The Nice

The Nice are a progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their unique blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Keith Emerson, a keyboardist, formed the group and released their debut, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack to immediate acclaim; this is often considered the first progressive rock album. A long and wildly popular tour followed, spawning controversy when Emerson burned an American flag onstage during a performance of the band's satirical arrangement of Leonard Bernstein's America, which Emerson described as the first ever instrumental protest song.

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The pinnacle of the band's artistic success was probably the Five Bridges suite, commissioned for the Newcastle Arts Festival, which was performed with a full orchestra conducted by Joseph Eger. The title refers to the city's five bridges spanning the River Tyne (two more have since been built).

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Besides Emerson, the group also included bassist Lee Jackson, drummer Brian Davison, and guitarist David O'List. O'List left the group during the recording of Ars Longa, Vita Brevis, and The Nice continued as a trio thereafter.

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By 1969, Emerson and the other band members were frustrated with their lack of mainstream success and they soon broke up. Emerson formed a band with Greg Lake (of King Crimson) and Carl Palmer (of Atomic Rooster) ? Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

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Lee Jackson went on to form "Jackson Heights" while Brian Davison formed "Every Which Way". The two later got together to form "Refugee" with Patrick Moraz.

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The Nice reformed in 2002 for a series of live concerts.

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Albums

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• The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack
• Ars Longa, Vita Brevis
• Nice
• Autumn '67 - Spring '68 (compilation of alternate takes and remixes) (AKA The Nice Featuring America)
• Five Bridges
• Elegy
• Vivacitas
• Many posthumous compilations

CD versions of Five Bridges and Elegy also include between them the whole of Autumn '67 - Spring '68 in the form of bonus tracks.

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The Nice: External links ►



 

Progressive rock: Progressive rock (shortened to prog, or prog rock when differentiating from other "progressive" genres) is an ambitious, eclectic, and often grandiose style of rock music which arose in the late 1960s, reached the peak of its popularity in the early 1970s, and continues as a musical form to this day...

1960s: The 1960s, or The Sexy Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. The Sixties has come to refer to the complex of inter-related cultural and political events which occurred in approximatel...

Rock: Rock may refer to:...




The Nice related Images and Photos (experimental)

Nice	Nice	Nice	Nice
Nice	Nice-Coni	Nice-Coni	Mr. Nice Guy (DVD)
Mr. Nice Guy	Nice Thermal	Nice la Colmiane	Nice la Colmiane