This is my favorite organ and piano driven album in the ELP discography.
After my mom bought me a Best Of E.L.P. compilation, I was curious to check out the actual albums. After talking with a friend of ours, we started off with Brain Salad Surgery, because it had the full Karn Evil 9 Suite. Then he was debating between Tarkus and Trilogy. His idea was for me to start with Trilogy, although I was really interested in Tarkus.
Then while spending the weekend at my Uncle Kelly’s house, I got to hear the title track on some really nice speakers. I recorded it on my tape recorder and then played it on my keyboards, particularly the organ solo from the “Stones Of Years” section. After that, I had my mom get me the album. It’s also my favorite stereo mixes to listen to, particularly the marching section!
Later, after checking out several of their live performances of Tarkus, especially the one from the album Welcome Back My Friends, I began playing it in many ways which are found on YouTube. It’s still one of my favorite epic pieces to play! (smile)
After watching the documentary Beyond the Beginning and hearing the story about the band’s creative differences during the writing process, I understood what made this piece really cool: going from challenging instrumental moments, to beautiful vocal and guitar driven sections like “Battlefield.”
Then we get to the short songs, starting with the two honky-tonk piano driven numbers: “Jeremy Bender,” and “Bitches Crystal;” I really love Carl Palmer’s drumming on that one. It’s pretty rare hearing the out of tune piano used in other forms of music. Keith Emerson wasn’t afraid to explore instruments beyond their tradition. An early example of his use of out of tune pianos was in his early band The Nice with the song “Azrial.”
The rest featured the pipe organ, then some exciting jazzy piano. One thing I enjoy about “Infinite Space” is Keith’s left hand ostinato during his isolated piano solo before the band comes back in. It was Keith’s classical and jazz knowledge that inspired me to become a composer, and I would like to bring that back to rock music.
Anyway, this is my second favorite E.L.P. album. My other favorites are Brain Salad Surgery, Welcome Back My Friends, Pictures, (another favorite organ driven album), and Works Volume 1 with the “Piano Concerto”, “Fanfare For The Common Man”, and “Pirates.” I hope you like it.
5 comments
Like it! Good job Rachel! Are you ever coming to play on the east cost?
Just read your very good article on Tarkus . As you describe it is one of your 20 favorites and your favorite organ and piano driven ELP album and I can fully understand as it is at the top of my all time lists. You also list other ELP album favorites, but you did not include my favorite ELP album. That is the debut album.
As an old guy now and thus there at the beginning of this band, that was my introduction to this, at the time, unique band. So of course, there is some bias built into that. I first heard it in Vietnam shortly after that album and that band came onto the music scene. From that moment, I was hooked, never looked back and could not look sideways. I knew then that no group for me would ever match them.
Because that is my favorite, I have been waiting for you to play and record Cast A Pebble. And most of all, if you ever get a chance to return to a pipe organ, then I really want to hear you do The Three Fates (which is partly on a pipe organ). Actually a high end sample keyboard with a good organ voice would do very well these days and would over all the voices in the three parts. No one has attempted The Three Fates yet, at least, that I know of.
ELP introduced me to Jazz, first fusion jazz and then on to other styles of Jazz. The debut album, like Tarkus – to follow, is strong in jazz. So there in lies another bias. That mix of modern classical, jazz forms and elements and then rock was both unique and so difficult to successfully achieve that it was and is rarely if ever accomplished.
So Rachel, when you have a chance, put on that ELP debut album and imagine that it is the first time you ever heard this new group or, for that matter, anything like that before. Imagine how mind blowing that was for me.
I am going onto your other 20 influences next. Thanks for passing all of those on.
Bruce
I would have never believed that a solo piano could have ALL the power and intensity of the original piece! Amazing!
Excellent your analysis and thank you for keeping Keith’s legacy alive.
He and ELP deserved better luck but that’s how the music industry works.
I have been looking for a transcription of First Impression part one for a long time, if you know where I can find it I will be very grateful.
A cordial greeting and my wishes of success in everything you do.
Tarkus is one of the more challenging pieces of music ever recorded in prog-rock. Rachel you do it justice. I’ve also had the privilege of hearing James Bradley (jazz drummer who has played for the late Al Hirt, Interphase, Warrior and Basia) put a Carl Palmer like backing to this, your particular rendition of Tarkus, for his own enjoyment. Together, it turned out quite impressive. You are an inspiration to many people.