Larks Tongues In Aspic 50th Anniversary

Description

This band is more King Crimson than its ever been. All the original ideals and aspirations are there love respect and compatible ideas. Its a magic band! Robert Fripp, July, 1972

Bill Bruford ~ David Cross ~ Robert Fripp ~ Jamie Muir ~ John Wetton

When, in July 1972, Melody Maker revealed that Bill Bruford & John Wetton were joining King Crimson from Yes & Family respectively, it was front page news. Also joining were Jamie Muir a key figure in Londons jazz scene & David Cross from the band Waves. Fripps claims about the bands magic were to be put to the test that autumn when, following a three night stint at the Zoom Club, Frankfurt & TV appearance on Bremens Beat Club, the band undertook an extensive UK tour, which ran from the end of October through to mid-December. With the exception of the encore 21st Century Schizoid Man, the material was all new, with a heavier emphasis on improvisation than had ever been utilised by any major UK rock group on a headlining tour. The developing material for Larks Tongues in Aspic was premiered to a succession of audiences who, for the most part, had bought tickets expecting to hear something else entirely (encore notwithstanding) but who responded to the challenging set with enthusiasm.

Recorded from mid-January to the beginning of February & released in late March of 1973, Larks Tongues in Aspic became one of the most acclaimed of King Crimsons albums as well as establishing its reputation as a key album from one of rock musics most significant years. After a handful of further UK concerts, Jamie Muir left the band with the remaining quartet working with ever greater success until Summer 1974 when Fripp placed the band on indefinite hiatus.

Almost half a century after its release, Steven Wilson undertook the job of mixing the album for Dolby Atmos, in the process, preparing new stereo & 5.1 mixes. The new stereo mixes are presented on the first LP of this 2LP set and are no doubt informed by the more adventurous mix techniques allowed by the Atmos process quite different in approach, more expansive than the earlier mixes as released in 2012, while still retaining and enhancing the core power of the original material.

While Steven was working on this aspect of the material Alex R. Mundy and David Singleton at DGM were mixing every single take of the original studio sessions. These unreleased early takes are presented not as traditionally blended pieces, but with maximum separation, mimicking the experience of sitting in the studio with the individual elements being performed around you. The Elemental mixes apply this same approach to the main album takes. An excitingly fresh view on the familiar, with the focus often falling in unusual places, some originally hidden, some unused. Four of the albums core tracks feature, forming LP2 of the set with extended mixes of Larks 1 and Talking Drum joined by Easy Money & Larks 2.

Its no coincidence that many of these pieces (all in the case of LP2) became staples of performance for the most recent King Crimson line-ups (2014 2021). The material first performed to unsuspecting concert attendees in 1972, first recorded & released in 1973 & beloved of King Crimson fans ever since, has aged remarkably well.

In 2023, it still has the capacity to astound the ears.

50th anniversary edition of King Crimsons classic 1973 album

2LP set pressed on 200-gram audiophile vinyl

LP1 features all new 2023 stereo mixes by Steven Wilson

LP2 features all new 2023 elemental mixes by David Singleton

Cut by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering.