TARKUS

This is a hard nut to crack. It's nothing less then essential but it's not really very good. The band was sure at the peak of their game but didn't have much left to say after their defining debut. ELP was a tightly rocking but guitar-less unit: led by Keith Emerson on organ and synths, with ample room for drum demonstrations from Carl Palmer and with good bass and vocals from the ever adorable Greg Lake.

One of the remarkable aspects of the epic beast Tarkus that makes up the bulk of this album, is how rhythmic this music is. Especially from a band in the symphonic field, the cascading sequence of heavy marching rhythms and fast tempos is exceptional. It's nothing danceable of course; it's rhythm for the mind with unusual time signatures and whopping organs. But it sounds massive and entirely original. Good to hear a symphonic prog piece that goes so far beyond just melody alone. Greg Lake is the one that adds some melodic elements to it, with his commanding vocal hymns and even a bit of lead guitar, but the bulk of this piece is pumping organ, vibrant bass and Palmer's frivolous drums that dash all over the place.

Being a bit of a drum & bass kind of guy, I used to love this piece to death, but over the years, time has not been gentle to these baroque and fairly predictable war rhythms. There have been numerous more challenging bands working around rhythm since then. Magma, to name just one, has proven to maintain a more timeless and universal appeal. They could thrash this Tarkus armadillo with any of their söngz in no time.

Anyway, a monster epic it is and side B comes off disappointing in comparison. Only A Time And A Place rouses above the average filler around it. This album also really misses one of those typical amazing Greg Lake ballads.

Tarkus is a milestone of prog, few will argue with that. The question is whether we would want the classic prog style to be represented by this piece rather then by an epic from Floyd, Yes or Genesis. For me that choice is easy. Still, you got to own this one if you want to make any claim of being a prog fan. 4 stars but I won't be as gentle next time.