Larks' Tongues In Aspic

I really hate prog rock. I get the impression they think they're way more clever than they actually are. They're just farting about and making random noises. It's utterly tedious. There's a bit of nice violin in there which always gets my attention, and some nice piano and musical bits AT TIMES. That's where my 1 star is going. But it's like a feeble ray of light shining on a giant cloud of guff, which can't quite penetrate it and break free.

Aspic Rodeo anyone? Headphones are the way to go with this one. First, the headphones are critical to avoid the verbal and visual insubordination of family members who are within earshot. On my first attempt to listen without headphones, before the first song was done my son came home and bribed me by saying he would cook us dinner as long as I turned the damn thing off.  I was kinda hungry so . . . . Also, I was not getting into it since it's terrible background music. With headphones though it's a completely different story. The drums / timbales and strings on The Talking Drum are excellent. It has a middle eastern feel to it - even though the album is apparently Eastern Europe influenced.  Fripp is a master at getting his guitar to make sounds that other guitar players only hear in their dreams. He is also very good at making his guitar make normal guitar sounds as he shows on Book of Saturday.   I invented a game called  Aspic Rodeo to play when company comes over. I'll play this album and whoever lasts the longest  before asking me to turn it off wins. 

I’ve been pretty high, but never King Crimson high

prog noodling outweighs good tunes

Ohhh, finally! An album that I already listened complete before I started this challenge! Ok, so let's start by saying that King Crimson is my favourite band. Like, not just my favourite prog rock band, my favourite band of ALL times alongside The Beatles, Queen and Black Sabbath. Each of its albums, except for In The Wake of Poseidon, are extremely different from each other and almost feel like they were made by different bands, and they technically are, since the lineup of the project has changed thousands of times, the only constant member being Robert Fripp. And from all of their studio albums, LTIA is definitely one of the weirdest ones, but it has some of the most talented musicians working on it, namely Jamie Muir and Bill Bruford, and many others. Even though this is not my favourite album of King Crimson (I would put it in fifth or sixth place in a ranking) it is still a great and hugely influential album, mixing classic prog rock with world music, neo-classical sounds, heavy metal and possibly one of the earliest prog metal and avant-garde metal songs in history: the Larks' Tongues in Aspics suite, which has five parts, that span four albums and 30 years in the making. It is possible that bands like TOOL or Dream Theater would have never existed without this album so I guess that deserves at least four stars. Screw it, the album cover is my profile photo of Discord, I'll give it five stars

not shot these mf actually made this in 1973

Not bad but just a bit too much progressive and not enough rock to keep me entertained and intrigued

Some cool moments, plus a bunch of proggy nonsense

I found myself constantly feeling like I was caught off-guard. This was despite going into this album with 0 expectations or knowledge of what it would be like. So much of it was unexpected. Take the first song Lark's Tongue in Aspic for example. It starts with a simple tune using what sounds like a glockenspiel or xylophone. Am I in kindergarten? What is this trash? Next thing I know I'm being blown away by a disgusting guitar solo. Then a cacophony of string and drum instruments. This is all just the first song. And I think oh so this is just a crazy experimental instrumental album or something? Next song, Book of Saturday, features mostly vocals and sounds a lot like Tool. There's animal sounds, the unmistakable sound of feet sloshing through the mud, and just a vast array of instruments you don't normally hear. You can feel a Pink Floyd influence reminiscent of Time. My first listen to this album was a trip to say the least.

