Hang on to a Dream: The Story of the Nice by Martyn Hanson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Most people know Keith Emerson as the keyboard playing wizard in Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, but before that band came into being he was part of a very innovative group called The Nice. This book tells the story of the earlier group, which in many ways I prefer. The biggest weakness of The Nice was that they never had a good singer, which may be one reason Emerson was keen to hook up with Greg Lake when he created his super-group. But The Nice really started the genre of classical-crossover with things like The Karelia Suite, Five Bridges, and most famously their magnificent rave-up version of America by Leonard Bernstein. I think this is the origin of Progressive Rock, and if you have never heard the group, you should check it out. This book covers the history of The Nice, and a little bit about the formation of ELP.



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