TARKUS

Emerson Lake & Palmer's second album was simultaneously more and less ambitious compared to their eponymous debut. The greater ambition is primarily evidenced by the 20 plus minute, multipart suite Tarkus that takes up the first half of the album. This is a wonderful piece of music and one of the band's greatest achievements even though my favourite version of it is the live version on Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends. The concept and the accompanying cover art picture is however more than a bit silly.

The second half of the album consists of shorter tracks and these are a bit of a mixed bag. Jeremy Bender was the first of its kind and is in the comedic tradition of The Sheriff from Trilogy and Benny The Bouncer from Brain Salad Surgery. The real throwaway here is however the album closer Are You Ready Eddie? which is a kind of ode to producer Eddie Offord. This simple boogie rocker should really have been left off the album altogether. The rest of the songs are all good even if not quite as good as the band's best efforts. Bitches Crystal also exists in better versions from live recordings.

Overall, a very good album but in my view the least good out of the group's first four studio albums.

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