A highly inaccessible King Crimson that grows with every listen. Employing a lot of space, these tracks take their time and involve a lot of carefully planned improvisation that's very entrancing to focus on. No bad tracks, every one stood out and felt necessary, which has a leg over In the Court which has "Moonchild." Overall though, it's not as powerful as In the Court's tracks, but about as memorable. "Larks Tongue Part I" is characterized by a juxtaposition between pleasant but sometimes concerning violin textures, and a high-tone metallic guitar that goes hard. It's simple but has so much to offer, taking so many turns along the way, changing the mood and vibe multiple times by the time it reaches the end. "Book of Saturday" is our short pop song, very pleasant, groovy, and folk-like, as if telling a medieval tale. Just three strings (the guitar, violin, and bass), and they're all unpredictable, going wherever they like, but also clear. "Exiles" has a calming cool jazz structure. Very smooth and colorful with a satisfying conclusion. The second side takes a turn as the mood tenses and starts to rock. "Easy Money" immediately gets into it, with a chilling introduction followed by a confusing complicated middle section that introduces all sorts of strange sounds and effects. Ironically enough, despite having the strangest sounds, it has the most consistent groove (between the beat and bassline) and is thus the most accessible track (after "Book of Saturday" of course), dominated by an easy-to-follow cool guitar. "The Talking Drum" is a personal favorite. It's a couple minutes of quiet sparse noise until instruments come in, forming some krautrock-like sound, gradually and gradually building up in anticipation until it explodes into greatness. It's the most frightening track, with the violin and guitar fighting as they get louder and more dissonant. This segues to our final track, the epic "Larks Tongue Part II." It's our hardest rock, very fast-paced and in-your-face but still has its quiet moments. It explodes one more time before ending the whole record.

Garbage! Why is this on the list?

What an absolutely fascinating band. Ever-changing, ever-evolving, and always original and creative. Robert Fripp to this day seems to me to possess such an interesting and curious mind. And, of course, what a guitarist. I love the way he uses the instrument; very much on his own path. So refreshing. Great album art, too, by the way. I need to explore more of King Crimson's and Robert Fripp's work. I've listened to some of Robert Fripp's ambient music albums this year, and they are excellent. I know a few people who have seen King Crimson play live, even quite recently, and they raved about the experience. I hope to get out to see them one of these days -- would be such a treat!

yuck sound

This one was absolutely sick. I had only known King Crimson from their debut record, which is also great. They definitely switched up their sound on this one, as they basically had an entirely new lineup except Fripp. I think they leaned more heavily into the psych sound with this one. All the theatrical high points of their debut are now replaced with noisy psych freakouts. The musicianship is out of this world. No seriously, you'll be transported to another world while listening to this.

Hadn't listened to the one at all, I only know the screaming man album. Really enjoyed it, it sounds like the birth of math rock!

Thought it was absolutely brilliant.

gloriously weird. 5 stars.

PROG FUCKING PROG!

aika perkuleesti on juttua kuultu crimson pojasta..odotukset ylhäällä kuin hepokatti laitumella. ensimmäinen vartti instrumentalllia...sitten tulee roguh wadursmaista vokaalinlyräytystä... ei voi muuta kun antaa aplodit, koko albumi laatu kamaa... exiles

I don't want to say that one shouldn't record jam sessions, but to me, most of this album sounded like unrefined or unapplied musical exploration – the kind of playing that might be helpful in creating songs or warming up for gigs. This overall impression was overcome neither by the one song I enjoyed in its entirety nor the poetic intro and outro ordering of Parts I and II.

Booooooring

fuck me what drugs were they taking. Its interesting I guess but I don't find it that enjoyable rn, probably deserves another listen.

Plus qu'un mois de dur labeur, on peut le faire rob

The rate went down as the album went on, I mean, it’s a try hard effort. Has its (few) moments tho

Disturbing

I've been super disappointed in this album. I love the band and adore some of their other albums, but I find very little to get excited about with this.

Amazing idea, bad realisation. Did not enjoy it.

Couldn't hear half the album only last 2 songs, horrible

Tried two times to listen to it but it didn't hit the button for me, didn't finished 🥲

Awful. King Crimson did great stuff. None of that is on this messy unlistenable album.

Sweet Jesus

Indulgent rubbish.

Nope. Not my tempo.

wasn't sure I really got it, so listened twice then another time; kind of snuck up that I was super enjoying it. Strange but liked it, a genuinely different album that deserves on this list.

this was definitely as good as a larks tongue in a spack.

So far, this is one of my favorite King Crimson albums. Unlike some of their earlier work, this one doesn’t lean heavily on keyboards. Instead, it takes a more free-form jazz direction with an experimental, avant-garde twist. The heavier guitar riffs scattered throughout the album also stand out, bringing in a touch of early metal influences that give the music an added edge.

