Rik Emmett of Triumph

[Sparky4444]

Ok...this guy was in my top 3 back when I was a kid....the guy is a true guitarist in every sense of the word and wrote some killer pieces...

How many hard-rockers can write this, never mind play it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY6BKkh26LE

[Sparky4444]

Progressions of Power the most under-rated album in the catalog...forgot about all the great tunes and blistering clean licks he'd pull off..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDD5h6JmTds

[Sparky4444]

Another jewel from Progressions Of Power

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTeWeDI86kc

Sweet acoustic playing mixed with gut-wrenching lead playing...what a great song

[Sparky4444]

Check this solo out from Thunder Seven...yes that solo is double-tracked!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Hl8V8qymKY

[NY Chief]

These guys were a lot like Triumph, Zebra. Originally from New Orleans they played all over New York. Did great Zep covers and their orignals were great, too. Not quite as good as Triumph but pretty damn close. To hear Randy play Celebration Day and sing it at the same time was amazing. Check some of the other vid's, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8BX7so1Vqg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and they're still around...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWQ0AoO804M" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Sparky4444]

These guys were a lot like Triumph, Zebra. Originally from New Orleans they played all over New York. Did great Zep covers and their orignals were great, too. Not quite as good as Triumph but pretty damn close. To hear Randy play Celebration Day and sing it at the same time was amazing. Check some of the other vid's, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8BX7so1Vqg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and they're still around...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWQ0AoO804M" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ah..the double-neck...that guy has a great voice

[Sparky4444]

...that last one is reeeeally too close to Magic Power riff at the beginning

[NY Chief]

...that last one is reeeeally too close to Magic Power riff at the beginning

I used to go see those guys every Thurs night in a ckub called Speaks on Long Island. Never put two an two and together but your right, it sure does Sparky. You ahd to hear these guys live, what a BIG sound for three guys. When Felix played the keyboard parts he payed the bass lines ia pedals ala JPJ and killed it! Rumor has it that when Physical Graffitti came out they learned both LP's in four days. One day for each side!

[rgorke]

Triumph for me is one of those bands that when their songs come on the radio, you turn it up and sing it loud.

There are some other videos that show Rik describing/explaining some of their songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E8q3ssYTts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIm0vZmnvCc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, his voice is one of the most distinctive in rock.

[Sparky4444]

Triumph for me is one of those bands that when their songs come on the radio, you turn it up and sing it loud.

There are some other videos that show Rik describing/explaining some of their songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E8q3ssYTts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIm0vZmnvCc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, his voice is one of the most distinctive in rock.

1) It blew my mind to hear him do that classical stuff on the albums...he composed them as well, which in its own right is elite, IMHO
2) The songs were positive -- great messages, great role models for a teenager...
3) Rik's sound was clean, clean, clean...hardly any effects at all...his acoustic, dobro, etc, etc, was bang on silky smooth and slicker than hell...his rock sound was so clean and precise
4) How he would add advanced musical tonalities and modalities to otherwise straight ahead rock stuff was amazing...Thunder Seven was full of that, but Never Surrender was where it really took off...
5) The guy is down-to-earth and has principles...He could have hooked up with any of those other all-star rock bands in the 90's, but he's done his own thing and he's content doing it...

...for me EVH was the perfect compliment to Rik...Rik gave me the sonic clean, precise and diverse exposure...Eddie gave me the rebel and "screw you" part of it with his sound...It's no wonder my playing can be so confusing...lol

[Sparky4444]

Triumph for me is one of those bands that when their songs come on the radio, you turn it up and sing it loud.

There are some other videos that show Rik describing/explaining some of their songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E8q3ssYTts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIm0vZmnvCc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, his voice is one of the most distinctive in rock.

In the Never Surrender lesson he says it was a little complicated -- ya think!! That song is an amazing blend of advanced music theory and rock melody...I've never could play that song properly

[Brian Wallace]

Zebra and Triumph are both killer bands. I saw Zebra a dozen times easy back in the day and caught Triumph with Frank Marino warming up on the Allied Forces tour.

[Sparky4444]

Zebra and Triumph are both killer bands. I saw Zebra a dozen times easy back in the day and caught Triumph with Frank Marino warming up on the Allied Forces tour.

Allied Forces was probably there biggest album...But for my money, Thunder Seven was the crown jewel...

It's funny ..I don't think Rik is playing too much hard rock these days...his lesson here makes him look like a mere-mortal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E8q3ssYTts

[rgorke]

Looks like he still has it, or did a year ago...

http://youtu.be/Iz-G9ji71Tk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Sparky4444]

Looks like he still has it, or did a year ago...

http://youtu.be/Iz-G9ji71Tk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I get the sense he is tired of playing the old stuff...He's always been a forward-thinker and progressive...Always moving ahead -- but yeah, he still can bring it...

His players aren't the best harmony singers going, though lol