BRAIN SALAD SURGERY

Age has not enhanced the merits of this dreadful offering one jot or tittle. BSS is unadulterated garbage from start to finish, and always was. It sounds wholly dated now because it is. It sounded overblown and turgid in 1973 and still does - only a thousand times more so.

"Jerusalem" is a wonderfully uplifting and stirring song, beloved by all good Englishmen and true. So why ruin Blake's majestic poetry with this shallow, stomach-turning version? Leave re-arrangements of this kind to people who actually respect and enhance the grandeur of the original tune/lyrics - people such as Robert John Godfrey of THE ENID. "Toccata" is disjointed and inaccessible improvisation - welcome to the very, very worst of KING CRIMSON. "Still...you turn me on" is just twee Mockney tat - welcome to the world of the Brotherhood of Man (although that's probably doing BoM a disservice.) "Benny the Bouncer" is just a dreadful, irksome, unfunny pub song - welcome to closing time any time any place. The mere presence of BtB on a supposedly faultless "classic" release speaks volumes. "Karn Evil 9" is a well-trumpeted, virtuoso piece that's self-indulgent, overlong, and overcooked. And do I detect steel drums? Welcome to the Notting Hill carnival. Without floats.

Sorry, but this whole record is pure purgatory. Welcome to the show that never ends? Too right. It really should never have got going in the first place. This monstrosity - along with Topographic Oceans - heralded the end of classic prog as we knew back in the early 70's, effectively closing the door on the prospects of such potentially terrific bands as FANTASY and ENGLAND as punk duly arrived to kick all such dross as this into the longest of long grass.

No points merited, but one awarded since this is the minimum available.