Tarkus

I’ve got a soft spot for prog rock/ELP. It’s good background noise for studying and reading. Honestly the only standout track here is the first one, but it’s almost half the the length of the album, so that’s a solid two stars, another star for the best/worst album cover of all time. Legendary.

Such a classic album

3.25

One of my favorite things to do while listening to EL&P is to go find two diametrically-opposed reviews of them and laugh at how polarizing a band can be to the listening public. This album is like a peasant woman dressed up to go to a fancy ball, and when she gets there, the noble ladies ask her, "Who made this astonishing dress?" She admits she did, and they are incredulous. Back at home later that night, she holds he dress up in the moonlight and admires its craftsmanship. "I don't see what's wrong with it," she muses to herself.

I guess this is what prog rock sounds like. Excessive and comical at times, probably (Spinal Tap clearly parodied this sound), but great instrumentation overall. I can see the influence on Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Beatles, and other rock greats - all in an album released in 1971.

(3.5) Pretty decent prog album. I think I prefer Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s self-titled debut, but I enjoy Tarkus. Not sure if I would really consider this a “must-listen” album. I remember I used to listen to the title track a lot in high school. The rest of the songs are kinda forgettable. Bitches Crystal is the only other one I really remember listening to just because of the title. I think out of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s discography, Brain Salad Surgery or their debut album would’ve made more sense to include, as these were more influential and better represent some of the more experimental progressive rock stuff out there, but Tarkus is solid overall.

Hmm, didn't know what to expect, but not bad.

Complex music, inspirational and surprising but not for me not for every day

It's ok... I liked their first album way more though.

Terse review because I'm on my phone... There's been a good bit of prog on here lately, not that I'm complaining. I will say that this one did not resonate with me in the same way as Crimson, Yes, or Zappa do. Ive not gone into the depths of ELP and only really know them for Karn 9 Evil. This album is structured as with many other prog albums; one long multipart adventure spanning a whole side and a number of supporting "single" length tracks. I had this on in the background while cooking etc and while the instrumentals are solid, I didn't find the whole thing all that compelling and don't plan to go back right away. On pure feel this is like a 3 / 5.

Wild album and wild album cover. Interesting album and I have never heard of these guys. 3.5 stars.

At first sight, it was dreadful. I survived Tarkus and was about to give it 1 or 2 stars. Anyway, gorgeous organ melody of Hymn and some other interesting moments made it worth 3 stars.

A fine prog album with lots of organ.

ok

3.5

That's some really solid prog but that first, 20-minute track leans so heavily on the pipe organ and it's downright abrasive. After you get past "Tarkus" though, Emerson gives the pipes a rest and everything becomes a lot more palatable. Overall, an interesting and engaging prog effort... but not an altogether enjoyable one.

Too much noodling. But some good jams.

2.5

I'm a bit biased as a ELP fan. I feel they released 4 quality albums back to back in the early 70s cementing themselves asprog rock second teir royalty.

Może być. Nie jestem fanem progresywnego rocka. 3/5

Haven’t heard of this, a rock album from 1971. First song is 20 mins long… Pink Floyd-y vibes - quite enjoying. 3/5 so far.

bro track one, those synths that come in around the minute mark. BADASS. Was expecting not to like this first track, so far im into it.

"were you there to watch the earth be scorched?" I listened to this album like a week ago, before I'm doing this review, sorry for any inaccuracies. This album consisted mostly of the first song (20/38 total minutes). It truly felt like an experience that I went through. At best, showed similarities to Pink Floyd, and at worst, embodied all of the worst parts of jazz and rock. Infinite space went on the playlist, idk why. 3/5

Weird proggy vibes. Not bad

not my fave style of prog, but not bad. I liked Jeremy Bender, didn't get the point of the last song at all, undermined the vibe of the whole album to me. 3/5

Prog goes brr. Pretty cool but not my fave

One of their better albums if I'm being honest. Sure, there's still some wankery to be heard on here, particularly in the long passages of triplet rhythms (and other masturbatory "prog" instrumentation elements). I actually hear a lot of King Crimson influence on here, both in the lyrics and instrumentation, which is cool.

Good album. I didn't even know E, L & P had music like this. I thought it was easy listening for some reason.

Those organs though

I've never met the creator of this list, Robert Dimery, but this album is exactly what I expect his taste in music to be. I'm personally not into most prog, and I also hate long songs, but the whole thing was over before I got too irritated.

The extended side A was more fun that I expected. Absolute nonsense of course, but it moved along nicely. Second half probably should be avoided.

Starts off with an amazing 20 minute epic but then the rest of the album is compromised of sub 4 minute songs that dont go anywhere or build off of the first track. Had so much potential but fails to deliver

I like the idea behind this album, it feels cool to have such a synth heavy prog album, pretty much removing any signs of guitars, but all it really does is open my eyes to how much guitars are needed for an album like this. The whole album, even the twenty minute song to an extent, felt like a build up to some amazing pay-off that never really came. Unless you count a weird rock n' roll track at the end as the payoff. Still, I will give it credit for the attempt here, and the church organ on one of the later tracks was the closest the album got me to feel like something here was truly trying to do something that wasn't done before.

Long, seemingly pointless songs. Impressively synchronized playing by all three musicians. Progressive rock at its finest? I guess. Extra points for the armadillo tank.

I like the wackiness, but wouldn't casually listen to this on my own.

