Tarkus

this album was an experience, but was not an experience i enjoyed.

Dreadful. I now understand why punk happened.

If you drink seven shots of tequila while soaking in a hot tub, you begin to think this is Yacht Rock at some point during the first song. It's a 20 minute song, but you'll need those 20 minutes for the giant armadillo morph into a yacht. The yacht will include Robert Wagner, Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood as passengers, so you'll have the chance to rewrite history and save the beloved screen legend. You'll still wake up with a hangover, Natalie Wood will still be dead, but the upshot is you'll put what common folk call Prog Rock in your rearview mirror for the rest of your life. I bet Vincent Gallo loves this album but secretly wishes it was all instrumental.

Gotta say, I'm a little surprised to see this here on this list. There is a thoroughgoing prejudice against prog in the critical community, probably because it forces critics to engage with the music instead of discussing influences, lyrics and personalities. ELP was unique for a number of reasons. They were a keyboard-based progressive rock group, with nary a guitar in sight. And Keith Emerson's interests, in addition to blues and rock, ranged from "serious" classical composers like Mussgorsky and Bartok, all the way up to contemporary composers like Alberto Ginastera. When you throw in covers of Aaron Copeland and Emerson's interest in martial themes and Americana, it's a potent brew, obviously not to everyone's taste. Surprisingly, this kind of thing was popular at the time. Hard to imagine, I know. But how good is Tarkus? For better or worse, the epic title track may be the purest expression of Emerson's obsessions. Here are the martial rhythms and themes, the nods to contemporary classical music, copious rock and blues, and so on. Emerson effectively utilizes his arsenal of keyboards, such as piano, organ, and early synthesizers to create an intense, claustrophobic vibe. Carl Palmer reinforces the martial feel of the track with his patented fills and overall busyness. If the rest of the album had been up to this level, it would be a stone classic. Alas, there are some downright stinkers, like Are You Ready, Eddy?, in which Emerson indulges in a dubious sense of a humor and a rancid take on 50s rock 'n roll. There are other weaknesses. Some of the lyrics are awful: Sleep in a dream Of butter milk cream You dance on a beam Dancing on a beam And occasionally, vocalist/bassist Greg Lake reaches for notes he can't handle. On the other hand, we have Infinite Space, which has similar virtues to the title track, in miniature. And Bitches Crystal and A Time And A Place ain't bad either, if you're willing to overlook the occasional maladroit lyric or off key vocal. On Tarkus, the highs are Olympian and the lows are Stygian. How to rate? I can't in good conscience give this any less than a 4/5. Proceed at your own risk. And fair warning: if you don't share Emerson's musical interests, you will likely hate, hate, hate, this album with an all consuming passion.

It’s not ELP’s best record, but it is undoubtedly their best album cover.

Budget pink floyd

I don't think I can get with ELP and their prog ilk, it just feels really dated and musically staid compared to other music of the era (e.g. originally released the same year as Tago Mago which still sounds fresh). The lyrics are dreadful too: Can you believe / God makes you breathe Why did he lose / six million Jews

eh. I don't know about this. ok ok these guys could play complex music. But could they write a song? Not on this one at least. Even a 20 minute song ("Supper's Ready" - Genesis) can be fascinating and well-crafted with distinct parts, a beginning/theme/ending. This just seems like a mash of Carl Palmer staccato-snare fills, Keith Emerson's organ dancing in 5/4 time, and then oh here's Greg Lake with his smooth double-tracked vocals to put a nice sheen on it. But it doesn't work. Second half (side) of the album was supposed to be more "traditional" short songs but even there nothing works very well. I used to think prog was my favourite style of rock when I was a kid but as the years go on I'm pretty sure that wasn't/isn't true at all. I loved - and still do - the best of the genre but this ain't it. This is prog-for-prog's-sake complete with the hilarious album cover. It's just dull. 3/10 2 stars.

One of the best prog rock albums. 11/10 would listen more. RIP Keith Emerson and Greg Lake. Also, a great album cover.

