Customer Reviews

Tarkus

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I admit to being an ELP fan from the actual days that Tarkus was current. Then and now, the album was courageous, and not completely accessable. I give it four stars rather than five because it is somewhat inconsistent in compositional quality. And yes, every now and again on this album Greg Lake's vocals are flat, and it grates my ear to hear it. But the overall virtuosity of the band must be appreciated, as well as the fact that they were stepping into uncharted territory. One can also regard with some melancholy how this period corresponded to a time when ELP could be seen to be maintaining progressive rock "progress," much as King Crimson would do. Sadly, KC continued to grow and evolve (if in fits and starts) while ELP fizzled out.

For me, most of the material from Tarkus still sounds strong today, and why many cannot appreciate the challenging difference this music represents, compared to the overrated, repetitious, and derivative crap that one hears from many artists today, is puzzling. It just seems that many regard adventurism as pomposity, and it ticks them off. Yes, ELP can be pompous, and yes, sometimes breaking off in a non-comformist direction can lead to a dead-end. But I'd rather take the gems with the clinkers, unearthed by a band that tries to find something, than settle for the fool's gold consistently proffered by the mediocre.

ELP will always elicit admiration and scorn (and no ELP album more so than Tarkus). But to the scornful, I would ask the question, "why does everyone insist that ELP was so 'over the top'?" I saw the live stage shows back in the glory days, and for sure, there was a hell of a lot of "show" going on. But of course so did many others (The Who, Jimi Hendrix, etc.) who are not routinely hung with such scornful accusations. And any number of shock-rock, glam-rock, or any other kind of rock you can think of, bands have done much the same, and to a lesser purpose. For instance, what was Kiss all about in their first incarnation anyway, other than their version of an over-the-top show? From an over-the-top ELP, as seen in Tarkus, you could take away the musicianship, compositional talent, and add a large helping of exceptionally bad taste and you have anything Kiss ever did.

A simply brilliant album. The "Tarkus" suite is one of the most high-energy 20 minutes in music. Not in rock, or in prog-rock, but in music.

For that suite, I'd rate this as my personal favourite ELP album. The songs that followed (on side 2 on the vinyl version) are more inconsistent but also contain moments of excellence - especially "Hymn" and "Bitches Crystal".

The Greg Lake contributions to Tarkus are some of his best work ever. And for all that people think of ELP as a keyboard band, when Greg Lake is good, the band is good. When he's off (as in "Love Beach" and anything produced during the cash-in 90's revival) the band is horrible.

"Battlefield", the last of the vocal sections in "Tarkus", is outstanding; the best section of the best thing they ever did. Lake's final "Let there be no sorrow, be no pain" works for me: awesome, actually moving, brilliant at every level.

Even the electric guitar playing's pretty good, though I prefer Lake's soloing on the "Welcome back my friends" live version, where he plays some damned impressive rock guitar, something I didn't realise he could do.

I've highlighted Lake only because he sometimes doesn't get enough credit. I'm a fan of each of these three musicians. Each was simply the best around at what they were doing.

Side two is more hit and miss, though there are more hits than misses. "Jeremy Bender" is the best of their comic songs by a fair margin, and *short*. And the silly throwaway song at the end, "Are you ready, Eddie", in honour of their sound engineer, is actually a good song.

But the "Tarkus" suite is one wild, exuberant ride, musically absolutely unique (I can't think of anything else like it; though some other ELP comes close), and consistently brilliant.

ELP are starting to influence other musicians only now, long after they stopped. (They stopped in 1976 at the latest - product from the 90s reformed ELP can be safely ignored.) It's the critics who sneered at ELP twenty years ago who look silly now.

This is one of the greatest rock outfits ever at the absolute peak of their creativity.

A classic.

Laon

Tarkus (the title suite) is the one of the most complex, inventive and intense pieces of music made. It's written in 7 movements and is mostly jazz influenced. To be quite honest, it surprises me that ELP were a "popular" band because their music is not very accessible (i.e. easy listening) and the title suite is no exception. On here you will find the most unrelenting musical assaults (in every way possible), as the band seems to go all-out. Keith Emerson's maniacal and restless synthesizer work backed by Carl Palmer's frenzied and violent drumming is definitely a rush, if not somewhat draining (in a very good way!). Greg Lake seems to keep up with the insanity of his counterparts on bass, vocals and guitar. (Note: The thing on the cover art is half tank, half armadillo.)

