Tarkus

It was hard to listen to the first time and there won’t be a second time. The first song being 20 minutes long was like a roller coaster that I couldn’t get off of. Maybe if I were super high it would have been more enjoyable?

"Of it's time"....!!! Been a long while since I heard this, & hopefully it'll be a long while before I hear it again.

Are You Ready Eddy is cool. No thanks on the rest!

Not for me. The 20 minute, organ-led title track is absolutely tedious, while the 2nd half is a little better but still bounces around between prog rock and honky tonk.

Disjointed, awkward keys. This one did not resonate with me at all.

Maybe if I listen a couple more times I might enjoy it more? Maybe but doubtful

4.5/10

dident like it

Random and overstimulating. A lot of conflicting sounds. This was a unique experience but I didn’t really enjoy it much.

I don't really like prog rock, and this is the prog-rockiest of them all. Some good runs in here, particularly the title track, but it doesn't do it for me.

Not for me. 2/10 - SC Interesting prog rock album that is very keyboard focused. First song could have been split up into multiple songs as it has distinct sections that don't really tie in well with each other. The rest of the songs aren't very remarkable, but overall has some fun arrangements. -mitona This is the first album I just had to hard pass on. After the first minute of the first song I just know it's not something for me. -germ

It's kind of a relief when the Title track ends. So long, so repetitive. For Why. I got so tired of the album so fast.

Definitely music, but very “busy” and so many notes don’t a great song make. Melodies are really a strong suit here either, likewise too much dissonance at times for my taste.

Felt like I heard this before, but I feel that often when I listen to prog rock.

Holy prog rock, Batman

Some of this prog music from the 70s is a little over my head

Got some interesting things, some piano segments go crazy, lyrics suck but I will not be listening to this again

I like Emerson Lake and Palmer, but this was not their finest hour. Not something I would necessarily turn off if it came up on Spotify, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it.

The further I progress through this project, the more I am convinced that the author and other contributors to this list, were not qualified for such a task.

So, so prog that it basically becomes jazz. The musicianship is staggering, particularly the keyboard playing. I respect this deeply and do not plan to revisit. This kind of experience is just not really what I'm looking for in my music listening. If you like prog, you'll like this. If you do not, this will not help.

Not cool (or fair) that I had to listen to a 20+minute song to get to a song with my name in it which was over in less than 2 minutes.

Was looking forward to this but honestly didn’t love it. Yeah it may have been new for a rock setting. But, I find the electric jazz of that era holds up better b

sounds very dated 2/5 #musicsky #albumsky #musicchallenge

A high 2. I like prog and this had elements of Oldfield/Yes on the first track but a lot less coherent. The rest was a bit of a mess.

A 20 minute experimental opening track was a choice and a chore. Every now and then there would be a track I really enjoyed. Mostly I was confused and overwhelmed by all the sounds. Listening in tk maxx on a hot day was by far not the best environment. But hey, I'm glad I gave it a go and now I don't have to listen again

she emersons on my lake til i palmer just three guy fucking around with the worst 70s synths ever for like 40 minutes ts so ass. i enjoyed the other elp album (Pictures at an Exhibition) but it was mostly ironically i didn't need more of this

Oh I struggled with this, non a prog rock fan

Great to see ELP's obsession with the organ isn't lost on this record either. In fact they don't even build up to it this time, they just ram you straight into LISTEN TO MY ORGAN CUNTTTT mode. Anyways, this sounds exactly like Pictures At an Exhibition. Not sure why both of these are on here. This was certainly better and more interesting than Pictures At an Exhibition. Tarkus is really the only thing we're listening to here, and with a whopping 20 minute runtime, you better hope you enjoy it. Similar to how 2112 by Rush operates, but at least (unlike 2112), this is enjoyable and not trash. Everything after Tarkus is honestly pretty lame. Just some English guy barking over church organ music. Then a bunch of random shit thereafter, just horrible filler. The last song pissed me off so much, I'm dropping this from what would be a 4, to what would be a 3, until the last song, you get a fucking 2. bro FUCK YOU

wow, what an album to come back to. i have a bit of a history with ELP, when i first became a wanker at roughly 15, i got really into mathrock and prog. i was playing guitar at the time and man i thought i was the shit, my taste in music was so experimental and more intelligent than yours, i listened to music for real thinkers. i still listen to a lot of prog now but i certainly do not listen to ELP. they are easily one of the most pretentious prog bands ever, too up their own ass to spend time actually writing a good song and too focused on writing noodly 'epics' instead of making an actually interesting track that is trying something original, or creating something interesting. crimson is better at doing experimental, genesis and rush are better at songwriting. tarkus is just wankery and every time i go back to ELP i don't want to listen to them compared to their peers and contemporaries. i suppose at the end of the day, prog is a genre about trying new, interesting and challenging musical techniques. and in a sea of brilliant prog artists, ELP feels derivative of them all, without doing forging any unique identity. not a 1 because i really like organs. also the vocalist is pretty good i guess. highlights: 20:43 in Tarkus weakest points: 00:00 to 20:42 in Tarkus

I do like prog but progressive implies some sort of progress in the composition of the track. Until you get to about “a time and a place” this is an incredibly samey album that made 38 minutes feel like a lifetime. This was going to be the lightest 3 of all time until are you ready eddy came on, which was just kinda retarded. I really like the album cover.

ELP bros its so over... I really enjoyed pictures at an exhibition and Trilogy but didn't enjoy a single track off this. I didn't hate any either. Unfortunately after 3 albums in a row that are totally MID we have truly entered the Mid realm of the list. I sure hope more mid doesn't follow... (Spoilers it does, im writing this review late) 5/10

The first song is pretty cool but I’ll never listen to this album again and I’ll pretend it never existed.

Never judge an album by the album art. Album was chaotic, but not in a good way. The Ready Eddy song was annoying as fuck. Enjoyed segments of songs (around 3:20 in the 1st song).

This was close to a 1 for me. The music structure is awkward and made me have the feeling that I was at an uncomfortable social event that I desperately wanted to leave.

Sometimes I can get into progressive rock. This is not one of them.

Uhhhh this was all fine and good until Jeremy Bender came on. WTF kind of song was that?

The piano playing was fantastic. The songwriting itself though? Left a lot to be desired. 2 Stars

This album just sounded so pretentious. They are talented musicians but a little too much guys

What are we doing here? I get the jazz influence, but it’s wayyyyyy too busy. I guess the boys never heard that less is more in some cases. Some of these songs would be much better if they could just breathe.

Это нормальный альбом, просто не очень интересный в контексте всяких Кинг Кримзонов, ЙЕС, и так далее. Заглавный эпик - это всё круто, конечно, и в целом звучит приятно, но сама песня в целом и даже структура альбома, треклиста, во всём этом чувствуется какая-то разрозненность идей. Лучшая песня - The Only Way (Hymn).

Prog is a weird genre to me, in that the best stuff is truly fantastic and worth listening to, but anything below that is just self indulgent at best. This is not the best the genre has to offer. That's the kindest I can be.