As a prog enthusiast myself, I always had some issues with this group. I have no doubts on their respective technical skills but I couldn't listen to their music as an actual work of art but as the product of "technical onanism". With time, I realized that yes, the self-indulgence is strong, but most of all this group is the passion project of three musical nerds who wanted to have fun playing the classics. This is very obvious in their live "Pictures at an exhibition" and in their late album "Brain salad surgery", which I learnt to appreciate. This one, however, hasn't clicked yet. Like BSS, it doesn't feel like a true album but a great suite and some fillers to reach the 40-minute length. While Karn Evil 9 reamins fun, engaging and coherent during its massive run, this title track suite is a bit messy and pompous, although epic. Some bits are fun, but there isn't a true progression of the movements and I reached the end without a real payoff. (I don't like numeric rating, I just give 3 to anyone)

Si me gustara el prog, este disco estaría en alta rotación.

Best Song: Bitches Crystal. That piano is killer on this track. Worst Song: Jeremy Bender. Too harsh a cut from the 20 minute epic that preceded it. Overall: A wild and romping classic rock album. This definitely felt like a distillation of the best, most creative, and most technically competent elements of the era. Doesn't overstay its welcome, and does some impressive stuff while it's there.

This was nice. The 20 minute first track was kind enough to not feel that long and pretty much justified its length. While I didn’t grow tired of it, I didn’t get too much excitement out of it either. There were bits of inspiration scattered throughout the whole record, however, it could have used a more focused execution. 3/5

First song was cool, rest was meh

Never heard of Emerson, Lake & Palmer but this was much better than I expected! Enjoyable listen, 6.5/10.

Indulgent but fun

Never been crazy about this one. Tarkus is prog that follows the defined conventions of prog extremely well, but doesn't do much to go beyond those conventions. That's always been odd to me, as prog is basically defined by experimentation. It's solid, boilerplate 'prog' music that doesn't really push boundaries. Nothing wrong with it, but not much to grab my attention among its contemporaries. Notable Tracks: A Time and Place

This is like Dollar Store King Crimson, and is more similar to the music of Yes with its heavy reliance on synthesizers in place of guitars. I found that it spent more time ambling about than it did actually pushing an idea or a narrative. Even the longest prog rock songs (the good ones at least) always have a defined beginning, middle, and end. This album (and especially Tarkus in particular) feels more unpolished. Almost like they had an idea, got off to a good start, but then couldn't find the finish line. Overall, the album wasn't bad, it just wasn't as cohesive as other prog rock bands of the 70's. Favourite songs: Are You Ready Eddy?, Jeremy Bender Least favourite songs: A Time and a Place 3/5

Tarkus- had this album as a kid. The big tarkus song on side one is cool. I like Keith Emerson’s synths and organ sounds. His intervallic lines are cool. Love that groove with the fourths in 10/8 - so proggy. bitches crystal is cool too. Never liked “ the only way”. Overall it doesn’t quite hold up as I hoped. .

If you like prog rock then you'll like this record. Best experienced with headphones for full effect.

C'est leur gros album. c'est bon mais c'est intense comme prog.. J'ai aimé 3.5

A very fun listen, absolutely crammed with ideas and songs. Never boring, always interesting, if lacking in a bit direction. But then again thats the point isnt it? I also like how after an album of random turns and unexpected sounds, they end with Are You Ready, Eddy, which is one final big surprise on the album. Reminded me of that song Mcauly Caulkins uncle sang in the shower on Home Alone 2. It really doesnt go with the rest of the record, but in a good way. I think. I like this on a whole but I’m not sure if I’ll ever be in the mood to listen to it again. A strong 3.5

2 prog albums in a row..... This is better than the soft machine one we had yesterday, not saying much there though. Seems strange to have one 20 minute song and then "normal" lengthed tracks for the remainder of the album. I actually quite liked bits of this, but I don't like having to wait so long in-between finding them. I thought I was about half way through the album before realising I was still on the opening track. Cool album cover. The last track feels completely out of place, like some crap 50s dance track. It's getting a 3 as I was too generous giving yesterday's album a 2.

Jam rock bands aren't my jam but this is definitely for someone else.

Alright. I accidentally listened twice andvdidnt realize

Eclettico ed elettrico

Respect. Sounds totally ELP. Good background but not for me.

I liked their other record on the list better. A-side 4 stars, B-side 2.5 stars. Solid 3 stars. Favorite song: Tarkus

I like the small handful of ELP songs I've heard before, so I was glad to be able to give this album my first-ever listen. I don't think I'd heard any of the tracks from this record in the past. Overall, it's excellent. At times, the title track feels a little brooding, ponderous, or self-referential -- some of that is probably my subjective processing of the art more than the art, of course, as is often the case, but there are some moments when I was hoping they'd move on. The shorter tracks are varied and interesting, though perhaps a bit disjointed for me. Overall, though, they are such a talented group of musicians, and Carl Palmer and Keith Emerson in particular seem to be in a very rare category.

Everything is performed super well, I just think the schizophrenic nature of the album really weakens it. When they're sticking to ridiculous prog instrumentals, sick. But they frequently jump around to... classic rock n' roll, and hymns? It's weird. I enjoyed it, but it's weird. Favorite tracks: "Tarkus", "Infinite Space"

Pretty good

I respect the hustle and versatility, but it's not anything you would here from these artists in their own previous groups. And I don't think it's a particularly good thing.

Fun

The big opus piece up front kind of displays what is for me the worse side of prog rock: flexing on intricacy, difficulty and speed, but what it accomplishes musically I find dubious. Didn't do much for me anyway. Some gems in the back half however.

Enjoyed the longer prog jams on this one, felt somewhat fresh relative to all the other Rush-era prog LPs I've heard given a different, more rock-oriented perspective. The closing tracks feel a little out of place (tacked on if I had to guess) and make the album more of a mixed bag, but it's still an enjoyable ride overall

3.5/5. I hate it when tank machine armadillos start waging solo warfare.

Vrij experimenteel. wat jazzy met synths en gitaren. niet zo onmiddellijk mijn ding, maar wel oké

I listened to the Jordan Rudess cover of Tarkus and it really helped. Back to the original album again and after a few listens I eventually liked Tarkus and Bitches Crystal.

