***Brain Salad Surgery***

Posted by: bhazen on 08 April 2006

I just had a listen to this masterwork at full wick; what a futuristic, fully caffeinated, sickly romantic album!
"Karn Evil 9" had me twitching like a Guild Navigator on spice gas. Gotta order another quad espresso and listen to it again!!

...ELP, baby!

Discuss.
Posted on: 18 April 2006 by JWM
quote:
Originally posted by Tarquin Maynard-Portly:
Emo?


nickname of Keith Emerson
Posted on: 18 April 2006 by bhazen
quote:
Originally posted by Scott in DC:
Love Beach

Has anyone actually heard this much maligned ELP album? Is it even listenable?

Scott


Side two ("Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman") is listenable; harkens back to Trilogy, feel-wise. Side one is the band doing what they were plainly not cut out for, synth-driven lightweight pop numbers. Asia would develop this style much more winningly, if that's your bag.
Posted on: 19 April 2006 by JWM
quote:
Originally posted by bhazen:
Side two ("Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman") is listenable; harkens back to Trilogy, feel-wise....


Musically, yes I can understand where you are coming from. But lyrically...?!

This is the one with the (in)famous line (not recalled precisely after 20+ years, but along the lines of)

'At school there were lots of beatings
and we were taught that central heating
was for just old peoples' homes.'

I cringed even as an adoring teenage fan, for whom ELP could do no wrong - that burst the bubble, I can tell you!!
Posted on: 19 April 2006 by bhazen
quote:
Originally posted by JWM:
Musically, yes I can understand where you are coming from. But lyrically...?!


I said listenable, not essential!

Their lyrics were always questionable; consider this couplet from "The Only Way" (Tarkus):

"Can you believe God makes you breathe
Why did he lose six million Jews?"