Brain Salad Surgery was the culmination of everything ELP had learned up to that point in terms of composition, arrangement, recording, performance and presentation. Throw in the best cover art of all time, the technological innovations of drum synthesis, a robot vocoder together with polyphonic synths and you have an album to cherish forever. Their best and the cherry on Prog's decadently yummy cake.
Brain salad surgery is the best prog rock album of all time. It has the most reaction videos of any prog rock album as far as being among at least the classics like supper's ready or close to the edge.
Nice one. Agree with most of it. Sometimes I put "Tarkus" higher than "Brain Salad Surgery", but it depends on day, mood, recent listenings etc. And sometimes of course I put Yes "Close To the Edge", Genesis "Foxtrot" higher or other Yes, ELP or Genesis album. But again depends on the day, mood and recent listenings.
Great album ( i saw them in concert a couple of times right after it came out) but my all time favorite ELP will always be Trilogy. Just great songs. I do have to add... the only problem I ever had with Brain Salad was from the song Still you turn Me On and the lyric "Sombody get me a ladder." Come on Greg!!
One of my all time favorite records! I owned the original 8-track and even today I often play the album (which I acquired later). It’s funny that the 8-track had the same sequencing as the album except that, due to the timing out of the 4 programs, “Benny” was the last track. Coming in after the heavy and epic “Karn Evil 9” it was like an encore, so comical and unlike any other track on the album. I actually liked that sequencing better. Like “Her Majesty” after the Abbey Road medley. It might not be the “best”, whatever that means, but it’s my favorite Prog album! Long live ELP! Thanks for giving them some love, as they often get unjustly maligned by “critics”.
I love ELP, one of my favourite prog bands. Yes the critics didn't care much for them, but I never listen to anything from them. It's the fans like you and I that really matter. I actually never heard any type of music from an 8 track, were they any good, sound wise. Thanks so much for the comment.
I still listen to Tarkus from time to time. But I can't listen to Brain Salad Surgery anymore. Still... you turn me on still sounds good to me, but the rest of the album is hard for me to sit through. It used to be my favorite I think, but it hasn't aged as well as Tarkus. So Tarkus gets my vote over BSS. In the court of the crimson king gets my vote for best prog album ever. It's more relevent today than it was when it came out in the 60s. Epitaph in particular sounds great today.
My first copy of was on 8 track, and I still remember the fades before the track click. In high school I even worked out a movie short to Toccata about the last humans on earth in a fight to the death with a humanoid robot in a leather coat, shades of Terminator, but 6 years earlier. However, as good as ELP was, my opinion of the best album would be The Wall by Pink Floyd. How every song tells part of a bigger story across the entire double album still blows my mind after so many decades.
One of the most disappointing albums I've ever heard. I was 13 when it came out, and just getting into "serious" music. The press in the UK were bigging it up, and much of the discussion was about the sleeve, which was amazing. I first heard something from it on Alan Freeman's Saturday rock show, and I was heartbroken! It was terrible! I was into Yes, Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, Gentle Giant, Van Der Graff Generator and Pink Floyd. I couldn't have told you why I hated it, but now I can. Unlike VDGG (who used a very similar instrumentation) the ELP production is swathed in reverb with everything mushed together. Musically it is fiddly, twiddly and unfocussed, with a distinct lack of melodic invention. Great sleeve though!
No - hamstrung by ELP's very limited song writing ability and general lack of originality. Also the band had the tendency to work on one track and then fill the rest of the album with odds and sods that come to hand. I wouldn't even say its even the best ELP album........ A few great moments and a great sleeve though!
Enjoyed your analysis. Try and find anything that sounded remotely close to this in 73. Genesis, maybe and that's it. What makes this album great is that it was a vehicle for their live shows in 73-74. The live versions of the BSS songs are far superior to the studio versions and they played every song off the album in 74. Whether this is the greatest prog album ever is debatable but I would say that this band is up there with the greatest prog performers of all time. That says a lot about this band, the live performance was everything to them and it is where they really focused their attention. This might have been serving their egos but I have to believe it was also for us. After the August 21st 1974 show at the Spectrum in Philadelphia no one ever heard a live performance of Toccata, Jerusalem, Tarkus in its entirety or Karn Evil 9 in its entirety live ever again. They captured lightning in a bottle for that brief period of time and for whatever reason could sadly not replicate it again. RIP Peter Sinfield .
Brain Salad Surgery was the culmination of everything ELP had learned up to that point in terms of composition, arrangement, recording, performance and presentation. Throw in the best cover art of all time, the technological innovations of drum synthesis, a robot vocoder together with polyphonic synths and you have an album to cherish forever. Their best and the cherry on Prog's decadently yummy cake.
Yes, what an amazing album and cover. Thanks for your comment.
Brain salad surgery is the best prog rock album of all time. It has the most reaction videos of any prog rock album as far as being among at least the classics like supper's ready or close to the edge.
My favorite ELP album!!!!
Amazing album Scot.
Nice one. Agree with most of it. Sometimes I put "Tarkus" higher than "Brain Salad Surgery", but it depends on day, mood, recent listenings etc. And sometimes of course I put Yes "Close To the Edge", Genesis "Foxtrot" higher or other Yes, ELP or Genesis album. But again depends on the day, mood and recent listenings.
Yes it does depend on the mood. All those you mentioned are amazing. Thanks for the comment.
YES , Relayer! My fav for sure.
Relayer is brilliant. Thanks for the comment.
'Brain Salad Surgery' is in my top ten but 'Close to the Edge' will always be my king of prog albums.
@@staggerlee6794 Thanks for the comment.