Mind blower, one word, mind blower

4.5

I'll be damned that was so goddamn good

If you love noises, this is an album for you. I've once again exposed my love for borderline unlistenable music, and this one is no exception. I loved the Dolmar at the beginning and then when they went back to it. There was only one song or I had to turn my headphones down, and I only had them turned up so much because I was listening while mowing the yard anyway.

Absolutely brilliant: seamless blend of rock, jazz, contemporary classical and more. Standouts were the opening track and “Easy Money.”

Honestly, don’t know how I haven’t listened to this band before. Incredible. Can’t wait to explore more.

Love King Crimson, easy 5!

Excelente album, King Crimson abre una nueva etapa que marco la historia!

I love me my King Crimson. To be listened to on the best quality system available to you, while doing nothing but letting the album play out in it's own manner. Don't multitask. Don't fight it. Resistance is useless.

Of the 3 King Crimson albums I've heard from the original run, this is definitely the most welcoming. Where Court feels cold and Red feels straight up evil, Larks feels warm and inviting. This is the first time I feel like King Crimson are making music because they want to make it and enjoy doing so. Court and Red feel ordered by God, and Discipline, as much as I love it, feels like it was asked for by an exec to an extent. Larks though? It was made by the humans of King Crimson. It still feels like a King Crimson album, and many elements of Court will show up, but it's framed more positively, and it benefits greatly. I really enjoyed this. I looked over it too often, since it stands next to such monoliths, but even in their shadows it shines.

WOW. This is pretty much peak prog, and I was along for the ride. so engaging!! I don't know how it manages to be both massive, inventive, but also doesn't ever feel too indulgent. I feel like we've heard a lot of prog that gets this formula wrong... just because you can have a 13 minute song in six parts, doesn't mean you should, every time. This really does feel like a book-length album. Tons of scenes, development, and big surprises, and the guitar work! It's one of a kind. I think I liked this even more than In The Court Of The Crimson King? Very, very mature. 5/5

I like King Crimson very much. This album is perfect! Sound is very close to cacophony, but not, it is melodious and strong! Masterpiece! I did not listen it for years. Thanks for choosing it now!

amazing!

Probably my favorite King Crimson album so far

beautiful musical experience, альбом слушается как цельное произведение, запись очень чистая - "хрусталик"

It is a masterpiece of rock music - not just prog rock - and one of the best albums of this band. I could write endless paragraphs about it. The strongest suit might be the highly versatile jump between complex and challenging parts as well as the the melodies and atmosphere. 'Books of Exile' is reminiscent of the more 'romantic' KC while something like 'Easy Money' shows how banging and jamming goes. Absolutely gorgeous!

This is wonderfully 'nanas! 🍌 Don't think I've really checked this King Crimson album out before, so thanks 1001 project! Fave track - I love the contrast of 13 minutes of silliness in "Larks' Tongues In Aspic (part 1)" suddenly breaking out into beautiful conventional "Book of Saturday". It's like emerging from a tunnel, or the sun coming out from behind clouds - lovely feeling!

King Crimson is one of my favorite bands of all time and in my opinion the best prog rock band ever. This album, like almost all of theirs, is simply incredible. A textbook example of what prog should be.

Excellent

It was way better than I thought it was at the start just stick with it

perfection, like the sound of drums, violin (violin?), guitars, bass, and the overall feel. this seems almost timeless, apart from a a few parts that betray that it's the seventies

Impressionante a capacidade criativa para elevar o progressivo ao um estado de envolvimento completo no ambiente da audição.

I totally dig prog rock and this is totally my jam. Larks' Tongue In Aspic (Parts 1 and 2) and Book Of Saturday are the standouts for me. Also love the bonus tracks.

For me this is one of the best progrock albums ever.

