Tarkus (Emerson, Lake & Palmer)

I don't have to worry about re-master anything, as I burned this off my scratchy and poppy vinyl to CD. It's no audiophile production, but with my worn out ears, it doesn't make much difference. I bought this when it came out. I was a single GI living in the barracks at Torrejon AB in Spain. I was getting into all kinds of music, and spent most of my money on stereo equipment and albums. Side one is hands-down, the best track(s). I love Tarkus and can play it over and over again. For progressive rock, they nailed it better here than most other bands of that ilk, or for that matter, themselves. I never liked any of their other albums as well, and compare them to side 2, which is okay, more in a pop vein, but nothing to write home about. Though I was a faithful fan and purchased most of their other albums, I ended up being a tad disappointed. If I hear Karn Evil 9 one more time I'm going to scream. Or, that out-of-tune Moog improv at the end of Lucky Man. However, this has them all... Read more

I bought the LP ages ago and recently purchased the CD. Tarkus is truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. I can't add much to what other reviewers have already stated. The way EL&P; blend several songs into a unified 20 minute theme is sheer genius. Don't miss this one. The other songs are pretty good too, especially Jeremy Bender and The Only Way.

Just finished listening to the latest remastering of this album and I would suggest avoiding it. There is marked distortion in the right channel during the Tarkus suite, starting at 3:01. This has not been present in either of the 2 previous US remastering efforts, which also sound superior generally anyway. Secondly, the cover artwork is poorly reproduced compared with all previous editions. The additional photos and essay inside the CD booklet are nice however.

When this album was recorded, prog keyboardists like Keith Emerson had organ, grand piano, mellotron (which Emerson doesn't use here) and monophonic Moog synthesizer (one note at a time, you couldn't do chords), which was then being scaled down into the more portable and easily programmed Minimoog. A bit confining, compared to the Korg and Yamaha polyphonic gear people like Neal Morse have available to them. Still, the antique gear Emerson uses here stands him in good stead when blended with Greg Lake's resonant baritone, articulate bass playing and very underrated acoustic guitar work done on his powerful dreadnought (used more on their other albums). The signature work is the title track, of course. That work enjoys the distinction of being that rare long track that is still covered by other artists, including a variation of the Hammond fanfare that is an "ID card" for the "Battlefield" section being used by Microsoft in the boot-up sequence of Vista. But it's too easy when you have ... Read more

I should start this review by pointing out that I am reviewing this album based on the K2HD AND the MFSL versions that I own & NOT the one for sale from SHOUT Factory. I consider the two versions cited to be definitive examples of the state-of-the-art recording, at their respective times and that we do not need to dwell upon their respective audiophile tweakish differences - on which I could expound, boringly & probably boorishly for hours. What I would like to say about this album, and most notably the title "track", is that this is probably Emerson's most "complete" work, to date (since I haven't heard his soon to be released KEB album due in July 2008). Keith's Piano Concerto was a work from the heart, which I feel will stand the test of time, but TARKUS (the suite) is a truly thematically complete work, from a man whom his own band-mates, of many years, accuse of "... never finishing anything...". It is impossible to categorize - it's not rock, it's not jazz, it's not classic... Read more