2.5 it sounds like a mix of video game music and boston

Wankus

First know that I'm not a proghead so I had no idea who these dudes were, nor did i understand wtf was going on for the entire duration of this album. Usually i have zero patience for these meandering, self indulgent 20 min tracks. But unlike the allman bros, this was actually fun and entertaining to listen to. so, based on my enjoyment of the experience rather than my actual knowledge of the music, i'm giving this a 5. deal with it

This is batshit lol

I guess I’ve never listened to an Emerson, Lake, & Palmer album before. And while having a listen as I made salads in the kitchen wasn’t the worst, it also wasn’t my jam. Guess I thought E, L, P had a similar sound as C,S, Y. And why no Oxford comma!!?

I would have thought that I would be *totally into* an album with a 20-minute long song about a giant armadillo that got transformed into a tank. But it just doesn't work. Parts of the title track are good, but the random prog-rock interludes feel like filler. Emerson noodles up and down the same scales, showing off how fast he can play on 3 different keyboards at the same time, but there's no actual musical value to it and it doesn't go anywhere. Also, frankly, it's not even that great of a technical showcase as the band falls slightly out of sync at various points especially in the first couple of movements of the song. The tonal difference and contrast between the a side and the b side is almost unbelievable. The b side starts with a jaunty almost ragtime-y piano melody in a song that's like 2 minutes long compared to Tarkus' 20. I want so badly to like this but honestly the whole thing feels hollow, like a monument to excess without meaning.

"Tarkus" is a suite in seven parts—one of the earliest multipart progressive-rock suites. The recorded version lasts nearly 21 minutes and takes up a full side of the album. The odd-numbered sections are instrumentals, and the even-numbered ones vocal tracks. It is a concept piece the idea for which is gleaned not from the music and lyrics alone, but also from the album artwork and the section titles; nevertheless the concept and narrative remain ambiguous and open to interpretation. The second side of the album is made up of short songs unrelated to "Tarkus" or to each other. The name "Tarkus" refers to the armadillo-tank from the William Neal paintings on the album cover. The artist has explained that the name is an amalgamation between 'Tartarus' and 'carcass' (hence the name being written in bones on the album cover). Consequently, the name refers to the "futility of war, a man made mess with symbols of mutated destruction."[2] The song "Tarkus" itself supposedly follows the adventures of Tarkus from his birth, through a fight with a manticore, which he loses and concludes with an aquatic version of Tarkus named "Aquatarkus". The parts supposedly follow Tarkus' birth in a volcanic eruption centuries before known history. The exact nature of Tarkus' origin and actions are unknown, and left ambiguous by its creator, Keith Emerson. "Eruption" itself presents a musical impression of cascading eruption on the keyboards in a 10 8 time signature, backed by Carl Palmer on drums. This segues into the "Stones of Years", the first of three vocal sections. The second, third, fourth and fifth are supposedly the movements that represent the enemies he meets: The interlude of the aforementioned "Stones of Years", the second movement, represents the travel of Tarkus and the enemy he meets first. The "Stones of Years" are thought to resemble a mixture of a "stone" version of a cybernetic spider-like creature with spikes like a stegosaurus; a shield embedded in its side; two antennae, each with its own set of eyes; and what looks like a set of two poison gas tanks on the back, sort of resembling a futuristic station. As the interlude is reaching its end, the enemy is overpowered and then finished off by Tarkus' turrets before the song returns to vocal. "Iconoclast" is the third movement and the movement which represents the enemy Tarkus meets second. The "Iconoclast", according to the inner gatefold, is a mixture of a pterodactyl and a war airplane, and is rapidly overpowered by guitar for "Mass". "Mass" is the name of Tarkus' third enemy and the fourth movement, which is filled with numerous religious references; it often had its lyrics dropped in tours by the Keith Emerson Band, as does Stones of Years. The "Mass" is often thought to be a mixture of a lizard, grasshopper and a rocket launcher. This is followed by "Manticore" in which the final enemy of Tarkus appears and a battle ensues between variations on the "Tarkus" theme and the Manticore's. Ultimately, Tarkus is defeated and "Battlefield" follows. The movement "Battlefield" is the only part written entirely by Greg Lake. "Aquatarkus" closes the track, centering mostly on a march based on the "Battlefield" theme and then returning to the original "Eruption" theme as a farewell to Tarkus and a greeting to the aquatic Aquatarkus.