Ok, een progrock album? Begint meteen op zn progrocks met maar liefst een nummer van 20 minuten! En daar zitten absoluut hele vette minuten tussen, maar er zitten ook heel wat mindere minuten tussen... Dus hoe beoordeel je een nummer dat 20 minuten duurt? Op de beste stukken? op de slechtste? Ik beoordeel het nu maar gewoon op het gemiddelde; dat was best ok, niet fantastisch, niet verschrikkelijk. Dat is ook een beetje hoe dit album voelt; ze hebben ontzettend veel ideeën en hebben besloten om ALLES uit te werken. Ja cheffies, dat gaat niet werken he? Er zit echt wel wat leuke probeersels in dit album, maar ik had vooral zoiets van hadden jullie dit niet meer kunnen uitwerken? Gewoon 1 of 2 nummers extra? of misschien zelfs een heel extra album; het voelt niet alsof ze niet genoeg inspiratie hadden. Nou, uiteindelijk is dit wel een album wat ook duidelijk maakt wat het nadeel kan zijn van progrock: 1001 ideeën die allemaal niet echt goed worden uitgewerkt. Een soort all you can eat restaurant met een sushi hoek, wok hoek, pizza tent en waar je ook nog een shoarma kan halen. FAVO: Are you ready eddy?

I quite like some prog rock (early King Crimson, PFM etc.) but totally understand why some people hate it. Sadly, I find ELP one of the bands that give credence to that hatred. They are everything that is bad about the genre -pompous, overblown, self-satisfied smugness which really doesn't gel well with my tastes. This one's not for me. One extra star for the cover artwork.

I bought this album when it was first released - didn't like it much then and it's pretty much grandiose and annoying now.

These guys go on tour with this kind of music? Geez. I am curious and afraid to see the people who attend.

Jazzy and orchestral. Gets a bit carried away and lost in its ambition.

Nothing here is as interesting or impressive as they think it is.

Prog jazz? Not terrible but definitely not my thing.

Meh not my thing

Proof that good musicians don’t necessarily make good music. Never got into ELP even though I like prog. The album cover looks like a rejected Transformer idea.

Mostly enjoyed the first song. Rest of album was meh Standout song: Tarkus

2 Hey kids, do ya like prog rock? No? What about extended electric organ solos? No?? What about a giant f*cking weaponized armadillo? Honestly, I’m not really sure what to make of this album. The cover is just about the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen, and the seven-part song associated with it is flat-out egregious - and about six parts longer than it needed to be. If there was any hint of self-awareness surrounding this whole concept, I feel like it could almost work, but the fact that the band really seems to unironically be touting the half-tank, half-armadillo abomination that is Tarkus as as a serious and profound metaphor for war almost makes this laughable to me. Or, at least it would, if my ears weren’t constantly being barraged by piercing electric organ and keys. While I don’t hate the genre, I’ve mentioned before that I’m not the biggest fan of prog rock, and this seems to encapsulate what oftentimes turns me away from it - self-indulgent overcomplication just for the sake of it. Like, it’s cool and all you have a seven-part concept piece to your name, but is it really any good? Tarkus is not in my personal opinion - it’s an annoying slog. The rest of this album is just kind of whatever and mostly forgettable - at least these guys knew to keep things mostly short after subjecting you to that 20-minute opener. I can’t say I really have any complaints with what they offer, though the random reference to the Holocaust in the middle was a little jarring. However, we live in a day and age where reminders of the atrocities feel sadly necessary, so I can’t say I have a problem with it. Not the worst thing I’ve heard, but not really up my alley at all.

I consider myself. Prog Rock fans and do like the talent of ELP, but... this does nothing for me. Let alone the version I listen to was doubly dull with extra versions of the songs. Best thing about album is the awesome cover art!

Sounds like a worse version of the Mario Kart soundtrack. I respect the experimentalism but didn’t enjoy it

the first song is 20 MINUTES??? i appreciate this era for their experimentation and developments with sound...... that being said! not all experiments are W's :) - my notes from while listening

Looking at the album cover was the most interesting part

I love prog...but not like this.

- 1. Song 20 Minuten.. junge. Habe mich zwischendurch gefühlt, als wäre ich in Mario Kart gelandet. Aber habs durchgezogen und zum Ende fand ich es nochmal ganz cool. Wieder mal etwas, was sehr nach einem coolen Soundtrack geklungen hat. Wobei es am Ende dann irgendwie wieder Richtung Mario Kart abgedriftet ist. - der Rest war weird bis ok - hat mich also insgesamt eher kalt gelassen 1,75/5

It's kind of ass, sorry. Feels like sitting through a coworker's show to be nice to them. Thank god for The Stooges and The Velvet Underground because god damn this dragged on

It’s well played. But I don’t care

English 70s prog rock. Chaotic electric organ, synths. Abstract like jazz. Pretty much all I dislike about the genre. Hardly any melody and I dislike those electric 70s organs.

interesting, not my kind of sound, but didnt hate it

Boring trippy sixties music.

Ugh, this is weird. *checks phone after 17mims “Yes, still track 1”

Su mejor disco y aún así es duro y difícil.

Some of the ambitious compositions work, other times it's not so successful. For that I'd give it a 3 but there's a couple tracks that are trying to be funny that have aged terribly. Too bad it didn't all sound like video game music

Weird

Goofy looking armadillo tank on the cover here. I like it. When people talk about progressive rock wankery this is the kind of stuff they mean. How the hell am I supposed to understand that there is a story/concept here without having it explained to me? The title track does some neat things sometimes when it’s not keyboard nonsense for the sake of it. The rest of the album is a mixed bag ranging from plain bad to just ok.

I was expecting something quite different and instead I got all sorts of prog rock mediocrity and a ballad.

Certainly an experience, not great prog rock IMO (are some songs even considered prog rock?). Couldn’t really get into it. Maybe with the right mood, maybe when I’m older? I don’t know. Right just not for me, sorry.

Pas mon style. 2,5 arrondi en dessous.

Ngl I missed half the album by accident but I'm not going back to listen to it

Not this one.

Tarkus is what happens when unchecked virtuosity meets a glaring lack of self-awareness. Keith Emerson dominates the album with his manic keyboard solos, scampering across the synths like a cat being chased, though you can’t help but think those keys should’ve been a guitar. The 22-minute title track is less a cohesive epic and more a disjointed showcase of Emerson’s ability to play really fast. It’s impressive in the way a juggling act is impressive—technically astounding but ultimately empty. For all their technical skill, Emerson, Lake & Palmer seem more interested in showing off than crafting something worth returning to. The album is overly polished but soulless, full of ideas that never gel. Despite its ambition, Tarkus feels half-baked—an experiment that thinks it’s revolutionary but ends up sounding both weird and generic at the same time. Listening to Tarkus is like attending a three-ring circus where the performers are undeniably talented, but the acts don’t flow, and you’re left wondering why you even came. It’s not bad enough to be offensive, but it’s not good enough to warrant a second listen. A few flashes of brilliance can’t save it from its own overblown pretensions.

Slowly realising I don't like prog rock. This is almost drivel. I want to get all the people who rate this album highly in to a room and just question them on various aspects of life.