3,5

One of the more pretentious albums on this list.

Armadillo is 5/5, album is 2.5/5

In general I like what they're doing here. The program matches the lofty comments they are making about the futility of war. I could do without the couple goofier, more straight-ahead tracks (especially "Are You Ready Eddie?") because, although short, they take away from the concept and the mood that they spend so much time setting up in the first track.

When I listen to this the first thing that comes to mind is how crazy it would be to see it performed live. Then it hits the fourth track "The Only Way" and it loses its momentum and never recovers. Sick album cover though.

Impressive but with most prog, I find it just exhausting and unrelatable.

Ultimate dad rock

On the one hand I like Prog rock and this album cover is so awesome. On the other hand sometimes ELP goes too hard and I need them to slow down.

'Tarkus' el tema és un bon exemple del millor rock progressiu en la seva millor época. Infinit, canviant, inventiu, melòdic... La segona cara del disc, sis temes curts, mostren la cara més accessible de la banda. En resum, aquest és probablement el seu millor treball

classic 70s prog, i dont really like that genre this much, but this was album was more enjoyable than I anticipated. Still 3 stars, just not really my style

tracks : tarkus [2] jeremy bender [3] bitches crystal [3.5] the only way (hymn) [3] infinite space (conclusion) [3] a time and a place [3.5] are you ready eddy? [2.5] RATING : 3

Emerson, Lake & Palmer auront au moins eu la présence d'esprit de ne pas allonger de trop leur cacophonie.

Not bad but I had higher hopes for this album based on track one and the album art. “Are You Ready Eddy” was a wack finale

The first song was absolutely wild! The last song was incredibly confusing (but I liked it?). Overall solid, but not the best prog rock we have had (that belongs to Rush)

Cool prog rock! That was probably mindblowing back in 71. Don't see myself putting it on again.

Add some cannabis smoke to this fog of prog and get lost in its seas of keys and harmonies.

Identifiable ELP sound but alright so 3*

good ol' classic prog rock that was fine to listen to on a long drive but don't anticipate listening to again. 3/5.

Really had to think about this one. Not really one for progressive rock so maybe a third of this album was not for me. But it was well produced and sounds like a bunch of dudes jammin

Enjoyed after a relisten. Ozric Tentacles definitely liked this. Oh apart from the last track. Dire

I’m usually a sucker for prog rock albums but this is a bit beyond me.

всё ещё не самый странный прогрок что я слышала, но скучно, не оценила

OK, nice, but not nice enough to warrant re-listening. 3/5

Interesting

I've been a fan of their album Brain Salad Surgery for over 15 years. This is the first time I've heard this one. It's not bad. My favorite is the keyboard parts. However, I have found the overall style of their sound on this album to be a little tiring.

prog rock vibes but then it got a little bit lost there

Aika hauska, siedettävän pitunen moiseksi kikkailuksi, joten toimi

First, prog rock is not my thing. Having said that the opening 20+ minute composition - Tarikus- was excellent. However, the rest was inconsistent. You just don’t put the closing track - are you ready, Eddy? - on the same record as the opening track.

kinda nice

étonnant

I wasn’t looking forward to the 20-minute title track, but it was better than I was expecting. Palmer’s drumming is the standout and the fast time signatures give it a car-chase feel. Emerson’s playing is brilliant but the over-reliance on organ is a bit grating to my ears. The addition of Greg Lake’s guitar in the second half makes for a more expansive sound. Side two, has a few nuggets like “Bitches Crystal” and “Infinite Space” but the inclusion of rag-time piano, old-time rock n’ roll & gag-tunes is in sharp contrast to side one and even some of the songs on side 2. I read Emerson & Palmer were bickering about side 1 and maybe this is what the compromise led to? For a more consistent and fuller sound, as well as a few epic tracks including “Take a Pebble”, I prefer their self-entitled LP released the prior year.

ELP's brand of prog is often accused of being pretentious, bombastic and overblown and I can't argue with that. However, the 20 min title song Tarkus is in my humble opinion one of their best songs, right up there with Lucky Man. It's unfortunate that they couldn't maintain this level of excellence for the next 18 minutes because the quality falls off a cliff starting with Jeremy Bender and ends with a rock n' roll number where they try to channel Jerry Lee Louis in Are you ready Eddy. I'm still shaking my head at that last number.

Still the best album about an armadillo-tank hybrid waging war…and is it just me or is ‘Jeremy Bender’ about fist fucking nuns?

prog!

Eh

Usual fun from ELP, breezes along in it's noodly way. Finishes on a surprisingly straight-up rock and roll number which was great fun. Leave on a high and leave 'em wanting more.

Although I greatly enjoy progressive rock as a style in general, I found this album very disappointing. It's a perfect example of one of the golden rules skilled musicians need to keep in mind: that music is played well from a technical point of view does not mean that it sounds good. Where most prog bands opted for multi-layered or even many-layered songs or alternatively for a wall of sound approach, ELM had a pretty minimalistic approach to prog rock. And well, it just doesn't sound good. And without any particularly good or catchy songwriting to back it up, technical prowess only gets you so far. Especially when vision and ambition are sort of limited in scope as well. Of course, the album never sounds "horrible" and there are a bunch of good solos and other nice parts. But as a whole, Tarkus seems like a one-and-done.

This is crazy Weirdly enough, the 20 minute titletrack is the worst part of this album.

Some sexy guitar in the first track that I loved. Otherwise it’s decent.

Solid album. The focus is on instrumental parts. Keyboards and organs play a large role on the album. Long compositions that keep surprising. Time and a Place is a nice track with vocals.

Liked it more than I thought I would.

