King Crimson
Larks' Tongues in Aspic

Release Date: 1973 | Tracklist

“Larks’ Tongues In Aspic� is the fifth studio album of King Crimson and was released in 1973. The line up on the album is Robert Fripp, John Wetton, Bill Bruford, David Cross, Jamie Muir and Richard Palmer-James.


After King Crimson have released their two first studio albums “In The Court Of The Crimson King�, considered by many the first prog rock album, and “In The Wake Of Poseidon�, considered by some a remake of their debut, occurred the first major change on the line up of the group. With the new line up the band released two more studio albums “Lizard� and “Islands�. After that the band disbanded and seemed as though King Crimson finally have come to an end.

So, the previous King Crimson’s line up had broke completely up after the release of their live album “Earthbound� and Robert Fripp was left completely on his own. He used some time to gather together a new line up that included Bill Bruford, John Wetton and David Cross. The first version of this line up has also included Jamie Muir on various percussions. The new King Crimson played progressive rock of a kind and in a way that no other band had done before them. Their new style was often based in very heavy and loud riffs built around raw and freaked out improvisations, and sounded very refreshing. So, this new incarnation of the band is also a key album in the band’s evolution, drawing on Eastern European classical music and European free improvisation, as central influences. This line up lasted during two years and released three studio albums, “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic�, “Starless And Bible Black� and “Red�, and a live album “USA�, before the lead member Robert Fripp temporarily have disbanded the group from 1974 until 1981.

“Larks’ Tongues In Aspic� showed several significant changes in King Crimson’s lyrics and sound. In relation to the lyrics, Pete Sinfield having left the fold, the lyric writing is contributed by Richard Palmer-James. Richard’s lyrics are less ambiguous and therefore more human than those of his occasionally verbose predecessor. Relatively to the music, the differences are much more significant. Having previously relied on saxophone and flute of Mel Collins as significant melodic and textural instruments, the band had replaced them with a single violin played by David Cross. Jamie Muir’s percussion rig featured exotic, eccentric instrumentation including chimes, bells, thumb piano, a musical saw, shakers, rattles, found objects like sheet metal, toys and baking trays, plus miscellaneous drums and chains, bringing to King Crimsons’ music a new exotic and different sound. The mellotron, a staple part of King Crimson’s instrumentation since their debut album, was retained for this new phase and was played either by Robert Fripp or David Cross, both of whom also played electric piano. The band’s multi instrumentalism is particularly evident on these both great musicians.

“Larks’ Tongues In Aspic� has six tracks. The two title tracks are both good examples of their new style which, as I said, was often based in very heavy and loud riffs built around raw and freaked out improvisations. It features some of the best guitar riffs Fripp ever wrote. We may say this is an experimental eclectic song clearly influenced by jazz, classical, heavy and oriental music. It’s perhaps the best experimental song in their career and is absolutely brilliant. It’s hard to believe how incredible this song is and how is so perfect to open and close this great album. But the band could also be melodic and harmonic, as clearly demonstrated in the beautiful “Exiles�. It has a delicate and beautiful melody with the powerful use of the mellotron that reminds me their second studio album “In The Wake Of Poseidon�. This is a must for those who like King Crimson’s melodic side. “Book Of Saturday� is a simple, calm and nice song where we can relax. It’s well sung but there is no longer anything remarkable on this song to highlight. “Easy Money� is a powerful rocker complete with mellotron and a catchy vocal riff. The track seems a bit strange but gradually it grows up and becomes very interesting. It’s a good song but isn’t as good as the previous others. “The Talking Drum� is also a very good instrumental track but it hasn’t, in me, the same emotional effect that some other songs had on me before.


Conclusion: Despite “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic� be, in my opinion, one of the best King Crimson’s studio albums, it isn’t a truly masterpiece as “In The Court Of The Crimson King� and “Red� are. Why? Because, it has two songs, “Easy Money� and especially “The Talking Drum� with some quality inferior to the rest of the album. However, this is a great album with a fantastic line up of musicians, one of my favourites together with the line up of their debut studio album “In The Court Of The Crimson King�, and it has also some of the best musical moments composed and performed by the group in their long career. Everything sounds great. Every instrument is being heard. It’s not like some other artists around. The guitar must be the only thing you hear in the whole song. No, Fripp is more of a composer than a guitarist. Besides, and despite what I said before, “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic� is an album amazingly performed by all musicians.


Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)

Tweet

Recent reviews by this author
Finch (NL) Glory of the Inner Force	Camel Mirage
Carmen Dancing on a Cold Wind	David Bowie The Man Who Sold the World
Peter Baumann Romance 76	Tangerine Dream Rubycon

user ratings (1586)

rate it Awful - 1 Very Poor - 1.5 Poor - 2 Average - 2.5 Good - 3 Great - 3.5 Excellent - 4 Superb - 4.5 Classic - 5

4.3 superb