Larks’ Tongues in Aspic

Another groundbreaking album from King Crimson

Without doubt, King Crimson is one of the most fascinating and challenging rock bands (for want of a better description) to emerge from the late sixties/seventies. Never standing on their music laurels, there is no album of theirs that can be viewed as definitive. Only a collection of diverse albums of which a handful are outstanding and groundbreaking. After their startling debut, In the Court of the Crimson King, came In the Wake of Poseidon, Lizard and Islands.

By the time of their fifth release, Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, many band members had been and gone. The only constant was lead guitarist, Robert Fripp. King Crimson was now his band. The year was 1973 and the third line up of the band had recently been formed. A new line up for some startlingly new, avant garde rock. Fripp has recruited Bill Bruford on drums, having just departed from Yes following their prog masterpiece, Close to the Edge; the eccentric James Muir on percussion; John Wetton on vocals and bass, later of UK and Asia fame, and David Cross on violin. Following this album, James Muir departed from King Crimson to become a Buddhist Monk. The remaining band members would continue for the follow-up, Starless and Bible Black (as taken from Dylan Thomas), after which came the outstanding, Red with the remaining trio of Fripp, Bruford…