Rock psicodélico, con sintetizadores, muy instrumental y con pianos entremezclados

OK, I was surprised how much of the album has influenced other bands (hello, Primus and yesterday's album by Muse). As with most proggy stuff it is evident that EML can play well. Playing your instruments well is not always enough and this album dragged on dur to the jammy indulgence.

oo would appear ambient or otherwise nonverbal, maybe. But then the intense music kicked in and i was meh 3 stars but I kinda wish it was more.

Love the title track... 2nd half of the album is forgettable though... shame

Surprisingly enjoyable

Second half sounds unfocused and unfinished, and the opening suite is not strong enough to pull this into 4+-star territory. Cool armadillo tank tho.

It definetly has its moments but it fluctuates a bit much.

Prog rock af

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

This was alright. Pretty noodly and goofy sounding sometimes, but definitely some cool bits. Might come back to this if I'm in the mood.

Good highs but also pretty bad lows, still a fun listen and I will visit this one back every now and then.

Many hours as a freshman spent listening to this in my college dorm room. Oh what a lucky man, I was.

Eh idk. Mixed feelings

This was pretty dope

OK, another band from my "ought to listen one day" list (along with most other Prog Rock bands), so this list is working to that extent! First reaction: Side One seems a bit bombastic and overwrought - earning the reputation that cynics give to this genre - with occasional passages of genuine interest to me. [Side note: Is it fair to expect better lyrics from intelligent and gifted musicians (as anyone who can compose and play such complex music must be) than from their heavy metal contemporaries like Black Sabbath? I'd have thought so.] Side Two's shorter songs were more engaging to me.

I owned the original vinyl of this back in the day. I was a fan of Emerson’s previous band, The Nice. I was always a sucker for any band that did strange cover versions & they certainly did quite a few - wacky covers of Dylan, Bernstein, Brubeck, Tim Hardin, etc. so when Emerson broke up the band & formed ELP, I went along for the ride. I don’t remember ever hearing the term Prog Rock at the time. I hadn’t heard this for decades. I decide to listen to it on my phone while I went for a walk. As it turned out, The weather was overcast, windy & rainy & this seemed the perfect setting for the frenetic Side One. Side Two’s more straight-forward songs are less compelling, especially where vocals are involved. But, overall, It was an interesting listen.

Vaya racha de flipaeras. Ayer el Hot Rats de Frank Zappa y hoy este de Emerson, Lake & Palmer. La versión original son 7 canciones y unos 38 minutos. En el vinilo en la cara A había una sola canción de más de 20 minutos y 7 partes seguidas y en la cara B incluye 6 temas cortos. A pesar de lo particular se me hizo bastante más interesante que el de Zappa.

I was very very young at this time.... :-)

Not aged well - at all. Tarkus - the track is the best by dar.

Beautiful music but a little too much randomness? For me. I like the lyrics and theme though

Eh this was alright - very early 70s rock sounding. 7/10.

Liked it better the last ELP I listened to. Seemed more focused.

Rock progresivo

good prog, but not my favorite

I didn't really like it all that much, honestly.

Enjoyable but long AF

I wanted to like this more than I did. Lots of good things going on but there were also some overly clever/complicated parts that brought the whole thing down for me. I ended up listening to it twice and the second go brought the score up by about a star.

Hearing this for the first time in 2022, makes me wonder what it must have been like to drop the needle on the album back in ‘71. I think somewhere in the 50 years that have past since its release it has lost something. I have heard of the album before and am definitely familiar with ELP, but I have never actually listened to it. Talent-wise, the band gets a solid 5/5. Knowable songs: 1/5, and like-able songs… maybe a 2/5. Favorite track: A Time and a Place. Least favorite: Are you Ready Eddy.

Solid

What an enjoyable listen, I knew of their song Lucky man but had never given them a listen. I feel like we should be playing D &D and slaying dragons.... +1 intellect and +1 Stamina for listening to the whole thing.

Not bad. A little weird at times but good instrumentation. I was familiar with their music but never heard this record.

Vage muziek, klinkt in eerste instantie erg rommelig, maar het heeft wel wat! Veel gekke overgangen, verschillende melodielijnen door elkaar en verschillende instrumenten en stijlen door elkaar. ***

Very long opener, album as a whole very prog. Not great, but can appreciate the skill involved in making it

3.5...I am just not a fan of the Prog Rock.

For me, I have to be in the proper mood to listen to a lot of Prog, that being said, ELP are one of the best in the genre, so I was optimistic to listen this record. The playing is top notch and you're not gonna hear any chart topping singles, but it's a little self-indigent at times and I sometimes don't have patience for really long songs. Overall, it was enjoyable, though they have better albums. The cover art is cool!

What to make of this? Ambitious, pompous at times, energetic, self indulgent, frequently enjoyable and frequently ignorable. There’s something undeniably absorbing about the music but maybe something a little off putting about the concepts and the lyrics. May require further listening to appreciate.

Must say I love that album art… Well you can tell it’s prog by just looking ay the length of song one ( tarkus) it’s 20 minutes long. Probably alongside djed by tortoise as the longest song on the generator. I probably wouldn’t go back to it due to its sheer length but Unlike djed this is actually quite cool seamlessly going through different sections, and at least this one has lyrics! Then is Jeremy bender, one of the shortest songs on the generator. It’s okay it’s got some nice piano work but the handclaps feel out of place. Bitches crystal is okay it has it’s moments just really forgettable. Then is the only way ( hymn) it’s cool and works well on the album theres something not quite great about it though and I can’t put my finger on it. Now for an instrumental track infinite space ( conclusion) it’s alright just nothing special. The penultimate track a time and a place is the album’s heaviest moment so nice and dramatic. The album ends on are you ready eddy just an okay little pop rock song to be honest. The album’s alright, I’am not a fan of the sequencing at the end but it’s still a fine work.