I'm not a huge ELP fan, mainly due to Keith Emerson's keys playing. I love their song writing in some parts, but I find myself growing tired of listening to what feels like minutes of aimless, purposeless keyboard wandering. It's like they are asking questions that they never answer.

I was very much into ELP having bought their first album and seen them live two or probably three times locally. I was a big fan of The Nice and King Crimson and to a lesser extent Atomic Rooster so ELP were ready made for me. I love the rock/classical crossover in music and my favourite pieces of music usually have a strong orchestral element in them. ELP were one of the first exponents of this type of music (carrying on from The Nice and Deep Purple) They were a fantastic band to watch live. Keith Emerson was very much a showman and his antics towards the end of a show, physically throwing his Hammond organ around the stage and producing amazing sounds will remain with me forever. So I bought this album on day of release and played it endlessly. I was away from home during the week and in these were the days when playing music remotely anywhere was still a fantasy, I remember playing the album until the last minute on Sunday evening before I caught a train so that every note would stay in my brain for as long as possible. The constant listening I did over 50 years ago has paid dividends because on today’s listen I anticipated just about single note of the long title track. It’s been a while since I listened in full so it’s testament to how a piece of music you really love can stay with you. My favourite ELP album is their first followed by Trilogy but Tarkus is an exceptional album which I will always love and cherish. 5+/5 7/8/24.

Kind-of what I expected, virtuoso and very energetic organ, bass and drumming, with ponderous vocals on top. Didn't like it as much as I thought I would, especially with the two terrible pub-rock numbers and unexpected shout-out to the Holocaust. Probably won't listen again [EDIT: I did listen again, didn't change my opinion]

Thing is, I’m no prog-liker but the agitated interpretative dance parts provoke the same part of me that enjoys prog-adjacent freaks like The Psychic Paramount and Rangda. Wonders never cease, what a world we live in, so on so forth. The lyrics are ripe for a kick in the face though. “How did He lose six million Jews?” suggests the Holocaust was an act of absent-mindedness.

The highlights were excellent but there were definitely times that seemed like they were just banging on the keyboard.

For progressive rock, this isn’t nearly as bad as the reviews suggest. It’s basically jazz