What in the Yes-Rush-King Crimson was this? I'm so tired of these "let's record a twenty minute epic song and have it be one entire side of our album" bands. It feels like they think they've pulled off a masterpiece of a track, one that should stand the test of time and be revered for ages. But to me, having heard a handful of similar albums to this point, it just feels played out. These long songs feel more like a series of ideas that they couldn't figure out how to extend into one song and instead combined those fledgling ideas into one song. Sometimes that can breed great results, but more often than not it seems to just produce a track that feels a little scattered and whose ideas are shoved together for convenience and not necessarily because they connect thematically. It's a shame. I don't have much else to say about this, honestly. The title track is a monster and is alright. The second side is a bunch of inferior ideas that sound like they're doing their best imitation of a handful of other styles and groups. Two stars. Standout Track: Are You Ready Eddy?

Everything a person hates in one album, a super slow build and it takes 20 seconds to hear anything and I check the volume and output like 5 times before it finally gets going. Then you have a 20 minute song that sounds like you are having a panic attack during the Mainstreet Electrical Parade at the Magic Kingdom. Lastly, an intentional omittance of the oxford comma. The only think I like about this Album is the super cool cover art. A tank Armadillo? Yes please! Bonus Star as a "Tank you" for that.

Not for me. To many keyboard gymnastics for me. Unnecessary notes and overplayed. That's just my opinion though.

Very little of this works. A lot of intricate twiddling and sweeping nut coherent songs are not the result. Even the toe taping final tracks suffers from some discordant tinkering. Couldn't get into the band at the time and now sounds insufferably indulgent.

prog rock is cool and all, but putting half an album on one song is crazy, especially when its just alright

They were jamming alright, and I'm sure they had a good time. Not an unpleasant listen, but not something I'd seek out either. The first track that hit for me was after spotify had autoselected a Jethro Tull song after the end of the album.

It’s prog Jim but not as we know it

My first concert was seeing ELP at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus. I was infatuated with them at the time. That said, this album was never a favorite and hasn't aged well in the interim.

Sounds like people trying to work out what to do with a synthesiser but not quite getting there.

How do you appropriately rate old experimental music? There are a lot of big moments here but a lot of failed experiments. When dialed in it's truly impressive, yet I find myself mostly waiting for what I know they can do. 2/5

Y'know, prog rock? All fine and dandy but this album is some messy nonsense. I really cringed my way through it but found very little to even catch my interest, let alone maintain it. All laboured and try-hard. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Also. An armadillo, as its name suggests, is already quite a tank. This dumbly on the nose cover may be a metaphor. Not sure about my rating yet, it won't be good. [...] in the meantime, I put on Genesis' "Foxtrot". "Tarkus" is really juuuust scratching the 2.

sorry i don't get it

Poeh, het toetsenwerk werkt wel behoorlijk op de zenuwen zeg. Je bent toch blij als de zanger even in de spotlight mag staan. Ev3n rust... Dit album draait om één nummer. De hele b-kant is of herhaling of opvulling. Maar dat ene nummer, zogenaamd opgebouwd, duurt 20 minuten. Dat je het durft uit te brengen joh. Het lijkt mij een gevalletje zelfoverschatting van de toetsenist...

Very psychedelic and strange but I like it. Its easy to bob along to the songs and its easy listening for the most part.

Too much insufferably pretentious meandering progginess for me today.

Posting here because I hit submit on the last Dr Dre review too soon, but what is it with hip hop albums and sex in between tracks? Like what does it add to the album? 'How gangsta, this dude fucks' -- maybe it was a function of the 90s. Ok, back to this album: someone else described it as budget Pink Floyd, and that's all I can think of now.

In a nutshell: a clumsy prog-rock symphony Emerson Lake and Palmer should have committed to the bit. You either go full on, multiple suite concept album like on Side A or “traditional format” from Side B. There are interesting sounds on Side A. Doing things by halves, so to speak, wrecked a potentially good prog rock album. Overall: 4/10

An album to make prog fans dislike prog.

1.86

Felt a little Pink Floyd ish

Experimental / not my fav

Good group. Talented musicians. Not their best album.

It's funny, I like some prog rock. I didn't really like this.

Probably the first prog rock album on this list I didn't like, it just seemed to go on and on. Low 2.

didn't really like it

I was like fifteen minutes in and thinking the album must be almost over and then realized I was still on the first Mt. Everest of a first song. This album has clear influence ties with Yes and similar bands. A sort of has been or maybe never was been kind of album chock full of old tricks that don't work anymore.

1 extra star for the cover art which is clearly the best part of this album.

Mostly aimless drivel until the last song, Are You Ready Eddy? That’s what most prog rock is.

Ugh. Another weird album. It's getting tough to listen to these.

Yeah, it’s ELP alright- Hammond Organ and Mood Synthesizer and it’s iconic - but honestly as concept pieces go it palls in comparison to say Tull’s Thick as a Brick (which probably isn’t on this list). The B side is a weird collection of cast offs, only 1 of which has any merit. Of all the ELP albums to put on this list why this one is beyond me.

Ei-lainkaan-progejantteri meikäläisen syntymäpäivälevyksi sattui ELP:n Tarkus, jonka rapsakka nimikappale on 20+ minuuttinen tilulilukilkuttelu. Oke :D Vasten kaikkia odotuksiani ehkä jopa vähän tykkäsin tästä. Laulu ja sanoitukset lässähti, instrumentaalilevynä olisin nauttinut enempi. Etenkin Tarkus toi mieleen Uematsun progevaikutteita napanneen vanhemman FF-tuotannon. Kannelle 5/5, musiikille kakspuol.

Artsy fartsy with no substance.

Outside a few scattered moments, this fails to engage, and more often threatens to overwhelm. The gratuitous virtuosity is more downside (tedium, vanity, show-offiness) than upside (a sense of awe at the playing). One can vaguely sense the appeal to a certain class of '70s sorta cool-nerd (who would get cooler over time) but doesn't really translate across the decades and now that we have a clearer sense of what prog was all about. The cover art alone requires downgrading by a full point. 2.5 > 2

- I respect the technique, but that is about it. I have admittedly never heard of ELP, but I am not shocked either. This feels pretentious and dated. - The first track is a 20-minute jam session focused way too much in the keyboard. Yeesh. - The other side of the record had some interesting moments (like "The Only Way"), but I really wish it was all more like the final "Are You Ready Eddy?" which was a completely different vibe.

jesus christ prog rock and the dudes who worship are so exhausting and boring

Not bad but not great Psycadelic rock LOT of synth, not all of it is good

Uh... I guess some people get into this? But for the rest of us? It's technically proficient musicians noodling around on their instruments. Boring.

Crikey. This puts the pompous into pomp

Listening to this felt way longer than 38 minutes. I didn't like the first half (song) and it was hard to get past that. Second half had a totally different vibe and was OK. I appreciated some of the jazzy piano parts. Playing the first song on touchtunes would be a good way to clear out a crowded bar. I could also picture really enjoying it if I was tripping in a smoky basement surrounded by tapestry. Favorite song was: 7. Are You Ready Eddy 3/10

Rock experimental. Un poco rollo, la verdad.

