Three albums from Keith Emerson are now available, Honky, his first solo album, Off The Shelf, and At The Movies (three-CD set). With the exception of Honky, all were very rare recordings that have become collectable over the years.

Emerson needs no introduction; his musical legacy is long and well documented. From his days with The Nice, ELP, and a continuingly productive solo career, I think it is safe to say the man has been nothing short of prolific.

Honky is an enjoyable solo retreat. Originally released in 1985, it is remastered for superior sound. Emerson had to keep putting off this solo album because the record companies would hear his material, comment how good it was, and then ask him to record it with Carl Palmer and Greg Lake. So instead of releasing it on a date in the 70s, which would seem to make more sense, when ELP was at their peak, it kept getting pushed out, finally all the way out to 1985.

The question is, was it worth the wait. The answer is yes, if you happen to be a big fan of Emerson no matter what he does, and that happens to be yours truly. This was a fun listen; he takes a little bit of all of his influences, kicks back, and lets it all fly to see what happens. The result is a mixed bag of genres, and of course much of what you would not expect from the keyboard genius.

Gone are all the complex and bombastic compositions, in there place are rollicking tunes full of some basic rock with some honky-tonk, rhythm and blues, and flat out blues. This may come as a disappointment for some and a welcome change for others. Emerson has always been ultra talented and is the accomplished music chameleon. Never is that fact more apparent than on his maiden solo voyage.

Off The Shelf is exactly what Keith Emerson says it is in the forward to the liner notes, a veritable cornucopia of potpourri within an audio montage.

This is a collection of rare tracks that took years to see the light of day, much too long for such a creative and well-known artist such as Emerson. The people who show up on the recordings are as diverse as the genres covered - from Pat Travers and Cozy Powell to the London Symphony Orchestra.

You will hear jazz, jazz-fusion, rock, blues, you name it, and Emerson leaves nothing to chance, giving the listener a broad range of his tastes. The music he came to know and love, and which served him as the most influential in musical development, is what this recording is all about, along with seeing the artist in an entirely different musical space. Its no wonder he turned out to be one of the greatest keyboard players in the world, and not just in the realm of rock music. He stands far above the rest, landing with both feet firmly implanted in the elite club with people like Rick Wakeman.