… is AWESOME. king crimson is the best-kept secret in rock history. ever since their debut in 1969 they have been consistently making the best, most innovative rock music. many of their albums sound completely different from each other (not even recognizable as the same band). and yet, with all these radical changes and experiments, they still manage to make the music totally mind blowing. this is music to not only listen to… this is music to worship.
for anyone not acquainted, i’d start with their first album “in the court of the crimson king” or maybe “red” from 1974.
For mine their best album is “Lark’s Tongues in Aspic”, but certainly “In the Court of …” is more accessible and very good in its own right.
What was that famous comment in a review of one of their albums? Something like “this band shows what the Beatles could have been and should have been before their descent into dittyland”.
I’ve been a fan since the mid-70s. By that time, there was no King Crimson anymore, but I was working at a record store in 1981 when “Discipline” came out, and it just jumped off the turntable. I got to see them at Massey Hall in Toronto on that tour, and I can’t think of any musical event I’ve ever witnessed that was its equal. Several years later, I saw Robert Fripp and The League Of Crafty Guitarists at Ontario Place, and that, too, was quite something to see - a stage full of guitarists all so expert that they’d scare you to death!
I’m not up on the current catalogue, but does anybody know if they’ve ever reissued “Earthbound”? That was the live album recorded on cassette that was issued and then recalled on the grounds of sound quality. I’ve got a copy of this LP, which is so scarce I don’t expect to see another one anytime soon. Its original catalogue number was Island HELP 6. When the KC albums were reissued, they always left it out and skipped one number in the sequence.
I recall reading that Bill Bruford said something along the lines of “…after playing with Yes and King Crimson, what else is there to do?”
Apart from Yes, maybe…?
Two albums that are vastly underrated: In The Wake Of Poseidon and Starless And Bible Black. Patchy, yes, and not 100% enjoyable, but really worth listening. Oh, and what about Absent Lovers, arguably the best live any King Crimson lineup produced?
Up until 1986 or so, I’d have told you that about 20% of King Crimson’s output was brilliant, 30% was pretty good (or, at least, interesting), and 50% of it was utter, hopeless crap.
Since then, it’s been about 20% pretty good and 80% hopeless crap.
My takes:
Almost anything King Crimson does is worth a listen, but it’s frequently NOT worth a second listen.
When Robert Fripp is a member of a band, he produces some magnificent music. When he IS the band, he almost always churns out unlistenable garbage.
Sometimes King Crimson is a genuine band with Robert Fripp as a contributing member (“In the Court of the Crimson King”). But sometimes, it’s just Robert Fripp and whatever hired flunkies he chooses to surround himself with (“Lizard”). In the former case, give KC a listen. In the latter case, run!
I really can’t agree with the last poster. I like a lot of the new King Crimson and you can hear Adrian Belew’s (guitarist, vocalist) input in the music as well as Trey Gunn (Warr guitar). I’m basing this info off of the sounds of the solo albums I own by Trey (The Third Star) and Adrian (Desire of the Rhino King). I will agree that Fripp has been the driving force in this band since the Lizard album, but this isn’t a hired musician band playing a revival of their old music. This band is still evolving with input from all of the members.
Another thing worth noting is that if you like In the Court… there is no guarantee that you will like the Lark’s Tongues era Crimson, or the Discipline era Crimson, or the Thrak era Crimson, or the current incarnation. This is a band that continually changes its sound.
Here is Unclviny’s KC CD collection, I have followed them for years and they (almost) never disapoint, my personal favorites are “Red” and “Starless”.
THE LURKING FEAR
IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING
IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON
LIZARD
ISLANDS
EARTHBOUND
USA
LARKS’ TONGUES IN ASPIC
STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK
FRACTURE
RED
DISCIPLINE
BEAT
THREE OF A PERFECT PAIR
THE ABBREVIATED KING CRIMSON: HEARTBEAT(COMP.)
