ELP – Emerson Lake & Palmer and Tarkus Deluxe Editions
Razor & Tie
www.elpmerchnow.com

Rating:
Emerson, Lake & Palmer A
Tarkus A

If ever there were a band whose fans would appreciate a release of rock nerd remixes then it is Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s. The hardcore ELP peeps will be drooling at the mouth listening to the alternative stereo mixes and the new 2012 5.1 DVD Audio mixes. One can imagine the spittle forming at the corners of their mouths as they put on their expensive headphones and crank it up to scrutinize the discs for any subtle nuances that will stand out with the expertly crafted new mixes.

And why the heck not, as ELP are a band that was born to be grandiose, indulgent and overblown. In fact, no one in the Prog rock world has ever done it better.

Keith Emerson played a keyboard that looked like something fashioned from the switchboard at the Empire State Building, while Greg Lake sang and played bass like a man possessed (even though he may have been just as happy in a bar with a couple of beers playing “Louie Louie”). Carl Palmer plays intricate time signatures with ease, and when the band does stay in 4/4, he plays patterns so crazy they should not work – but they do!

Razor & Tie will eventually give these excellent three-disc treatments to all of the ELP classic albums, but these two are a great place to start.

The self-titled album kicks off with “The Barbarian” before going nuts with “Three Fates.” The album closes with the classic “Lucky Man.”

Tarkus begins with the musically amazing title track. This is what made ELP so special. There is nothing like this in the musical world and there never will be again. Keith Emerson could make a keyboard as exciting as a Les Paul through a stack of Marshall’s. The band sounded like symphony, even though there were only three of them.

This album is a must own and, like the self titled album, it comes with the original CD, a second disc of new 2012 stereo mixes and an audio DVD of both the 5.1 Mixes and the new 2012 Stereo mix.

ELP fans will really enjoy the alternative stereo mixes, as they make these songs come to life, sonically, like never before. These are both winners and make one anxious for the next batch to be released.

By Jeb Wright