TARKUS

This Is ELP. ***½ but I rounded it up to 4 stars because I think this album is exceptionally good for ELP.

The first 7 tracks listed are actually one song, the Tarkus suite, which alone deserves 5 stars. In my humble and honest opinion it is one of the finest pieces of rock music ever composed. It obviously contains loads of Keith Emersons' classy keyboard wizardry, those soaring Hammonds and the pioneerng Moog sounds, but Carl Palmer and Greg Lake also contribute with their skills, Mr. Palmer beating his drums frantically and Mr. Lake playing some mean guitar (and singing in a very fine way)! The track is just so innovative, so progressive, full-blown, Hammond-driven, über-technical, full of catchy melodies and hooks to grab on and never let go! Mindblowing stuff to say the least. This track also has a special meaning for me as it was one of THE tracks that made me a fulltime proghead. When I heard this for the first time, I was hooked and realized there was no turning back! That's the power of prog.

The bunch of shorter songs also has some gems, although Are You Ready Eddy and Jeremy Bender are terrible, that being the reason why I said 3½ stars at the beginning. Bitches Crystal, The Only Way etc. are great stuff though.

This is ELP at their best. They never quite made anything as good as this again. It's a shame really, as they had the potential and the skill.

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