BRAIN SALAD SURGERY

I am calling myself a level 3.5 on this going in. I have had it in one format or another over several years, but it has been a while since I have listened in its entirety. I have always felt it is their best. I was very surprised that it is falling just outside of the top 10, instead of in it. Here we go with a deep dive.

Track 1- Jerusalem

As I understand it, this is a song that children sing at school in the UK. Some of my British friends may need to elaborate on this. We begin with a majestic organ and drums. When the vocals begin the drums drop out and the organ is the only accompaniment. Bass and drums kick back in after 1 minute. There is a wonderful Bach trumpet tone on the synth in the second verse. The song is very short but provides a grand opening for the album.

Track 2 - Toccata

This is an adaptation of a modern classical piece by Alberto Ginastera, who gave his blessing for the band to record their version. The tempo is fast & exciting. Emerson shows his agility on the Keys, while Palmer plays tympani as well as standard drum parts. Lake does a great job, of course holding down the bottom end during Emerson's gymnastics. At around the 3-minute point, Palmer takes over on tympani with some occasional cymbal sounds. At around 4 minutes, tubular bells join in. At around 4:30, there is a low-end staccato part. While around 5 minutes there are some crazy synth sounds then Palmer begins grooving on the kit. A theme returns with around a minute to go. As the piece nears its conclusion, there is a chaotic crescendo followed by precision staccato rhythms.

Track 3 - Still?You Turn Me On

Here is the obligatory Lake acoustic based song. I truly enjoy those songs on the ELP albums. We begin with 12 String and vocals with some subtle keyboard tones in the background. I love the wah-wah electric guitar in the choruses. The second verse makes more of the keyboard parts. I love the big bass at around 2:15. This is another quickie.

Track 4 - Benny the Bouncer

Now we have the also obligatory silly honky-tonk style tune. This one has synth, bass, and a jazzy drumbeat, while Lake sings in a distorted voice tone. The honky-tonk piano solo comes in about halfway through. This is another very short song. I can't help but thinking that 3 of the 4 opening tracks (excepting Toccata) are there to just build up to the main event. There is a second verse and a false ending, before the silly honky-tonk style ending.

Track 5 - Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 1

Now here is the main event of the album. Karn Evil 9. Think- Carnival. The 4 pieces of this major epic are a collaboration between Emerson and Lake with former King Crimson lyricist Pete Sinfield. The First Impression is prog rock ecstasy. It begins with Emerson playing counterpart lines on the organ. Bass & drums join at around 15 seconds. Lake begins singing nor long after. It's a call & response between the vocal lines & the instruments, excepting the low piano lines under the vocals in the first verse. After an instrumental interlude, the second verse is varied from the first, by the fact that it is not as call & response in style. At around 2:30 a slightly longer instrumental section happens. When the vocals return the tempo and feel changes. I like the "I'll be there, I'll be there, I will be there" part. Then a different musical theme kicks in at a faster tempo for a more extended instrumental section. The trio is playing very tightly. I like the next tempo change before 5 minutes. At around 5:20 the vocals return with a melody that is well known to the Part 2 section of the song. The lyrics here are just amazing. Gotta love the "roll up?roll up?roll up ?see the SHOW!" part. The instruments take back over at around 7 minutes, and Lake plays a guitar solo against a great odd-metered prog groove. A more melodic theme that will return in part two takes over to help bring part one to a close. A sequenced keyboard part joins the 2 parts together. This was needed in order to turn the album over.

Track 6 - Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, Pt. 2

This track, along with Lucky Man, is probably the best known of ELPs tunes to general classic rock radio listeners. The keyboard sequencer part brings us back in, then Lake sings the famous "Welcome Back My Friends to the Show that Never Ends," line. This was my intro to ELP, as I am sure it was to many others. I love the organ solo starting around 1:20. Emerson was certainly a master of his craft. Lake plays the melodic guitar lines alluded to earlier. Then Palmer takes over with some great drumming as Lake comes back on vocals. Note the "Tiger Rag" reference as Lake sings about Alexander's Ragtime Band at around 3:20. The next line references "Seven virgins and a mule (keep it cool, keep it cool)." Then we get the "Big Finish". Palmer hits the tympani again before Lake belts "see the SHOW!!" and Emerson hits an ascending closing note.

Track 7 - Karn Evil 9, 2nd Impression

This impression basically begins with the band performing as a Jazz Piano Trio, to show off Emerson's jazz piano skills. Lake and Palmer make a fine rhythm section. Emerson plays a percussive sounding synth part around 1:30 that Palmer grooves with. The tune pauses at around 2:55 and comes back quietly at a slower tempo. Emeron's piano and Lake's bass are doing call & response parts initially. The dynamics begin gradually building, then they go back to a more rhythmic part. They get back to piano trio mode at a very fast tempo as this section reaches a conclusion. The level of playing is simply astounding.

Track 8 - Karn Evil 9 - Third Impression

We begin in a dramatic fashion here before settling into a melody on the organ as the vocals begin after around 25 seconds. Synth joins in on occasion, as Lake & Palmer lay a nice foundation. Lake sings a very regal melody. It becomes more menacing around 1:45 as he begins to tell us to "Let the great computer speak!" We go into a bit of a dystopian future here. (did they predict correctly?) Emerson returns with majestic brass-like tones at around 3 minutes for a melodic solo. A staccato odd-metered theme from earlier in the journey returns next. Then the tempo picks up for an organ solo with L&P cooking on the rhythm. More staccato themes return following that. Palmer plays a snare roll just before 7 minutes, and the musical merriment & mayhem continues, punctuated with the staccato themes. At around 6:50 it starts to begin like a storm is building. There are then some Palmer drum features, before the closing section begins with a closing verse of arguing between humans & the computer. Then there is a note sequence that gets faster and faster while panning left & right to close it out.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

A great album indeed. But upon a close listening, Benny the Bouncer, brings it down a bit. Still, it lives up to its reputation as one of the finest classic prog albums. I'll give it 4.75 out of 5 stars.

Clicking 5, but really 4.75. 4 is too low.