MEDIUM Vinyl Record WEIGHT 180gr (black Vinyl) 33rpm CONDITION sealed COVER Gatefold CONDITION COVER M mint COVER DAMAGES No, we take care about that SERIALNUMBER Yes LIMITED Yes MISCELLANEOUS Stereo MUSICIAN HOMEPAGE emersonlakeandpalmer.com
Keith Emerson - electric organ [hammond organ], organ [st. marks church organ], piano, celesta [celeste], synthesizer [moog synthesizer]
Greg Lake - vocals, bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Carl Palmer - drums, percussion
jeremy bender - 1:44
bitches crystal - 3:58
the only way (hymn) - 3:51
infinite space (conclusion) - 3:19
a time and a place - 3:01
are you ready, eddy? - 2:13
Tarkus likely remains the only album in existence that links jazz luminary Dave Brubeck, Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, recording engineer Eddy Offord, Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera, American genius Frank Zappa, and German multi-hyphenate Johann Sebastian Bach
At once diverse, ambitious, and complex, Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s sophomore statement proved fantastically successful and accessible
It reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and, in the U.S., climbed into the Top 10
The 1971 effort also propelled the British group to the forefront of the concert scene and became instantly identifiable via its now-iconic cover art
Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition 180g 33RPM LP of Tarkus presents the gold-certified effort in audiophile sound
Clear, dynamic, and balanced, the collectible edition honors the fastidious approaches that informed the playing and recording of the record
With black backgrounds, dead-quiet surfaces, and exceptional definition, this reissue brings to light the tonal depth and virtuosic musicianship on display
Traits — textures, nuances, effects, melodies, tempo changes — that go hand-in-hand with the trio’s compositions and interplay are rendered amid broad soundstages and delivered with finite detail
You’ll relish the separation, imaging, and timing that help make every song come across with involving presence and realism
These sonic signposts extend to the snorkel-tube-inspired Moog synthesizer on “Aquatarkus,” the St. Mark’s Church pipe organ on “The Only Way (Hymn),” and the improvisational jamming and hollering on the lighthearted rave-up “Are You Ready Eddy?”
Anchored by the theatrical title track — a nearly 21-minute-long epic that charts the life of the armadillo creature from birth to the aftermath of his defeat in a battle with a manticore — Tarkus briefly created a rift in the supergroup’s then-thriving chemistry
The reason: The architecture and direction keyboardist Keith Emerson pursued with “Tarkus”
Based on 10/8 and 5/4 time signatures, the dexterous suite initially frustrated guitarist-singer Greg Lake, who soon came around to both playing on it and writing its anti-war narrative
A seven-part journey in which peacefulness and violence, calm and clamor, and flourishes and marches unfold within the sonically metaphorical framework, “Tarkus” looms as one of the finest prog compositions ever performed
The album’s second half prominently displays Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s expansive range with concise songs and, in two spots, its sense of humor
Made and sequenced on Tarkus to give listeners a breather after the demanding opener, “Jeremy Bender” unfolds with honky-tonk pianos and percussive hand claps
An homage to Brubeck’s “Count Down,” the tumbling “Bitches Crystal” doubles as a showcase for Emerson’s impeccable piano skills
The keyboardist also takes center stage on “The Only Way (Hymn),” which folds bold religious contemplation with a segue into the jazz-fueled instrumental “Infinite Space”
Free of drum solos, acoustic ballads, and cerebral interludes, Tarkus differs from its equally esteemed predecessor but finds Emerson, Lake & Palmer again hitting on all cylinders as a band seemingly capable of playing any style at any pace
Reflecting on the album more than 40 years later, Emerson rightly stated: “It offers a lot for the advancement of musicians
If anyone wants to get into progressive rock music…it provides the elements
You’ve got a lot going on with Tarkus”
That extends to William Neal’s vibrant cover art
Born out of a somewhat innocuous doodle, the final design — which memorably omits the band’s name, contains the skeletal remains of an eaten lizard, and famously features a red-eyed armadillo transformed into a hybrid tank replete with guns and treads — reflects the title track’s storyline and dovetails with Neal’s other narrative-associated drawings in the sleeve
From the first to the last note, from the cover to the final illustration, Tarkus is the complete package
RECORDING January – February 1971 at Advision Studios, Fitzrovia, London ENGINEERING Eddy "Are You Ready" Offord LABEL Island RE MASTERING Krieg Wunderlich MASTER SOURCE 1/4" / 15 IPS analog copy to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe RE RELEASED 2025 AVERAGE RATING 4.78 Stars out of 5 PRESSING by Fidelity Record Pressing MADE IN USA STYLE Rock / Prog Rock AVAILABLE as long as inventory stock
For more information, please visit the home page for this product.
