off bandwagons with dizzying speed and agility. They were calling themselves ridiculous names and regretting it shortly. The Nice came together in a void and will be here when the others are in pantomime in Wolverhampton.

The cover, photographed by Gered Mankowitz, shows members of the band shirtless, wrapped in cellophane.

Background

The original disc credits all compositions to "Emerlist Davjack"; later releases gave more specific credits.

At the 1967 Windsor Jazz & Blues Festival, lead singer Jackson said the song "Flower King of Flies" was about Beatle Paul McCartney. "The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack" was used as incidental music for the 1968 children's television drama "The Tyrant King", directed by Mike Hodges and written by Trevor Preston for Thames Television, from the London Transport book by Aylmer Hall. The 6-part series also featured music by the Rolling Stones, the Moody Blues and Pink Floyd.

"Rondo" includes a short excerpt from Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D Minor, as well as an extended quote and re-harmonization of the Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Blue Rondo à la Turk". "The Cry of Eugene", which was later re-recorded by Jackson's group Jackson Heights, refers to "Harlequin & Columbine".

Legacy

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

The album was named as one of Classic Rock magazine's "50 Albums That Built Prog Rock".[2]

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Flower King of Flies" (Keith Emerson, Lee Jackson) – 3:19
  2. "The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack" (Emerson, David O'List) – 2:49
  3. "Bonnie K" (Jackson, O'List) – 3:24
  4. "Rondo" (Dave Brubeck, Emerson, O'List, Brian Davison, Jackson) – 8:22

Side two

  2. "War and Peace" (Emerson, O'List, Davison, Jackson) – 5:13
  3. "Tantalising Maggie" (Emerson, Jackson) – 4:35
  4. "Dawn" (Davison, Emerson, Jackson) – 5:17
  5. "The Cry of Eugene" (Emerson, Jackson, O'List) – 4:36

Additions on reissues of the album

  2. "The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack" [Single Version] (Emerson, O'List) – 2:48
  3. "Azrial (Angel of Death)" (Emerson, Jackson) – 3:44
  4. "The Diamond Hard Blue Apples of the Moon" (Davison, Jackson) – 2:47
  5. "America" [instrumental] (Leonard Bernstein, Davison, Jackson, Stephen Sondheim) – 6:18
  6. "America" (Bernstein, Davison, Jackson, Sondheim) – 3:55

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "allmusic ((( The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack > Overview )))". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  2. ^ Classic Rock magazine, July 2010, Issue 146.
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