It is no secret that I am pretty sweet on the music of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I can’t really bring anything new to the party that wasn’t already said in the post hyperlinked above, so maybe go read that for some background on my obsession and them come back and rejoin us.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer are just a magical band to me. Even though I don’t revisit their music as often as I do, say, The Beatles or Led Zeppelin, I can’t find any fault with it. I understand that smell memory has the fullest power of transportation to the past, but when I listen to ELP I feel like I’m 12 years old, discovering their music for the first time on their three disc live album that had a tri-gatefold sleeve and a title that takes too long to type.

There is nothing on earth quite like losing yourself in Keith Emerson’s Thor-meets-the Renaissance keyboard noodling, and when I hear Greg Lake sing songs about how “The Waters Rhine Taste of Wine” (“Stones of Years”) it makes my head explode. I have all their albums and several greatest hits packages and I cannot dispense with any of it. Because I am a huge Prog Rock Nerd.

Imagine, then, how hard I geeked-out when I opened a package last week from Razor & Tie Records that contained three-disc reissues of ELP’s self-titled debut album and a reissue of the group’s sophomore album Tarkus — the one with the armadillo/tank hybrid on the cover. Wow, it was like Christmas in September! I got so excited, I immediately laid them out on my rug and took pictures of them for this post!

For other completist collector record geeks out there, here is what you’re getting with each of these deluxe editions, so you can make a judgement call on whether or not you need to own them:

• Disc one is the original album with original track listing
• Disc two contains alternate stereo mixes and unreleased bonus tracks
• Disc three is a DVD Audio disc that contains new for 2012 5:1 Mixes and new Stereo Mixes, also previously unreleased

Each set includes a color booklet with the track listings, lots of photos of the guys when they were young and hot, and lengthy historical liner notes by veteran British Rock Journalist Chris Welch. Three time Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree) worked from the original Greg Lake produced multi-track tapes to remix both albums, so you already know that they sound amazing.

The 3-Disc Deluxe Sets of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Tarkus will be available wherever fine music is sold or downloaded on September 25th, 2012, but you can get pre-order information and find out to get all sorts of rare ELP swag by visiting This Link.

Complete Track Listings! 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer Deluxe Edition Track List:
Disc One: Original Album
1. The Barbarian
2. Take A Pebble
3. Knife-Edge
4. The Three Fates
i. Clotho ROYAL FESTIVAL
HALL ORGAN
ii. Lachesis PIANO SOLO
iii. Atropos PIANO SOLO
5. Tank
6. Lucky Man

Disc Two: Bonus Tracks (2012) THE ALTERNATE ELP NEW 2012 STEREO MIXES (Previously Unreleased)
1. The Barbarian
2. Take A Pebble
3. Knife Edge (with Extended Outro)
4. Promenade
5. The Three Fates: Atropos
6. Rave Up
7. Drum Solo
8. Lucky Man
Bonus Tracks:
9. Take A Pebble (Alternate Version)
10. Knife Edge (Alternate Version)
11. Lucky Man (First Greg Lake Solo Version)
12. Lucky Man (Alternate Version)

Disc Three: DVD Audio
NEW 2012 – 5.1 MIX (Previously Unreleased)
1. The Barbarian
2. Take A Pebble
3. Knife-Edge
4. The Three Fates: Atropos
5. Rave Up
6. Lucky Man

NEW HIGH RES 2012 STEREO MIXES (Previously Unreleased)
7. The Barbarian
8. Take A Pebble
9. Knife Edge (with Extended Outro)
10. Promenade
11. The Three Fates: Atropos
12. Rave Up
13. Drum Solo
14. Lucky Man
15. Take A Pebble (Alternate Version)
16. Knife Edge (Alternate Version)
17. Lucky Man (First Greg Lake Solo Version)
18. Lucky Man (Alternate Version)

Tarkus Deluxe Edition Track List: Disc One: Original Album
1. Tarkus
i. Eruption
ii. Stones Of Years
iii. Iconoclast
iv. Mass
v. Manticore
vi. The Battlefield
vii. Aquatarkus
2. Jeremy Bender
3. Bitches Crystal
4. The Only Way (Hymn)
5. Infinite Space (Conclusion)
6. A Time And A Place
7. Are You Ready Eddy?

Disc Two: The Alternate Tarkus 2012 Stereo Mixes
1. Tarkus
2. Eruption
3. Stones Of Years
4. Iconoclast
5. Mass
6. Manticore
7. The Battlefield
8. Aquatarkus
9. Jeremy Bender
10. Bitches Crystal
11. The Only Way (Hymn)
12. Infinite Space (Conclusion)
13. A Time And A Place
14. Are You Ready Eddy?
15. Oh, My Father
16. Unknown Ballad
17. Mass (Alternate Take)

Disc Three: DVD Audio

New 2012 5.1 Mixes
1. Tarkus
2. Eruption
3. Stones Of Years
4. Iconoclast
5. Mass
6. Manticore
7. The Battlefield
8. Aquatarkus
9. Jeremy Bender
10. Bitches Crystal
11. The Only Way (Hymn)
12. Infinite Space (Conclusion)
13. A Time And A Place
14. Are You Ready Eddy?
15. Oh My Father

2012 Stereo Mixes
16. Tarkus
17. Eruption
18. Stones Of Years
19. Iconoclast
20. Mass
21. Manticore
22. The Battlefield
23. Aquatarkus
24. Jeremy Bender
25. Bitches Crystal
26. The Only Way (Hymn)
27. Infinite Space (Conclusion)
28. A Time And A Place
29. Are You Ready Eddy?
30. Oh My Father
31. Unknown Ballad
32. Mass