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Larks' Tongues in Aspic (King Crimson) | Extended Play Lounge - Ep. 39 (Patreon)

Published:
2023-03-04 18:45:33
Imported:
2023-05

Content

In this edition of the Extended Play Lounge, I'm returning to King Crimson with their 1973 album Larks' Tongues in Aspic. This album won our poll by a large margin, and after listening to it, I think I understand why. The album was immediately approachable and fascinating to me...and I think it's my favorite (so far) of their albums that I have heard. I'm pleased to share my reaction with you all! Enjoy! 

Files

Larks' Tongues in Aspic (King Crimson) | Extended Play Lounge - Ep. 39

This is "Larks' Tongues in Aspic (King Crimson) | Extended Play Lounge - Ep. 39" by Doug Helvering on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and...

Comments

Jojojojo

Larks' has got something that all the other Crimson albums don't. Chalk it up to some kind of X factor that Jamie Muir provides, but it's a really special album. Personally, I still rank it 3rd behind In the Court and Red, but it's almost a 3 way tie they're all so good.

Patrick Noakes

Thanks Doug for this EPL reaction. It was a pleasure watching you get so much from an album that I have loved for so long. For me, this is the pinnacle of the 70’s albums. In the many live recordings from this era you can hear how they used the song structure, for instance with Easy Money, to bookend an improvised instrumental section/solo between the formal verses, creating a fresh take on the track each time. Also if you get chance the recent documentary by Tobe Amies gives a fascinating insight into the character of Fripp, his motivations and the challenges of working with him.

Dave Brockis

That was my first listen also. King Crimson are not my favourite band, but they are growing on me. That was definitely interesting.

Anonymous

King Crimson's music sounds complex yet visceral and totally sincere , that's the best quality about it for me. It's like alchemy in musical form (also suggested by the album cover which has some of that esoterical meaning as well , the sun and the moon symbolize birth as I recall). Everything is about the music and not the musician , Fripp himself often speaks of music as its driving him from (and onto) somewhere and not the contrary , totally devoted to the creative process , their career is very prolific and consistent for this reason (and I wish more people had his mentality in regards of what it means to be a musician) but anyway... I really enjoyed this review Doug , very happy you loved it because its definitely a masterpiece of an album.

Steven Charlton

I've never heard this album from start to finish before, with a few bit I've not heard before. So this was a first for me too. Really enjoyed it too. When you said "It sounds like Progressive Proto Metal", the first thing that came to my mind was it sounds a bit like VOIVOD, but then King Crimson are one of VOIVOD's main influences...

Jeff Norman

Yeah, it's mostly in 5/4 (actually, the 3+3+2+2 thing is what unifies all the "LTIA" pieces...). But...one thing everyone always gets wrong is this: when that main, quieter theme enters, EACH TIME the first bar is 11/8 (3+3+3+2)...but only the first bar. Oh—and the "prog metal" bit in the middle is insane: it's like 9+6+1 (which is just 16)...and then the 5/4 theme fades up in the background... (My other favorite moment: Robert's playing his 5/4 riff...and Wetton and Bruford play 20 sixteenth notes over the top in 4 groups of 5.)

Bill Brinkmoeller

This album changed my life musically. I'd been a fan through the first four albums, so when I heard that Robert Fripp had re-formed the band, and that Bill Bruford was going to be in it, I was really excited. I wasn't prepared for what I was about to hear, though, that first time I put the stylus down on Side 1. But, just like you, I was drawn in. In the midst of the cacophony and dissonance that's been part of Crim's trademark since the first notes of "21st Century Schizoid Man" came crashing into everyone's ears, but the have some beautiful melodies, too. By the end of Side 1 I was curious as to where else they would take me. Holy shit. It's a shame that you didn't listen to Side 2 uninterrupted, because that's how it's meant to be heard. On my first listen, by the time the final note of LTIA 2 died out and I heard Robert Fripp say "Could I do one more immediately?" I was completely wrung out. (Don't worry, Robert. That take was just fine.) Thanks for doing this, Doug. You need to hear "Fracture" from the "Starless and Bible Black" album. And when you listen to it, keep in mind that it is a live performance. Just imagine being in the audience for that.

Arrow2theACL

Doug is turning into a Prog Metal Head before our eyes. ;)

Anonymous

Stravinsky anyone?

Anonymous

The official boots of this era are fantastic.

George Davis-Stewart

The album's title was contrived by Jamie Muir in the course of an interview at the time. You can find much more information in the interviews assembled in an article in the current issue of Prog magazine, March 2023. The variety of tuned and found percussion played by Jamie Muir seems endless. There are also accounts of the verbal elements in the LTinA and of the lyrics in Book Of Saturday and Exiles, by Richard Palmer-James. Enormous dynamic range, and beautiful musical textures. This was the first KC that I came to, aside from 21st Century SM; it was in concert in Glasgow in 1973, with pre-show music from Fripp and Eno's concurrent recording, The Heavenly Music Corporation. Hooked on both ever since.

John Sawyer

Larks Tongues in Aspic is one of those ridiculous Roman Banqueting dishes that is in Apicius (an Ancient Roman cook book) and it is the sort of dish beloved by Roman Emperors who wanted to show off their wealth. I am guessing the title is a commentary on 70s extravagant flaunting of wealth etc.

Daniel Miller

Please listen to the starless and bible black album. Just as good as ltia.

Allen

If you want to see an interesting behind-the-scenes look at how Bruford's mind works, watch his percussion instructional video ("Bruford and the Beat"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BiYQt5cLgU