Emerson, Lake & Palmer - "Brain Salad Surgery" (1973)
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends... Vinyl in the Valley!
From the H.R. Giger designed album artwork to the prog rock opus contained in its grooves, Brain Salad Surgery is the quintessential prog album of the Seventies.
Side One begins with ELP's take on the hymn, "Jerusalem" (based on a William Blake poem). Its churchy-sounding and although it was banned by the BBC for being "degrading" to the traditional English hymn, its anything but sacrilegious. The instrumental "Toccata" follows. Its based on a Piano concerto by Argentine composer, Alberto Ginastera, and features some pretty weird-sounding synthesizer and drum effects. Basically, its spazzy, unnerving and like much of their work, show-offy.
Next up is "Still... You Turn Me On", a pretty acoustic song featuring some fine Greg Lake fingerpicking and vocals. Best lyric: "Everyday a little sadder / a little madder / Someone get me a ladder!"
"Benny The Bouncer" is atrocious and Side One concludes with the First Movement of the 30 minute futuristic suite, "Karn Evil 9". Yowsa!
Side Two picks up where Side One left off with the more familiar, "Karn Evil 9, First Impression, part 2" ("Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends...") and for the next 22 minutes the entire album side is a journey into the deep bowels of progressive rock! Lots of sci-fi sounding keyboards and lots of drumming in weird time signatures courtesy of Carl Palmer. The song is seemingly about some futuristic, dystopian carnival. However, by the Third Impression there seems to be some sort of man versus computer war going on. Its all really confusing and I got a headache listening to this!
It can be said that Keith Emerson did for keyboards in the 1970's what Jimi Hendrix did for guitar in the late 1960's. The sounds coming from the Emerson's fingertips are precise, bombastic & otherworldly. The thing is keyboards aren't as exciting as guitars. They're TOO mechanical; really show-offy and not very sexy. Back in the day, no one was getting laid listening to this album!
Which reminds me of this fun fact: Did you know the phrase "Brain Salad Surgery" is code for "Oral Sex"? Its true! Look it up!
Side One begins with ELP's take on the hymn, "Jerusalem" (based on a William Blake poem). Its churchy-sounding and although it was banned by the BBC for being "degrading" to the traditional English hymn, its anything but sacrilegious. The instrumental "Toccata" follows. Its based on a Piano concerto by Argentine composer, Alberto Ginastera, and features some pretty weird-sounding synthesizer and drum effects. Basically, its spazzy, unnerving and like much of their work, show-offy.
Next up is "Still... You Turn Me On", a pretty acoustic song featuring some fine Greg Lake fingerpicking and vocals. Best lyric: "Everyday a little sadder / a little madder / Someone get me a ladder!"
"Benny The Bouncer" is atrocious and Side One concludes with the First Movement of the 30 minute futuristic suite, "Karn Evil 9". Yowsa!
Side Two picks up where Side One left off with the more familiar, "Karn Evil 9, First Impression, part 2" ("Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends...") and for the next 22 minutes the entire album side is a journey into the deep bowels of progressive rock! Lots of sci-fi sounding keyboards and lots of drumming in weird time signatures courtesy of Carl Palmer. The song is seemingly about some futuristic, dystopian carnival. However, by the Third Impression there seems to be some sort of man versus computer war going on. Its all really confusing and I got a headache listening to this!
It can be said that Keith Emerson did for keyboards in the 1970's what Jimi Hendrix did for guitar in the late 1960's. The sounds coming from the Emerson's fingertips are precise, bombastic & otherworldly. The thing is keyboards aren't as exciting as guitars. They're TOO mechanical; really show-offy and not very sexy. Back in the day, no one was getting laid listening to this album!
Which reminds me of this fun fact: Did you know the phrase "Brain Salad Surgery" is code for "Oral Sex"? Its true! Look it up!
RATING: 3.5 Pictures at an Exhibition out of 5
Brain Salad Surgery Is my favorite 70's Prog album - It's Science Fiction, The most interesting keyboards playing of the time,Incredible drumming and and one complex album that needs to be listened to with headphones on in full concentration mode. Especially 2nd impression - If you play keyboards you will know how difficult it is to come up with something this complex.
ReplyDeleteAgreed... what other 70's prog do you like? Did you see we also had some Pink Floyd, Genesis and King Crimson reviews on the blog as well! -Ned
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