Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Tarkus (Deluxe Edition) (2CD)

"Tarkus" is probably the only album in existence that combines jazz luminary Dave Brubeck, Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, sound engineer Eddy Offord, Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, American genius Frank Zappa and German multihyphenate Johann Sebastian Bach. At once diverse, ambitious and complex, Emerson, Lake & Palmer's second album proved fantastically successful and accessible. It reached No. 1 in the UK album charts and climbed into the Top 10 in the US. Released in 1971, the work catapulted the British group to the forefront of the concert scene and became instantly recognizable thanks to its now iconic cover. Free of drum solos, acoustic ballads and cerebral interludes, "Tarkus" differs from its equally esteemed predecessor, but again shows Emerson, Lake & Palmer running on all cylinders as a band seemingly capable of playing any style at any tempo. Reflecting on the album more than 40 years later, Emerson rightly said, "It offers a lot for the evolution of musicians. If someone wants to get into progressive rock music.... it provides the elements. There's a lot to do with 'Tarkus'." The same goes for William Neal's vibrant cover design. The final design, which evolved from a rather innocuous doodle, reflects the story of the title track and fits in with Neal's other drawings related to the story: The band name has been omitted, the skeletal remains of an eaten lizard can be seen, and a red-eyed armadillo transformed into a hybrid tank with weapons and tire treads. From the first note to the last, from the cover to the final illustration, "Tarkus" is the complete package. The 2012 remastered 2-CD edition of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's second album presents the original 1971 album on Disc 1 in the 2012 remaster - with the complete "Tarkus" suite as well as the rest of the original track list in enhanced sonic clarity. Disc 2 contains the Steven Wilson 2012 Stereo Mixes.