M- 2xLP KING CRIMSON COURT & LARKS Mellotron PROG PSYCH

$

25

CLASSIC MELLOTRON DRENCHED PROG ~ PSYCH CLASSICS            

                  KING CRIMSON

   In The Court Of The Crimson King

                             &

           Larks Tongues In Aspec

                                     UK - Polydor 2683 080

OLD 70's British only 2xLP set in gatefold cover that basically attaches the original artwork covers together of arguably CRIMSON's two best albums....direct from the UK Polydor masters...the sound quality is outstanding...

LP #1 In The Court Of The Crimson King...

The mellotron drenched In The Court Of The Crimson King is, after 40 years, still a thing of beauty ...from the dynamic complex crunching layers to the sweeping climactic atmospherics, the dramatics are in full bloom everywhere in this spectacular work of art ...

Almost unarguably the first, most quintessential progressive-rock album ever, Court virtually came out of nowhere, and almost single-handedly defined "prog-rock" at its infancy. Taking "heavy rock" and "experimental psychedelics" to their extremes, and making use of some of the first truly textured "atmospheres" (fuzz paranoia in Schizoid Man, dreamy surreality in Wind, etc.), Fripp & Co. put progressive-rock on the map with this flawless, in-your-face album. In addition to introducing us to Fripp's schizo-paranoid madness, you can hear how much Bruford learned from Michael Giles. Court belongs to a small pantheon of albums -- an absolutely must-have.

         1. 21st Century schizoid man Mirrors (7:20)
2. I talk to the wind (6:05)
3. Epitaph (8:47)
a) March for no reason
b) Tomorrow and tomorrow
4. Moonchild (12:11)
a) The dream
b) The illusion
5. The court of the crimson king (9:22)
a) The return of the fire witch
b) The dance of the Puppets

The mighty Crimson could never be matched again in terms of sheer power...guitarist FRIPP stated this was a 'frightning' band... and the only recording with Jamie Muir, the percussionist & multi sound effects cat who flew the coup to become (and did)  a monk ...talk about acid...                   

       For some the best period of KING CRIMSON's history starts right here.

It's never a problem for Fripp & co. to open an album, and "Larks' Tongues pt. 1" is possibly the most compelling of all their intro statements. The rolling, tinkling percussion establishes the tension, which is given movement and shape by the dramatic string stabs and fuzzy descent that follows. Just as the thunderous climax is reached, the heavy riff explodes on the scene, instantly making music history. The song slows down just the slightest bit as the improvisational sections kick in, but we're able to hear David Cross' incredible bowing, found vocal samples and eastern inflections among the novel sonic elements.

The melancholy tone and slightly jumpy rhythms of "Book of Saturdays" intoduce us to Wetton's wooly vocals. More personal and emotional than anything the band has yet done, the fine lyrics that Palmer-James provide give us a new dimension to the previously rarefied KC soundscape. It's slightly out of place between the noisier aural epics of the rest of the album, but this brief song is no less full of instrumental delights.

"Exiles" billows in like a slow-building storm, but then reveals itself to be plaintive rather than thunderous. The overall tone is evocative and lovely, like a more inspired and instrumentally adventurous MOODY BLUES composition- and the lead guitar is characteristically sublime. The exceptional drumming serves as a good example of why Bruford was so essential to the previous YES albums, and Wetton's warm but ragged tones fit the new sound better than Lake (or Haskell, or Burrell, or Anderson) could have done.

"Easy Money" could have easily been this album's rocking "21st Century Schizoid Man", but the song dares to follow brief, hushed tangents to create a more appealing and unpredictable structure. Wetton presents a unique bass presence that his predecessors often lacked, occasionally approaching Chris Squire's raspy brilliance, and Cross removes any doubts that a violin can work in louder, harsher passages.

"The Talking Drum" further represents the new exotic influences, due in no small part to Muir's contributions. Cross leads the movement as this unsettling, slow building track evolves around more subtle improvisations than those featured on the other tracks.

"Larks' Tongues pt. 2" is final, masterful evidence of the direction the band is taking; the unstoppable, hard-edged momentum on this song will be the blue print for "Fracture", "Starless and Bible Black", "Red", and even later works. Despite the later efforts of metallic heaviness  to roughen up the musical landscape, this is the still some of the heaviest and hardest music in any genre. Listen close, aside from the "Court of the Crimson King" ...this album is a much better reflection of the band.

•           1. Larks' tongues in aspic part one (13:36)
  2. Book of Saturdays (2:49)
  3. Exiles (7:40)
  4. Easy Money (7:54)
  5. The talking drum (7:26)
• 6. Larks' tongues in aspic part two (7:12)

CONDITION: The fragile UK gatefold cover is M- clean and highly collectible appearance with no split seams, no bends and no writing

The vinyl records, all 4 sides are clean and clear M- ...playing TOP LEVEL!

      A cool addition to anyone's music library!

SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...

EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING

All imperfections are noted both cover & record