TARKUS

This was one of ELP's monumental albums. The track Tarkus is part of the definition of progressive rock. The title track tells the story of a Tarkus (apparantly an Armadillo with tank treads and guns on its shoulders) which is born at the beginning of time from a violent volcanic eruption. It then goes accross the world killing other killing machines/animals because it despises their existance, while it does not comprehend its hypocritical ways. When finally the Tarkuks comes accross the Manticore, the Manticore shows the Tarkus its ways, and the Tarkus then does battle with the Manticore, eventually being defeated. It then goes to the water and drowns itself, but is reborn again out of the sea.

All the while, ELP takes you on a sonic ride. Keith Emerson attacks his keyboards, producing some of the best keyboard work in all of prog. Carl Palmer shows why he's the drummer, and Greg Lake's brilliant voice rises above it all. On this album, ELP hit the top and stayed there until their break up. All I can say is listen to it, and you will be blown away by the musicianship and and the compositional skilll of ELP.

Of course, an amazing album does have its weak parts. Some of the tracks on the b side are some of ELP's 'honky tonk' piano peices. While Time and a Space is a hard rocking organ peice in the style of Knife Edge that is highly enjoyable.

Summary: This is one of my favorite albums of all time, and with the exceptions of some of the b side stuff, one of the best albums I've listened to. If you're a fan of prog/ELP, I highly encourage to get this album, so 4.9 stars.

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