TARKUS

Well, I'm going against the common view on this one. It seems everyone here finds the song Tarkus a huge masterpiece, while side 2 disappoints. I couldn't disagree more about the second side. I mean, Tarkus is Tarkus, there isn't too much you can say about it, other than the fact that it is one of the greatest compositions ever. But side 2 is incredible. It truly is.

Tarkus: Like I said, it's hard to describe. a) Eruption: Hard to think of a better opening to an album. That 5-beat-per-measure riff blows you out of your seat. b) Stones of Years: The first time I heard it, I thought, "Oh man, why is it mellow? Eruption was awesome!" But then, maybe 4 or 5 listens later, I realized that this second section is as good as or better than Eruption. Lake appears here (and very well at that), and the organ solo in the middle is especially awesome. c) Iconoclast: Goes back to the Eruption theme. Perfect entryway into... d) Mass: Again, Lake sings again, with another keyboard solo in the middle. Both are perfect. It's tough to go too far into it, because a word has not yet been invented to describe it. e) Manticore: Another instrumental section, with a really cool 3-beat keyboard riff, and then into... f) Battlefield: Possibly.... possibly... the best section here. Maybe, I'm still not sure, even though I've listened to the album at least 300 times. All I know is that Battlefield, on its own, is a towering masterpiece. g) Aquatarkus: ELP goes out on a bang.

Jeremy Bender: Ah, here it is. Side 2. Well, JB is under 2 minutes long, but it is still better than 99% of music out there.

Bitches Crystal: No one can deny the quality of this song. Kicks off fast and never looks back, ELP having a good time.

The Only Way (Hymn): Very, very overlooked song. Organ and piano here are fantastic. Lake also delivers a very captivating performance here.

Infinite Space (Conclusion): Instrumental, with an alternating 3-beat then 4-beat per measure riff. Piano takes lead here (as always), and it follows up The Only Way well.

A Time and a Place: The rocker on the album. Nice contrast to the other songs. Rocks harder than the others, while maintaining the ELP quality.

Are You Ready Eddy?: This song makes me laugh every time I hear it. This is ELP having a blast playing their music, and it also shows Keith Emerson randomly hitting his piano, but somehow, it works. This is the ultimate contrast on the album. It ends the album differently than you would have expected, but eventually, you realize that it couldn't have been done any other way.

This is a 5 star album, no matter which way you slice it. 5/5 stars.