The second half of the disc is heaven or hell, depending on where you stand with the Tarkus suite. If you thought the title suite was excellent (which many fans do), you'll probably find the second half lackadaisical. However, if the title suite seems a bit overwhelming, the second half can be seen as a welcome relief from the previous chaotic madness. Jeremy Bender is a short wild west tune. B**ches Crystal is a jazzy tune. The Only Way/Infinite Space, which is essentially one track separated into two, is more atmospheric. The former is a hymn, featuring dramatic and beautifully somber vocals from Greg Lake set against the backdrop of Keith Emerson's organ, then piano. Infinite Space is a mellow and jazzy piano instrumental. Probably the only subdued moment on the disc. A Time And A Place is mostly a hard rock tune followed by the comical Are You Ready Eddy?

If you want something challenging and edgy, pick this up.

The Tarkus suite remains one of the most indispensible tracks in progressive rock history. All three musicians are at the top of their game. Palmer never ceases to amaze with his fabulous and inventive rhythms,while Lake is the glue that holds it all together. But, Tarkus above all else is a Keith Emerson record. Tarkus remains Keith Emerson's shining moment as he dominates the suite from the opening notes of Eruption to the end of Aquatarkus. I have never heard such complete mastery of an instrument as Emerson's domination of his keyboards in Tarkus. However, all members shine inevitably at multiple points during the suite. Lake's vocals are stellar as is his bass and guitar work. Palmer simply had mastered all facets of percussion before ELP even started recording Tarkus. ELP could have just released Tarkus as an ep but they chose to include a number of shorter tracks toward the end or second side of the recording. Jeremy Bender remains one of ELP's stronger tracks to date and probably the most radio friendly. Bitches Crystal is an overlooked gem in the ELP catalogue. Overall, you can't go wrong by purchasing this album. Masterful musicianship, excellent lyrics and concept, you need to own this. P.S. What ever happened to the double cd "ELP: The Atlantic Years?" luckily I got a copy back in the early '90's, it remains the most complete look at ELP for both the casual and hardcore ELP fan alike.

This album gave to progressive rock a definition. Rock became more than a 4/4 rhythm, it was an alive style. The beginning of the Tarkus suite has one of the most complex Moog synth sounds, which ELP used a sample in the 92/93 tour. Lake's and Emerson's styles are melted for good in this album. It seems that they were trying to fuse musical ideas, not to stablishing poles as they did after. Palmer is, as always, perfect in everything.

Tarkus is one of the best essays on progressive rock, number one in 1971 UK charts. It's true that it's not as united as Brain Salad Surgery, but on the other hand, it's very fluent, and the sound production is a lot better (I don't know what's wrong with the sound of the latter, Lake's voice is different than in any other record, as the Hammond organs - maybe it's due to Eddie Offord's sound engineering absence). The live version of Tarkus in 1973/74 was bigger and very interesting also (available in "Welcome Back My Friends..."). I recommend you hear it and compare with the original.

What was the "B-side" of Tarkus has a lot of different genres, from rocky to classical, from almost heavy rock (Bitches Crystal) to pure humored rock (Are you ready, Eddie?) and fascinating homages to J. S. Bach in "The Only Way", one of the most beautiful songs they did, followed by one of the most despaired: Infinite Space.

This album is from a time when any music of ELP was a rock treasure. It's very different from their 90's records, which you rather get a single really good song (not to mention the lot of 90's "best of"s, anthologies and repeated material that made loyal fans spend money for few never-released-before songs).

If Tarkus had been written by a Western Art Music composer, it would have been recognized for the complex atonal arrhtymical masterpiece that it is.

For most Rock listeners and critics, however, this album asked simply too much from them. It is a complex work, full of invention and shifting horizons, far more complex and coherent than even the most celebrated rock albums previously called complex.

Is this good music? Good question. I love it, but I could well understand how people might be put off of Tarkus, given its harsh edges, mish-mash of styles, and long playing time. Still, it is an important album in Prog rock, and ups the ante for all others in the genre, and no other band has yet come close to this, then or now.

