LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC

Talk about straightening out a mess! I am talking about the decline from the first album to Islands. King Crimson was in complete disarray with members joining and leaving within months of each other and the music ultimately suffered for it.. Out of the ashes left behind from the Islands era, where IMO was the weakest version of Crimson, came the mighty Lark's Tongues In Aspic. Fripp took a hard left turn in cultivating this new band of musicians. Gone are the woodwinds, saxes, Keith Tippet's awkward piano and the Sinfield fairy tales. In was the powerful bass player and singer, John Wetton, the extremely talented and inventive drummer, Bill Bruford., the mostly unknown violinist, David Cross and the wild card, the incredibly imaginative master of allsorts and percussion, Jamie Muir. What makes this album so special are the dynamics and the chemistry the band created from endless improv sessions. Pulling creativity out of each member. The dynamics diplayed on this record are unrivaled.

"Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt.1" - Introduces the listener to Jamie Muir, setting the tone with his array of sounds and patterns. Tension, release, mayhem, quirky funk, a chinese strings- violin duet and a huge finale all rolled up in the 14+ minute tour-de-force. There is absolutely nothing like this anywhere.

"Book Of Saturday" Shows the delicate side of this mean line-up. Nice violin and backwards guitar solos. We are also introduced to Wetton's first recoded vocal with the band. Assertive and smooth.

"Exiles" Another lengthy intro loaded with Muir's assortment of sounds. Using different objects creating totally different sounds than on the first track. Parts of "Mantra" are used here as well. The song shifts gears with soft violin, arpeggiated guitar and an understated bass and snare beat while Wetton's sings of leaving his homeland.

"Easy Money" Is a little bit more of a rock song than the rest. The song starts off with a cool riff with Jamie Muir making what appears to be the sound of someone slogging through mud. A nice middle section with a decent build up. This song was much better live.

"Talking Drum" This is another instrumental with an eastern feel that showcases more cool sounds from Muir plus the playing of a talking drum. The tune is one long buildup, fading in from the intro and getting louder an louder until..

"Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt.2 A very loud screeching sound from blowing into a bicycle horn introduces this chunk of heavy prog. A classic.

LTIA was a major resurrection for Crimson. They now had a band and an album that proved they didn't have to live up to their first line up and first album. Sadly, Jamie Muir left to join a monastery shortly after and Crimson ceased to exist a little over a year later.

This record belongs in any comprehensive progressive rock collection. No Question.