Interesting instrumentals. Not bad, but not great.

ELPs TARKUS delivers exactly what it is, an edgy prog-rock album. This list is turning me into a prog-rock fan and while this isn't my fave of what I've been hearing, it was a good listen. 3.5/5.

Prefer Brain Salad Surgey

Prog

This album should be 5 stars based on art work alone

Feel like an interplanetary camel stuck in the desert with two keyboards and one synthesizer

I liked this better than I thought I would

progrock

I like prog rock because you never really know what you're going to get, and that was certainly the case with Tarkus. Unfortunately, things were a bit too all over the place and nothing really clicked for me. Some solid sounds, but for me the finish wasn't there.

Weiß nicht so recht was ich hiervon halten soll. Erst 20 Minuten Prog Rock gedudel, dann ein Sammelsurium an verschiedenen Stilen. Das musikalische Können muss man aber honorieren, daher 3.

My wife made me a cake once, she threw all the ingredients into a bowl, mixed and tossed it into oven. 30 mins later we had some bits of really good cake, but most was just a raw flour and egg mess.

This kind of kicked ass!

I suspect the album will not be quite as badass as the album art. Oh yay a 20 minute suite of songs. I mean, I'm ok with prog rock. I like Lucky Man. I saw Yes in concert as a teenager. But there's a line and this is over it. Not offensive just a bit too much. Maybe I would have liked it back in the day, but that day was before my day.

Some solid prog rock.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Tarkus

I don't care much for 20 minute songs but that's more of a side effect of modern listening habits. Overall I enjoyed it, but not crazy about it

I've always been a little fearful of prog rock, but this is good. For a start, there's one point for the cover art, featuring an armadillo tank. Maybe it's the restraint required by the LP format - two sides of no more than around 23 minutes per side, so no time for an epic fantasy excursion. I think I preferred side one, the proggy masterwork, rather than the individual songs of side two. But all up, the album works as a whole, with a pleasant jazzy afternoon vibe among the ambitious prog.

I've heard the title track many times in high school but never realized it until now. Twisty strange prog rock that's somehow easy to listen to, even with nonstandard instrumentation and genre-bending riffs. taking off the nostalgia glasses I can't justify giving this beyond 3/5, but I'll be revisiting this title track for sure

Fascinating use of the Moog Synthesizer

A rough beginning, but the rest of the album has some great stuff. And of course the album art.

This was a nice experience. A progressive rock that really looks progressive and sounds erudite. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Good point for not be a long album. 40/50 min for an album in this style is more than enough for me (especially for progressive music where the albums are frequently too much long).

Certainly fun, but not something that I would turn to in a heartbeat (which, I think is where my "5" rating is coming from)

Reminded me of a poem I once read about Michael Schumacher riding an ostrich into the sun.

Interesting, but could have done with a bit more vocals and guitars

trippy bro

Decent prog rock. The title track is an epic kaiju between Tarkus and other monsters. The other tracks felt like incomplete ideas. There were some highlights, like the first minute of "A Time and a Place", but its maturation is a bit underwhelming.

Ehh. not the worst thing I've ever listened to. Can't imagine really wanting to revisit it though

OK to zone out too. A bit too wandering for for my taste.

Too indulgent

Psychedellic vibe. I enjoyed it, but I think I didn't pay enough attention to the music and the meaning.

nah

Different, but actually good! Was expecting this to be old fashioned.

No conozco la historia detrás de esto y me dio hueva leer la compleja explicación de Wikipedia de lo que en ese momento se llamaba rock progresivo, estoy algo confundido con los cambios de trascendental awestern a vampirico caricaturizado a rock and roll, pero, pues interesante. La primera canción, give me that trippy-ass shit all day: larguísima y llena de altibajos cósmicos que actualmente parecen ser el pan de cada día del post-rock y del metal progresivo. La mayoría del resto de las canciones me parece que tienen la vibra de un videojuego clásico de 8 bit del viejo oeste y el track "The only way" como una versión inocentona del soundtrack del Castlevania. lol. Chido pero creo que no regresaría a este disco.

No lo escuczzzzzzzzzzz

Creo que mi acercamiento con el prougreesivoo ha sido escaso. Fue una linda experiencia escuchar toda la amalgama de sonidos y ritmos, sin embargo lo dejaría para moods muy específicos. Las dos últimas me gustaron especialmente, sobre todo "A Time and a Place". 6.5/10

Pretty cool. I liked some of the themes going through the album. Low end was masterful. Enjoyed it, just not my favourite. Came off a bit pretentious at times but that's prog rock for you. Would have ranked 3.5 if possible.

Cool prog stuff

Prog rock ain't my thing.

20 min long song was a bit overwhelming

Another concept-y album. First song is 20 min long

asså ganska bra ändå. jag gillade det

Prog rock. Not as enjoyable as prog metal but I’ll take it.

The centerpiece of this album is a 20-minute prog rock anthem/suite about an armadillo fighting a manticore. Civilization might have been a mistake. Best track: The Only Way (Hymn)

An album with a lot of great, big instruments, which really gives you that gigantic epic, marching-type prog-rock. Maybe a bit to much at times, but some parts I really liked

Fun

This sounded a bit calculated, which makes sense for prog rock. I think I liked it?

Ridiculous and not always in a flattering way. The Bach inclusions are good, and suggest an orientation to composed music which is too rare in popular music. However, as always, I wish that more prog bands would take that inclination further. The opening suite relies on the mythology and packaging around it, I think; In isolation it's rather quotidian. That said, at least it's a 20-minute suite. The B-side opens poorly, with a very silly song, but I felt myself warming to it over time. The ending number was quite endearing, a simple last laugh.

eh just run of the mill 70s prog rock, i've heard worse but also way better. probably wouldn't listen again but that's just cause i don't care enough about this stuff, altho I would be tempted to add the 20min song to any prog playlist etc.

