Artist: Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Label: Sanctuary Records
Release Dates:
Original: November 19, 1973
CD: October 7, 2008
Discs: 3 (2 CD / 1 DVD)
Aardvark's Rating:
out of 5
Originally titled "Whip Some Skull On Yer" (Cockney slang for fellatio), "Brain Salad Surgery" (a slightly less obvious euphamism for fellatto) was to became Emerson, Lake and Palmer's masterpiece. Forward thinking and original for it's time Surgery is one of those albums that sounds best when played start to finish without a break.
From the opening strains of the bands take on "Jerusalem" and on to the rather abrupt end of the album, ELP took the themes which had been dabbled with on past releases and brought it into a sharp, cohesive focus.
The electronic cacophony of "Toccata" followed, a song for which Carl Palmer used home made drum triggers for what could well have been the first drum synthesizer ever captured on record.
Following in the footsteps of "Lucy Man" and "From The Beginning" Greg Lake penned and recorded the poignant "Still... You Turn Me On" which led right to "Benny The Bouncer" a fun ragtime, piano driven song.
And then, there is Karn Evil #9: a song which Pete Sinfield, an old friend from Lake's King Crimson days helped with the lyrics and also helped title the song, commenting that it sounded like the music sounded like a carnival. And so, the 30+ minute epic was born.
This deluxe edition sounds fantastic and has two discs of bonus content: a CD of b-sides, and outtake and the original first mix of the album rejected by the band and a DVD of the album mixed in 5.1 surround sound.
If you love Progressive Rock, or are just curious about what all the fuss was about, you owe it to yourself to pick this title up.
Disc One (Original album remixed): Jerusalem / Toccata / Still... You Turn Me On / Benny The Bouncer / Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Part 1 / Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Part 2 / Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression / Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression
Disc Two (Bonus Tracks): When The Apple Blossoms Bloom In The Windmills Of Your Mind I'll Be Your Valentine / Brain Salad Surgery / Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression - Original Back Track / Jerusalem - First Mix / Still... You Turn Me On - First Mix / Toccata - First Mix / Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Part 1 - First Mix / Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Part 2 - First Mix / Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression - First Mix / Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression - First Mix / Excerpts from Brain Salad Surgery - From the NME Flexidisc
Disc Three (DVD 5.1 Mix): Jerusalem / Toccata / Still... You Turn Me On / Benny The Bouncer / Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Part 1 / Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Part 2 / Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression / Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression
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