As synthfool, Proghead, ELP fan, I would love to see a new recording of this album, since frankly, the original sound is flat and sometimes muddy.

If you don't like Progressive rock, stay away!

On no other ELP record does KE's C3 sound like it does here.It's a living thing that moans,screams and fulminates anger,aggression,and Balls galore.The same can be said for most of his Moog patches as well.Tarkus is brilliant through and through.Brilliant composition and writing craft(Keith and greg),brilliant execution and playing(all three boys),brilliant sounds(Hammond C3 and The beast called Moog),brilliant production(the late great are you ready Eddie Offord),and lastly brilliant-cheesey fantasy sci-fi story line and art work,that made more of an impression on the original lp.I don't even think the cd has the inner sleeve story board pics.I always wanted to see a cartoon with this art work and music-Tarkus by Ralph Bakshi.Speaking of first impressions(no Brain Salad pun intended),you can't fathom a ten year old's reaction to first hearing Eruption,thanks to two older brothers who brought the lp home in early 72.I'm 43 now-i was ten then.and i still ha ven't recovered.Keith Emerson is the main reason i am a Composer concert-jazz pianist today.Without his influence i would never have discovered classical music,or Prokofiev,Scriabin,Gershwin,Mennin,Rachmaninoff,Ravel,Chopin,Bach,Sondheim,or even Corea.How many thousands of others world wide share the same sentiments?This reason alone makes him a critical force in late 20th century music,specifically in regards to the piano and composition.To his detractors i would say get over your resistant need to find fault with his showman persona(also important to that ten year old who in addition to his music thought keith was so damn cool looking mean and lean over all those keys),and try to grasp his essential significance.And like it or not Tarkus 30 + years on, is still significant.From that opening layered C-3 crescendo swell(never done live)to that stack o fourths left hand ostinato figure,Tarkus still kicks [...]!

Wow.
This was the second album I came to know by ELP, after Brain Salad Surgery. It is one of the most amazing albums I know. Side 1 consists of one song, Tarkus, coming in at over 20 minutes long. Side two has 6 other songs, each one a gem. Here is my analysis:

1. Tarkus: Truly amazing. A work of art. Here it is, broken up:

a) Eruption: Amazing. Beginning in five beats per measure, one can only wonder how it was done. Marvelous.

b) Stones of Years: Great mellow section of the song, especially with the keyboard solo in the middle. Greg Lake at his best with his vocals.

c) Iconoclast: Something of a continuation of Eruption, but with a mind of its own. Amazing yet again.

d) Mass: Another vocal part, with yet another keyboard solo. Great, great, great.

e) Manticore: The third instrumental section of the song. Brings a new mood to the song, but fits in with the rest.

f) Battlefield: The one section of Tarkus written by Greg Lake, not Keith Emerson. Battlefield brings out more of Lake's guitar, but it doesn't compromise the keyboards too much. Astounding section of Tarkus.

g) Aquatarkus: The last section, and the last instrumental part. It begins with the Battlefield theme, only redone, then lunges back into Eruption. I love it.

2) Jeremy Bender: Although it's only 1 minute and 50 seconds long, it does not disappoint. It is simply a piano song, with one of the best beats I know.

3) Bitches Crystal: Could be my favorite song on side 2 of this album. Fast-paced and wonderful.

4) The Only Way (Hymn): Wonderful organ and piano here, mixed with Greg's great vocals. It leads right into...

5) Infinite Space (Conclusion): No singing, just piano. Another great part, although it might not seem that way on first listen.

6) A Time and A Place: Geez, I love this song. Fast keyboards, great drum combinations, and, of course, Greg's voice. Great stuff.

7) Are you Ready Eddy?: Great jazz song. It was originally written for the man who engineered the album, Eddy Offord, who also did many Yes albums.

Overall, an astounding piece of work. It may take a few listens, but, after that, you shall realize that it is truly outstanding.