Back before I seriously got into all of music, I was fascinated by Prog Rock. This album was one of my favourites back then, mainly because of the title track that I still think remains one of the greatest musical achievements ever. The album is very different depending on what half you listen to. The first half, made up of Tarkus, is perfect. The other half isn't. And I am not the only one with that opinion as this is pretty much what everyone, even hardcore fans say about this album. The album starts with 'Tarkus', the 20 minute epic that is made up of 7 parts. The first part 'Eruption' starts the album with a rumble and then explodes into a keyboard/organ driven and very up-beat part with a very symphonic feeling that moves into the slower but equally interesting 'Stones of Years' that brings in the vocals. The philospophical nature of the lyrics adds to the epicness of the whole peace. 'Iconoclast' follows with more rumbling drums and a stinging guitar that moves into 'Mass' that adds to the overall operatic and symphonic feel with the layered vocals and guitar solo. Around the 10-minute mark 'Manticore' introduces the enemy of Tarkus that climaxes into 'Battlefield' that probably feels the most like an Opera or Symphony with the horn inspired sound, probably done by the moog. The last part of the song is 'Aquatarkus' and it closes this incredible epic of a song perfectly with the marching sounding drums and wah-wah sounding organs that all slowly fade into a final blow of the theme from the beginning. This is one of the greatest songs ever and I am reminded of its greatness everytime I listen to it. One of the most perfect songs ever created. Side two opens with 'Jeremy Bender' and it already shows that this half cannot compete with the title track. It's a nice song but after listening to a 20-minute symphonic epic, this just sounds silly and useless. The piano, the claps and the cowbell are all quite nice but the lyrics are... not as philosophical and though provoking as they were on 'Tarkus'. A bit better is 'Bitches Crystal' which I think is a pretty good song with its synthesizer, Jazz piano and fast tempo. Still not close to Tarkus but substantially closer. 'The Only Way (Hymn)' is similarly symphonic as 'Tarkus' but just does not achieve the greatness. It's nice but just not incredible. The same can be said about the follow up 'Infinite Space (Conclusion)' although it looses some points from me because it is mainly a piano solo and although it's not a bad piano solo, it bores me. I do quite like the more rock sounding 'A Time and a Place' although it again isn't as special as 'Tarkus'. Final song 'Are You Ready Eddy?' is very R&B sounding Rock n' Roll song that very much sounds like a Little Richard if he was Prog song and I do think this is the best song after Tarkus although it still is far behind that one. favourites: Tarkus, Tarkus, Tarkus & Tarkus least favourites: Jeremy Bender, Infinite Space (Conclusion) Rating: decent 8 (10 if it was Tarkus twice) https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

8. Biased upward because cool battle Amarillo on the cover

This is a concept album about a mechanized armadillo tank.

not my cuppa tea. respect for the skillz tho

Emerson, Lake & Palmer is who you would call to represent you in a court of law

Sick album cover. Yeah that's it.

It's all so disjointed it makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't listen to music for that. I get what they're trying to do here, I know they're doing it on purpose, it's the point of the thing to take you out of your comfort zone, it just really doesn't work for me at all. Some of the sounds could be quite pleasant if it weren't for all that dissonance.

Utter shite.

Groovy prog rock can do no wrong.

Some really good prog rock.

One of the best ELP albums especially the title track. Highly recommend

Perfect

rip mr emerson…

Previously rated: Pictures At An Exhibition (4/5) ********************************* Great album! Proggy synth suite to a John Lennon-like rocker and everything in between. I was disappointed when it was over. I'd give it a 4.5, but since today is Christmas, I'll round it up.

10/10. Progressive rock is my absolute FAVOURITE type of rock music!!! There are a lot of better progressive rock albums than Tarkus, but that doesn't matter much to me, for I am a filthy defender of progressive rock music, and I bloody love this album too much to give it a score lower than a 5/5.

prog perfection. the title track is up there with the best of em.

In my mind a perfect example for crossover. Not everybodys taste, sometimes a little bit difficult to listen. Definitively no backround music in the longe. I think you should compare Keith Emerson with classical composers.

now this is podracing

What a marathon of a first song that goes through so many styles. So unique and fun

Gets a 5 star just so that I can have the artwork on my wall. The music is pretty good too.

4.5 stars rounded up

I wore grooves into my vinyl pressing of this album. Simply awesome ensemble playing. Sorry for the folks who simply diss prog bands - but goodness gracious, these guys were amazing technically proficient musicians. This music continues to amaze me after all these years.

Hell yeah baby. Tarkus is a wild ride start to finish. Honestly this album goes so many places and throws so much at you it's hard to full wrap your arms around it. A Time And Place rules.

One of the best prog albums of all time. No notes.

The best albums I have listened to in a long, long time!

Really like a 4.5 but rounding up for being such a clear inspiration on final fantasy music

I wasn't expecting to like this, I've never really liked excessive prog rock stuff....and while I can see why some people liked it, to me it's only real benefit was to be one of the reasons that punk came into existence! That being said, this was a really nice album that engaged me fro start to finish.

Is Prog Rock Jazz a genre? Awful album.

I like ELP very much. This is one of my favorite albums. Masterpiece. Thanks for listening it again.