This was a tough album to get through. Never been much of a fan of these guys. This album reinforced that idea. Dream Theater of the 70's....

Did not like this. Great musicians, but the music is overblown and the lyrics pretentious. This kind of music is the reason punk rock exists.

Never heard in its entirety before. I am a big prog fan. There have been other albums in this project I have given 2 stars to purely for not really being my thing. This album doesn't get that excuse. This album sums up why you are always having to justify prog to people who don't get it... nothing more than 3 very talented musicians showing off. Pretty much devoid of all decent songs or memorable moments. Insanely forgettab

Fine, but forgettable

I think my problem with prog is the same as my problem with Jazz; sometimes people just fucking about without concern to whether it flows well or is engaging. Every band member just getting their shit in. I don’t know much about ELP. For some reason I always thought they made music like Crosby Stills and Nash but that is just me being dumb about three name band names. This album had a lot of good ideas hidden behind all the noodling. I guess there was a story about an armadillo? Why? How high was everyone in the 70’s? That said I like my music weird and if this was tighter I would have probably enjoyed it more. I might check more out from this band. 2.5 stars

Shite.

I like prog, but maybe a little later than this. The synths sound really dated, and kind of cartoonish. Which is a shame because I did like the singer's voice. When there were more guitars in the mix, I did enjoy it more. Still, I didn't really enjoy it that much.

Cheesy interpolations of highly recognizable riffs/motifs. I love progressive rock and could not get into this.

Insanely outlandish and proggy. Feels a lot like Rush, before Rush as we knew it became a thing. (But admittedly, I'd rather just listen to Rush.)

I remember this album from my dad's record collection as a kid, and always thought the cover art was super cool. When I actually heard the album, I was less enthusiastic about the music. This just isn't for me. It basically feels like some song snippets interspersed with Keith Emerson noodling on his organ. And those songs are just okay. My favorite tracks are probably the ones actual fans of the album don't like much -- "Jeremy Bender" and "Are You Ready, Eddie?" 2.5 stars.

This whole album sounds flat. I feel like I've never heard an album that is literally just keyboards and drums. It's missing the depth and textures I enjoy in music. The voice is also sounds modified so it's more harmonic I guess? Idk it just sounds bad. wanky piano 2

Not a fan, feels too overstuffed and frenzied

20 minute intro? It must be a prog rock album. This might sound naive, but it’s hard for me to distinguish between the various prog rock albums on this list, they all sound a like.

I get now why people mock prog rock. This is just so up its own bum.

this is like cartoon music

Deeply pretentious. Who listens to this kind of music? I’ll give it 2 stars because they can clearly play their instruments.

Maybe 955 albums ago I would have thought this was unique and different but at this point it's just another acid trip album that meanders around found nowhere, but at least this time it was fast

not my thing sorry brad

1 keeper in 7 (14%). We get back into the whole one side = one track thing which is killing my math. Giving Side A a half keeper bumps this up to 1.5 in 7 (21%) which feels like cheating but this album, while certainly not for everybody, is not a 1 star. 2 stars by hook or by crook.

At some point the first „song“ was just giving Mario Kart lol

Urgh, prog rock it's going to be all twiddly and folk isn't it? It's OK you can do this, it's only 7 tracks. You'll be through this in no time. Yeah you're right, I mean this is why we're doing this right? Try out new music expand your horiz - TRACK ONE IS TWENTY MINUTES LONG?!?

Annoying from the start.

Skip TARKUS and instead listen to ELP's best album, BRAIN SALAD SURGERY (which, inexcusably, is not on this list).

Not the album by ELP I would choose.

Liked: 1,2,5 Disliked: 3,4,6,7 Total Songs: 7 Ratio: 3/7 Converted Score: 2.14/5 Top 3 1. Tarkus 2. Infinite Space (Conclusion) 3. Jeremy Bender

This is the kind of prog I don’t like. Preferred the second half but there were only a few moments I actively enjoyed

Not for me

I enjoyed the vocals and some of the guitar work, but that organ/synth was very overbearing.

There were a couple of times when I thought, this isn't too bad. But then the Hammond organ kicked back in & it was just too much

I last had a go at this album in 2012, when I went through a months-long unhingement and listened to everything by ELP, Yes, King Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator, et al, to see if I liked prog rock. Conclusion: not much, apart from Jethro Tull, because I was charmed by the leggings. I just prefer prog that's a little more warm-blooded – long noodly keyboard bits don't do anything for me. I really wish I liked the music, though, because a kaiju-adjacent armadillo-tank fighting a manticore is so hilariously fantastical and fun. Manticores don't get the appreciation they should. I'll give it kudos for that lore and for being a more listenable album than Pictures at an Exhibition.

This album also didn't convince me that prog-rock is as great as many people think it is. I just don't really think it's a genre I broadly like. The album is a bit of a mess. Side 1 is the only sorta cohesive bit and side 2 seems like a completely random mix of unrelated tracks Standouts - 2/5

Admittedly, I am relatively unfamiliar with messrs Emerson, Lake or Palmer. I do have a special distain for British prog rock, long songs (unless their subject is Alice or her restaurant), and synth-heavy recordings. So, this sucks balls. It contains none of their hits, provides nothing interesting (your '70's Casio keyboard is not interesting), and might be the most boring prog rock I've ever heard. This 2* album should be cut in favor of the vastly superior prog rock/supergroup A Perfect Circle's Mer de Noms which is a clear 4*

Not for me

The transition between 20 minute Jazz/Prog-rock odyssey to Jeremy Bender made me laugh so fucking hard.

