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(Of course, I quoted from the eponymus song that actually isn't on the album, only on Works 2 - fortunatley ) - But let's turn back to this album with the Alien-cover. Although not my favourite from ELP, it's very close to Tarkus which is the best I think. Now the epic is the last one, and the first part (4 songs) show the diversity of styles: ancient hymn, lyrical ballad, contemporary avantgarde music and a funny ragtime piece about a pub fighting, Benny the Bouncer - don't compare it with Jeremy Bender, that's a rather different story. Karn Evil is amazing in each part - they are really Impressions! The first begins with a fugue-like organ intro, and it becomes really an odyssey as the lyric says, Lake must have had troubles with repeating that high note. After 3 verses - the story begins: Fight tomorrow! Very impressive Moog melodies, and it is real fighting between the instruments, that's how I try to describe it, but it's more than that. After the rock and roll vocals Lake's guitar solo comes in, that's one of my favourite parts. The other two parts are also impressive and cleverly invented, yes that's the word: they INVENTED music! And that's one of their most interesting inventions. I don't know if the ending is good with that crazy loop, it's the one point I find hard to understand, but as a whole the album is something new and impressive, that's no doubt.

The only ELP album that beats this is Tarkus, but this is almost that good, and the epic song is a bit more accessible (for me).You've got to see the show... It's rock and roll...

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