I can see everyone's uncle smoking weed to Tarkus and being annoying about this album 50 years later.

# Playlist track - Jeremy Bender # Notes - Too overwhelming. Too much, all the time. - I know and enjoy some other tracks from ELP (C'est La Vie, Lucky Man) but "Tarkus" is just too relentless and neverending. Feels like a wierd mismatch and I couldn't really get it.

2/5

Way too experimental for me. The only times they really shined was when they were covering other music styles.

You know, I had heard of Emerson, Lake & Palmer but I don't think I had ever heard a song from them. If you had asked me to guess what to expect from them, it would not have been this. Even with the progressive aspect, I just found this to be messy and dull. I did NOT like this.

I don't know what I expected when I saw the armadillo tank album cover, but it wasn't this. 2/5

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

There's nothing about this that hasn't been done better elsewhere, IMO.

If I wanted to listen to a bunch of nerds on keyboards run up and down scales in weird time signatures, well, I'd listen to this. But I don't, so I won't. The cover rules though.

I actually didn't hate this. 20min song on a 37min album is a helluva choice tho

uuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhh idk what that was, dude

Rock, Jazzrock, 1971 -> 2

"Tarkus," the sophomore album from Emerson, Lake & Palmer, is an ambitious but ultimately flawed project. While the trio's technical skills and willingness to experiment are evident, the album suffers from a lack of coherence and accessibility. The sprawling 20-minute title track feels disjointed and overindulgent, with abrupt transitions and a confusing narrative. The second half of the album fails to match the ambition of the title track, and Keith Emerson's keyboard dominance often overshadows the contributions of Greg Lake and Carl Palmer. Despite moments of brilliance, "Tarkus" is a challenging and often frustrating listen, earning it a modest rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars.

Conceptual experimental.

Great album sleeve. Not so great music...

it was just all over the place, didn’t feel like an album

Already on board with the armadillo tank art 1. Ok, jazzy and pretty wild first track. Very hyper-active and overstimulating. Holy shit this thing is 20 minutes long!? Oh nice, when the vocals come in, a bit of a chill vibe. Groovy guitar riffs 8:00 in... This is a long-ass song. Marching drums now. Ok. At this point, I think I can safely say I'm not a prog-rock die hard. Jeremy Bender is like an ice-cream truck diddy. Dig it.

Ja ook niet voor mij helaas, the six million jews line took me by surprise

It's ok.

Rock experimental. Un poco rollo, la verdad.

Some of the worst sounds I have heard in album on this list. But, it is interesting and has a great album cover, and that’s all that really matters. Anyone can make good music, not everyone can make interesting music.

Inspirationsloses Geklimper auf die Instrument der 70er. Ein nicht endend wollender Titelsong. Ein bisschen Jazz, ein bisschen Experimentieren und etwas Jive führen eben nicht zwingend zu interessanten Songs. Das schönste am Album ist das Cover - der Inhalt ist schlichtweg mies.

The music of Tarkus is great, the singing is awful. Pretty sure they made up the lyrics as they went. If ELP left this album as an instrumental it would have been a 4 or 5. Sadly it’s pushing 2’s luck.

Correcto.

This is another band on this project that I'd heard of, but not had any actual experience listening to, so I was going into this album with no frame of reference. To be honest, I was expecting a yacht-rock type of album, which this was not. Much more of a prog-rock/jam band style coming from this trio, which is not inherently a bad thing, just not my cup of tea. While I thoroughly enjoy some adjacent bands like Rush, this was too far on the side of Phish to me to want to revisit. The instrumentation was on point, but it was too sporadic and experimental-jazz like for my taste. 4/10

Dull. Great musicians but sprawling and unstructured and self righteous.

Would be cool with guitar

Has several moments when it becomes tolerable....and as soon as you have that thought, it devolves back into hyper prog unlistenable garbage....

Mediocre album. This one is strange. It's prog-y and pretentious in many ways and just generally kind of goofy (and not in a good way in my opinion). It's got some nice moments, and the band is clearly "sophisticated" musically, but it's just not for me. Only the 20-minute long (1) title suite is really very good at all. Back half of the album is forgettable. I think I'm in-or-out on most prog stuff. I'm definitely out on this. **

I had a little excitement getting a chance to dive into some of ELP’s work. unfortunately I didn’t come away feeling excited.

Not my favourite ELP album.

Not great. Too much organ

Rock experimental. Un poco rollo, la verdad.

Pretty terrible, it's like Pink Floyd at their most artsy but they don't really know how to play instruments or sing. Really not a fan

I’m not a big prog rock guy so stuff like this usually has to be amazing to change my mind. This isn’t it

Prog rock bombast that to me sounds like a bunch of jamming for the 20-plus minute title track. There is some pretty good bluesy electric guitar soloing near the end of the title track I enjoyed. I would never have gotten the concept for this song had I not read about it, though. The other tracks are fine. Are You Ready, Eddy? ends things with some old-fashioned rock and roll melodies but isn't enough to raise my rating. 2 stars: I get it, but not for me. Interesting Factoids from Wikipedia: *Side one features the 20-minute conceptual title track written by keyboardist Keith Emerson, the opening of which created friction between Lake and himself that almost split the group, but Lake agreed to pursue it and contributed musical ideas for it and wrote the lyrics. Side two features a collection of unrelated tracks of different styles. *The album was packaged in a gatefold sleeve and features artwork by Scottish artist William Neal, whose armadillo has since became an iconic image in progressive rock. Interesting Factoids from SongFacts.com: *Keith Emerson poured through Greek mythology looking for a name for ("Tarkus"), but came up empty. Inspiration struck when the word "Tarkus" popped into his head when the band was driving back from a gig. It conjured up visions of a tank, so the idea developed to make the new mythological creature an armadillo (because of its armor) with tank treads. Emerson says that the word is completely original, and the only thing he's heard close to it is "tukhus" - a Yiddish word for the rear end. *Always a very theatrical band, Emerson, Lake & Palmer at one point shared the stage with a model of the Tarkus creature, which would blast a foamy substance at key moments. This provided a Spinal Tap moment when during a show that Carl Palmer recalls being in Brighton, the creature was aimed in the wrong direction, and the foam went into Emerson's grand piano. "We had to stop the show and on came the roadies with the dustpans and the Hoover to clear it out," Palmer said. Standout Tracks: Tarkus

I honestly have no idea what I can say about this album. It's just....weird. Like really weird. But also somehow manages to sound kinda normal? But the fact that it sounds so weird and normal at the same time makes it even weirder. Either way, I know that I didn't like it that much. And that's all that really matters for deciding how many stars I'll give it.

So, I played it while drinking last night, and got through the whole thing, I even think I kind of enjoyed the opening 20 minute song a bit. But playing it again this morning, I’m really not sure. It doesn’t bring out the burning passionate hatred I have for other Prog bands, but I’m sure I’m never going to listen to this again, because I don’t like it. Although I’m listening to Infinite Space at the moment and getting quite irritated at the constant plinky plonky piano. I’d have been more interested if it really was so bad I could hate it. But I’m mostly disappointed because I’m just unmoved

This left little impression on me

Quite dull. Was a bit all over the place and kind of sounded like less good versions of other things from the same time. Dare I say landfill prog rock?