Um dos sons mais malucos que já ouvi aqui. A começar pela duração das músicas, a primeira é um opera rock, com mais de 20 minutos de duração e várias secções com títulos/subtítulos; enquanto todo o restante das músicas não chega a 4 minutos. Outra coisa que contribuí para maluquice é que apesar de ser progressivo até o talo, tem 2 músicas que fogem completamente da temática principal: a que vem logo depois do opera rock, com um piano meio ragtime (tipo aqueles de filmes de velho-oeste) e a última, um rock and roll completamente caricato dos anos 50. Eu não sei se foi para afirmar algo como "nós também sabemos tocar músicas sem polirritmos e escalas esquisitas" ou se funciona como uma espécie de "limpador de paladar" para te trazer de volta à realidade. O que eu sei é que achei genial. 5 estrelas e foda-se, não sei se voltarei a ouvir mas definitivamente foi uma experiência.

Twenty minute title track. It sounds like demented boss battle music in the best possible way. You could drop parts of this into Chrono Trigger and it would work. I think it's the organs and the bass. The Moog synths do a lot of work too. Super fucking cool. Eventually, we fade out, and then back for a dramatic finale. On side two, Bitches Crystal is more of the same from the title track with aggression and delicate keys. Sounds like ragtime piano. The Only Way and Infinite Space is a interesting two parter with a moody instrumental. The last two tracks don't hit the heights but it doesn't matter.

i feel like such a pretentious hipster for saying all the time "I LOVE PROG ROCK I LOVE PROG ROCK" but it's so true. when the first track is a gigantic 20 minute rock symphony you already know it's going to be the album of the year.

Perfect music to read Guardians of the Galaxy with.

Every time I get a prog rock album on here I'm reminded that there's a whole genre of cool music that I've yet to explore. This album was awesome

One of my favorite albums from the 70's! Love listening to this on vinyl. Glad it made it on the list.

5 wonderful weird stars.

holy fitta, det först låter är så fucking amazingsk. jag dansar på manisk, manik fitta dansarna. infathomable lyriken ''scattered on the ashes of disgrace'' jag fucking gråta bror... uppa när med bästa låtar jag aldrig höra. annan 1971 magnifikisk experimentalisk album. tack.. oföränderlig = muuttumaton (du verta från mitavittua o-prefix...) (translate if dont förstå) tarkus

Definitely love the synth and the vocals. The lyrics remind me of certain Iron Maiden songs in a way that sounds like a legend is being told. Also reminds of of King Crimson in the structure of the whole album. This is a strong strong 4.5 that I was really looking for something to push it into the 5 star realm. Then I saw the album cover again after finishing.

The perfect marriage of complexity and appeal.

From the odd time signatures, to the 20+ minutes opening track, to the armadillo-tank hybrid on the cover, this is everything that is wrong with 70's prog rock. "The "Tarkus" on the front cover is made from whitened bones from the skeleton of a devoured lizard".

Two words: Armadillo tank. Lavish, virtuous and complex. Emerson, Lake & Palmer are pillars of 70’s prog.

I have no idea what this is. Great music though.

Good vibes, vraiment bien aimé

Star reviews suck

Great album. First song of 20+ mins. I loved it

C’est pas leur meilleur, mais c’est pas mal proche. D’la grosse musique d’opera boosté par le rock progressif d’ELP, ça peut juste être bon. EDIT DU FUTUR: Y’ON PAS MIS BRAIN SALAD SURGERY LES TABARNAKS, I GUESS TARKUS TU VAS ÊTRE LE PORTE ÉTENDARD DE MON AMOUR POUR ELP

Outstanding album.

rockzao progressivo, muito criativo, agradável de curtir

I love Emerson, Lake & Palmer!!!!

