ELP was always more concerned with the fusion of rock and classical music than any of their prog-rock peers. Accordingly they fashioned the title suite (which occupies the album's entire first half) in the mold of a classical composition, each segment meant to represent either a character in or a part of the story. Visually depicted on the inner sleeve, that story is a sci-fi epic featuring strange creatures battling in an alien landscape, none of which matters if you ignore the thin concept and concentrate on the finely wrought music. Musically, the epic "Tarkus" is classic ELP, organ and Moog synths blazing, Carl Palmer unleashing waves of tightly controlled polyrhythm and Greg Lake crooning authoritatively.

Things shift a bit in the second half. "The Only Way" features Emerson's impressive church organ riffing and is structured in the style of a hymn. "Bitches Crystal" is a propulsive piece full of invitingly angular keyboard work. Things close on a light note, with the '50s rock & roll-style (!) "Are You Ready Eddy?" (directed at TARKUS engineer Eddie Offord).

Recorded at Advision Studios, London, England.

Lyricist: Greg Lake.

TRACKLIST:

1. Tarkus — 20:35
a. Eruption — 2:43
b. Stones of Years — 3:44
c. Iconoclast — 1:15
d. Mass — 3:11
e. Manticore — 1:52
f. Battlefield — 3:51
g. Aquatarkus — 3:59

2. Jeremy Bender — 1:46
3. Bitches Crystal — 3:55
4. The Only Way (Hymn) — 3:48
5. Infinite Space (Conclusion) — 3:18
6. A Time and a Place — 2:57
7. Are You Ready Eddy? — 2:10

total time 38:55

LINE-UP:

Keith Emerson - hammond, pipe organ, piano, celeste, moog, vocal
Greg Lake - bass, vocal, guitars
Carl Palmer - drums, percussion, vocal