Tarkus I liked the pomposity of the Tarkus suite, even if musically I wasn’t as keen on it. The organ jumping around constantly is a bit irritating after a while. I did like the last part, Aquatrakus for its children’s tv show silliness, more so as it clearly was all meant in earnest. The thing that keeps repeating with a lot of these prog rock concepts is that the stories and concepts really aren’t good at all, often incredibly naive and simplistic but dressed up with some pseudo fantastical nonsense to try and impart a sense of artistic heft. In this case an armadillo/tank called Tarkus. Jeremy Bender is quite fun in a baroque pop kind of way. Bitches Crystal is a good title but quite a boring song. Too much church organ vibes. I like the harpsichord like piano on The Only Way, but not so much the melody or lyrics. Are You Ready Eddie is a bit of an unconvincing rock n roll song marred even more by the silly piano flourishes. Strangely I found although most of the songs on the 2nd side are around 3 minutes they felt longer than the Tarkus Suite. I think how I feel about a lot of these prog albums depends on my mood on the day, sometimes they’re fun and silly and then sometimes they’re a drag. This fell into the latter camp for me, despite liking some parts and the ridiculousness of the Tarkus suite. The organ/keys/piano also got on my tits by side two. Way too much like improvised parping jazz trumpet for my taste. I get the skill but when demonstrating the skill seems to be the entire point it gets dull pretty quickly. I definitely preferred Yes and Jethro Tull. I’ll stick to I believe in Father Christmas. ⭐️⭐️

I usually like prog rock, but this was simply not worth listening to.

Really tested my “won’t give anything a 1 star rating” resolve.

Too much man, too much.

Musically it was very technically precise and interesting but listening-wise just missed the mark. I'm sure it was a blast to play though! Fell flat for me otherwise.

Ging für mich in die Richtung Supertramp, aber nicht so gut.

There are some beautiful moments scattered throughout this album. The problem is that there aren't enough of them to make it worth my time.

I mean, the last track was pretty cool? Creating a mostly forgettable 20 minute long album opener is quite an accomplishment. Favorite track: Are You Ready Eddy?

I’m realising that I’m not an ELP fan and I never will be. Just too much. Feels too self absorbed and just arrogant. I feel like this is an album that would be played by your alpha Romeo driving yuppy uncle at a family do, who’s marriage is falling apart for obvious reasons and is just too keen to appear ‘cool’ and thinks this music is relevant. Having said that. It was better than the appalling live album I had the other week 2.1

a little disjointed and unfinished feeling. amidst all the chaos it still didn't sound very original to me. better than a lot of music, but i probably will not return to this.

Some bright spots, mostly turgid. I bet Phish fans would find a lot to love here. That was a slog

This is the type of prog rock music that wants to be really good and ground breaking yet it is just weird and falls flat. A 16 minute song on a 39 minute album is hilarious. A song that sounds like it came out of the 50s however is not. This album is what happens when sometimes you try to be more prog than rock. 5.5/10

The first song was good, the rest jot so great. I don't feel like listening to it again.

20 fucking minutes??????? why tf do all these bands think that's cool. youre not edgy you suck. just separate the song into 5 songs and repent to Jesus.

I have to admit that this album is the victim of my general disinterest in prog rock. Starting an album with a 20 minute song makes this generally not to my taste. It was an ok listen, but this just isn't for me. 2/5.

I feel like this could have been so much better

I'd never heard of this group before, but reading a brief description and seeing that great art work, I thought I was in for a good time. I was wrong. I think I was bored most of the time, while the sounds weren't repulsive they've apparently run through my auditory system like water in a sieve. My brain is damp with the memory that it was there, but that's it. Straight-up 2. Not bad, but I have zero intent to return to it unless someone convinces me otherwise.

Weird prog-rock. Not for me, but I appreciate the level of talent involved.

this was quite an experience but not one i expect to repeat

Did not like it, this prog shit has got to go

Obviously some highly passionate songwriters/performers with high level musical chops. On a personal level I much prefer their guitar and string based arrangements like other ELP albums over Tarkus. The arrangement here is ALL keys…pianos and primitive synths.

I tried for 3 days to listen to this. I really gave it a red hot go, I wanted to love it but it’s not for me. I felt challenged by the music and uncomfortable in my brain while listening to it - not in a ‘wow prog rock changing the genre’ kind of way, just in a ‘how far through the album am I?’ kind of determination to see it through. I’m only here for the album cover.

Preferred what came after song 1. Not really my thing though

Too much jangling.

This was simultaneously the most generic prog rock album ever and the weirdest prog rock album ever. It’s a 7 song, 40 minute album with a 20 minute track that sounds like it could have been made by nearly any prog rock band of the 70s; but it also references the holocaust instead of fantasy or psychedelic etc. type stuff and ends with a completely out of place up tempo rag time type thing. Totally bizarre.

первые 3 минуты напоминил группу Фрукты из Урганта, кайфово звучит. дальше какое-то киношно-театральное сопровождение в конце приятный рок-н-ролл

простите за копирование коммента, но слишком посмешило this album was an experience, but was not an experience i enjoyed. алкоальбом: пьем текилу каждую минуту и под конец танцуем весело

This is as Prog-rock as it gets. A mix of Iron Maiden, Jethro Tull and some jazziness thrown in. This is very mixed album, when Lake is singing it’s good, even very good, that’s the Jethro Tull part. But you can miss me with the lengthy moog and piano jams. While I’m sure this is blasphemy to their fans, you could easily cut out 15 mins and this would be an incredible album 5.2/10

This album is like those rat race cartoons from looney toons. It's really all over the place. There is a cool groovy song and then there is a hymn. I should have done my research before listening to it.

Didn't hate it. 2.5 stars

Couldn't wait for this one to end

My friend and I were just talking about this album. He was amazed that I could pinpoint “the armadillo tank album”. Ironically, if you played any music from this I wouldn’t recognize it. And I know I’ve listen to this album. Let’s see if the 2nd time sticks. Tarkus i. Eruption - ah all the great 70s sounds. Organ / synth? Wonder why this was such a huge instrument then. Incredibly dating. Good intro 4/5 ii. Stones of Years - I assume when he sings we’re here now. Very 70s lyrics. I mean ok. Like the organ solo. 2/5 iii. Iconoclast - drastic shift. Must be here now. Go drummer. 3/5 iv. Mass - more singing. Here? Unsure. This is entertaining. 4/5 v. Manticore - new part, really likes the noodling. 2/5 vi. Battlefield - we are definitely here. Finally name checks a section of the song. I have to admit, these guys are definitely prog masters 4/5 vii. Aquatarkus - and now the ending. Kind of a military march. It’s wild how the synth is doing so much of the heavy lifting. 3/5 I have admit, when it comes to prog, it can be either disjointed or overly long. This does a great job of stringing interesting bits together, and the singular sound of ELP lifts this into one of the better epic songs I’ve heard. Never boring. 4/5 Jeremy Bender - seems very early Pink Floyd. 2/5 Bitches Crystal - you will love these guys if love noodling. You’ll hate them if you don’t. I’m a bit ambivalent, but they are great at what they do. 3/5 The Only Way (Hymn) - ooh. Major misstep. Cringe-worthy. This an album about WWII? I think this might be one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard. 0/5 Infinite Space (Conclusion) - And then it just moves into this. I think a very coherent first half devolves in the 2nd half. 1/5 A Time And a Space - oh man, somebody should have told these guys to stop. 1/5 Are You Ready Eddy? - And here comes flying in a song from a completely different universe where the 50s never ends. Whatever. Stay in your lane people. 1/5 I don’t know if I’ve heard an album fall off a cliff like that. I can’t imagine the people who showed up for the first half of this album, showed up for the 2nd half. So, how to rate. Considering I have one half this album a 4/5 you would think a 4/5. The song Tarkus is a prog masterwork. But the second half averages at a 1.2, with only Bitches Crystal worthy of the 1st half. Evening out it’s like a 2 or 3. Seems like a crime to give this thing a 3 when the 2nd half is so phoned in and disjointed. So, 2/5.

