RIP Jamie Muir (Larks era King Crimson)

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Tribute from Bill Bruford:

 

[H.A.L.]

So sad! He really made LTiA stand out from the other albums.

 

[rusinurbe]

I will give Larks a listen today RIP

 

[H.A.L.]

I will give Larks a listen today RIP

Hmm . . . could do a marathon of the LARKS TONGUES IN ASPIC box set with all the concerts in order, but I'm not sure people our age will live that long. . . .

 

[Shermatz]

Tribute from Bill Bruford:

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Such a gracious eulogy from Bill B, who reminds us all what a class act he has proven to be as long as we've known him.
This "Lark's Tongues" recast of the band, with only Fripp remaining from the original band AND with Bill leaving Yes right after their pinnacle album "Close to the Edge" they sure seemed like prog-rock explorers on the launchpad, ready to take us somewhere totally new. AND I'd say that they absolutely hit the bullseye with "LTiA", certainly a gigantic personal favorite even if it's maybe a little too exotic to grow in stature beyond our tight-knit prog rock compound.
For me, the one-two punch of opening tracks "LTiA Pt 1" followed with "Book of Saturday" are just head-exploders, especially the menacing stalking/pursuit edginess of the violin & guitar, converging for that big crescendo, rolled in by Bill's always precise drumming. The grand finale, emerging out of darkness with David Cross' solo violin, then ramping up again to another menacing, aggressive, threatening finale (with those whispering, below comprehension voices) still raises the hair on the back of my neck. POWERFUL beyond speech to convey.
Jaime Muir was the "X" factor of the album, with his oddball flourishes enhancing the OMG edginess of the big tracks, and further pumping up the high-gloss hip luster of the band & the peak prog-rock era. How could we know it would be "one and done" for Jaime in KC after LTiA, but what a legacy to leave. Also what an archly too-cool for school move to abandon the band to become a Zen monk. How many of us knew some hot-eyed know-it-all guy who was bristling with youthful opinions & charisma who fancied themselves as visionaries called to a higher plane beyond the gauche limitations of our guttural rock & roll pretensions. Insert eyeball roll. Who knows how Jaime's choices impacted his post-Crimso life, I guess I can only be grateful he did deign to intersect with us albeit briefly via LTiA. Thankfully Fripp & co recognized their obligation to exist as a working band, and carried on with their two following gemstone studio albums, "Starless" and "Red".
Jaime's self-banishment into Zen cultism reminds me somewhat of the life & fate of obscure American guitar granola & joss stick seeker Robbie Basho, who emerged in the late sixties from out of San Francisco, dabbling in both eastern mysticism & a slightly controversial 1980's dip into native American culture/music. Robbie was kinda-sorta like Leo Kottke, not as accessible, but give him full marks for "following his muse" relentlessly even though he scratched hard for a meager living. His last album was a cassette-only release of instrumental 6 &12 string mood music, marketed for sale in candle shops. The ultimate irony was middle-aged Robbie dying on a masseuses' table when a chiropractic "adjustment" broke his neck. Admittedly not directly relevant to Jaime Muir's life, but another tributary of where all the misplaced energies & promise of the '60's eventually trickled out and evaporated.

 

[Petr Kropotkin]

Vale, Jamie.
Interesting that Bill gave a nod to Jamie giving Jon the book that led to Tales From Topographic Oceans.

 

[5.1 4 Life]

Sorry to hear about Jamie Muir. Indeed, he made Crimson's Larks' Tongues In Aspic one of their best albums and although he was only in the band for a short time made such an impact on his bandmates. RIP Jamie Muir.

PS: Here's a great documentary on LTIA.