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

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 did not 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 equal credit to Bartók.[4] The song was never included in a compilation album of the band until the album The Essential Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Personnel

• Keith Emerson - Hammond organ, piano
• Greg Lake - bass guitar
• Carl Palmer - drums, percussion

References