Utter genius - Robert Fripp is god!!! This album is absolute genius

I just had the most wonderful time listening to this on vinyl with my new headphones. The album sounded better than I've ever heard it before, what a sublime experience :) This album is a monumental achievement, towering amongst the great creative works of the 20th century. Truly a work of artistic genius and technical mastery. One of the best aspects of the album is its masterful use of dynamics. The instrumental sections are thrilling and diverse, and the musical build-ups are electrifying. The band starts with a "basic" framework, but slowly and seamlessly raises the intensity to a frenzy. The way the musicians vary their playing to increase the impact of the music is just incredible. The Talking Drum is one of the greatest examples of musical build-up I've ever heard: it starts with a soft beginning, but reaches a state of exhiliration before the end. The guitar solo on Easy Money is similar, as are parts of the title tracks. Every track on this album is so well-crafted, and I just love the work by all the instrumentalists. If I had to pick a favorite track it might have to be Larks Tongues' Pt 2; it sums up everything that is great about this era of the band. King Crimson operated in a higher realm of musical possibility than most artists could even fathom. They paved a path into unknown dimensions, going where few musicans could ever dare. Robert Fripp is unequivocally the mad genius and occultist wizard of rock music. If any band could be said to deserve being revered in the style of a cult, it is King Crimson.

A masterpiece of prog. Solid 5 Stars.

King Crimson is one of my favorite bands. Top 3. Easy Money is one of my favorite songs. Bill Bruford is one of the most brilliant drummers ever, and Robert Fripp is a strange little genius. Lark's Tongue in Aspic Part II is insane live.

As usual from King Crimson’s early albums, a perfect blend of interesting instrumental jams and accessible rock songs with a twist. The GOATs

Majestic af

It took me three listens, but I loved it. King Crimson walked so Radiohead could run

One of my favourites of all time. I bought this on the back of 'In the Court of the Crimson King' and was horrified. It's dark experimental mash of styles and sound. Over time I relistened and now love it dearly. This takes time and patience.

I am a huge Crim-head and this is a great record. I will admit that some of these tunes become truly special when played live. The studio environment results in some odd non-musicality probably just because it's more possible to have that result in studio than it is to have playing live.

Very wah wah

Very experimental record, although that is what you sign up for when putting on a King Crimson album! The first one to feature world class drummer Bill Bruford on record, and what a great addition he is! The middle eastern, oriental influence is a welcome one too. And Robert Fripp is musicianship is just phenomenal! Standouts: Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Pt. 1, Book Of Saturday, Exiles, Easy Money, Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Pt. 2 9 out of 10

- Obwohl ich irgendwann mal versucht habe, mir ein bisschen King Crimson als Prog-Lektion und Bildungsauftrag reinzupfeifen, habe ich dieses Album bis auf den Song Book of Saturday noch nie gehört - AND BOY WHAT I MISSED - Wie geil kreativ und ungezähmt. Absolut gewöhnungsbedürftig und bei weitem nicht jede Idee ein Treffer aber da sind sooo geile Momente bei, allein schon beim Titel-Track (Pt. 1). - Ich hab das Gefühl, dass diese Band genau das Maß and avantgardistischen Input trifft, das ich super finde. - Je mehr ich von denen höre desto mehr werden King Crimson für mich Band-gewordene Zeitlosigkeit. -Werde das Album auf jeden Fall noch häufiger hören und hab mir ein paar Songs davon gespeichert. 4,5/5

I would have personally gone for "Red" instead, but it's fine - both albums are a 5/5. This is very much music that would make a Victorian child explode into red mist on the spot. A very challenging album. It took me 3 whole listens to hear anything in this other than noise, but once it clicked, it clicked hard. Yaddy yadda, insert a paragraph of nerd shit about time signatures or something. Nobody cares, here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lij_Uu1ucAk

King Crimson is probably the greatest Prog Band ever and this album only helped to strengthen that status. Not only is this some of the most interesting Avant-Prog ever (Henry Cow pls take notes) but it still has a soul and doesn't feel like they try to be Avant-Garde for the sake of beeing it. Yes some passages do feel a bit stretched but honestly it doesn't make it worse. fav: Easy Money, Book of Saturday, Lark's Tongus in Aspic Pt. 1&2 least fav: Talking Drum Rating: strong 9

Un des meilleurs albummde prog dans ce genre. Mon prefere de king crimson. 5

You just wouldnt get it

King Crimson — do I need to say more?

Powerful, extraordinary, cerebral, experimental, disturbing - but not fun. That said, I'm not a very fun person at all so I loved this knotty collection of twisted metal. Alright, the bit in 'Easy Money' that goes a little funk rock was kinda fun.