Almost comically over-engineered. Were they so unconvinced by the "grandeur" of their own vision that they added the (pretty lame) rock tunes?There are some interesting bits but it's not enough to make up for the mass silliness on display (not just talking about the cover art, either). Certainly demonstrates some of what was interesting about prog. More definitively indicates EVERYTHING that was wrong with it.

Efter 2 minuter av introt till första låten har jag börjat tröttna... Jag är inget jättestort fan av instrumental musik, och detta är lite för mycket pianospelande. Coolt bältdjur dock. Prel. 2 / 5

I have a nostalgic love of prog and didn't expect this here. Like Meddle and 2112 the second side seems inconsequential. (Though lovely couplet "Why did he lose/six million Jews"!) I'm not a massive fan of ELP. Everything revolves around Emerson indulgent keyboards. (Though I love Lakes voice) Not even for me. 2.5

if i saw this band live i would be standing right in front politely nod my head, with one hand in pocket and the other nursing a beer. halfway through the first song i would go outside to smoke a joint. then i’d come back in and nurse my shitty beer while either reading a book or just staring off into space. the last song was obviously a last minute addition in order to fill out the album. one guy: “guys, we need one more song!!😰” some other guy: *puffs joint* “ah haha lads what if we did like, a shitty 12 bar blues? just for the hell of it? haha we’re so awesome so even a shitty song by us would be amazing. fuck it it’ll take us like half an hour and then the records done. it’ll be fucking sick. *puffs joint*

They were never going to last. Frustrated classical pianist Keith Emerson, showman extraordinaire, famed for playing pianos upside down and jamming knives into the keys. Greg Lake, two-time vocalist of King Crimson, now lending his bass, guitar and vocals to even loftier ventures. And Carl Palmer, drummer with the rapid military precision of a very efficient typist, fresh out of Atomic Rooster. These exceptional musicians, with exceptional egos, formed one of rock’s first big supergroups, launched their debut album in 1970 and then “Tarkus” the following year. By 1977, they were washed up on “Love Beach”, stranded on their own island of irrelevance. (Stop what you’re doing now, listen to “Taste of My Love”, then have a shower, then come back and appreciate the position of “Tarkus” in light of this band’s doomed trajectory). Today, “Tarkus” is an album of reckoning for me. I finally have to square up to something I admired at arms length several years ago, and ask: “is it really any good?”. As a huge prog fan through my teenage years, and even as someone who enjoyed some ELP, “Tarkus” remained daunting and inaccessible: something of a hard limit. The side-long title track never seemed to measure up against the other epics of its day: it lacks the mighty majesty of “Close to the Edge”; the symphonic storytelling of “Supper’s Ready”; the wit and wisdom of “Thick as a Brick”. Yet “Tarkus” predates all of these, so perhaps it performed its steely armadillo roll so other prog opuses could run. Or perhaps the band just didn’t know how to craft a solid, engaging narrative. “Eruption”, the instrumental opening, is Emerson at his finest, trading a handful of keyboard instruments with the grandeur of a concerto. And Lake’s vocals are particularly strong in “Mass”, which is the closest we get to anything especially melodic. The real issue is that the narrative makes little sense: it was described in the vaguest possible terms by Lake as an anti-war and anti-violence fable, addressing the “futility of conflict” and disillusion with revolution. None of this particularly comes across in a story which, going from the imagery and subtitles only, depicts a hybrid between a tank and armadillo going to battle a manticore, losing, and giving way to a new Aquatarkus. Maybe I’ve grown cynical, but it’s just risible: a schoolboy’s doodle on the back of some toilet roll. Even if we accept the story ELP are telling here, it then takes second fiddle to the performances: it’s just the loosest of flimsy frames to hang Emerson’s overbearing, heavyweight virtuosic skills on. By the finale, it’s all but collapsed from the strain of being pulled in different directions. The songs remaining in the album, which come in the form of six tracks on the second side, are a mixture of novelty throwaways and decent half-formed ideas. All of them are incredibly technically accomplished, but that goes without saying. “Jeremy Bender” is a woefully misjudged honky-tonk number about a cross dresser, with handclaps that sound like they were recorded at gunpoint. “Are You Ready, Eddy” is a daft blues romp recorded in celebration of finishing the album, and feels more like a bonus track than a serious conclusion. However, I reserve all my praise for “Infinite Space” and “The Only Way”, which both have some gumption and panache about them. Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer are virtuosos and no doubt about it. The classical theme runs high and heavy, but there were plenty of other influences at play too: the direct inspirations on the album ranged from Bach and Prokofiev, to Dave Brubeck, Floyd Cramer and Led Zeppelin. I just have to accept that in this case, that patchwork monstrosity of talent and influence amounts to a raging armadillo robot and signifies nothing.

Not bad, but not good either. I can hear how this influenced other things I like more, so credit for that.

Pretentious tripe. Well played though, but still tripe.

Neither continuous frenetic jazz nor 20-minute songs will ever be my thing. That being said, there's talented musicians here.

Not my jam. Too much going on

When I checked the album info, I was grateful it was short. There was a pause at the end of what I know was the first track, I felt happy I had made it, but no it carried on. Some of the themes were familiar but not for me

la primera es una fumada de 20' rollo Frank zappa pero un poco menos alternativo y más rock piano.

The band name had me hopeful this was an old country album. It was not and I’d say it’s as below average as its cover art.

I honestly thought there were some amazing parts in the first song (half of the album) but everything else on the album was starting to make me go crazy. It sort of sounded like some of the Frank Zappa music that I don’t quite enjoy. The album cover is fantastic however. (No relation to Emerson)

Mellllllow..... so mellow, it played in the background almost unnoticed. Good chillaxing music, appropriate to afternoons spent in hammocks (or other equivalent comfy locales). Nice but not life-changing. Probably excellent as a wind-down soundtrack before bedtime.

What was it with dudes in the 70's being super into medieval fantasy and making 20 minute long songs with only keyboards. 2/5

I don‘t really get their kind of music (yet?). It has strong but also weird moments. I guess that’s what progressive rock is about.

