TARKUS

For many years I could not listen to ELP because I never considered them as really important artists partly due to this album. I owned this LP but never liked it and never really bothered to acquire the taste for it. I always considered Emerson as a technical showman rather than a musician or composer, and a sort of "hendrix of the keyboards" virtuoso who could appeal only to teenage fans starting to explore the prog music. Thus the sound of ELP never had an important dose of emotions and "poetic" touch that sported the works of say GENESIS or YES from their peak. However I liked the Lake's vocals and his easy ballads accompanied by guitars which gave more emotions to Emerson's technicality. "Tarkus" has both good and bad moments, the epic title suite is interesting but fails in comparison to "Suppers Ready" or "Close to the Edge", having best moments in "Mass" and "Battlefield". "Jeremy Bender" sounds like THE BEATLES piano- music hall tune, while the closing "Are You Ready Freddy" is a dumb rock'n'roll cliche. Again Lake saves the quality with "Bitches Crystal" and "Time and a Place". Overall, listening again today I can more appreciate some overlooked moments of this album, but still I cannot say this is essential piece of prog.