Emerson Lake & Palmer BRAIN SALAD SURGERY LP Manticore 1973
Emerson, Lake & Palmer were progressive rock's first supergroup. Greeted by the rock press and the public as something akin to conquering heroes, they succeeded in broadening the audience for progressive rock from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of listeners. They created a major radio phenomenon as well, penning classic rock radio staples like "Lucky Man," Still…You Turn Me On," and "Karn Evil 9 1st Impression, Pt. 2," and issuing hugely influential albums like Tarkus and Brain Salad Surgery. Their flamboyance on record and in the studio echoed the best work of the heavy metal bands of the era, proving that classical rockers could compete for that arena-scale audience. Over and above their own commercial success, the trio also paved the way for contemporaries such as Jethro Tull and Yes, the latter of whom would become their chief rivals for much of the 1970s. ELP disbanded in 1979 but re-formed in 1991 and issued two more studio albums, Black Moon (1992) and In the Hot Seat (1994), before ceasing operations once again. In 2010 they performed their final show at the High Voltage Festival in London to commemorate their 40h anniversary. Keyboardist Keith Emerson and bassist/guitarist/vocalist Greg Lake passed away in 2016, leaving drummer Carl Palmer as the sole remaining member. (Bruce Eder, AllMusic)

Brain Salad Surgery was a concerted effort by the group to produce an album which could be performed in its entirety live, unlike the highly overdubbed material of their previous album Trilogy. Employing some of the tactics used by Pink Floyd, the band wrote some of the music in a cinema, “live” on stage, reworking arrangements to capture the emotion of the film. Most of the material was composed as instrumental pieces with lyrics added to some later on. Three instrumentals remained on the final album, while three more (“When the Apple Blossoms Bloom in the Windmills of Your Mind I’ll Be Your Valentine”, “Tiger In a Spotlight”, and the title song “Brain Salad Surgery”) were omitted because of time constraints. The album’s unique title came from a lyric in Dr. John’s song “Right Place, Wrong Time”, released earlier in 1973 which stated; “just need a little brain salad surgery, got to cure this insecurity.” The album cover artwork was done by the artist Giger, integrating an industrial mechanism with a human skull along with the latest ELP logo (which Giger also created). (Rick Albano, Classic Rock Review)

I have graded the album Excellent in line with Vinyl Factory guidelines

Excellent – tolerating very light marks where the vinyl has been in and out of the inner sleeve a few times, or tiny signs of use generally.

I have graded the sleeve Very Good Plus because of wear and a light ring mark - but the inner sleeves and the lyric sheet are pristine.

Matrix / Runout (Side A label, in brackets): ST-MC-732991 Matrix / Runout (Side B label, in brackets): ST-MC-732992 Pressing Plant ID (Deadwax stamp): [SRC logo] Matrix / Runout (Side A runout etched, variant 1): ST-MC-732991-G [SRC logo] AT Matrix / Runout (Side B runout etched, variant 1): ST-MC-732992-G [SRC logo] AT
"Toccata" - an adaptation of Ginastera's 1st Piano Concerto, 4th Movement.
This is the actual first UK release of the album, and it was pressed in the USA by Atlantic Records at Speciality Records Corporation (SRC logo on runout: large S with R and C in the loops). 

This 1st pressing was released on November 19, 1973 in both the US and the UK at the same time. 
US copies had F stampers on both sides, UK copies had G stampers on both sides.

The US disc and the Atlantic "Rock 4" inner sleeve were imported back into the UK and housed in the UK first edition sleeve with the catalogue number K53501 on rear and spine and Manticore logo distributed by WEA Records Ltd on rear.

Later issues were printed with a Manticore/WEA catalogue number. Original pressing comes in a fold out jacket and a poster.

Below the Manticore logo, there is a misspelled "Manicore" on rear. That was corrected already on the first, non-hybrid, 100% made in the UK Brain Salad Surgery release, which had vinyl made in the UK and presented also the fold out jacket and the poster.
Original cover painting by H. R. Giger by arrangement with the House Of Ideas, Zurich.

Published by Manticore Music Ltd., BMI except "Toccata" - Boosey & Hawkes, ASCAP