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King Crimson — Larks' Tongues in Aspic

What the critics heard when these records were new. Original reviews, release anniversaries and chart histories.

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First release · United Kingdom
Album cover: King Crimson — Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Original 1973 UK Island Records release (ILPS 9210))
Cover source ↗King Crimson / Island Records / Wikimedia Commons
1973

King Crimson

Larks' Tongues in Aspic

progressive rockavant progart rockheavy psych
Hostile review

The prog milestone Rolling Stone hated then merely disliked

Released in the UK on 23 March 1973. A contemporary hostile review, alongside chart results with their dates.

The verdict at the time

Niester wrote that he "hated the first three times I played it, and now merely dislike intensely", adding "You can't dance to it, can't keep a beat to it, and it doesn't even make good background music for washing the dishes."

Alan Niester · Rolling Stone ·

Read the contemporary review

Chart peaks

USA#61Billboard 2001973 · Original release periodChart source
UK#20Official Albums Chart1973-04-08 · Original release periodChart source
Europe · Finland#15The Official Finnish Charts1973 · Original release periodChart source
Europe · Italy#8Musica e Dischi Albums Chart1973 · Original release periodChart source

European positions are listed by country. Later chart entries are labelled separately.

Sources & context

One critic's opinion, summarised from Alan Niester's original Rolling Stone review of 30 August 1973. The album is now recognised as a pivotal progressive rock landmark and appears on Rolling Stone's list of the 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time.

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