LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC

The overall mood of this record is dark and mellow but VERY organic. It has a characteristic that's quite its own and for that alone it merits a higher than average rating. It's VERY unique in the way that the dynamics are used to create emotional crescendos and bridging slower, acoustic sections with more aggressive electric passages. MASTERFUL in that regard.

However, I will point to what I think it's the albums major flaw:

This album suffers severely from poor track sequencing. I would NOT have chosen LTIA as the opener of the album, since there are MUCH stronger pieces that would have set a better tone for the rest of the CD(Easy Money is one example or better yet LTIA part II....or even Talking Drum). The opening track winds and turns and soars and crashes and gets light then dark, fast and slow but it doesn't create either an atmosphere or a mood that sets the tone for the rest of the album. It's just bland randomness. It would have served a better purpose to place LTIA somewhere in the middle of the album; or even at the very end. It's a good song to drift off and sleep to!

Flaws with the opening track and sequencing aside, this is a VERY strong KC effort. The pieces that are good are EXCELLENT and some are CLASSICS(Book of Saturday and Easy Money)

Wetton's vocals are my favorite feature of this recording. He sings in a very convincing yet raw style that makes the listener believe that what he''s saying is something he's personally experienced. His bass playing is also very prominent and in your face! There are parts where the bass is so strong and nasty that it merits raising the volume to the where the woofers start to crackle. As another reviewer mentioned, this record MUST be played loud. Mandatory to do so.

Brufford's drumming on Easy Money is nasty, tight and LOUD! He's not tapping away like he did on Close To The Edge or Fragile. He hits his kit with everything he' s got on this song!

As he did on most of the KC records from this time period, Fripp plays screechy, distorted guitar with angular lines and crying solos. The closing track is a CLASSIC Fripp piece where he creates an industrial chordal march that should please the most ardent hard proggers.

A FOUR STAR effort by KC and a record that keeps getting better and better with age. Specially if you're willing to burn the CD to mp3s and rearrange the sequencing by taking the first song and placing it ELSEWHERE!

Share this KING CRIMSON review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to wbiphoto
• Report this review (#165808)
• Buy KING CRIMSON music online with PA partners
• Show all KING CRIMSON MP3/Stream
• Go to KING CRIMSON page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Larks' Tongues in Aspic page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for KING CRIMSON related discussions