Larks Tongues in Aspic part two
From Larks Tongues boxset in 2012
There's a single piece of music that has defined King Crimson
Particularly in life performance over the years
It's probably Larks Tongues In Aspic part two
21st century Schizo Man somewhat surprisingly
Has only been played sporadically by different line-ups over the years
By contrast Lark Tongues part two has been a regular feature in the set list
Subversively all the line-ups since it was first released in 1973
As it's popularity, is because it can be seen as a very sensual piece
Robert Fripp has described it as following the contours of the sexual process
In fact, the 1974 French soft porn movie "Emmanuel"
Ripped off the music as the soundtrack for the sex scenes
This was in the days before DVD or video
So Robert Fripp was sent by his management into a cinema in Paris
Armed with a cassette machine to record the soundtrack and give his opinion
There was a protracted legal dispute, eventually he was duly acknowledged as the writer
With so many versions of this piece over such a long period
There's been some heated discussion about which to include in this series
Over the years, it's been played very differently and at very different tempos
I was just listening to the version from Mexico City in 1996
And if this is lovemaking, then it's unbelievably quick and energetic
By contrast, the version we finally chosen
Is a fascinating incomplete snippet from the studio sessions in London in 1973
While the piece was still being recorded
It has a war energy as well as a rare chance to hear John Wetton's wonderful bass playing exposed
So here it is Lark Tongues In Aspic part two
From Larks Tongues boxset in 2012