Tarkus

Artist: Emerson Lake & Palmer
Label: Rhino / Wea
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Original recording reissued
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 081227222420
EAN: 0081227222420
ASIN: B0000033P0

Release Date: 1996-05-21

Tarkus

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Tracks:

Tarkus
Jeremy Bender
Bitches Crystal
The Only Way (Hymn)
Infinite Space (Conclusion)
A Time And A Place
Are You Ready Eddy?

Similar Items:

Trilogy
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Brain Salad Surgery
Pictures at an Exhibition
Works, Vol. 1

Customer Reviews:

The Megalith that is Tarkus..........2006-11-16

If Emerson Lake and Palmer were considered by some as major architects of progressive rock with the release of their first album, they easily cemented that impression with their second offering, Tarkus. There is little to say that hasn't already been said about this iconic album, but in the unlikely case you're discovering ELP for the first time, consider this a mandatory listen for any self-respecting prog rock fan. That said, there are some noteworthy differences between Tarkus the opus and Tarkus the album. The first half is devoted to the title track. As a work, Tarkus is grandiose in both its ambition and delivery. Largely Keith Emerson's vision, it is also a complex, sinewy juggernaut that at times seems to challenge Greg Lake and Carl Palmer to keep up the pace. To their credit, no one is left behind and the entire piece would be something significantly less without the contributions of each member and the synergy of these three superb musicians.
Tarkus as an album is another matter. Following the Tarkus suite is a daunting task and the second half of the album illustrates the difficulty as it is noticably weaker than the first half. They introduce what was to become the obligatory honky-tonk piano piece with Jeremy Bender. Pleasant enough, but a bit of a let down after the take no prisoners performance of Tarkus. [...] Crystal makes up for it with high tempo and intensity. The Only Way and Infinite Space are subdued and a little frustrating in their restraint, more so because they are squeezed between Crystal and the other part two highlight (and equally intense) A Time and a Place. Are You Ready Eddy? is a complete throwaway and an almost shameful end to the album considering how it begins. And yet, even with its faults, Tarkus holds its place as one of the most influential progressive rock albums ever released. If they never matched Tarkus as a single work, ELP cranked out at least two more albums, Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery, that were almost as strong and by most accounts more listenable as a whole, but Tarkus binds their undisputed standing as progressive rock's first supergroup and well earned it is.

Sizzlefingers, Lake and Palmer!.......2006-05-10

There is nobody, NO-BOD-Y, better at the keyboards than Keith Emerson. This has been proven on every album ELP's ever released, from the first eponymous one with "Lucky Man" on it, to "Love Beach". How this man keeps from getting carpal tunnel syndrome, I'll never know, for the aural histrionics are incredible! On this album, their second and one of their best, the magic of Lake's sonorous, nasal low tenor, Emerson's adeptness and overdubbing and Palmer's percussive punctuation, helps the ELP formula take shape, though there isn't a classical cover here, like there is on the first album,"Trilogy" and "Love Beach", but there is "The Only Way" and "Time and Space", which SORTA sound classical.

Has anybody ever noticed how much Greg Lake looks like etchings or paintings of protestant reformer Martin Luther? He seems to have the same sort of fire the medieval rabble-rouser had in his vocals as well, like he's trying to foment demonstrations all over the place in the group's songs. But the scary thing is how the entire group looks like they just stepped out of the road company cast of "Lord of the Rings" or a very grand Dungeons and Dragons game! Chances are ELP was and has been the Muzak of the D&D crowd for years, anyway, so it all fits!

The grand work on this album, "Tarkus" takes up the first side, going from the track "Eruption" to "Aquatarkus", whatever that is, but you don't care what it's about, you just groove to the stream-of-consciousness rant of Lake's singing and Emerson's mind-boggling keyboard work.

It turns out that "Tarkus" is the name of that strange combination creature on the cover of the album, an armadillo with the bottom half of a Sherman tank, who is an analogy of the brutality of war. Another creature, called a Manticore, (at one time, the name of the label WEA Records allowed ELP to form for its releases,) drives this marauding juggernaut away, saving the people and the countryside from its destruction. You know what...you really couldn't care less about this tale! You just groove on the incredible music and talent involved in the production! This album, along with "Trilogy", "Emerson, Lake & Palmer", "Love Beach" and perhaps "Brain Salad Surgery" are among the best things you will ever hear issue out of a hi-fi speaker, classical, rock, jazz or otherwise...

The second side has the incredible "The Only Way", a song that asks the musical question: "Can You believe...God makes you breathe? How did he lose...six million jews?!" and my personal favorite from the album, "Bitches' Crystal", a song apparently celebrating the world of, you guessed it, DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS!! With a "heretic priestess", tortured spirits that cry and ghostly images dying, the arrangement sees Emerson flashing his fingies across the piano keys like some unreal Padarewski, faster than anybody I've ever heard play keyboards.

Save up your shekels, and buy "Emerson, Lake and Palmer", "Tarkus", "Trilogy", Brain Salad Surgery", and "Love Beach", and just sit back and be dazzled by some of the best musicianship to see a Billboard chart!

I really can't praise these guys enough!

A CLASSIC.......2006-05-03

I read a not so flattering review of this disc from someone here and when I checked the other reviews he/she is obviously not a prog rock fan so why he/she is bothering to review discs like this is beyond me. This is a classic prog rock disc and it would still be even if it was just side 1.

These are quality musicians playing some fantastic prog rock. Keith Emerson is a beast on the keys and Carl Palmer shows off his formidable chops in keeping up with Keith, and of course Greg Lake holds it all down. The pace starts off fast and furious on side 1 with changes galore but the band is tight and nails it. This disc is a must-have for any pro rock collection, regardless of what a certain somebody said. If you want cute little 3 minute pop songs, look elsewhere!

www.electriceyes.us

A Progressive feast from Eruption to Ham or Cheese.......2006-05-02

The voices start out and BANG they hit you with the Hammond organ on fire in Eruption for the Tarkus suite and don't let up until the last laugh at the end of Are you ready eddy. Highly recommended and this is their best.

Tarkus is very good........2006-03-25

To the user who crisicized this music for being to long (known only as "prigles die") and anyone else who agrees with him:

1. Only one "long song" appears on this cd. It is the title track known as "Tarkus" and is an interesting song if you give it a chance. True, it definatley sounds poor and pretentious to the untrained ear. But if you concentrate, you can begin to appreciate the song's complex structure, impressive display of talent, and brilliant textures.

2. I don't think that a serious music lover should overlook long songs because they are long. Movies can be up to 2 hours long on average, and even those movies may tell a short simple story. Music like "Tarkus" also tries to tell a story, but though music. The length of the song, in my opinion, is appropriate for the ammount of content featured in it.

On the other hand, I can understand someone criticizing a song for being too long given the ammount of worthwhile music contained in the song. For instance, even though the average ashlee simpson song runs from 2 to 3 minutes, I feel that her songs are much too long because among the 3 minutes of song there is only a small part of the song that is actually good. Tarkus is a classic example of progressive rock at it's best, and there is no part of the tarkus suite thats a throw away. All 20 minutes of tarkus is enjoyable.

3. Given your history of reviews, I would say that you are a malicious troll. All your reviews are 1 sentance long and one star. They say something mean about an artist or album, but do not go into detail about why the particular album is in poor taste. I can understand giving a bad review, but what you have done here makes you look like an idiot on the internet.

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