A true prog rock classic. Though not as well-known as Brain Salad Surgery, Tarkus is one of the best albums of the prog rock era. It has everything the prog rocker wants - sweeping and grand, album-half compositions (Tarkus), long-form storytelling, incredible synthesizer work, and serious musicianship. Even the smaller pieces such as Bitches Crystal, The Only Way (Hymn), Infinite Place (Conclusion), and A Time and a Place, suggest a story arc rather than just a bunch of songs. The album even holds together better than Brain Salad Surgery which starts with a bunch of smaller pieces that do not relate to each other or Karn Evil 9. The only songs that don't match the rest of the album are Jeremy Bender, story about a western outlaw driven by a barroom piano, and Are You Ready, Eddy? The latter especially seems out of place, given its prosaic theme of 50s rock and roll. It's not a bad song; It just doesn't belong on this album. Tarkus is a masterpiece of prog rock and one of the highlights of the ELP catalog. While Brain Salad Surgery is the natural starting point for the ELP newcomer, this should be the next waypoint on the ELP journey.

great old recording they invented prog rock

Круто!

I think this is the first album on this list that I’ve genuinely been amazed by, to think this came out in 1971 is insane considering how complex and futuristic some of these songs sound. The only way I can describe the sound of this album is a mix of Black Midi and Tame Impala with some old western piano and some classic guitar rock thrown in, it is such a mix of genres that even this vague idea of sounds doesn’t do it justice. I’ll start with the opening title track ‘Tarkus’ which is a 20 minute, 7 part mash of sounds and energy that’ll leave you stunned. It is equally chaotic and yet so well put together it almost feels like a journey when listening to it, the more chaotic parts of this track help you really appreciate when it slows down and the lyrics come in patterned with a smooth instrumental in the background. The next 2 tracks, ‘Jeremy Bender’ and ‘Bitches Crystal’ are just filled with this mesmerising western style piano as if you’d just entered an old Texas bar in the middle of a fight in a movie, but the accompanying guitar and drum work in both songs bring it down a notch to a more classic rock style at points. The following track ‘The Only Way (Hymn)’ takes a completely different turn with some beautiful vocals accompanied with what I can only guess is a church organ bellowing in the background. The final 3 tracks definitely don’t disappoint either with more of the same sounds, some hard guitar on “Time and a Place’ and some fast paced rock n roll on the final track ‘Are You Ready Eddy?’ to close off the album. Not only is this album incredibly enjoyable but it ticks both boxes for creating great songs but also being unique enough that the listener can’t forget the sound when they finish listening. One of my favourite first listens so far, would highly recommend. 5/5

this album is UNHINGED beautifully chaotic prog rock 10/10

Brilliant from very early seventies. The cover art was pretty amazing too.

Another very positive surprise on the list. I have listened to the album twice already and it looks like I'm going to spend next weeks discovering Emerson, Lake and Palmer playlist. In few words, I would call Tarkus a much more progressive "Echoes" by Pink Floyd, with a very climactic vocal by Lake, on par with Gilmour, with prominent Hammond organs by Emerson and excellent drumming virtuoso - how come I didn't hear too much about Palmer before? I can blame only my ignorance. Side A of the album is filled with an epic 20-minutes song "Tarkus". Unlike the aforementioned "Echoes", the composition is less linear - it looks like ELP were experimenting with different styles and moods on this song, jumping from a very progressive and chaotic "Eruption", to much more chilled and atmospheric "Stones Of Years", for example. The song keeps you interested for the whole duration of the track and the multiple changes of tempo allow you to rediscover it once again. Surprisingly, I like the B side even better. Six short songs, by comparison, with instrumental "Infinite Space" and entertaining "A Time And Place" make it a great successor to the artful Tarkus. I really liked the album, even though it might be a little too "proggy" at times for my liking. But because it was my first experience with ELP, I will give it a round five bags of popcorn.

Prog masterpiece! Not very accessible, but very rewarding!

One of my favorite Prog album of all time. Huge ELP fan. Album cover - Wow. Story - Awesome. Drum - Incredible. Keyboard - Amazing. Everything is there - MASTERPIECE.

