TARKUS

This was the album with which I discovered ELP on my hospital bed in 1972. There was a very good programme called "Impédance" on the Belgian radio (thanks Jacques and Pierre). It was broadcasted very late on Saturday nights. To air numbers as "Tarkus" was rather audacious for the time (not only the lenght but as well the genre).

So, let's start reverse with this album : first B-side because there is also a B-side you know! About eighteen minutes long, so not too long to suffer as a lot of us have done while listening to this portion of the album (which is not too often in my case).

IMO, "Jeremy Bender" is the poorest number of the album (and one of the all-time ELP worst one). "Bitches Crystal" is a mix of the traditional ELP sound and jazz. It might well be one of the best number of this side. "The Only Way" is very pompous in the first part and jazzy again during the second. Not too bad an interpretation, after all. The jazzy mood also prevails in "Infinite Space". But the whole of this number is pure repetitiveness.

"A Time And A Place" is the first and only full true ELP number on this side of the record. Very powerful band with Keith playing at his best. Carl hitting the drum kit like a master (which he is) and Gregg singing a bit more rageously than usual. It reminds me the title track. Great number, really. The funny and revival (!) "Are You Ready Eddy ?" closes the album very strangely. Not really within the ELP standard to say the least.

Like most of us, I hardly listen to this side. I had completely forgotten that it held even average songs (not to speak about a very good one). At least, thanks to this review I have discovered the other side of this work again.

Of course, there is one number on side A. And what a number ! A fabulous and all- mighty intro featuring an explosion of sounds (hence its title : "Eruption"). ELP could not have found a better title. The band truely erupts the music with all their energy. Fabulous.

"Stones Of Years", on the contrary is all subtlety and harmony. ITCOTCK sits just aside. The instrumental section will, again be very energetic. Two wonderful moverments in this seven-piece suite. "Iconoclast" reminds "Eruption" and is all violence again. No time to relax so far.

"Mass" is a bit weaker, somewhat hectic. "Manticore" is again a strong and short piece. It takes some of the "Eruption" mood to give some consistency to the whole.

"Battlefield" features again some very nice vocals. I have always like Lake's voice. This track is a brilliant showcase for him. A good guitar break (there won't be many in ELP's work) will add a special flavour to this section.

These short parts flow brilliantly the one into the other; making this number a great piece of prog music. The band sounds very unified. This is really an exceptional number. What if, like Tull, they would have expanded a bit further on side B ?

Well, I'm not really sure it would have lead to something like TIAB, since there are some weaker moments during the last part "Aquatarkus" (the intro of it, actually). The finale is as powerful as "Eruption". This song which lasts for more than twenty-minutes is so great that the listener will never get the impression that it is so long. This is the mark of the greatest.

This number alone is worth five stars of course. It ranks to the greatest epics of the genre and defines ELP style perfectly. I could listen to this one endlessly. But I can honestly not rate the album so high. For stars for the whole.