BRAIN SALAD SURGERY

Is this ELP's best album? No, it isn't. But it remains one of the most important records in progressive rock, both in its time (1973) and even today. It's a cornerstone of classic prog, an inspiration for hundreds of bands. That said, it hasn't aged well in some respects. The production is flawed?often sharp, overly saturated, and at times downright abrasive. Still, it features one of the most iconic album covers in rock history.

Brain Salad Surgery was created at the peak of the band's fame. I first knew ELP through their hits, and you can tell the success had given them a sense of overconfidence. The album leans heavily into experimentation, blending free jazz, prog, and extended improvisation. It has a raw, almost garage-like aggression to it.

Especially when I listen to "Toccata" today, it feels heavy and boring?very experimental and out of place. I admire the work of Ginastera, but this adaptation was too much. That was the overconfidence of Keith Emerson in full display. The album is a monument to the ambition and excesses of a band flying high at the time. Then again, Emerson, Lake & Palmer were always a supergroup?and with each album, they pushed their sound and compositional style further. That boldness surrounded the band from the beginning. It couldn't be any other way. That much was already clear with their 1971 interpretation of Pictures at an Exhibition.

During the writing sessions for Brain Salad Surgery, Greg Lake invited Pete Sinfield, his former collaborator in King Crimson, to join the project as a lyricist. Sinfield co-wrote the lyrics for "Karn Evil 9" and "Benny the Bouncer," helping shape the sci-fi concept of the suite and giving it the name "Karn Evil 9." At the time, Sinfield was working on a solo album, and Lake offered to release it through their new label, Manticore, in exchange for Sinfield's contribution to the lyrics. The famous line "Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends?" came from these sessions and became one of the band's most enduring phrases. Sinfield's presence added depth to the album's themes and helped balance the complexity of Emerson's music with a strong conceptual thread.

Although the band was dissatisfied with the demands of the Atlantic label, that frustration led them to form their own label, Manticore. But once independent, the pressure shifted inward. They now had to deliver something truly worthwhile in a limited time, since a gigantic tour was already planned to promote the album?along with a setlist that included all their past hits. At that moment, many of their peers were releasing hugely successful live albums, and ELP was falling behind. The band felt the urgency to catch up and outdo everyone, and Brain Salad Surgery was the product of that ambition.

Brain Salad Surgery was released in the UK on 7 December 1973 through Manticore Records, The band released "Jerusalem" as a single, backed with the outtake "When the Apple Blossoms Bloom?", but it was banned by the BBC and failed to chart. Despite its ballad potential, "Still?You Turn Me On" was not chosen as a single because Carl Palmer didn't appear on it.

The structure follows a familiar ELP formula: long epics, a softer pop ballad, a country-style piece, and a single aimed at being a hit. But unlike earlier works, this one feels strangely rushed?as if it was put together quickly despite its complexity. That tension between polish and chaos is part of what makes it unique, but also why it divides listeners.

I'm not going to tell the story of the H.R. Giger cover?everyone already knows it. And I'm not going to do a song-by-song breakdown for obvious reasons. I just want to say that this is the last great studio record from Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The album has a lot of great moments and a few letdowns. It may be the weakest of their first cycle, but it remains a strong, essential record. It hasn't aged very well, yet it's still a masterpiece and one of my all-time favorite listens.

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