"Brain Salad Surgery" is the fourth studio album by English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released on 07 December 1973 by their own record label, Manticore Records, and distributed by Atlantic Records. The album marks ELP's move towards an eclectic, ostentatious amalgamation of classical, folk, and experimental styles that is a definitive example of the progressive rock genre.
The album consists of three parts. Side one includes "Jerusalem", an adaptation of Hubert Parry's hymn-based on the poem by William Blake, and "Toccata", an adaptation of the fourth movement of Alberto Ginastera's Piano Concerto No. 1. However, the main feature of the album is its centerpiece, "Karn Evil 9". Spanning 30 minutes, this is a multi-part epic piece separated over two sides.
The album's title is derived from a slang term for oral sex, "brain salad surgery", mentioned in Dr. John's song "Right Place, Wrong Time". Furthermore, the album cover features one of the first examples of computer-generated art being used on an album cover, created by Swiss artist H.R. Giger.
"Brain Salad Surgery" is often considered the band's best work, weaving rock and classical themes together with an intensity and sophistication rarely matched in the genre. It reached number 2 in the UK and number 11 in the US during a chart stay of 46 weeks and was eventually certified gold. Upon release, the album was a commercial and critical hit, allowing the band to sell out arenas throughout the mid-1970s. It remains one of the defining progressive rock albums of the era.