Great album ( i saw them in concert a couple of times right after it came out) but my all time favorite ELP will always be Trilogy. Just great songs. I do have to add... the only problem I ever had with Brain Salad was from the song Still you turn Me On and the lyric "Sombody get me a ladder." Come on Greg!!
I envy you, that you saw this awesome band. Yes, that lyric is cringeworthy. Thanks for the comment.
Great prog allbum, one of my favourites, keep this going as I have my favourite, but not telling ATM. Fab video.
Thanks so much.
It is defiantly one of the best, it will be interesting in your upcoming videos as to who will come out on top. Great video, I enjoyed it.
Thanks so much, Gary. Hopefully, it will be interesting, if nothing else.
One of my all time favorite records! I owned the original 8-track and even today I often play the album (which I acquired later). It’s funny that the 8-track had the same sequencing as the album except that, due to the timing out of the 4 programs, “Benny” was the last track. Coming in after the heavy and epic “Karn Evil 9” it was like an encore, so comical and unlike any other track on the album. I actually liked that sequencing better. Like “Her Majesty” after the Abbey Road medley. It might not be the “best”, whatever that means, but it’s my favorite Prog album! Long live ELP! Thanks for giving them some love, as they often get unjustly maligned by “critics”.
I love ELP, one of my favourite prog bands. Yes the critics didn't care much for them, but I never listen to anything from them. It's the fans like you and I that really matter. I actually never heard any type of music from an 8 track, were they any good, sound wise. Thanks so much for the comment.
Hey, on a side note... Gentle Giant, "Free Hand". Saw them in Boston and the band blew me away. Fantastic artists and an amazing prog band.
I'd say they were amazing.
Enjoyed your posting. Just subscribed . Close to edge for me.
Thanks, Andrew, so much appreciated.
Brain salad surgery is Album perfect,rock prog.
Fantastic album
I still listen to Tarkus from time to time. But I can't listen to Brain Salad Surgery anymore. Still... you turn me on still sounds good to me, but the rest of the album is hard for me to sit through. It used to be my favorite I think, but it hasn't aged as well as Tarkus. So Tarkus gets my vote over BSS.
In the court of the crimson king gets my vote for best prog album ever. It's more relevent today than it was when it came out in the 60s. Epitaph in particular sounds great today.
Tarkus is also amazing, nothing really between them TBH. Thanks for the comment.
My first copy of was on 8 track, and I still remember the fades before the track click. In high school I even worked out a movie short to Toccata about the last humans on earth in a fight to the death with a humanoid robot in a leather coat, shades of Terminator, but 6 years earlier. However, as good as ELP was, my opinion of the best album would be The Wall by Pink Floyd. How every song tells part of a bigger story across the entire double album still blows my mind after so many decades.
It's interesting that you had that way before the film. Yes, the wall is superb. Thanks for the comment.
No
One of the most disappointing albums I've ever heard.
I was 13 when it came out, and just getting into "serious" music. The press in the UK were bigging it up, and much of the discussion was about the sleeve, which was amazing.
I first heard something from it on Alan Freeman's Saturday rock show, and I was heartbroken! It was terrible! I was into Yes, Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, Gentle Giant, Van Der Graff Generator and Pink Floyd. I couldn't have told you why I hated it, but now I can.
Unlike VDGG (who used a very similar instrumentation) the ELP production is swathed in reverb with everything mushed together. Musically it is fiddly, twiddly and unfocussed, with a distinct lack of melodic invention.
Great sleeve though!
That's the beauty of music and the way we all hear it differently. I love it, thanks for the comment.
Hi Pat, I love the Hammond organ, but I find ELP a dirge. The Nice were ok in some ways but sadly I find ELP messy. Sorry.
@@steelyowen, there's no need to apologize; your opinion is as valid as mine. Thanks for the comment. Keep watching.
I have never really liked Elp. So it's no from me.
It's definitely ELP best work and a wonderful piece of art, but personally I wouldn't rank it in my Top 10.
That's fair enough, thanks for your comment.
Brillante video, mate. Un abrazo from Spain
@richardelsom8751 Thanks so much.
no
Thanks for your honesty.
No - hamstrung by ELP's very limited song writing ability and general lack of originality. Also the band had the tendency to work on one track and then fill the rest of the album with odds and sods that come to hand. I wouldn't even say its even the best ELP album........ A few great moments and a great sleeve though!
Interesting comment but thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Enjoyed your analysis. Try and find anything that sounded remotely close to this in 73. Genesis, maybe and that's it. What makes this album great is that it was a vehicle for their live shows in 73-74. The live versions of the BSS songs are far superior to the studio versions and they played every song off the album in 74. Whether this is the greatest prog album ever is debatable but I would say that this band is up there with the greatest prog performers of all time. That says a lot about this band, the live performance was everything to them and it is where they really focused their attention. This might have been serving their egos but I have to believe it was also for us. After the August 21st 1974 show at the Spectrum in Philadelphia no one ever heard a live performance of Toccata, Jerusalem, Tarkus in its entirety or Karn Evil 9 in its entirety live ever again. They captured lightning in a bottle for that brief period of time and for whatever reason could sadly not replicate it again. RIP Peter Sinfield .
Thanks so much for your excellent comment. Live is where they came alive, and as you have said sadly after 74 never to be repeated.
Prefiero ' Tales topographic oceans' d Yes, ' The lamb lies down...,', o Trilogy' d E,L & P...
@@jorgevillanuevaarocena2697 Thanks for comment.
No..... It's a great one, but not even in the top 20 best.....
That's fair enough. Thanks for the comment.
No