Sometimes they would get in a deep pocket that I liked but then go into the goofiest splat of notes. Guess I don’t love prog tooooo much lol.

I already forgot it even tho I listened yd? I think it was kinda funky

*1971. *Ugh, this is so much synth and aggressive piano. There were occasional melodic, nice bits, but not many of them... *Do not like. RATING - 5/10

Really not a fan of this album!

Lame and boring, just like almost all prog. "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should." - Dr. Ian Malcolm

It is a very much "of the time" record and hasnr dated well, a 20 minute track as an opener is off putting. I always thought Keith Emmerson was a show off.

If dorks played keyboard instead of Dungeons and Dragons. Before greasy hair and wolf and moon t-shirts, there were stetsons and ELP t-shirts. A seven-chapter song (labelled in roman numerals, of course) about a transformer which sounds like it's marching through the streets of Blackpool, taking out wurlitzers, and looks like the Glasshouse in Gateshead. It emanates geek, and I can't get past that. The music isn't especially good either. All marks awarded are for the guitar only.

45 seconds into this album I new I wasnt going to like it. 38 minutes and 37 seconds later, I was right. There is nothing in this me. Apparently this is an important Prog Rock record, but to me it is just boring

Definitely an improvement over the dire Pictures At An Exhibition, but still not for me. There's definitely some talent, here but it's so mired in a grandiosity that frequently feels overbearing and pompous. It's no wonder my favourite track was Infinite Space (Conclusion) which was essentially just a piano solo.

Still a bit too much noise for my brain to handle.

Apple music describes Emerson as a keyboard genius, but at least on this record it sounds like he only had access to a Fisher-Price keyboard. I appreciate what they were going for but the execution was just too goofy for me.

I'll start with what i liked: i always admire ambition, the playing is obviously high quality and i liked the cover art. However, ive really struggled with prog as it just sounds indulgent and shit. It wants to be jazz, but for middle aged white men with no rhythm or soul.

Prog just ain’t my jam. I have never craved long organ solos and you can change time signatures as many times as you want but in the words of Shania Twain…. That don’t impress me much! 1.8

God this was hard work. I like hearing the origins that paved the way for music that I do like. But this is just too proggy and wanky.

Prog nonsense, not an enjoyable listen

As pt 2 of our Shinkansen journey to Hokkaido I lost patience with this one quite quickly, maybe would be more appropriate as a backdrop for a train journey through out of space in a fever dream

The opening song on this annoyed me so much

EL&P take a 38 minute album and somehow make it feel like an hour and a half. Ambitious and audacious; it is constantly interesting. The problem is that it's never engaging. It's as though their musical ideas are entirely intellectual conception, and never emotional inspiration.

Considering vocalist Greg Lake also provided the lead vocals to arguably my favourite prog record in King Crimson's debut offering, I tried to like this but I'm ultimately left cold on this. The showboat organ noodling of Keith Palmer drove me up the wall. The meat of this album is the 20 minute opening suite that takes up the entire first side of the record. While there are some interesting parts and all the players are extremely talented at their respective instrument, this isn't something that I would rush to sit through again. The second side is full of filler. The album ends on a hokey old school rock 'n' roll track that doesn't fit in with the vibe of the rest of the record. Well I enjoyed this a lot more than the ELP live record I got from this project, but I'm still not a fan of their style of prog.

Even for prog rock, this shit is weird

⭐⭐- Progressiv rock. Detta var Inte min grej, det blir för ostrukturerat och för lite driv för mig. Första halvan är Tarkus ett spår på 20 min, andra hälften är mer traditionellt, tycker nog bättre om den halvan. Hatar det inte men det är aldrig på den nivån att det är något spår som verkligen lyfter och står ut på ett sätt att jag känner att jag vill komma tillbaka till det. Har svårt att se att jag någonsin kommer lyssna på det här albumet igen, det blir en svag 2a.

kinda too weird to be enjoyable for me

There’s no focus here. What’s happening?

I have a soft spot for prog and this was a lot even for me

The first song being 20 minutes didn’t set it off to a good start it was very repetitive and every time it sounded sorta good they just seemed to over do it and made you wonder if all the noise was intentional or just doing whatever and hoping it sounds good enough. The rest of the songs were an improvement but really wasn’t anything special.

No estuvo mal. Me sorprendió la canción de 20 min.

Aars. Het feit dat er af en toe wel leuke ideetjes op zitten én het oprecht een van de hardste albumcovers heeft, redt het van 1 ster doom.

De armadillo tank is niet echt hij kan je geen pijn doen.

Too jazzy

Pointless.

meh not for me - i did like infinite space (conclusion) more than other songs

Förstår inte. Avskyr även 70-tals prog bastrumme soundet. Plattaste skiten någonsin

I made it through the first half of the first song and then skipped it. I failed the trial, died in the eruption etc, anyways the land behind it is nice.

I thought I remembered liking this group. I was wrong.

I, uh…i dunno. I don’t think it’s talking too much out of school to say the title track just sounds like a bunch of aimless keyboard plonking? And for a track that makes a note to have (seven) distinct sections, none of them sound very different from each other, if really at all. I liked the second side better; shorter tracks and somg different ideas. Bitches Crystal is pretty cool.

Cool album cover

Not my jam - similar to ELO or some Pink Floyd but not that great. 2

Prog Rock 🫠

album cover rules

r we hearing these lyrics what

So this is why prog has the reputation it does

For my sins, I quite like side one of this

Not as bad as I was fearing but yeah, this isn't my thing. Are You Ready, Eddy was a low point.

