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Lake "Take it or leave it." The managers convinced Lake to stay and record the piece. Lake stated in an interview after the release: "It's about the futility of conflict expressed in context of soldiers and war. But it's broader than that. The words are about revolution that's gone, that has happened. Where has it got anybody? Nowhere." He has said "Stones of Years" is one of his favourite parts of "Tarkus". Lake admits to not being entirely sure of what it means, but says it is about, "listening, understanding, hearing." When asked how Tarkus could be written so quickly (six days), Emerson said:
485:). Lake plays bass on every section, adds electric guitar to "Mass" and both acoustic and electric guitars to "Battlefield" including two lengthy, simultaneous electric solos. When played live, the piano overdubs throughout and electric guitar additions on "Mass" were dropped, replaced on the latter by Emerson playing with the ribbon controller on his Moog. Lake, however, extended the guitar showcase on "Battlefield" by adding an excerpt from
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444:"Mass" is the name of Tarkus' third enemy and the fourth movement, which is filled with numerous religious references; it often had its lyrics dropped in tours by the Keith Emerson Band, as does Stones of Years. The "Mass" is often thought to be a mixture of a lizard, grasshopper and a rocket launcher.
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The interlude of the aforementioned "Stones of Years", the second movement, represents the travel of Tarkus and the enemy he meets first. The "Stones of Years" are thought to resemble a mixture of a "stone" version of a cybernetic spider-like creature with spikes like a stegosaurus; a shield embedded
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Musically, the arrangement of the piece revolves primarily around Keith's
Hammond organ, with extensive overdubs of piano and Moog synthesizer. "Stones of Years" and "Mass" feature Hammond solos with "Mass" also featuring a clavinet-sounding Moog part, while "Aquatarkus" revolves around an extended
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Our sort of creativity comes in varying periods. We get long periods when there isn't any creativity, we go into a studio and nothing sounds right, you know. Tarkus was written in six days because there was an awful lot of inspiration and one idea triggered another idea, and it was a long series of
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According to
Emerson, while Palmer was excited by some of the technical opportunities the song would present, Lake was not quite so enamoured, telling Emerson "If you want to play that sort of stuff, I suggest you play it on your solo album." The band almost broke up over the issue, Emerson telling
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in its side; two antennae, each with its own set of eyes; and what looks like a set of two poison gas tanks on the back, sort of resembling a futuristic station. As the interlude is reaching its end, the enemy is overpowered and then finished off by Tarkus' turrets before the song returns to vocal.
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The song, described by one journalist to be "about a post-apocalyptic, metal-plated, bionic armadillo outfitted with enough weaponry to wage perpetual solo warfare," remains a fan favourite and was consistently played at ELP, Keith
Emerson Band and Carl Palmer band concerts.
201:' (hence the name being written in bones on the album cover). Consequently, the name refers to the "futility of war, a man made mess with symbols of mutated destruction." The song "Tarkus" supposedly follows the adventures of Tarkus from his birth, through a fight with a
441:"Iconoclast" is the third movement and the movement which represents the enemy Tarkus meets second. The "Iconoclast", according to the inner gatefold, is a mixture of a pterodactyl and a war airplane, and is rapidly overpowered by guitar for "Mass".
542:" ("Confusion will be my epitaph, as I crawl a cracked and broken path, if we make it we can all sit back and laugh...") appears as a coda to Battlefield, followed by Aquatarkus and an extended solo by Emerson.
461:"Aquatarkus" closes the track, centering mostly on a march based on the "Battlefield" theme and then returning to the original "Eruption" theme as a farewell to Tarkus and a greeting to the aquatic Aquatarkus.
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451:" in which the final enemy of Tarkus appears and a battle ensues between variations on the "Tarkus" theme and the Manticore's. Ultimately, Tarkus is defeated and "Battlefield" follows.
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481:"underwater" Moog solo over a martial rhythm (this final section would be greatly expanded on stage with the continued development of synth technology, as heard on 1974's live
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Boehm, Mike (1 January 2010), "The
Genesis of a progressive trend?; The Hall of Fame's vote for the prog-rock band may be just the beginning for the genre – or an anomaly",
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said of the "Stone of Years" section that "eerie vocals and stunning organ/percussion interplay makes for exceptional outing."
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centuries before known history. The exact nature of Tarkus' origin and actions are unknown, and left ambiguous by its creator,
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All the music except 'Battlefield' (written by Lake) is written by
Emerson. All the lyrics are written by Lake.
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In 2004, the
Japanese classical pianist Aki Kuroda released an album with a classical adaptation of "Tarkus".
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The
Compositional Style of Keith Emerson in Tarkus (1971) for the Rock Music Trio Emerson Lake and Palmer
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Welcome Back, My
Friends, to the Show That Never Ends... Ladies and Gentlemen, Emerson, Lake & Palmer
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227:"Tarkus" itself is broken down into seven parts (timings reflect the beginning cues for each section):
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The second, third, fourth and fifth are supposedly the movements that represent the enemies he meets:
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A visual representation of the story, as seen on the inner gatefold of the LP
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868:"Back To the Future: Jordan Rudess, "Tarkus" reincarnate, and the Birth of
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Welcome Back My
Friends to the Show That Never Ends – Ladies and Gentlemen
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353: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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Fortner, Stephen (December 2010), "Keith
Emerson Interviewed by You",
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295:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.
