LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC

I labored over the star rating to give to Larks Tongues in Aspic. It's King Crimson, but it's not King Crimson at their finest IMO. As reviewers, I think we're obliged to compare an album to that band's other output, as well as music of other artists. Should those our reviewing standards? I personally think anything by King Crimson deserves 3 stars at the very least. Keeping that in mind, Lark's Tongues in Aspic gets 3 1/2 stars in my book. I'll round up to 4 since 1/2 stars aren't allowed here. It's not quite a KC masterpiece.

I'll start with individual band members. The rhythm section at this point in the band's career is simply beyond reproach. Of the 3 main vocalists King Crimson has had, John Wetton is my least favorite. He's not bad, I just don't think he has the skill of Greg Lake or Adrian Belew. Lyrics and vocals have never seemed to be a main priority for the band anyways. His bass playing for King Crimson, on the other hand, is outstanding. Considering how complex and wide-ranging KC's music often is, Wetton played it all skillfully. "Easy Money", one of the best tracks on the album, is just one example.

I am completely biased when it comes to Bill Bruford; I don't think anybody does it better. I simply can't find fault with anything he does, and he is brilliant throughout Lark's Tongues in Aspic. That being said, "The Talking Drum" is noisy and repetitive to my ears. My other least favorite track on the album is "Lark's Tongues Part I". One of the best things about King Crimson is the variety in their music and the level of ambition they show on their albums. However, "Lark's Tongues Part 1" is too scattered for me, taking off in too many directions.

For some reason, I seem drawn to the most melodic KC songs, such as "Trio", and the noisiest, such as "Lark's Tongues Pt 2." Wetton and Bruford are outstanding on this song, and I think it's one of King Crimson's best. Not all of the material on Lark's Tongues in Aspic measures up to their best releases, which earns it 3 1/2 stars rounded up