Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus

1.    Eruption
2.    Stones Of Years
3.    Iconoclast
4.    Mass
5.    Manticore
6.    Battlefield
7.    Aquatarkus
8.    Jeremy Bender
9.    Bitches Crystal
10.    The Only Way (Hymn)
11.    Infinite Space (Conclusion)
12.    A Time And A Place
13.    Are You Ready Eddy?

“Supergroups” already existed before the formation of Emerson, Lake & Palmer in 1970. And many came after. But few, if any, could match the chemistry of the British trio and its unique combination of virtuosity, vision and energy. “Tarkus” is probably the only album that connects jazz luminary Dave Brubeck, Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, gifted recording engineer Eddy Offord, Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera, American musical chameleon Frank Zappa and compositional genius Johann Sebastian Bach. Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s second album was diverse, ambitious, complex and yet accessible – a combination that brought it enormous success. “Tarkus” reached No. 1 on the UK album charts and climbed into the Top 10 in the United States.

The theatrical title track – an almost 21-minute epic tracing the life of an armadillo from its birth to the aftermath of its defeat in battle with a manticore – briefly caused “Tarkus” to create a rift in the trio’s then flourishing chemistry. The reason lay in the structure and direction keyboardist Keith Emerson pursued with “Tarkus”: the virtuosic suite, based on 10/8 and 5/4 time signatures, initially frustrated guitarist and singer Greg Lake. However, Lake soon came around, choosing both to participate and to write this seven-part anti-war narrative. Today, “Tarkus” is regarded as one of the finest progressive-rock compositions ever written and performed. The second half of the album clearly demonstrates the range of Emerson, Lake & Palmer: “Jeremy Bender” was arranged to give listeners a breather after the demanding opener. The song unfolds with honky-tonk pianos and percussive handclaps. Serving as a tribute to Brubeck’s “Count Down”, “Bitches Crystal” also acts as a showcase for Emerson’s flawless piano skills. The keyboardist also takes center stage on “The Only Way (Hymn)”, which combines bold religious reflections with a transition into the jazzy instrumental piece “Infinite Space”. Without drum solos, acoustic ballads or intellectual interludes, “Tarkus” differs from its equally admired predecessor, yet it proves that Emerson, Lake & Palmer were operating at full power and, as a band, seemingly capable of playing any style at any tempo.

Lovingly mastered from the original tapes at MoFi’s California studio and housed in a mini-LP-style gatefold package, this Hybrid SACD presents the progressive-rock classic in reference-grade sound quality for the first time. Clear, dynamic and balanced, this collectible reissue honors the perfectionist approach that shaped both the musical interplay and the recording of the album. It brings out the epic scale, sonic depth and astonishing musicianship of the trio. Every aspect – textures, nuances, effects and tempo changes – that goes hand in hand with the trio’s compositions is reproduced in a room-filling soundstage with precise detail. The original realism of the recording emerges on this MoFi reissue exactly as it deserves. The strictly numbered Hybrid SACD naturally comes with William Neal’s iconic cover artwork.