The Barbarian (song)

"The Barbarian" is the opening track on the eponymous debut album of British progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1970.

"The Barbarian"
Instrumental by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
from the album Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Released1970
Recorded1970
GenreProgressive rock, hard rock
Length4:27
Composer(s)Béla Bartók arr. Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Carl Palmer
Producer(s)Greg Lake

Description

The song is instrumental, and it is the shortest song on the album (4:27). Although the composition of "The Barbarian" was attributed to the three band members, it is an arrangement for rock band of Béla Bartók’s 1911 piano piece Allegro barbaro.[1][2] Although the original piece is for piano only, the band arranged the song for organ, piano, bass, and drums.[3] The music of the song is aggressive with a hard rock influence. Greg Lake used a fuzz box to give his bass a fuller, guitar-like sound. The band members didn't give credit to Bartók, thinking that the label would arrange the matter. Bartók's family sued ELP for copyright infringement,[2] but eventually, the band gave the credit to Bartók too.[4] The song was never included in a compilation album of the band until the album The Essential Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Personnel

References
  1. Stump, Paul (1997). The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock. Quartet Books Limited. p. 98. ISBN 0-7043-8036-6.
  2. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4583
  3. Gecevičiūtė, Agnė. "A plastic approach to musical meaning : An analysis of the Barbarian by Emerson, Lake & Palmer". Actes Sémiotiques. 119.
  4. "Emerson, Lake & Palmer - the Barbarian Lyrics".
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