Artist: EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER
Album: BRAIN SALAD SURGERY REMASTERED (CD)

Year: 1973/ 2004
Media type: CD

Brain Salad Surgery is the fifth studio album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1973 and the first under their Manticore Records imprint. It features cover art by controversial artist H. R. Giger. According to the 1996 re-release notes, Manticore Records president Mario Medious "nicked the title from a slang lyric in Dr. John's 1973 hit, "Right Place, Wrong Time" (released January 26, 1973)": Just need a little brain salad surgery/Got to cure this insecurity to replace the working title, Whip Some Skull on Yer.

The most well-known track is "Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression, Part 2" (Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends...). "Karn Evil 9" was so long it originally had to be split between sides 1 and 2 of the album. The original U.S. CD release also divided the piece, but subsequent releases have presented it in an uninterrupted version.

The lyrics were co-written by Greg Lake with fellow ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield. On the instrumental "Toccata", based on Alberto Ginastera's 1st piano Concerto, special synthesized effects were produced not by Keith Emerson but by Carl Palmer using newly-developed drum synthesizers. Ginastera's agent apparently did not care for ELP's rendition and wasn't going to clear the publishing rights; however, Ginastera himself liked it a lot and arranged for clearance. "Toccata" also gained fame as the theme to the New England cult TV show Creature Double Feature.

"Karn Evil 9" includes vocal credit for Keith Emerson, and is Emerson's only official vocal credit on an ELP record.

TRACKLIST:

1. "Jerusalem" (William Blake, Hubert Parry as adapted by Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Carl Palmer) – 2:44
2. "Toccata" Adaptation of Ginastera's 1st piano Concerto, 4th movement (Alberto Ginastera, arr. Emerson) – 7:22
3. "Still...You Turn Me On" (Lake)– 2:53
4. "Benny the Bouncer" (Emerson, Lake, Peter Sinfield) – 2:21
5. "Karn Evil 9" (Emerson, Lake, Sinfield) – 29:54

"Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 1" (Emerson, Lake, Sinfield) – 8:43
"Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 2" (Emerson, Lake) – 4:46
"Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression" (Emerson, Lake) – 7:07
"Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression" (Emerson, Lake) – 9:03

Bonus tracks:

6. Brain Salad Surgery (single)
7. When The Apple Blossoms Bloom In The Windmills Of Your Mind I’ll Be Your Valentine (single)
8. Excerpts From Brain Salad Surgery (flexi disc)

LINE-UP:

Keith Emerson – organs, piano, harpsichord, accordion, custom-built Moog synthesizers & Moog Polyphonic ensemble, computer voice on 5
Greg Lake – vocals, bass, guitar, 6 string electric guitar, 12 string electric guitar
Carl Palmer – percussion, percussion synthesizers