LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC

Perhaps one of the strangest albums I've ever heard, but it is also among some of my favourites. Eerie violin, bouncy percussion, dark guitar, fantastic bass and very good drumming by Bruford (his first album with the band). Exiles, Easy Money and Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two are, for me, the easier songs to get into. Part One, along with The Talking drums are, in many aspects, better songs (to me), but often need patience and much attention to get through. But when Part One explodes, oh man....Book of Saturday isn't a bad tune, but it is the weakest of the album. There isn't much that sets it apart, in the sense that it is a basic pop-ish tune.

The great thing about this album is how different it is to most modern music, or even to most progressive music. It very dark and compelling, so creative. I've heard nothing like it before, and Crimson can reinvent themselves magically every time. With the high level of talent, originality, elegance, and intrigue, It has climbed into my favourite albums. I consider this album to be essential in a collection because it is one of progressive music's founders at one of their best points, however I only gave it a 4 star rating because it is not altogether perfect, or lingering.