SPARTACUS

SPARTACUS is often considered as the pinnacle of their carreer, like their own TARKUS , their own CTTE; maybe, but this album doesn't carry the power of their first 2 albums, at least for me.

Yes, this is a ''concept'' album about the uprising led by the slave Spartacus against the mighty Roman Empire; Yes, the singer HELMUT KOLLEN doesn't sound as aggressive and harsh as on ILLUSIONS; Yes the sound is more polished, clearer but that's the problem; everything sound so clean, in control that you know in advance no craziness, no weirdness, no mad organs will come to disturb you and your peace.

The songwriting is good, even if you have less than average tracks like the cartoon-like music of ''THE HAZY SHADES OF DAWN'' or some ballads like THE DEADLY DREAM OF FREEDOM , a little bit cheesy,you could live without. But the elements that made TRIUMVIRAT kind of different of ELP in their first 2 albums are missing.

The first one is the powerful presence of the keyboards of JURGEN FRITZ which have been restrained; more synths than before, less mighty organ.His solo parts are always smooth, playing the beautiful note, but the craziness has gone. FRITZ played like a young madman on MEDITERRANEAN TALES and ILLUSIONS. It was all about bombastic music coming out of his organ; now that is more the sweet ''proggy''sound of WAKEMAN synths instead of EMERSON fury. Everything is under control, just to make sure this album can reach a wider audience. Don't get me wrong it's well crafted, well composed,well performed, well sung, well produced , well everything but too many well for my taste.

There are some good tracks like THE MARCH TO THE ETERNAL CITY or SPARTACUS, the latter being the closest tune to what they produced earlier. That's a very good album, a good clean album, just a little bit too clean!

I think i listen MEDITERRANEAN TALES at least 20 times a year even 35 years later!! SPARTACUS??? once in a very long while!

3 STARS!

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