b o b

Of the three mid-70s Crimson albums, this is probably my least favorite, but that's kind of like saying my pinky is my least favorite finger - I sure as hell wouldn't want to be without it. I think my problem with this album is that there are live versions of just about every track from it that I prefer to the studio versions. But that's just an indication of the skill that this version of Crimson had on stage - there really aren't any bad tracks on this disc (although I could probably live without "Easy Money", and I have to be in the mood for "Exiles"). This may be an unpopular opinion, but I prefer the version of "Lark's Tongues, pt 1" on the Frame by Frame boxed set, where Fripp wisely edited out a bit of noodling and made it a tighter track. review by Bob Eichler — undated —

d o m

What do you think of when you hear the term 'progressive rock'? If you were like most people, then you might have conjured visions of bloated, obsolete 70s bands whose members wear robes onstage, and whose album covers have more in common with Hobbits than heartbreakers. With this album, KC seemingly tried to change all that. Here, they replace prog mysticism with cynicism, pompous rock-suites with compact avant tone-poems, and the whole stigma associated with art rock with something much more subversive. The sound is cutting and dark. Percussionist Muir helps a lot by banging on just about anything except actual drums. Chalk up the album's medieval whimsy to his nimble hands and feet. David Cross, though soon to be maligned by his bandmates, gives the whole proceeding an air of real classical experimentation. Wetton and Bruford were KC's best rhythm section, due much in part to the clashing of their styles: Wetton's brash, distorted punch versus Bruford's no-nonsense refinery. Fripp assembled a band that could push the envelope, and jam with the best of them. The first track on the album, "Larks' Tongues...Pt. 1", established a creed for this band to follow until its dissolution in '74. Exotic percussion, building tension, guitar explosions, extended group improvisation, the spooky tritone dissonances: it's all here. We're still in the 12-minute range, but this feels more like the soundtrack to a ghost story than escapist pomp. "Larks' Tongues...Pt. 2" is all roaring riffage from RF and company. Whatever retraint they showed on the album up to now was blasted out of the water on this tune. Angular divebomb madness, with plenty of sweat to back up its pretensions. The band would go on to make two more "Larks" sequels over the next 25 or so years, neither of which matched the intensity or imagination of the first two. As you may know, this was KC's first album with the classic mid-70s lineup. The really scary thing about it is that it arguably wasn't even that band's best album! Breathless, before RF thought up that title. review by Dominique Leone — undated —

s e a n

This is the first album recorded by the incarnation of King Crimson involving Fripp, Bruford, Wetton and Cross. Legendary percussionist Jamie Muir also lends a hand on this album. Larks' Tongues in Aspic is one of the staple progressive rock recordings. I would imagine three quarters of the people reading this review have already heard the album. Nevertheless I'll attempt to give some thoughts on it. The album opens with some atmospheric, meandering percussion which gradually builds into the first number, "Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part 1", which alternates between softer passages controlled by violin and the harsh guitar riffs of Robert Fripp. As this manic-depressive slugfest drifts away, the listener is led through the wistful balladry of "Book of Saturday" and "Exiles" and the rockier "Easy Money". The minimalist and hypnotic "Talking Drum" leads into the harsh guitar epithets of "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two". This is probably the least heavy of the mid-period Crimson albums, but offers a mix of styles, in all of which the band is greatly proficient. In terms of accessibility, this is easier to get into than Starless and Bible Black and harder than Red. It's really difficult to pick a winner between the three, as all are classic fare that belong in your collection. Recommended. review by Sean McFee — undated —

