BRAIN SALAD SURGERY

Well, a lot has been said about this album already, so I'll keep it brief... first off, "Toccata" is the most aggressive and pummeling piece of prog music ever to hit vinyl. Forget King Crimson (I love them, but they are not "aggressive" to me, just distorted!), forget all your metal bands -- ELP are the real deal, and "Toccata" is their brain buster. This was the piece of music that turned me on to this album and to ELP in general, and still I've never found anything that challenges its throne as king destroyer. One of the greatest musical expressions to come out of prog music. "Jerusalem" is stately and wonderful, "Still... You Turn Me On" is beautiful, and "Benny The Bouncer" is (eventually) delightful, in a retarded kind of way. Then there's "Karn Evil 9" -- one of the greatest prog workouts of all time! The third impression with its robot voices and crazy synth effects will always be a personal favorite of mine, and Carl Palmer is simply a spectacle to behold all throughout. Although slightly less cohesive, "Karn Evil" rates up there with "The Ikon" (by Utopia) in terms of being the most action-packed 30 minute epic prog masterpiece. What more can I say, this is a total no-brainer for prog fanatics -- you must own this album, and if you don't like it, go see a doctor and find out what's wrong with you.