Review Summary: The Crimson King invites you to the dark and disturbing...
King Crimson’s first era, although unstable in membership, had always been held together by the medieval-esque use of words by lyricist Peter Sinfield. After he and all the others who had worked on
Islands had quit (with the exception of Fripp, of course), the guitarist and creative leader of the group chose to assemble a wholly new formation. Fripp recruited bassist/vocalist John Wetton, ex-
Yes drummer Bill Bruford, violinist David Cross and percussionist Jamie Muir, thus completely reshaping the sound of the group, far more radically than before.
This more-or-less stable line-up released three albums in a 2-year span, which are often seen as a trilogy, which is because lyricist Richard Palmer-James appeared on all three as a replacement for Sinfield.
Lark’s Tongues in Aspic was released in 1973,
Starless and Bible Black and
Red were in 1974. Of these,
Larks' is by far the most experimental, and introduced many original ideas, most notably the epic instrumental title track in two parts, opening and closing the album, as well as the very unorthodox combination of instruments. For these reasons, King Crimson once again honoured their status as
the pioneering progressive rock band.
The new formation, to start with, is naturally very talented, and the completely reformed sound is a welcome change. The serene medieval influences have completely disappeared, and not just because of Sinfield’s departure. The saxophone, flute and woodwinds of earlier Crimson incarnations have completely vanished, and Cross’ violin skills, as well as technically two percussionists on the band, are a most interesting addition. Bruford, having been in Yes, is a very versatile drummer, Muir adds surprisingly much to the atmosphere of the album with his percussion, and Cross can range his playing from the serene and captivating to the dark and haunting. Perhaps the most welcome is Wetton, who is remarkably both the strongest bassist
and singer since Greg Lake’s on
In the Court of the Crimson King. His bass style is far more aggressive than any of his contemporaries in the 70’s, which, complemented by especially the disturbing violin and percussion, makes this particular incarnation of King Crimson a pleasantly dark, nightmarish experience at times.
Fantastically innovative and interesting as that all might be,
Larks’ is not the group’s most consistently captivating piece of work. Wetton is not in his finest voice, on each of the three consecutive albums bettering his vocal performance, and this album is at its finest on the brooding instrumental tracks, which are three out of the six in total. The real highlight is, as it should be, the title track, almost responsible for half of the album’s length. The track in two parts in King Crimson at its most daring and experimental, and both are very rewarding. The first part varies from Muir’s exotic-sounding percussion to doomy guitar sounds even darker than Sabbath’s very darkest (so yes, King Crimson had some proto-metal going there, too). Cross does a quite lengthy violin solo, which seems to be too calm and boring at first, but soon grows as disturbing and powerful as much as the earlier part of the track. Although based largely on improvisation, the atmosphere builds surprisingly well. The shorter second part is more structured, but also unfortunately less varied, and therefore less compelling throughout its length. Together, the two tracks succeed perfectly in weaving a disturbing nightmare that you'll be very much drawn into. The last instrumental track,
The Talking Drum, is not as strong as the title track, but certainly nothing to skip over, and fittingly precedes
Part 2.
The fact that Wetton still had to find his voice in Crimson at the time the group were making
Larks’ is unfortunate, because it does indeed flaw the non-instrumental tracks. Most surprisingly, the quite poppy, less-than-3-minute (!) track
Book of Saturday is the best pick out of the three. Fripp does some fine guitar picking, Cross’ violin accompaniment is a great touch, and Wetton sings well. And really, what’s wrong with King Crimson doing something more conventional for a change?
The middle part of the album is therefore logically the most disappointing. The 7-minute
Exiles is another attempt to equal the group’s earlier masterpiece
Epitaph (something which Crimson did multiple times during the 70s), completely with a similar tranquil mellotron arrangement. Although the violin proves once again to be a very worth addition and the instrumental section is not at all unfitting of the track’s intended atmosphere, Wetton finds himself in a weak voice and has trouble hitting all the notes, which inevitably puts him in the shade of Lake’s earlier, perfect performance. That said,
Exiles is not a real stinker in any sense, just really falling short of a proper vocal section.
Easy Money is the single vocal track that is found to be similar to the dark instrumental pieces found on the rest of the album, although it also has a slightly funky edge and, due to its absurd lyrics and wacky sound effects, separates itself from the rest of the material.
Larks’ Tongues in Aspic is hard to get into: it’s experimental, improvisational, and yet, it establishes a uniquely dark atmosphere that only King Crimson has the spirit to conjure up. Also, it is a sudden change from the medieval-esque sounds of Sinfield-penned Crimson, marking the dawn of a completely new era. With Wetton, Cross, Bruford and Muir, Fripp successfully reshapes the experience into a still compelling form, something he achieved multiple times during the group’s career.
Larks’ is certainly a strong album, just another one you’ll probably need to take some time with. Do that, and it’ll certainly pay off.
Lark’s Tongues in Aspic’s King Crimson was:
- Robert Fripp ~ Guitars, Mellotron, Devices, Electric Piano
- John Kenneth Wetton ~ Bass Guitar, Vocals, Acoustic Piano
- William Scott Bruford ~ Drums
- David Cross ~ Violin, Viola, Mellotron, Flute, Electric Piano
- Jamie Muir ~ Percussion
Lyrics by Richard Palmer-James
TO BE CONTINUED...