Part 1 - So Original, so provocative, so progressive 😎👍 Book of Saturday - So so 😐 Exiles - Pure Brilliance. Loved it ⭐ Easy Money - Unreal. Brilliant musicianship. Love the beat ⭐ The Talking Drum - A bit too experimental, but nice touches Part II - Fantastic ⭐ This is definitely a 5 star album ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

EPIC.

It's bonkers. I think it's really good. Can certainly get easily lost on you, though. Favorite Tracks: 3 minutes into pt 1, The Talking Drum 4.5/5

There are more insane musical ideas in this album than you will find in the entire career of most progressive rock bands. Larks' Tongues is unique, creative and abrasive. Only King Crimson can manipulate and control the chaos like that!

I expected this to be unusual and it certainly was. Progressive rock for sure. The journey was fascinating and I was delighted, entranced and excited at where we might be taken next on this epic musical journey. To my surprise when the bonus tracks started I let them play and they were a worthy addition to the listen. Really terrific album that I am very glad to have encountered. I had no idea that I was a progressive rock guy, but I’m starting to come to terms with it. I love the grandiosity and bombast of this album!

Another obvious choice of a prog-rock album for the list. Beautiful.

What it sounds like inside my head

Fantastic! Creative blend of Rock Jazz and new Age.

An epic art and prog rock opus. Peak kc.

Not quite as iconic, but a bit more soundscapey than In the Court of the Crimson King. I still think it was at a solid 5.

That was a good Progressive Rock album that is timeless.

Incredible Musicianship.

Listened Before? Yes Album Art: 4 / 5 (love the simplicity and cleanliness) So I've definitely listened to this before, but don't remember anything in specific. As far as KC goes, Court and Red are the two that stand out from their expansive catalog. Decided to go headphones on after 2 solid minutes of triangle and plunky bell sounds. Wow this song is like super proggy post-rock -- in particular the last 2-3 minutes. Expansive song that has both atmospheric and more driven sections. Book of Saturday abandons the sprawling format for a 3 minute prog-rock song. Crisp production putting the guitar / bass front and center with reversing effects and string accompaniment. Easy Money has one of the coolest goddamned jams followed by one of the wildest lyrical re-entries I have heard in recent memory. Feels of a similar ilk to Animals by Pink Floyd and I love it. A direct line can easily be drawn between Larks pt II and some songs that UM have put on record. Deeply unsettling prog in the best possible way. I'm all about this; confused why I haven't given this album as much time of day as the rest of KC's catalog. While it is no In the Court or Red, this is still an amazing entry into the prog cannon. Love the fusion elements present in pt II of the title track that remind of Mahavisnu Orchestra (namely the inclusion of violin / viola). 5 / 5. Added to Library? Yes Songs Added to Playlists: - Book of Saturday (Rainy / Tired)

Excited to listen to this after the last King Crimson album. I had a long one typed out but it got deleted somehow ugh. Key points - love the weirdness of this album. At points reminds me of Floyd which makes sense with the progginess. The bass slaps. Violin was a great addition over some of this freeform stuff. Larks' Tongues pt. 1 was a serious rollercoaster. Rips, then is spooky, then is beautiful. Easy Money is also a solid number. I really really need to listen to more King Crimson.

Part I of Larks' Tongues In Aspic is an epic album opener, and part II is an epic closer. I really dug the thick instrumentation of this album, and the violin lines are a unique touch that I felt added a lot. The only part of this that I didn't really enjoy was the vocal performance on Exiles - regardless, I could see this being my favorite King Crimson album once I've given the others their due, and I'll definitely be coming back to it. 9/10. Favorite Songs: Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part I, Easy Money, The Talking Drum, Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part II Least Favorite Song: Exiles

This album isn’t accessible, I get it. But, I love weird shit like this, so this was right up my alley. Listening to this with headphones was a great call. This album has amazing production, and had so many highlights and standout moments for me. The two-part title track was one I loved. It was noodling, but I thought it was fun. Loved this one a lot! Will see myself coming back to this.

