TARKUS

Ah, the legendary Tarkus album. Maybe the "b" side doesn't deliver as well as the "a" side, but this is truly a masterpiece of progressive music, in fact of music in general. This album and "Brain Salad Surgery" are my two favorite ELP albums (it's hard to pick a favorite between the two for me) mostly since the whole band plays and works together. But all that aside, I'll talk about the music. I try not to say too much that's already been said.

"Tarkus" - 20 minutes of perfection. Unlike a lot of 20 minute (or over 20 min.) progressive epics, "Tarkus" does not fall victim of getting its length from using "filler" or just long, slow, atmospheric passages. From the second it starts to the end, it just keeps on rolling and doesn't look back. The first time I heard this, I couldn't believe it, it was just amazing. I listened to it every day for about a month after my first listen. I still listen to the whole piece now. It never gets old and the more I listen to it, the more it amazes me that these three excellent musicians made such a masterpiece. It is musically and conceptually perfect. Who knew such a work of art could be made from an idea of an armadillo-tank and a 5/4 figure? Wow. This piece alone is worth the money. If you haven't heard it, you need to hear it as soon as possible.

"Jeremy Bender" - Basically a short song that is first of ELP's comical ragtime pieces. No, it's not terrible like everyone else says. Alone, it's a fine, decent little number. However it is just wrong to hear this after the dramatic ending of "Tarkus". It's actually quite funny in that sense.

"Bitches Crystal" - A neat, hard rocking number that has Greg Lake using his loud and raspier tone. Nice fast paced groove with some brilliant piano work from Emerson.

"The Only Way" - My favorite piece on the "b" side of the album. It is a lovely piece that is a rare gem in ELP's repertoire. Starting out with a Bach quote on the church organ, Greg Lake enters with possibly one of his most beautiful and impressive vocal lines ever. The real fun begins when you hear the piano, bass, and drums comes in at the second half of the piece. It flows very well and this section is just gorgeous.

"Infinite Space" - An instrumental that some say is tedious, but I find it a unique way to end the "The Only Way". A neat bass figure dominates most of the piece with some lead lines on the higher register of the piano. Nice machine-like drumming from Carl Palmer, very similar to the same sound on the "Tarkus" suite.

"A Time and a Place" - The second hard rocking number on the "b" side. Reminds me of "Knife Edge" from the debut album; a straight forward progressive rocker that truly defines the classic "ELP sound". Frenzied glissandos on the Hammond organ from Emerson with some powerful vocals from Lake and lightning fast drumming from Palmer, especially the rapid fire single bass drum he provides throughout.

"Are You Ready Eddy?" - Hahaha! This song always cheers me up. It's crazy how ELP end an album with this, but I got to admit that it's ELP's humor that just makes them my favorite band. Sure it's not a masterpiece or anything close, but let's face it, the guys are just having fun here dedicating a silly song to their engineer, Eddy Offord. The best is when Emerson and Palmer yell "[h] am or cheese!" at the end. Hahaha. classic way to end an album!

Well, to some it up, this is one of ELP's finest albums, possibly their height of their creative opus. Some people will disagree with my like for the second side of the album, but everyone has a right to their own opinion. .But that aside, the "Tarkus" suite is fantastic and there's no one I've heard of that dislikes the suite. Also, I must add that Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, and Carl Palmer make some of their best appearances on any ELP album. These three musicians put out some of the most virtuosic performances in the history of music. It is unbelievable what these guys can do! Essential: a masterpiece of progressive music. 5 stars.

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