I'm really surprised that this album is part of the challenge, I find it very "proghead only". In any case, it remains a great, complex, but somehow catchy record. Carl Palmer's drumming has always impressed me on Tarkus. He created a percussive musicality full of creativity. Keith Emerson's organ is full of virtuosity, as usual, but there is also good research in the sounds. Some have aged badly, but it gives a charm. On the side of Greg Lake, we find his more tragic singing, which comes to him from his previous group King Crimson. And it feels good. It brings the more personal and emotional aspect through all this musical complexity. Ok, to me, it's a masterpiece.

Really excellent. Great bass tone. Some iffy singing.

Another album I have in different media from different eras.

A very fun early prog album that packs a lot of depth into its short runtime ((the opposite of many other prog works). I like space jazz

really fun, super listenable, this is my new favorite album to listen to while working.

Absolutely perfect. The title epic-length track holds up, I could listen to it forever despite its length. Some of my favorite instrumentation on a prog song!

nice

tarkão brabo

Какой же это офигенный альбом! Просто супер. Главное, он практически на едином дыхании слушается, песни неразрывны, несмотря на наличие полотна в виде самой композиции Tarkus.

Classic alert! Although I've never actually heard this one before.. The best kind of prog rock: great chord progressions, creative songwriting, nice melodies. Also my mum likes it which is a plus

It doesn't make the strongest first impression, but the first song (epic?) gets way better as you listen along. It's the main "song" of the album, and most of the B-Sides feel tacked onto it. All in all, though, it was an enjoyable experience. I really enjoyed the keyboard, but I think the bass lines could be better. Favorite track: Tarkus (last quarter)

Although being one of the more pretentious progressive rock albums of the seventies, I believe this one still holds up as one of the best with a fresh take on the genre that was greatly picking up speed. Tarkus can stand up there with most of the Pink Floyd and King Crimson's discography as well as being one of the longer pieces in that catalogue. While other ELP projects were more successful, Tarkus remains my favorite. Simplistic in nature, complex in execution (which is where I think a lot of modern progressive bands, The Mars Volta, Airbag, Porcupine Tree, and Tool go wrong). Highlights: 1, 3, and 4.

so good!

Straight fire

Cool prog rock album! The organ is on point. I love me a 20 min. opening track. I may have become a fan of ELP.

Pretty sure Motoi Sakuraba ripped off this album for Star Ocean: Til the End of Time's OST.

Excellent on all accounts. A bold musical experiment that was very successful! The first song being 20min long surprised me but I didn't even mind because it was so intricate and clearly told a story. Interesting song titles and good lyrics :)

Now this is some good shit. One of prog rock classics. Not perfect, but really fucking good. Debut album is a bit better IMO, so a 4.5 (also insert JoJo reference here)

song lengths look fun. i like the start! could be the soundtrack to an action scene in a weird trippy horror movie. tbh the only movie like that that i know is suspiria (1977) haha. makes me feel a little paranoid lol. i suppose with the slow down we enter the second part? REALLYYYY NICE VOCALS thank god! wow if it continues to be this fun it might be my second 5/5 (first one being an album i already knew and loved). okay, new guitar, change up, third part. yeah this is going to be the longest song in my playlist for songs over 7 minutes long. lyrics are really cool too im digging everything. UGH THIS IS SO FUN. so good. there's some sounds that remind me of pink floyd which is pretty much the only band ive listened to from the 70s so. this is from before their hits though. ugh im kinda sad the 20 minute song ended :( OH second song is quite different but still has the same flair. so funny that the follow up to the 20 minute song is 1:50 min long. im obsessed with the piano here. a lil unsettling. do you guys think these guys are just atheists or are they anarchists too. honestly i cant imagine this was very popular so shout out to whoever decided to include this, it was worth it to sit through 20 or so albums that felt absolutely pointless just to get to listen to this one. hopefully theres more like this in their discography :))

Hilariously over the top and ridiculous keyboard work throughout. The idea of a mecha-armadillo named Tarkus is just amazing. 9