j o e

After the nice but somehow lackluster Islands, Robert Fripp emerged with an entirely new King Crimson line-up in 1973, and the music that was to follow over the next two years, both in the studio and especially live, is usually considered to be the apex of this band's legacy. The quintet that recorded Larks' Tongues in Aspic (their fifth studio album), though short-lived, was a wonder to behold. The 'pros' Bill Bruford and John Wetton provided the band with a never failing, virtuosic rhythm section, while 'non-pros' David Cross and Jamie Muir beautifully countered, compensating for a lack of virtuosity by giving the band a newfound sense of liberation and spontaneity. And, of course, there was Fripp himself, the fulcrum of the see-saw. This was the first King Crimson album I ever heard, as a 15-year old boy just dipping his feet into the pool of progressive rock. As I suspect is a common first impression, I was left scratching my head more than anything else at the enigma that greeted me with "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One." Meditative thumb pianos exploding into a monstrous riff that sounded like "Smoke on the Water"'s cousin? Rapid angular arpeggios (quite unlike anything I had ever heard) scaling the walls of funk? This is what Bill Bruford left Yes for? What the hell was this? Of course, time rewarded my persistence. Today of course, I can now conclude 'Ah...this is what Bill Bruford left Yes for!' Every song on here is a winner, but out of all, I must give a personal nod to the aching symph-prog of "Exiles," a strong candidate for my favorite Crimson song, period (yes, perhaps even over "Starless," though it's a tough call). The way Cross' violin melody, accompanied by Fripp's acoustic and the soft crackles of Bruford's snare, emerges out of the murky depths, the way the sheer beauty of the Wetton's vocals mix with lyricist Richard Palmer-James' words... these are what progressive rock is all about to me, when it works. Also, props must be given to the hair-raising intensity of "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, part two," a gloriously brutal Sabbath-cum-Stravinsky piece written by Robert Fripp, featuring a wailing Cross solo not for the faint of heart and ending with a scorching final chord that will peel the paint off your walls. A classic of progressive rock. review by Joe McGlinchey — 12-5-05 —

e r i c

King Crimson can be very difficult to listen to and appreciate. This one was difficult for me at first. "LTIA Part One" is very experimental, heavy in spots with lots of violin, and tempo and dynamic shifts, along with KCīs noise thrown in. "Book of Saturday" is a guitar vocal piece, not really one of my favorites. "Exiles" features some excellent violin from Cross; a relatively mellow piece. "Easy Money" also has alot of improv, extended guitar soloing, sound effects and some mellotron as well. "Talking Drum" has lots of percussion, bass kicks in and band plays off the rythym, continues to build and build. "LTIA Part Two" shows the direction they were heading into with Red, as this is heavy and flat out rocks. This one is worth the price of admission on its own. I go through stages with this, sometimes I love it, and sometimes I find it hard to listen to. review by Eric Porter — undated —

b r a n d o n

King Crimson is perhaps the most respectable of the classic 1970s progressive rock bands, and this is, in my opinion, their most respectable release. Three "songs" in the more conventional sense are sandwiched between three complex, instrumental, comparatively avant-garde works. The opening track has it all: amazing percussive runs, fast guitar picking, headstrong bass playing, and violin playing both evil and soulful. In its 13 minutes, this title track meshes hard rock and classically-styled ensemble playing into an uncategorizable masterpiece. This, perhaps King Crimson's most avant-garde composition, then gives way to a couple of soulful, lyrical songs, of which "Exiles" is perhaps the single best "song" that the band has ever done, with beautifully melodic - and memorable - violin playing rising out of a restless, noisy Mellotron introduction. While the song "Easy Money" may meander a bit in its middle section, the band turned this into an effective vehicle for improvisation live, so that can be excused. Finally, the percussive tour-de-force "The Talking Drum" may be criticized as being nothing but an overly lengthy buildup, but as such it is amazingly effective as it leads into the screamingly loud "Larks' Tongues part 2", whose odd-metered heavy guitar riffing must have influenced the heavy metal bands which evolved years later. A diverse and electric album, and one of those few rock releases which still sounds completely fresh and modern more than 25 years after its recording. Perhaps I'm biased - this is one of my favorite albums ever, and IMHO the best of King Crimson's repertoire - but most would agree that every prog fan has to hear this one eventually, no matter what. review by Brandon Wu — undated —