ELP: Debut or Brain Salad Surgery?
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Topic: ELP: Debut or Brain Salad Surgery?
Posted By: Xonty
Subject: ELP: Debut or Brain Salad Surgery?
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 10:01
I promise, this is the last one!  Once again, which do you prefer. I was always confused at how lowly rated Brain Salad Surgery was on PA, as for a lot of people I know, it's by far their favourite ELP album (mine too)  Please state why you like whichever album you picked as well.
As per usual, thanks for any feedback! 
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Replies:
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 10:05
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Their two best albums. Brain Salad Sugery: 5 stars; s/t: 4.5 stars.
Nuff said. ------------- 
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Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 10:10
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The first one is absolutely one of my favourite 70's prog albums, and to my ears the only ELP album that is first rate all the way through with none of the silly tracks!
`Brain Salad'....as much as I like some of it, I can't really get into the `Karn Evil' track too much. Something about the lyrics and Lake's manic vocals really rub me the wrong way, all a little too cheesy for me. I've really tried, and I still keep at it once in a while hoping the `magic' will suddenly start working for me with it! Still a decent album, I guess I just personally prefer their other albums from the classic period over it!
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Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 10:12
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Equally. I'd give each about 3.5 stars.
------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 10:12
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Debut! Besides Trilogy it's the only ELP album I love start to finish. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 10:19
... and I prefer the debut, but only just a bit.
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someone_else wrote:Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 10:38
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Debut with no doubts.
------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 11:02
| Debut |
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 11:29
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I am also on the debut as it has a wholeness about it.
------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: Mellotron Storm
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 11:30
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The debut is the only one I still listen to from ELP so it's an easy choice. ------------- "The wind is slowly tearing her apart" "Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN |
Posted By: silverpot
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 11:35
This. |
Posted By: PabstRibbon
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 12:04
| I voted "I love both equally" but in fact I don't care about ELP and none of their albums are more than 3 stars. Anyway I don't literally HATE them. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 12:14
| The debut. |
Posted By: digdug
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 12:44
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Debut for me but BSS is also awesome ------------- Prog On! |
Posted By: smartpatrol
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 12:49
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Trilogy > Tarkus > BSS > ELP > Pictures > everything else
------------- http://bit.ly/1kqTR8y" rel="nofollow">  The greatest record label of all time! |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 14:54
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Debut ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Wanorak
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 15:50
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BSS by far; IMO their crowning achievement! ------------- A GREAT YEAR FOR PROG!!! |
Posted By: The-time-is-now
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 15:51
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Brain Salad Surgery. -------------  One of my best achievements in life was to find this picture :D |
Posted By: Progfan1958
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 18:40
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It will always be BSS for me. It's their most daring album by far.
------------- Progfan1958 "Peace to you all" "La paix est avec vous" "Pax vobiscum" "Al salaam a'alaykum" "Vrede zij met u allen" "Shalom aleichem" |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 19:02
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I love that first one, yes, I do, but I paid tribute in the Brain Salad Temple for so long, that that is where I must ultimately cast my token. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 19:19
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My order in ELP albums is:
1.- Trilogy (Masterpiece) 2.- BSS (Masterpiece) 3.- Pictures at an Exhibition (Excellent) 4.- Welcome Back My Friends.... (Excellent) 5.- Debut (Cute) Don't care too much for the rest, except side 4 of Works I ------------- 
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Posted By: Prog_Traveller
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 20:06
| The debut album smokes it. However, BSS is way ahead of it's time technologically speaking. Some of the synths and computer voice on there just weren't being heard in 1973 except on BSS. The first album just has raw energy. BSS is a little bit too repetitive at times but still really great and probably ELP's second best album. |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 20:43
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The debut for me. I like BSS but have always found it a little inaccessible in the more brilliant aspects. The debut is both brilliant and accessible for me equally. |
Posted By: proggman
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 21:04
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I like both.
------------- When he rides, my fears subside. For darkness turns once more to light. Through the skies, his white horse flies. To find a land beyond the night. |
Posted By: infocat
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 21:06
De-butt. ------------- -- Frank Swarbrick Belief is not Truth. |
Posted By: progmatic
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 21:09
I conquer ... except I'd also add Pictures at an Exhibition ------------- PROGMATIC |
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 22:16
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Brain salad is pretty sh*t really if you take out the cool 10 minutes from karnevil ------------- All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock. |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 22:34
I agreed. Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression, Part 2 (and that Giger's painting, of course) is the only good thing on Brain Salad Surgery the album. Debut is the Progressive Rock masterpiece of quality kind they were never again reached.
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Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 22:45
Their debut is very good. Tarkus is pretty good, trilogy fairly good. 3 strong years I guess. 1971-73. Bit like Yes 1969-72 or Crimson 70-71 and Floyd 71-72. Don't like much else from these bands outside these periods apart from animals, red, tormato ------------- All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock. |
Posted By: KingCrInuYasha
Date Posted: December 30 2013 at 23:41
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IMO, Brain Salad Surgery is the weakest of their first five albums, but only because the Third Impression of "Karn Evil 9" is silly, even for them. I think John McFerrin's (aka Tarkus1980) description of it being "Star Trek: The Musical" is quite accurate. Everything else is fine in my book. ------------- He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball! |
Posted By: uduwudu
Date Posted: December 31 2013 at 04:24
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Both. Easy choice. |
Posted By: uduwudu
Date Posted: December 31 2013 at 04:25
| Both. Easy choice. |
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: December 31 2013 at 04:29
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Debut ------------- |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: December 31 2013 at 08:10
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Hi,
The debut album would have been more important, as the way that Keith used the synthesizers to solo and augment the work they were doing was not only quite innovative, it gave the synthesizer a whole new element in its experience.
I kinda look at it, just like the church organ that always had a "big sound", and all of a sudden these keyboards, have an even "bigger" sound, and I think that was very helpful in general to the popular music thing. I always like Procol Harum and Moody Blues, but the way they were using their keyboard sound, was always in a very classical and simple way, and all of a sudden you have someone ripping solos off/with the sounds, instead of the conventional sounding instrument. As such it helped establish it as a "new instrument", though I think that Keith and many others, regret that the synthesizer became just an orchestra/instrument replacement nowadays! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: December 31 2013 at 14:05
^This ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: December 31 2013 at 15:02
Wow, that's harsh. "The cool 10 minutes"? I like all of it. The whole album. It gets flamed for "Benny The Bouncer," but that clocks in at under 150 seconds of playtime! BSS also rates higher than Tarkus and Trilogy on PA. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Neo-Romantic
Date Posted: January 01 2014 at 03:06
| Their debut gets my vote. BSS is my second favorite of theirs, and is quite good, but their first still has a pretty handy lead over it. |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: January 01 2014 at 04:59
It seems to have been the muse left EL&P after the first three great albums that then they have tried to compilate a super-super-album with old ideas instead to develop a new soundcapes. Btw, I love Works Vol. 2 and Love Beach, the album that suffers from an idiotic cover, while Giger's paintings added to Brain Salad Surgery the album one dimension that the music actually does not have. Let's imagine e.g. Patrick Woodroffe's painting instead of that disco and / or vacation picture. Lol, it's a kind of mystery how that kind of pic was used for an exellent prog album. just for a decor (great music, awful "artwork"; well, album jacket is an important thing in prog): |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: January 01 2014 at 05:23
| as much as I love BSS, that first record is so friggin good, so well recorded and conceived, I gotta give it the win |