FRAME BY FRAME 1969-1971
FRAME BY FRAME 1972-1974
FRAME BY FRAME 1981-1984
FRAME BY FRAME 1969-1984 (LIVE)
THE GREAT DECEIVER (LIVE 1973-1974), DISC ONE
THE GREAT DECEIVER (LIVE 1973-1974), DISC TWO
THE GREAT DECEIVER (LIVE 1973-1974), DISC THREE
THE GREAT DECEIVER (LIVE 1973-1974), DISC FOUR
VROOOM
B’BOOM OFFICIAL BOOTLEG - LIVE IN ARGENTINA 1994
THRAK
THRaKaTTaK
EPITATH, DISC ONE
EPITATH, DISC TWO
PROJECT TWO / SPACE GROOVE, DISC ONE
PROJECT TWO / SPACE GROOVE, DISC TWO
PROJECT ONE - LIVE AT THE JAZZ CAFÉ
PROJECT TWO - LIVE GROOVE
PROJECT THREE - MASQUE
PROJECT FOUR - WEST COAST LIVE
THE CONSTRUKCTION OF LIGHT
PROJECT X / HEAVEN AND EARTH
HEAVY CONSTRUKCTION
LEVEL FIVE
KCCC/LIVE AT THE MARQUEE
KCCC/LIVE AT JACKSONVILLE
KCCC/THE BEAT CLUB, BREMEN
KCCC/LIVE AT CAP D’AGDE
KCCC/ON BROADWAY
KCCC/ON BROADWAY
KCCC/LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO / THE ROAR OF P4
KCCC/THE VROOOM SESSIONS
LIVE AT SUMMIT STUDIOS, DENVER 1972
KCCC/LIVE IN CENTRAL PARK, NYC
KCCC/LIVE AT THE MOLES CLUB, BATH
KCCC/NASHVILLE REHEARSALS
KCCC/LIVE AT THE PLYMOUTH GUILDHALL
KCCC/LIVE IN MAINZ
KCCC/LIVE IN BERKELEY, CA
KCCC/LIVE IN NORTHAMPTON, MA
KCCC/LIVE IN DETROIT, MI, DISC ONE
KCCC/LIVE IN DETROIT, MI, DISC TWO
KCCC/LIVE IN NASHVILLE, TN
KCCC/CHAMPAIGN-URBANA SESSIONS
KCCC/LADIES OF THE ROAD, DISC 1
KCCC/LADIES OF THE ROAD, DISC 2
HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE TO BE HAPPY WITH
THE POWER TO BELIEVE
Check out In the Wake of Poseidon. It is mostly the same lineup as the first album and the songs are in a similar style. After that you might want to try an album from the mid70s Crimson. Red is the album that is usually recommended.
Thanks mbacko1. In your opinion, would you suggest choosing “Wake of Poseiden” over the album “In the Court…”? I’ve never heard the entire “Court” album, just the title song.
I’d recommend that you get them both! If you haven’t heard “21st Century Schizoid Man”, well, it’s time you did! That is the other song for which they are best known.
I like *In the Court of the Crimson King * better than In the Wake of Poseidon. For me they are very similar albums. Both have highlights including Epitaph (on Court) and Cat Food (on Wake). I tend to like a lot of the silly/sinister Crimson songs, so please don’t blast me too badly for liking it.
You really can’t go wrong with either album. Since you like In the Court… the song, pick up that album and if you love it, move on to Wake.
Thanks everyone. I read on Amazon that both these albums have been remastered by Fripp. It’s off to Best Buy at lunchtime! I think I’ll start with ITCOTCK.
That comment that Bill made was years before he founded Earthworks.
Just try to imagine the state of music in the late '70s. If you were in search of more complicated, demanding music to perform, or the kind of musicians capable of composing or executing it, you were pretty much SOL. Hence the question: now that I’ve played with the highest-caliber musicians recognized in the field, what else is there for me to do? Top 40? Jingles? You gotta be kidding!
Tony Levin played bass on Larry Gowan’s “A Criminal Mind” album (Canadian artist), and it was perfectly executed and extremely powerful and tasteful. But compared to the work he’d recently been doing with KC, he was practically slumming.
