Larks' Tongues in Aspic (instrumental)

"Larks' Tongues in Aspic" is a musical suite by the Englishprogressive rockbandKing Crimson. Spanning thirty years and four albums, the series comprises five parts, all of which carry unifying musical motifs. Parts I and II were released as the introductory and final tracks on King Crimson's 1973album of the same name, part III was featured on their 1984 albumThree of a Perfect Pair, part IV (itself divided into three identically titled parts) appeared on 2000'sThe Construkction of Light, and the final part, "Level Five", was included on the 2003 albumThe Power to Believe. Despite breaking the naming convention,Robert Fripp, King Crimson founder and only constant contributor to the suite, insists that "Level Five" is part of the pentalogy.
In 2011,PopMattersranked the first part of "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" as the eighth best progressive rock song ever.
"Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One", the longest entry in the pentalogy, was first released as the introductory track to thealbum of the same name. The song is guided by the shifting guitar ofRobert Fripp, but it is in the tense violin ofDavid Crossand the chaotic percussion ofJamie Muirthat Part I is defined.The track goes through numerous varied acts and passages, with somber moments and a calm violin solo falling alongside periods of heightened aggression where Fripp's guitar borders onheavy metaland Muir's clangs reach cacophony.Bird calls, metallic clangs, horns, breaking crockery and tin ripping are all featured in Muir's repertoire,and, along with his percussive contributions, he coined the title "Larks' Tongues in Aspic".In a 1991 interview, Muir said it was a "very admirable creative decision" for Fripp to work with him.Much of the track originated from full-band improvisations that began in 1971,with Cross calling it "grown" instead of written.DrummerBill Brufordsaid the songs were "hell" to make given the deliberate lack of in-studio structure.An early version of Part I recorded by the 1971 lineup appeared as a bonus track on the 40th-anniversary edition ofIslandsunder the name "A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls".
While the first part is a many-sectioned, dynamicsong that has been described as having a "kitchen-sink sensibility", "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two" is much more straightforward and riff-focused,with the sole writing credit going to Fripp.PopMatterscalled the track a "roller-coaster of wrath and control".The main riff of part II, which emerged in 1972 during a live performance atRichmond, Kentucky,is heavy and driving, drawing its host album to a dramatic climax.While the guitar in part II may be the most immediately obvious aspect, John Goldsby ofBass Playercalled the bass in the song something that "bass players will still be talking about four decades later".Fripp considered the first two parts of "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" as the refinement of his role as composer in King Crimson.
According to Fripp, Part I was conceived as the beginning of a King Crimson performance, and Part II as the end."Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One" was performed from 1972 to 1974, predominantly in a shortened seven-minute version that left out most of the violin solo and protracted ending passage.Part I was not performed again until 2014, when it was reintroduced as a setlist staple; it remained there through 2019. The new arrangement featured all of the violin segments played on guitar save for the solo, which was performed byMel Collinson flute. Part II, alternatively, persisted in King Crimson's sets throughout most of their career.
Both the first and second parts of "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" have been met with critical acclaim. In 2011, Sean Murphy ofPopMattersranked the "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One" as the eighth best progressive rock song ever.He revised his placement in 2017, putting part I as number fifteenand "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two" as eighty-five.Marc Malitz ofLouder Soundjudged the first part as the forty-second best progressive song ever.
All credits adapted fromLarks' Tongues in Aspicliner notes.
"Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part III" was released as the closing track on 1984'sThree of a Perfect Pair.This part marks a drastic shift in style from the previous two entries,  being created a decade later with two new people,Adrian Belew, andTony Levin, involved. Part III opens with the same melodic motif seen in parts I and II, but the rhythms and tones are significantly different,with Bruford playing a mix of acoustic and electronic drums.Greg Prato ofAllMusiccounted "Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part III" as one of his favourite songs fromThree of a Perfect Pair.
All credits adapted fromThree of a Perfect Pairliner notes.
Seeds of the fourth part of the suite were gestating as early as 1995and appeared as early as 1997 during the band'srehearsalsatNashville. It was not until 2000 that "Larks' Tongues in Aspic – Part IV" was released, appearing on the albumThe Construkction of Light. Like part II, part IV is heavily guitar-driven, but it introduces new rhythmic and melodic motifs to the series, which would be explored further in part V. "Coda: I Have a Dream" shares some of the series' motifs, but also features lyrics and vocals from Adrian Belew. Though "Coda" was performed live with vocals in 2000, it was later performed live as an instrumental in 2001 and 2003.
OnThe Construkction of Light, "Larks' Tongues in Aspic - Part IV" is divided into three identically titled tracksthat segue into "Coda: I Have a Dream", which is followed by a minute of silence. However, part IV and "Coda" are indexed together in live releases of the 2000-2003 period, as well as the "Expanded Edition" ofThe Construkction of Light, which also removes the silence after "Coda".
All credits adapted fromThe Construkction of Lightliner notes.
Originally, the fifth part of "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" was the song "FraKctured" off ofThe Construkction of Light, but, seeing how it bore closer resemblance to "Fracture" from 1974'sStarless and Bible Black, the band agreed to change the name late in the song's development.The fifth part was ultimately released on 2003'sThe Power to Believewith the title "Level Five". Though nothing in the album's packaging confirmed that the song was part of "Larks' Tongues in Aspic", it shared elements of the series' rhythmic structure and form.While the relationship to the suite was hinted with an early 2001 tour jam combining a riff from part 1 of the suite with part of this piece,official confirmation only first appeared in the Elements 2017 box set, where it was included in sequence with the rest of the suiteand called "trulyLTIA Pt Vin all but name."The following year, Fripp confirmed that "Level Five" was indeed the fifth entry in the suite, but was renamed to "unseat" the expectations associated with the "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" title.It has since appeared on setlists and DGM Live downloads as "Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part V". The track is also listed on various streaming services as "Level V" with a Roman numeral, making it more consistent with the naming of the other parts.
"Level Five" is a heavy guitar-driven track withglitchyandelectronicdrums that provide a rare, almostindustrialgroove.Several critics noted the sonic aggression of the song,and some compared the guitar interplay between Fripp and Belew as similar to the music on 1981'sDiscipline.AllMusic's Lindsay Planer called "Level Five" so intense "that it could easily be mistaken for the likes ofTool,Ministry,Nine Inch Nails, orKMFDM".
All credits adapted fromThe Power to Believeliner notes.