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Emerson Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery/ Excerpt From Brain Salad Surgery CD (album) cover

BRAIN SALAD SURGERY/ EXCERPT FROM BRAIN SALAD SURGERY

Emerson Lake & Palmer

 

Symphonic Prog

2.59 | 20 ratings

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AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
2 stars If you were lucky enough in 1973 to grab hold of this 7 inch flexi disc that came with the magazine NME (New Musical Express) in the November 10, 1973 issue you were able to get a taste of the soon to be released "Brain Salad Surgery". This album ended up being one of ELP's definitive masterpieces... who knew? The track here 'Brain Salad Surgery' is quite dull really with one of Lake's worse strained vocal performances, and it didn't end up on the album ironically, but it was easy to get later in any case as it was the B side to the single 'Fanfare For The Common Man' which I own too along with zillions of others.

The real drawcard of this was the excised downsized version of the tracks that would make up "Brain Salad Surgery"; 'First Impression', 'Second Impression' introduced us to the huge magnum opus 'Karn Evil 9'; 'Still... you Turn Me On' was a minute of that huge hit single for the band; 'Toccata' was a taster of the terrific Hammond heavy instrumental; 'Jerusalem' gave us some of the opening track; 'Third Impression' continued KE9; 'Benny The Bouncer' was a better version of the album track - it was shorter; 'First Impression' was another excerpt from the best part of KE9 and finally the medley ended with yet more of 'Benny The Bouncer' for some dang fool reason. In any case prog fans delighted in this teaser and it is rare these days to produce these types of teasers, it is more likely a few chosen songs will end on an EP such as the one introducing songs on Pain of Salvation's latest album "Road Salt One".

However this rubbery piece of flex that makes a whipping noise if you warble it was a must back in the day, and is a true collectors item. They were difficult to play and I had to weigh my disc down with 20 cent pieces to stop it slipping on the turnstyle. The actual material on it, both 'Brain Salad Surgery' and the medley have ended up on the remastered "Brain Salad Surgery" CD now so is no longer rare, however the flexi disc is incredibly rare as most deteriorated or warped or were thrown out or got lost, so if you see this curio grab it without hesitation.

AtomicCrimsonRush | 2/5 |

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