LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC

Larks' Tongues in Aspic ? 1973 (4/5) 12 ? Best Song: Anything on side 2, but Larks' Tongues in Aspic, especially. This is it! After a short slump the boys in dark red are finally back on top, and you know what they're doing? They're redefining what music is, goddamn it! If you can listen to the powerhouse electric guitar that whips in on 'Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part I' without immediately whispering to yourself 'that's fuckin' metal', then you obviously haven't been listening to music for very long. Oh that statement was terribly silly. King Crimson would never sully their hands with ? let me rephrase ? Robert Fripp would never sully his hands with heavy metal, he's too snobby for that, but he sure will utilize some massive shock in his six string to blast your eardrums apart. And you want to know something? As much as I love Court to death, it's not the quintessential KC statement. It's better than this, but it doesn't showcase what made the group a blistering machine, no matter the incarnation ? their ability to blatantly jam so hard it melts your very essence. That being said, Part I leaves a lot to be desired for me. Half of it's a damn fest, the other half is kinda pointless. See what I did there?! Okay, enough of this shehooligarkery. We now have the second stable lineup with John Wetton contributing sparse, downtrodden vocals. 'Book of Saturday' is short, sweet, and to the point, but the real showcase is Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part II, one of the greatest professional jams cut to record, buddy. That riff is monumental, and the band carries it all home. Despite the big ending highlight, I wish the album were a little more consistent.