LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC

The second King Crimson album which is a real breakthrough in rock music after In the Court of the Crimson King. And what a breakthrough it is! While their debut was pushing the use of the mellotron further and provided a new way to play rock music, Lark's tongue in aspic made the the Earth crumble up to its center. With only Fripp left from the original line-up, we were bound to get another different album. The addition of John Wetton, Bill Bruford, Jamie Muir and David Cross was meant to be great.

The first time I put that record in my stereo, I had heard every one of the fourth precedent albums and didn't know what to expect. After the really smooth Islands, was I to get a hard-rocking album? Larks tongue in Aspic part 1 started and I realize I was wrong. Smooth little xylophones or something playing for a little bit of time. I was in for another smooth ride. Then, the violin came. A nice addition to King Crimson this is. The menacing little violin riff building up tension didn't even prepared for what was left to come. BANG! The heaviest riff ever just brings me to the floor. Oh yeah! That's it! Not like Islands at all anymore. The rest of the album just left me drooling.

This was my first encounter with the album but it hasn't changed much since then. All of the songs on this effort are what I consider true classics. From the two really harsh and hard rocking parts of Larks tongue in Aspic to the beautiful ballads (Book of Saturdays and Exiles), this album is well-made. Easy Money is the perfect song which blends radio-friendly elements with totally blown-out prog. The Talking Drum is the first one in a series of songs King Crimson will be fond of in the future. It's a kind of improvised and atmospherical jam. Excellent! I don't think I can find enough kind words to describe this album.

This album could have come out today and I think it would still be actual. A timeless masterpiece that every prog fan must have or hear.

5 stars! Suprised?

Sincerely

-Bern