ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 255 EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER - TARKUS (1971)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Genre: Progressive Rock

Nationality: English

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No

Album: Tarkus

Producer: Greg Lake

Release Date: June 14, 1971

Running Time: 38:55

RIAA Certification: Gold

Peak Billboard Chart Position: 9 (Number 1 in the U.K.)

Singles: Time And A Place/Stone Of Years

 

Disclaimer: All info that does not reside in my brain is gathered from wikipedia.com (mostly because Jon can't stand it). 

I think that maybe, just maybe, I will spend some time in the seventies.  Last week I chose Led Zeppelin IV, from 1971, as the Album of the Week.  This week I'm going with Tarkus by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also from 1971.  This album holds absolutely no special meaning for me.  I just bought it for the first time on Friday.  I've never been much of a prog fan, but I have developed a bit of a small taste for it since meeting all of the good folks on Classic Rock Bottom.  The only other ELP album I own is The Essential ELP, a double greatest hits disc.  I bought it strictly for the song Lucky Man.  I've never listened to it.

I must say that upon first listen, especially the beginning of the title track (a twenty minute epic), that it sounds like Steven Wilson solo music way before Steven Wilson started making solo music.  That being said, I do like it.  I'm not sleepy at all listening to it. I especially like the Stone Of Years and Battlefield sections of the title track.  And as far as my impression of the rest of the album, I'd say Palmer really stands out on the drums.  But Emerson is also amazing on the keyboards.  There are A LOT of keyboards on this album. I wouldn't mind hearing a bit more guitar from Lake, cause what you do get here is terrific.

This is available in a two disc reissue from 2012 that includes the complete original album, a complete album of remixes (remixed by Steven Wilson) as well as a bonus track and an alternate take of Mass.  The bonus track (Oh, My Father) is an incredible piece.  Therefore I am including it here.  The price of this two disc reissue is less than twelve dollars.

What do you think of Tarkus?  Are you a prog fan?  Are you an ELP fan?  Talk to me.

Side One: 

1. Tarkus

• Eruption
• Stone Of Years
• Iconoclast
• Mass
• Manticore
• Battlefield
• Aquatarkus

Side Two:

2. Jeremy Bender

3. Bitches Crystal

4. The Only Way (Hymn)

5. Infinite Space (Conclusion)

6. A Time And A Place

7. Are You Ready Eddy?

8. Oh, My Father (Bonus Track)

[Niels (Mod)]

To answer your questions: 1. Hmmm...Thumbs sideways, but side 1 tend to make them be pointing a bit down. 2. Well, yes, but only kind of. It's certainly not all Prog, that I like. I'm a fan of good music. 3. I'm not, but who knows, what happens in a few years from now.4. I just did.

I definitely like "side 2" the most. I can't really hear, that the long track on side 1 sounds like SW. He is most certainly inspired by ELP, as he is by Genesis, Yes and Jethro Tull.

The only other (as far as I know) ELP-album, I've heard is "Brain Salad Surgery", and I did not like it at all.

Even though side one is kind of a let down, like BSS, it has it's moments, and it could be that repeted listenings would  improve it for me.

But the short tracks, and more normal music on side two appeal much more to me, because they tend to experiment a bit too much for my taste, on the very, VERY long tracks of theirs. (But I know a few 23+ min. tracks by other artist, where time goes by so fast, and where the music is pure gold.)

I remember I saw ELP on the exact same documentary in '78-'79, where I discovered Jethro Tull, and the music was pure noise to me, but the sight of Emerson tipping over his big pile of Keyboards stuck with me.

Side 2 was a nice listening experience, and it made me wanna check out ELP some more, sometime in the future, but I guess, I'll stay away from the 20+ tracks from this band.

[Scott]

[Meow]

I wonder what the under 50 crowd thinks of this music. Either they get it or it is WTF!

[Scott]

I too am a Greatest Hits owner of this band.  Nothing else.  So this was 100% new to me.  I'd tried various iTunes 90 second sound bytes of some of their albums (can't remember which ones though) with no purchase activity following any of it...  I will say that Lucky Man is good, but From The Beginning is really very good!  I've now imparted half of my ELP song knowledge on you...  The other half?  Karn Evil and I Believe in Father Christmas... None of the tracks on this album appear on my Hits package so this is totally new to me....

Im going to be the complete opposite of Niels...  I liked the 20:37 side one tune.  Enjoyed it quite a bit actually!  I can imagine what this might have sounded like back in 1971.  I'm sure it was very progressive at that time.  But as far as the prog standard of the last 20-30 years?  Not so much...  really it's more of jam session than a fully realized progressive track.  Still I can't help but think how cool this would have been back then.  Whole different ball game!

Side Two sounded like more experimentation than jams, nothing felt cohesive and finished.  Maybe that was by design but I had a difficult time transporting myself into that 1971 space and thinking how I would receive this.

So that's it!  Give me Side 1, but certainly not anything I would consider as a purchase...  Still its fun to "go there" and listen to these late 60's early 70's bands.  If your idea is to continue posting bands from that general timeframe, I say continue posting this theme!

[RJhog (Admin)]

I've got a lot of early 70's stuff, a lot of it new to me, lined up.  I'll be here for a while.

[Scott]

[Jon]

Awesome album, awesome post, awesome album cover which kind of puts the cover of "Love Beach" to shame. ANd to think, this album reached #9 on the charts. NUMBER 9!!!!!!! That sure a poop wouldn't happen today. Name the last time a prog album reached top 10 in this country.

I see some folks don't like side 2. They need to listen to it again. It's fantastically wild.

I thought everyone owned, at the very least, "Brain Salad Surgery". If you don't you must. Try finding it on vinyl if you can, the cover folds out. If not, buy the CD. PLAY IT LOUD. Make sure the windows are open as well. 

I must say, this was an righteously cool post.

[Scott]

Uh.... Who are you and what did you do with Jon?