After a year’s break between studio releases and many personell changes, King Crimson re-emerged in 1973 with wholly new members and a wholly new sound (a common theme in most of the band’s history). Alongside guitarist, mellotronist and only constant member Robert Fripp are precussionist and drummer Bill Bruford, fresh out of Yes, bassist and vocalist John Wetton, violinist and keyboardist David Cross and Jamie Muir, credited as playing percussion and “allsorts”. Jamie Muir is perhaps the most important in defining the character of this specific iteration of the band: Alongside supremely disciplined and serious technical musicians is a fur-coated madman slamming sheets of metal, blowing a whistle in his mouth, rattling chains, then sitting behind a drum-kit to play along with the song, then getting up to continue plunking bottles and other assorted instruments and non-instruments. In The Court Of The Crimson King this is not, or any sound previously explored by the band. In place of dramatic epics and woodwinds are noise, screeching violins and pummeling heaviness. These two sides of the band’s sound are neither totally abandoned or new, of course, but in style and atmosphere the band is nearly unrecognisable. Worth mentioning also is the change from previous lyricist Peter Sinfield to Richard Palmer-James, replacing flowery, fantasy inspired texts with more contemporary topics, such as criminals and displeased lovers. Pertaining to this however is also the fact that over half of the album is instrumental. One such instrumental is “Lark’s Tongues In Aspic (Part 1)”, opening the album starkly with what sounds like a kalimba, playing a playful melody. Various sounds eventually drown out the melody, segueing into a tense continuous violin. The violin ascends, an evil guitar playing over it, drums build, and a considerably heavy full band section takes stage; overdriven guitars, overdriven bass, and indistinct feedback for good measure. This dynamic repeats and then leads into another stark moment: A rapid, sharply angular guitar figure, as meticulous as it seems spontaneous. Following this atonal precision is a funky jam, over which Fripp’s guitar figure is played over in clever contrast. A faster jam section is next, then leading into an extended section centering on solo violin. Previously I’d estimated this section taking up most of the second half of the piece, but timing it now it’s only around 3 minutes! Clever pacing or a meandering sidetrack? Your mileage may vary. After this section rounds out, we are reintroduced to the violin line from the beginning, only with guitars and violin trading roles. This builds up to the mysterious climax of the song, led by bass guitar, and capped of with the playing of a xylophone. Displaying their wide range, King Crimson follow up the longest, most difficult to grasp piece on the album with the shortest, most straightforward one: “Book Of Saturdays”. This album is not just irreverent chaos, with moments of simple beauty on this song and the final one of side A, the sunny “Exiles”. Singing violin, longing vocals and a wonderful guitar solo featuring Fripp’s inimitable suistanes tone closes of the first half of the album. Starting off side B is the bossy “Easy Money”. This is one of the songs where Jamie Muir is most present, among the discernable percussive sounds being the ripping of tape and what sounds like stomping in a pile of mud. The penultimate track, “The Talking Drum”, is essentially a 7 and a half minute build-up. Simple, yet effective. This build-up climaxes in some, quite honestly, painful screeching, which then satisfyingly leads into the closer, “Larks Tongues In Aspic (Part 2)”. An excellent, rocking instrumental, ending the album in a cathartic explosion of loud sound. Following the album, King Crimson continued following the pattern found in all of it’s history: Members left, their music shifted accordingly and the band moved on to make more fantastic music. Jamie Muir ended up being the first to leave, seemingly because he didn’t care for the hassle, leaving this incarnation of the band one-off and this album remaining the most progressive prog album for 30 years.

It doesn't keep a beat, you can't dance to it, it definitely doesn't gel together in any traditional sense. My ears love it though. Made in the 70s too? Feels like this was decades ahead. Some of these songs sound like they could be the first progenitors of entire genres like math rock. Easy 5.

Lick me bum bum. It's a freakin' masterpiece. A scrunched up sock full of dog shit thrown at your headmaster. A baby in a manger smoking a rolled up cigarette and shouting cruel observations as passers-by. A proud Norwegian woman slipping over in a dance hall. A couple of Nazi barmen pouring a round of orange juice for a group of yoga mums. The ending of Titanic performed by school children for an unimpressed bank manager.

Another one I was surprised by. Parts of this I really loved

ok

After a few days of stuff that isn’t Really For Me At All, I was glad to get an album that I know I love. Not one of KC’s top tier releases, but it’s bookended by some of their most lovely compositions. B+