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Emerson, Lake & Palmer played a 27-minute version of Tarkus on
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722:"Official Keith Emerson Website - Aki Kuroda - Highly Recommended"
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The movement "Battlefield" is the only part written entirely by
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505:"Stones of Years" was used as a single. It failed to chart.
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The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock
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The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock
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has explained that the name is an amalgamation between '
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618:: vocals, bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar
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ideas being triggered off of what we had already done.
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The Original Bootleg Series from the Manticore Vaults
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734:Emerson, Lake & Palmer, "Story Of The Band,"
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656:"The 25 Best Progressive Rock Songs of All Time"
556:included a cover of this song in his solo album
389:The parts supposedly follow Tarkus' birth in a
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1145:King Biscuit Flower Hour: Greatest Hits Live
173:by the band until the three impressions of "
169:epic lasts 20:35. It was the longest studio
1236:The Very Best of Emerson, Lake & Palmer
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369:Learn how and when to remove this message
311:Learn how and when to remove this message
1252:The Essential Emerson, Lake & Palmer
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1161:Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
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27:1971 song by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
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1228:The Best of Emerson, Lake & Palmer
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1527:Song recordings produced by Greg Lake
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788:. Quartet Books Limited. p. 99.
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577:, which appears on their 2012 album
351:adding citations to reliable sources
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685:. Williamneal.co.uk. Archived from
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249:"Aquatarkus" (instrumental) – 16:39
177:". The name "Tarkus" refers to the
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1209:Live at the Mar y Sol Festival '72
935:(M.A.). Indiana State University.
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243:"Manticore" (instrumental) – 10:55
237:"Iconoclast" (instrumental) – 6:27
189:paintings on the album cover. The
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842:"Aki Kuroda – Highly Recommended"
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231:"Eruption" (instrumental) – 0:00
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1405:I Believe in Father Christmas
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819:. August 21, 1971. p. 14
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906:. earMUSIC. August 10, 2012
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157:" is the title track of
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1129:In Concert / Works Live
219:release) and "Tarkus".
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751:. ladiesofthelake.com
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246:"Battlefield" – 12:47
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840:(October 23, 2013).
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749:"Circus, March 1972"
736:Beyond the Beginning
583:Tarkus – Concertante
534:. A brief sample of
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1054:Brain Salad Surgery
624:: drums, percussion
1349:From the Beginning
1295:A Time and a Place
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755:February 11,
753:. Retrieved
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691:. Retrieved
687:the original
677:
665:. Retrieved
659:
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582:
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567:Marc Bonilla
564:
557:
552:keyboardist
547:
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536:King Crimson
529:
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487:King Crimson
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345:Please help
340:verification
337:
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214:
213:" (from the
187:William Neal
154:
152:
50:
1485:Discography
1459:Cozy Powell
1454:Eddy Offord
1384:Karn Evil 9
1105:Live albums
1012:Carl Palmer
667:11 February
622:Carl Palmer
603:grand piano
579:Three Fates
424:Carl Palmer
359:August 2017
301:August 2017
175:Karn Evil 9
140:Producer(s)
1517:1971 songs
1506:Categories
1086:Black Moon
1078:Love Beach
946:January 7,
910:January 8,
888:January 7,
851:January 7,
823:2021-12-10
693:2013-02-20
661:PopMatters
641:References
466:Production
285:improve it
161:'s second
1363:Jerusalem
1342:Nutrocker
1328:Lucky Man
1005:Greg Lake
941:812040625
616:Greg Lake
589:Personnel
548:In 2007,
497:Reception
456:Greg Lake
449:Manticore
402:keyboards
289:verifying
223:Movements
203:manticore
185:from the
179:armadillo
146:Greg Lake
132:Greg Lake
1263:Box sets
877:Keyboard
817:Cash Box
709:Keyboard
683:"Tarkus"
629:See also
573:and the
517:Cash Box
394:eruption
391:volcanic
195:Tartarus
69:Recorded
59:Released
33:"Tarkus"
1370:Toccata
1356:Hoedown
1046:Trilogy
870:Zendrix
611:celesta
540:Epitaph
491:Epitaph
283:Please
199:carcass
197:' and '
1335:Tarkus
1298:(2010)
1290:(2007)
1282:(2007)
1274:(1993)
1255:(2007)
1247:(2004)
1239:(2000)
1231:(1980)
1212:(2011)
1204:(2011)
1196:(2010)
1188:(2010)
1172:(1998)
1164:(1997)
1156:(1997)
1148:(1997)
1140:(1993)
1132:(1979)
1124:(1974)
1116:(1971)
1097:(1994)
1089:(1992)
1081:(1978)
1073:(1977)
1065:(1977)
1057:(1973)
1049:(1972)
1041:(1971)
1038:Tarkus
1033:(1970)
939:
792:
257:Lyrics
191:artist
165:. The
155:Tarkus
114:Island
92:Length
52:Tarkus
1306:Songs
813:(PDF)
428:drums
404:in a
216:Works
171:suite
163:album
109:Label
81:Genre
948:2015
937:OCLC
912:2015
890:2015
853:2015
790:ISBN
757:2012
669:2022
538:'s "
493:".
489:'s "
183:tank
39:Song
426:on
349:by
287:by
41:by
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