I've worked out ELP. They should only adapt other people's music. Who seriously thinks 20 minutes of fast scales with a few interruptions makes a good song? The 2nd thing is that Emerson is a very average keyboard player. He plays scales and that's about it. When he tries to bust out some Jerry Lee Lewis he is quite lamentable. If you want to hear someone who could sing from symphonic to a killer impersonation of The Killer, go and listen to Man On The Prowl from The Works by Queen. Freddie nails it.

Prog rock takes itself way too seriously.

weird and not in a good way.

The organ and quirk is strong in this one. My head bobbed a few times and I thought it was turning around but it just keep going, unapologetically, down this path of weirdness that I just could not get into.

Nah. I should have seen the armadillo tank as a red flag.

Not a fan of the keyboard solos

strange

Asking for a curious friend: when a typical song on the radio is 3-5 minutes long, what inspires a band to write and record a 17 and a half minute song? I mean seriously! I get live concerts. A guitar solo gone wild. A drummer needs to let it all out. But a studio recording? C’mon guys! It could be the greatest song in the world and no one is gonna listen to it more than once, let alone the entire duration the first time through. Even better idea, follow it up with a minute and a half track that actually has some legs! I had no idea that popular bands in the 70s were crazy about musical theatre! While the actual musicality is solid, the vocal work gets forced from time to time. For any of its merits, not a replayable album. 2

For 1971, perhaps the most revolutionary year in modern musical history, this album just doesn't stand up against its peers. That being said: props for having one of the dumbest, awesomest album covers in prog rock. The title track is a mind-bending soup of keyboards and indecisive time signatures. The material is complicated, and E/L/P mostly pull it off, but there are points where the band goes noticeably out of sync. The song is almost too adventurous, rarely seeming to revise earlier themes, and introducing wacky new ideas every few bars. The "singing" sections of the suite are fairly strong sonically, but the lyrics are less than compelling. The tracks on side 2 are so tonally distinct from side 1 (piano rockabilly/ragtime, compared to the stupidly indecisive organ-laden heavy rock on the flipside) that I'm also convinced E/L/P has no idea what kind of music they want to make. "The Only Way" is, well, the only way I might see myself coming back to listen to any part of side 1; the other tracks are dated rockers.

Unique and interesting, but not good.

I think the album might be best summarized with a quote from the title track. "Squiddly squiddly, dweee dweee, wahhhh." The first half is a lot of just organ noodling on a twenty minute track with very loosely connected movements. The second half is a weirdly schizophrenic pile of shorter tracks that are all just fine. I can tell this band is tight but this album just ain't it. Cool art though.

2 - Not for me this

Not a fan of 80s synth heavy prog rock.

just because you can doesn't always mean you should

Feels like an inferior version of other similar things

Didn't hate it but didn't like it....... forgetable

Heel vaag en niet goed

Vaag, opgedoekt als “experimenteel”

I don't not like it. But I don't like it either.

Peak Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Psychedelic, incoherent, free-wheeling from song to song.

It was an experience but a one and done one.

Big rush vibes Obviously very talented and creative but I'm not sure I'm on their level Weirder the more songs listened to

Nice energy, but too jam session like for me.

This was really something. Really wild stuff, but not really for me. Not a huge fan of the medieval organ sounding parts. Definitely a lot of work went into this and can appreciate that but I can’t imagine I’ll listen to this again

Never heard of this band before. I feel like they are just showing how many different notes/chords they can play in one song. Last song is the best

Firstly, the title track is quite intense. It genuinely gave me heart palpitations. I didn't know what to think, I was quite impressed at how intense it was. I wouldn't listen to it again though. I didn't like Jeremy Bender, or Are You Ready Eddie?, but A Time and a Place is pretty good. So close to a 3 for me, but not quite.

Another Prog Rock album full of seemingly random noise. This was slightly better than yesterdays band Soft Machine but I still didn't enjoy it.

never heard of this band or album -20 MINUTE SONG? -we’re waiting to do the 20 minute song -this feels all over the place -loving the piano and then the DUDUDUDUDIDU -20 minute song is a little all over the place and too long for me personally -overall this was okay

Not my style.

Prog rock?I think,with a 20 minute song and like 5 mediocre songs.Not very good.

Holy freaking keyboards. Every song is like a coked up organ player from a baseball stadium.

I sort of liked it buy it didn't pass the bar to get to a 3

Why can't that tank shoot me?

This one is not for me. I like prog rock but it just lacks a compelling melody. Who knew that an album about an armored armadillo fighting a mantacore would be a little self indulgent? I probably won't be coming back to this one. In the context of the era, the early 70s are chock full of great prog rock. Fragile by Yes, Aqualung by Jethro Tull, and Meddle by Pink Floyd are all higher quality and came out THE SAME YEAR.

Not a big fan

2. Meh..

I don't mind prog rock at all, I just don't see why this particular specimen deserves commendation. It's got meh written all over it.

Gøy med litt prog, men da traff meg diverre ikkje heilt

Album 79 of 1001 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus Rating : 2 / 5 Favorite Track : Jeremy Bender This just didn't do it for me. It tried, really really hard.

Awful. It's just random notes (mostly) in the same key. I tried, but 10 minutes as all I could take.

Is it really a talent to just masturbate with your instruments?

I'm not a prog fan: really missing the point of it.

TRACKS: Tarkus [2] Jeremy Bender [2] Bitches Crystal [1] The Only Way (Hymn) [1] Infinite Space (Conclusion) [2] A Time And A Place [1] Are You Ready Eddy? [2]

This isn't for me but it's interesting and I got through the whole album

Did not get on with this. Prog rock is too self-indulgent for me

Wanted to like this more than I did, it's like the opening to a song kept going and going... for 20 minutes. Then the follow up songs were essentially more of the same. 2

Love the armadillo. The rest is just noise!

It was alright. Possibly could've got a slightly better mark if I'd had more time with it.

Sounds like every other program rock album

Pictures At An Exhibition is one of the handful of albums Iv given 1 star. So when I seen another ELP album this morning I let out a big sigh. And the first song backed up my first conclusion another album of listening to computer game keyboard sounds. To be fair the album did get better as it went on and some of the shorter songs were enjoyable. But not enough to convert me.

What the heck? There's a whole story of Tarkus in seven verses. None of which I understand. Maybe I need a videogame interpretation. Holy smokes.

Ugh. This is the roughest of the synthesizer era where the organ-sounding noodling just sounds horrible today. When they steer away from the synth, it improves, and i was in the solid "2" category for my rating... and then along comes Ready for Eddy, demanding that i give this album a "1". However, Eddy was gone in just about 2 minutes, preserving the "2" for ELP.

Couldn’t finish

Ehkä tiettyjen huumaavien aineiden vaikutuksen alaisena toimisi eri tavalla hyvin. Nyt jäi vaisuksi.

I've become a bit of a Prog head over the past couple of years, but this is a bit too "proggy", even for me. This must be what Yes sounds like to people who don't like Yes.

