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King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic CD (album) cover

LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC

King Crimson

 

Eclectic Prog

4.42 | 3247 ratings

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Mutante
5 stars This has to be the best ever prog record. It is experimental, avantgarde, visceral and it has a certain magic about it that starts on the mysterious cover... A funny thing about this album, personally for me was that back in 1992, when I dove into prog, departing from a Floyd lauchpad, via a Yes orbital station, while watching the Yesyears documentary, I decided I would have to check this band for which Bill Bruford left Yes. Coincidentally, a couple of weeks later, in my local prog supplier shop, I listened to the music being played in the shop's turntable (with a chorus that went "cigarettes, ice cream...") and asked the owner what was it, being quiet impressed with the energy in the music. He replied pointing to a record with a crescent moon circumscribed into a sun and told me 'King Crimson'. Even though I was not a mystical, back then, the astrological iconography immediately caught my eye. When I finally had the money to purchase it, I tool the LP (a second had, pretty worn out one) and carefully listened to throughout it, kind of expecting the Ice Cream song, that never came*. Nevertheless, I was not disappointed. Although it didn't reach the peak of appreciation I have for this record today, I could see the brillance of it since the beginning.

Recently it has risen to the top of my preferred music, I have been exhaustively listening to this record during the last year in my car and out of it.

I, having keen interest for percussions and being a Brazilian, would be most grateful for a COMPLETE list of the different percussion intruments, experiments and objects being played in the unique piece of experimental rock recorded for the intro of the opening track, LTiAPI. Then come in the mystery violin and the father of all heavy metal guitars as the thundering ensemble comes together into this instrumental number of pure pioneer exploration into music. The whole drama is followed by the lyricism of BoS, with beautiful acoustic guitar by Fripp. Then the tapes being played at different speeds create the atmosphere for the grandiose Exiles. The song that was, then in 1992, my preferred, today is the least interesting, which doesn't mean it isn't groovy, showcasing Muir's brief, but deep and influential (see the 2014 3D - three drummer - Crimson), Crimson contribution. Then comes the hypnotic Talking Drums, which steadily mounts as a crescendo until the schizoid screams that lead into the closing track, the second part of the title track. Not difficult to understand why Bruford moved along, to form that that would be one of my favourite incarnations of one of the most creative, fearless and aggressive rock acts ever. Long live the King.

*As the informed reader might figure out, he was playing Starless and Bible Black and pointed me to Aspic, referring to the band, but not necessarily the exact LP.

Mutante | 5/5 |

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