BRAIN SALAD SURGERY

What can I say about this album that hasn't been said 100 times over? IT'S A CLASSIC!!!! It moved me when I was 14; and %*&^* years later it still moves me. The most futuristic album, and album cover, in the universe. From Parry's majestic setting of Blake's iconoclastic 'Jerusalem, and Emerson's death-defying arrangement of Ginastero's 'Toccata', complete with the Carl Palmer's arresting (and highly futuristic) drum solo, to the atmospheric 'Still you turn me on' (Did someone get Greg a ladder? Let's hope so.) and the wonderful bar room brawl that is 'Benny the Bouncer' - Ah, the piano playing- this album delivers the goods. And then comes KARN EVIL 9! The most intensely crazy, futuristic, song ever written. This piece is so futuristic it had to come in "impressions" THREE OF 'EM! The first impression is one of the most high-energy pieces of rock music ever invented. The ridiculous complexity of the introduction, alone, should be enough to convince you that these guys were CRAZY SONS OF BITCHES! I mean, who in their right mind would want to attempt to play those opening bars without a safety net? Not me! The 1st impression moves along a warp factor 8 until we reach IMPRESSION No 2., then we move along at warp factor ten for a bit. This features Emerson's octane-fuelled piano playing. Things slow down considerably for the first half of impression No2. Never has the passing of time been so eloquently and atmospherically described in music as it is here --Man these guys were futuristic. The 2nd impression ends with more warp factor 10, virtuoso piano playing from Emerson. Then, suddenly, we're in outer space, some time in the future (I told you this album was futuristic) and there's a battle to be fought. Yes, the 3rd impression has begun: mighty and majestic fanfares fill the void of infinite space (Thankfully the captain of the spaceship remember to take a Hammond organ on board) while the ship computer starts getting lippy with the crew . Dark forces are, indeed, at work. (Meanwhile John Williams was ripping off some of the music for inclusion in his score for 'Star Wars').

Earthling: "But I gave you life" Computer: "WHAT ELSE COULD YOU DO" Earthling: "To do what was right" Computer: "I'M PERFECT ARE YOU?"