Somehow both ELPs biggest strength and weakness is their technical virtuosity. While, it undoubtedly displays some of the best examples of instrumental skill around, the record often shows it self to be series of incohesive warm up exercises. I would say the same about most of ELPs catalogue to be honest, although I absolutely think this is the strongest of the bunch besides Brain Salad Surgery. I can understand its place in the list, given it is perfect evidence of just how incredible musicians could be back in the 60s and 70s, but the song writing could really do with some work.

Un bodrio virtuoso más.

Je connais quelqu'un qui aime bien le rock progressif et les pokémon à qui ça devrait plaire

So I just listened to Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Tarkus album and, to be honest, I'm not quite sure what just happened. I mean, I heard some guitars, some drums, and some...keyboards? I think? And then there was this one song called 'Tarkus' that just went on and on and on... And there were all these different parts to it, but I couldn't really tell where one part ended and the other began. I don't know, maybe I'm just not smart enough to understand it. But hey, if you're into really complicated music that makes you feel simultaneously impressed and completely clueless, then give Tarkus a listen. Just don't ask me to explain it to you.

When Prague goes wrong

Meh

Not really my thing.

ANTI PROG ACTION 2023 WHOS WITH ME?????

cacophonous rock organ

Weird album - one side taken up by one 20 minute track, the other with a series of much shorter vignettes all in completely different styles. ELP's synth/keyboard sound is unique and instantly recognisable, and they're probably better when they do the weirder prog rock (i.e. side 1) vs the the other stuff (although Infinite Space / A Time And A Place are a bit better). Lyrics aren't great though, it's not as tight or as meaningful as some of the really good prog rock, and in some cases (Jeremy Bender(!)) particularly woeful. 2/5, although the first side is probably a 3 and the second slips close to a 1.

Inspired commentary is scarce for this reviewer. The album does not stand out as being critical for listening, nor does it stand out as being interesting, but then that is also progressive rock in general. Their take on "Fanfare for the Common Man" is however quite amazing, and admittedly is being compared here as far as the rating goes.

All skill no soul, the epitome of left-brain music. I award them 2 abaci, cause doing math is all this is good for. 🧮🧮

This album is further evidence that prog rock isn't my thing.

Aging hippies who did too much LSD got a hold of keyboards & made this dumb Prog album. I rolled my eyes as soon as I saw the cover..WTF is up with the armadillo?! It's frightening & looks like something out of the movie Jacob's Ladder. Kudos for the unique arrangements, but that's the only positive thing I can say about this album.

Somewhat psychedelic

This album would have made an excellent 1 track EP - namely the title track "Tarkus". I think that might be the only interesting song in the batch. The rest of it makes it a bit unfocused sounding and can do without it.

Organ and piano jerking. Not that much of an enjoyable record.

The 20 minute title track is too much. Good musicianship, fine, but it reeks of the excesses of the seventies - with prolonged synth solos and over the top conceptual songwriting - nah. Firmly not my thing. Side B offers an interesting variety of songs, which unfortunately get eclipsed by the monster song.

Don’t even really know what to think about this one.

Bad

not really listenable

A primeira música que é a metade do disco é importante escutar para conhecer a construção da música. E depois só percebo os teclados em profusão.

This seems like a very progressive sound for the time it was released. I enjoyed the instrumentals and most of the tracks. Not sure I’d go back and re listen to anything; no standouts really for my taste.

There are brief spells where everything comes together, and it is musically great. Unfortunately it is surrounded by long periods of tedious self indulgence.

Not for me.

Has some cool bite and has some bits that are cool from a musician point of view but listening can be a bit demanding. Would say it's a 2.5 stars that's closer to 2 stars than 3

Progrock, nice cover, men lidt for mærkeligt

This album has a *severe* lack of focus. It's like 35-or-whatever minutes of three dudes just putting literally every idea they had into one album and refusing to tie any of them together. It is what happens when you put infinite monkeys in a room but didn't wait long enough for them to produce Shakespeare yet. Maybe 8 more editing passes and they could have made any one of these blink-and-youll-miss-it riffs into proper grooves, but nah apparently restraint was not in these guys' recipe book. I read that the album, or at least the insufferably noodly A Side eponymous track, is supposed to represent the futility of conflict, and that some musical phrases were chosen to illicit feelings of frustration. Very bold strategy. I've gotta say, it worked- I was frustrated listening to it, and constantly checked the runtime to see how much longer I'd need to endure it. So, maybe you could say conceptually it was a win. But is it good music? Highlights: Bitches Crystal Lowlights: Tarkus, Are You Ready Eddy

Loved the King Crimson album but not a fan of this noodly wank.

I made it through the whole album, but thoroughly disliked it. I don't know what it is about prog rock that just rubs me the wrong way. Too many chord changes? It just feels messy and disorganized. I can respect that these guys are phenomenal musicians, but this ain't my cup o tea. One of the best album covers of all time though. Extra star for the cover.

6th October 2022 Listened on the drive home from London. I’ve learnt 2 things from doing this- I love David Byrne and I don’t get prog rock. I reckon if I locked my 10 year old nephew and 4 of his mates in his music classroom they’d come out with the opening track.

Honestly this was really really bad. Lay of the keyboard pls.

I am not fan of prog. It is often just too clever-clogs for my taste. And this album tends that way. great moments, never repeated, so it assiduously avoids groove or rock (although it could). You could sample almost any bar of this (especially side 1) and turn that into a whole song, but ELP just want to play every idea they ever had. (There is a four bar section at 2:50 the title suite that I really dig). And the lyrics are nonsensical tripe... and yet, I didn't hate this. I could listen to this again. I would buy this from a $2 bin. Maybe even from the "5LPs for $20" bin. Faint praise indeed.

70's Prog, that's all I can say

I’ll admit that I never really knew what kind of music ELP played. I always assumed they were soft folksy music like Simon and Garfunkel. I was a bit surprised to find out they are actually Prog Rock. Prog Rock really has to thread the needle for me to like it, and this just doesn’t do it. I don’t like the wandering instrumental sound that makes you feel like it from a bad movie about outer space. Also, way too much synthesizer organ music. I’m not a huge piano fan anyways, and organ music makes it even worse.

Indulgent. Not awful, but not for me.

Experimental Rock like this is not for me. Listened to the first 20 minute track and had to turn it off. Sorry. I tried.

Listening to Tarkus all I could think was “how do you listen to this NOT HIGH??” I enjoyed the rest of the album well enough but I just can’t abide the big proggy organ and plodding compositions. I’ll leave the ELP to Morley…

I just don’t think I like prog-rock. Way to self-indulgent by the bands for me. Couple of songs on the critically “weaker” side B were okay, and I didn’t hate this as much as the last ELP, but I didn’t like any of it, either.

Disjointed

There's some good bits on here, but it doesn't half go on a bit. And some of the lyrics are painfully on the nose - one particular line about the Holocaust is truly terrible, even with good intentions behind it. I think it's a bit too sure of its own cleverness - you can see why so many hated prog. True genius can make it's point without going up its own fundament.

Låter inte alls lika bra som jag mindes, känns helt enkelt som för mycket, speciellt på titelspåret.... några av låtarna på b-sidan är lättare att tolerera men kändes ganska ooriginella.