LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC

Larks' Tongues is the official start of King Crimson's experimental period, with Islands being just a mere introduction. King Crimson were known as prog rock idols, with every album of theirs becoming an instant success, ever since their debut was released. It seemed like Crimson couldn't get no rest, so they just went into the studio, and recorded the most experimental album quatrology they could write, and Lark's Tongues is one of the results. The quatrology did not stop the endless praising of King Crimson albums, but made fans take Crimson in a much more serious matter, unlike when In the Court of the Crimson King was called the best album of all time, or such.

Lark's Tongues has great songs, but this is an album review, not a song review, so I'll keep it to that.

Fripp started writing his insane lines, in complicated time signatures, with diminished chords, and dissonances like never before. But it takes a few listens, to get all of Fripp's time signatures and things. On Part II, Bill Bruford plays 4/4 on Fripp's 5/4 on Part II only to reverse into Fripp's 5/4 on the 3rd bar. Wetton provides bass-line harmonies to not make it sound like a complete dump, which is how it would sound without Wetton on the album. David Cross' violin playing is an extravaganza, even when it's all insane dissonances, as those dissonances wouldn't sound the same, if these guys were not, the band we today call, King Crimson.

This album definitely has it's prog defining moments, in terms of composition, and maybe even lyrics, but I'm not sure Crimson wanted prog defining, or, mindblowing as headlines all over the magazines, I bet they wanted a good review that is not judged by the fact they're King Crimson. This is the last album by King Crimson until the start of the eighties to feature 4 members in it's line-up, which makes this album, to me, more special than Red.

I think a lot of people appreciate Red more than Larks Tongues, but I'll leave it until somebody makes an argument thread on the forums.

Richard Plamer-James was the man with an aim here, writing fantastic lyrics, which just make you crave for more. Palmer-James' writing was inspirational, as it was poetic, unlike all the fantasy-related prog albums of that decade. This proves that King Crimson is not only drum-banging and guitar shredding.

Lark's Tongues overall, is not a masterpiece, but a great album. I love this album, but I will not rate it a 5, as it is just, not what I feel about it.