I’m starting to think 1001 albums is too many

< the Beatles

Fenget meg ikke. Føles ut som de prøver litt for hardt å tøye grensene.

fav songs: none but the armadillo looks cool prog, distant, dense 30/100

Sometimes quite o.k. but overall too much doodledoodle.... 1,5

Hmmm. A prog rock epic. But honestly it feels rather pedestrian to me - a lot of experimentation a w the same thing over and over. And the rest of the songs? In the end I found this not very compelling.

02/05/2026 20 minutes for a song just isn't right. The album was a bit of a stinker. Spotify listeners: 1.3 million

Weird, not my favorite, but not the worst thing ever. The 2 star rating is purely based on starting the album with a 20-minute song for no good reason

I guess it's alright, not something I'd comeback to

I was born missing the prog receptor in me brain so this sounds like noise. Kinda like being at a battle of the bands where all the bands play simultaneously. I realized that Pictures at a Exhibition was not a one off, this is the legit sound.

Prog rock album. First track is almost 21 minutes. Overall I’m not a fan. There’s some interesting stuff but for the most part I think it’s a little juvenile in a way? Wouldn’t seek out, kind of turns me off of the band all together.

4/10 Best songs: Are You Ready Eddy? There's something really good about this album, but you kind of have to dig for it - it's hidden behind the frequent atonality, discordant instrumentals, and lack of hooks/interesting lyrics at all. I think I'd like it a lot more if it had been made in the last 20 (or even 30) years - I feel like they would've been amazing with a few dance beats or the use of any computers at all. As it stands, the music just doesn't quite work for me... With the exception of the final track, which is a complete tonal shift and sounds like it's coming from a different band all together.

nope

I’m not against a ~20 minute track but I didn’t find the cohesion across that length to find the journey worthwhile. Would I relisten?? Probably not, but on writing this review I feel I need to relisten to understand my conflict upon trying to give it a score… … overall 2.25/5 a bit too experimental for me I think, but on another day I think I could see myself anywhere from 2-4

Im not prepared to this music. Not for me

Technically it's all there but it's seriously lacking in any kind of feel. I hear Pink Floyd comparisons but it lacks the biting aggression of Waters and the blues-soaked soulfulness of Gilmour to get anywhere close. It all gets a bit dull about 5-10 minutes in and I largely lost interest until A Time and a Place, which was decent.

Hoe begin je een album met een tune van 20mins haha, los daarvan heb ik wel stukjes gevonden die ik chill vond om te luisteren, progrock is over het algemeen niet voor mij.

Prog Rock! Not a genre I have spent much time with, and the closest I have come to getting into it is my love of Primus (including Claypool's favorites like Rush and King Crimson.) I know I'm familiar with the NAME Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, but can't remember a single song title. Maybe I'll recognize one of these tracks? This is OK, sounds almost kind of jazzy at times. "Aquatarkus" got a little ridiculous at times. I did not recognize any of it. I might give it 2.5 stars, maybe, but definitely not 3.

I was assuming this was going to be really bad just from my pre conceived notions on 70s psychedelic music. But it wasn't a terrible listen. It was interesting.

How have I never seen this cover? This cover should be way more famous. Okay, and now that I’ve listened to it, I see why the cover isn’t more famous. What a damn shame. Poor tank armadillo thing…

Mooooom Can I PLEASE take the Tarkus to town?? I ate all my human chow!! What do you mean I have to feed the Tarkus if I want to take him?? He loves the road, it's all the food he needs. I know he sort of shoots that weird slime from his snubnose Armadillo face when he's hungry but it's not THAT poisonous. Oh that was one time, the case is closed. Well we're in recess. Ok, I won't say armadillo again, jeez, sorry, Tarkus. Great, now he's powered down. I should've bought a less sensitive animal based war machine. Maybe that new Borgus with the hippo head and body of a B-52 bomber would take me into town to pick up my small order of ferrets who juggle. 2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: look at them go! They're juggling.

having a song titled Bitches Crystal is pretty funny, but everything else here was wayyy out of my enjoyment. Tarkus is 20 minutes of noise, and dont get me wrong, I love this era of experimental rock, especially when they come up with something pretty special. I guess Prog rock is just not my thing, its a little too on the weird side for me. I guess I wish it were a little more coherent across the whole listen, also the length doesnt do it any favors.

1.5

This album definitely happened. I liked the first track, but then the album drifted off into just being noise in the background. I don’t even remember when the album actually ended, just noticed at some point it was quiet. 2.25 / 5

Har svårt för väldigt progressiv rock, det här var inte heller min grej. Några bra låtar och partier men på det stora hela ganska osammanhängande och ointressant. 2:a.

la portada ta wapa, lo de dentro ya tal

I only partially enjoyed the second half of the album. Favorite track : The only Way

The worst of pro rock.

- Did not enjoy the opening minutes-long cold, dated synth jazz intro on a 20-min song... but it got better at the fake xylophone section and when the warmer vocals came in. - I'm still on "Tarkus" as I write this - There are some interesting instrumentals from clearly talented musicians, but they feel more manic and jazzy than I like. They kind of melt into more accessible moments, but the experimental moments of grate on me because they sound fun for the musicians, but less for me listening, and I don't feel like they fit the rest of the song. Please, let it end, already - it's just noodling without an enjoyable direction. - I'm on the shorter songs now, and I only really like the singer's voice. The keyboards are just so in your face - it's too much. We get it, Emerson, you like to fuck around on the keys. - The lyrics are similarly uninspiring. - I can definitely see why so many people describe this as pretentious.

This did not age well

The Little Richard-style Are You Ready Eddy? is such a balm after all the prog rock wankery, but it's very out of place.

When you listen to ELP you realize how poppy and catchy Steely Dan actually is. Look, I’m not sure who the first track is for? Honestly. The only reason this gets a two and not a one is “are you ready eddy!”

picks: tarkus, bitches crystal