Tarkus was the first ELP album I owned back in the early '70s. I've been a fan of ELP ever since. Pretentious, saber rattling, aggressive rock-n-roll. ELP was at the forefront of progressive rock, blending classical, jazz and rock in a frantic keyboard driven fusion. ELP's music is more complex than any other rock band I am aware of. ELP was not only complex in the scope of the music, but often used complex 5/4 and 7/4 time signatures, which only jazz great Dave Brubeck and classical composers would dare use. They are as dark as Pink Floyd could ever be and just a touch more complex and grand in scope than the best work by Yes. And they manage to make this amazing music, which at times has the scope and feel of a whole symphony, with only three musicians and without any overdubs.

The 20 minute Tarkus suite, which takes up side one of the vinyl LP, would best be described in '70s vernacular as "mind blowing!" An anti-war masterpiece, it starts with an organ note, which makes an almost human cry, "Ahhhhhhhh...." The note gets progressively louder until it breaks into an oddly metered march punctuated by Palmer's metronome like drumb strikes. Thereafter, the piece alternates between discordant marches and Greg Lake's melancholy lyrics:

"Clear the battlefield and let me see
All the profit from our victory.
You talk of freedom, starving children fall.
Are you deaf when you hear the season's call? ..."

The suite finishes off with "Aquatarkus," an instrumental piece which sounds like the militaristic state left after the war, where life is almost normal, but the war machine is ever present.

Some have dismissed side two of the vinyl as being no more worthy than the "B" side of a 45 rpm single. OK, it has the 1950s throwback "Are You Ready Eddy?," written about their recoding engineer, and the goofy honky tonk "Jeremy Bender." Personally I feel these "lesser" songs are almost necessary to lighten up the album. Side two is not devoid of iconoclastic music and contains the mini-suite consisting of "The Only Way (Hymn)/Infinite Space (Conclusion)/A Time and a Place." Here, ELP question the existence of a diety and man's place in the universe by including lyrics such as "Do you believe God makes you breathe? Why did he lose six million Jews?"

There is little which is easy listening about this album. It isn't a collection of dance songs, and it is not background music. It is made to be listened to, digested and listened to again. It demands input from the listener. A great album.

I also recommend you purchase the DVD-Audio version of Brain Salad Surgery as it sounds really great.

ELP heads into uncharted territory on Tarkus, pushing the limits of music that a trio might aspire to (as opposed to achieve, where Cream still reigned supreme). What it all means is anyone's guess, and it may be nothing more than a mosaic of highfalutin' instrumental workouts and pretentious pronouncements. Remarkably, none of that's really important. What is important is the faith that the music inspires in its musicians and, by extension, its audience. You get the sense that ELP approached Tarkus as their magnum opus (until the next magnum opus, anyway), and it's this spirit of elevated creativity that fuels Tarkus. The side-long "Tarkus" starts with a clear beginning, in the spirit of creation with a single sound that soon explodes into life, and from there the band fuses Emerson's instrumental passages (often held together by improvisation) with Lake's songs (not far removed from his work with King Crimson). The arrangements themselves are at best bone and sinew, Emerson's piano providing the color against Palmer's superlative, dry drumming and Lake's incidental bass lines. When the band does reach sublime heights, it's often on the strength of Lake's stalwart voice, resolute in a maelstrom of sound.

The second side seeks to defuse the pomposity of the previous saga with the irreverent "Jeremy Bender," to be savored as a cherished oddity. "Bitches Crystal" returns to the haunting grounds of side one, and remains a favorite among fans. What follows next is a miniature epic: "The Only Way" (which questions God) and the instrumental "Infinite Space," which follows a more structured and restrained path than the explosive moments around it (they would revisit this style on songs like "Jerusalem," perhaps the remnant of some fiery country parson still in their blood). The wonderful "A Time And A Place" (file under epic) and "Are You Ready Eddy?" (which immortalizes engineer Eddy Offord) close the album, every ounce of energy drained. By turns funny, profound and profane, Tarkus marks the arrival of greatness in the annals of ELP. That it's a self-proclaimed greatness seized by the sheer will of youth, and not the hoary crown passed down by the unclean fingers of doddering critics, no doubt hastened the band's downfall to its current, unenviable state of disrepute.

Tarkus is a reminder that ELP walked tall at a time when censorious hands had yet to stick a knife in their back. A highly recommended record for all prog fans and for all newcomers to Emerson Lake and Palmer.

Enjoy the music!
-Andrew