Brain Salad Surgery

Brain Salad Surgery is the fourth 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 surreal 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 (both titles are slang expressions for fellatio).

In 2007, Shout Factory Records released remastered versions of Brain Salad Surgery and the entire Emerson, Lake & Palmer catalog.

The album cover is considered one of the most memorable of its time. It features distinctive Giger monochromatic biomechanical artwork, integrating an industrial mechanism with a human skull and the new ELP logo (created by Giger). The lower part of the skull's face is covered by a circular "screen", which shows the mouth and lower face in its flesh-covered state. In the original LP release, the front cover was split in half down the center, except for the circular screen section (which was attached to the right half). Opening the halves revealed a painting of the complete face: a human female (modelled after Giger's wife), with "alien" hair and multiple scars, including the infinity symbol and a scar from a frontal lobotomy. The two images of the woman are very similar, but the outer image (in the circle) contains what appears to be the top of a phallus below her chin, arising from the "ELP" column below (the second painting originally had the complete phallus, but this was removed at the insistence of the record company). The back cover was solid black with the album title in plain white lettering.

Background:

Work on the album began in late 1972 as a response to the challenges faced with their previous record "Trilogy," which had too many overdubs, making it difficult to reproduce live.
The trio aimed to create an album they could perform live, using rehearsal facilities in a former cinema.
Writing:

Writing sessions in 1972-1973 led to the creation of two key tracks: the dominating epic "Karn Evil 9" and an adaptation of the 4th Movement of Alberto Ginastera's 1st Piano Concerto.
Pete Sinfield collaborated with Greg Lake on lyrics for "Karn Evil 9" and "Benny the Bouncer."
Composition of "Karn Evil 9":

"Karn Evil 9" is a nearly 30-minute epic with three movements.
Due to time constraints, the first movement was initially split between sides one and two of the vinyl record.
Written by Keith Emerson, the music blends classical and rock themes, exploring the battle between artificial and natural intelligence.
Greg Lake and Pete Sinfield contributed lyrics, focusing on the theme of a man being taken over by the computer he invented.
Originally titled "Ganton 9," Sinfield suggested the title "Karn Evil 9," inspired by the carnival-like feel of the music.
The famous line "Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends…" became the title of the group's second live album.
Diverse Elements:

"Karn Evil 9" showcases a range of styles, including a hymn, a piano concerto with electronic percussion, an acoustic ballad, a barroom piano section, and a half-hour science fiction suite.
Despite its seemingly disparate elements, the album is praised for its brilliant cohesion.
Recognition:

The second part of the first movement of "Karn Evil 9" with the iconic line is widely recognized and used as the title for the group's second live album.
The composition is often associated with the opening of sports seasons and remains a common radio staple.

Track listing
All lyrics written by Greg Lake and all music written by Keith Emerson, except where noted.

Side one
No. Title Lyrics Music Length
1. "Jerusalem" William Blake Hubert Parry (arranged by Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer) 2:44
2. "Toccata" (an adaptation of Ginastera's 1st piano concerto, 4th movement) Instrumental Alberto Ginastera (arranged by Emerson, percussion movement—Palmer) 7:23
3. "Still…You Turn Me On" Lake 2:53
4. "Benny the Bouncer" Lake, Pete Sinfield 2:21
5. "Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression—Part 1" 8:43
Total length: 24:04
Side two
No. Title Lyrics Length
6. "Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression—Part 2" 4:47
7. "Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression" Instrumental 7:07
8. "Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression" Lake, Sinfield 9:03
Total length: 20:57 45:02