zosodude13 Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 one of my favorite bands... my friend let me borrow In the Court of the Crimson King a few months ago... and the first time I heard it, I didnt really like it... about a month later, I had my iPod on shuffle and 21st Century Schizoid Man came up...that time, it liked it and listened tot he rest of the album, with a much different result! I loved the mellotron and the effect it gave throughout In the Court of the Crimson King. Peter sinfield's lyrics were mysitcal and carefully caved each song into its own. From now on, I have to listen to the album all the way through, I cant listen to just one song. I bought my own copy of In the Court of the Crimson King and their next album, In the Wake of Poseidon I liked the album, it basically is like a disc 2 of their first album. The Devil's Triangle (a cover of Holtz's Mars: The Bringer of War) was one of the evilest sounding songs I have ever heard. And Cat Food being one of the wierdest songs I have heard. A couple of days ago, I bought their 3rd album Lizard. The opening, Cirkus is a classic Crimson song, with heavy mellotron. Lizard is a 23+ minute epic and took me a few listenings to understand the complexity of it all. I still need to listen to Lizard more to gain a ful perspective about it... I created this thread to talk about King Crimson and get some opinions about the rest of their albums... I knwo the band shifted gears after Lizard, so I wanna get some opinions to find out if I wanna continue to get the rest of their albums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarlaxle 56 Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Got the entire discography on my computer here....I'll get around to actually buying the albums when I get some money. Great band though man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Any time this group is discussed on forums, the album "Red" is always recommended. I don't have any of their albums, but recall the few songs the radio used to play were very cool. Any details about the various lineups and albums would be of interest to me, too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAC64 Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Great band, GREAT art work! Robert, Greg and the boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 King Crimson has been so far ahead of most any band since 1969 they fly over the heads of 99.99999% of the population out there. It's really a pity to see them go so unnoticed by the masses. Then again, look at what the masses listen to. Genius is rarely recognized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zosodude13 Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 King Crimson has been so far ahead of most any band since 1969 they fly over the heads of 99.99999% of the population out there. It's really a pity to see them go so unnoticed by the masses. Then again, look at what the masses listen to. Genius is rarely recognized. I even hear die-hard prog fans say they dont like them or dont understand their music... its sorta funny because many consider them one of the first prog bands... I mean, it took me a couple of listenings to undersand In the Court of the Crimson King and appreciate it... but at least I learned to appreciate it and love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 I even hear die-hard prog fans say they dont like them or dont understand their music... its sorta funny because many consider them one of the first prog bands... I mean, it took me a couple of listenings to undersand In the Court of the Crimson King and appreciate it... but at least I learned to appreciate it and love it You're part of a rare breed. You mention Lizard. I found that the most difficult to get into throughout my King Crimson listening experience. However, I find it incredibly dense and fulfilling. A masterpiece. Even within the progressive rock genre, they stand head and shoulders among their peers. I laugh when I see what some people consider progressive rock. They need to listen to this band to see what it's all about. Especially Larks Tongues in Aspic, Startless and Bible Black and the live 3 disc set from 2000, Heavy Construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Just look at the responses Motley Crue get compared to King Crimson. What a travesty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zosodude13 Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 You're part of a rare breed. You mention Lizard. I found that the most difficult to get into throughout my King Crimson listening experience. However, I find it incredibly dense and fulfilling. A masterpiece. Even within the progressive rock genre, they stand head and shoulders among their peers. I laugh when I see what some people consider progressive rock. They need to listen to this band to see what it's all about. Especially Larks Tongues in Aspic, Startless and Bible Black and the live 3 disc set from 2000, Heavy Construction. I was able to get through Lizard becasue it was still heavy Mellotron and the jazz on that album reminded me of Cat Food, which was one of my favorite songs from In the Wake of Poseidon I dont have anything beyond the first 3 albums... so I wanna know, how much did the style change after Lizard? because I know that there was a shift in musical direction... jsut not what exactly it was Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cletus Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 (edited) I personally like the Larks Tongues/Starless and Bible Black/Red era the best. Their earlier period was excellent as well. I think Islands is a very underrated album as well. Edited March 18, 2008 by Cletus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonzomaniac Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 I dont have anything beyond the first 3 albums... so I wanna know, how much did the style change after Lizard? because I know that there was a shift in musical direction... jsut not what exactly it was Well, they went in a more avant-garde direction mixed with I guess you would call heavy metal after Fripp formed another lineup with Bill Bruford, John Wetton, Jamie Muir, and David Cross. They also did a lot of improvisation. Easy Money '73 Easy Money continued Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Lizard and Islands are unique in the King Crimson fold in that they were what I'd call "floaters". In the Court and Poseidon had similar lineups and sound within that canon. Lark's Tongues, Starless and Red were also similar, somewhat, as they had a basic core personel cohesiveness. Lizard seemed more a a Robert Fripp solo album to me having a few different vocalists, Jon Anderson of Yes included, and this band never toured. Gordon Haskell on bass and vocals, Andy McCollugh on drums, Keith Tippit on keyboards, Mel Collins on sax. There were also other added horn players. The album was definately more progressive jazzy than rocky. The album cover's artwork reflected the names of the songs if you look closely, especially the little drawings. The Beatles are drawn in a scene, as depicted by the song "Happy Family", and even Yoko is there looking like a genie coming out of a vase. On the upper right of this photo montage, you can see the Beatles and Yoko. Sorry about the resolution, squint hard. Islands was a whole new batch of musicians including Boz Burrel on bass and vocals (later went on to Bad Co.), Ian Wallace on drums, and returning from Lizard, Mel Collins and Keith Tippit. Another more jazzy album, not so crunchy, and some orchestrations too of strings and reeds. This band's core toured quite extensively from late 1971 thru mid 1972 and put out many releases through the King Crimson Collector's Club series. After this incarnation broke up, Fripp assembled his heaviest combo in Wetton, Bruford, Cross and Muir as bonzomaniac posted. This was a forceful unit blasting away in concert (from late 1972 through summer of 1974), HEAVY riffs and the improvisation of jazz in their intense rock. Many of these live shows are also released through the Collector's Club "bootleg" releases and legitimate offerings. A HUGE change from the previous Islands touring band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Very helpful - thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zosodude13 Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 Wesely, would you recomend I listen/buy their albums in chronological order... i have with the first 3... or does it not really matter what order I get islands, larks, starless and red? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Wesely, would you recomend I listen/buy their albums in chronological order... i have with the first 3... or does it not really matter what order I get islands, larks, starless and red? It's not necessary to. But as with any band, it's a good idea. You've already recognized that In the Court and Poseidon are similar to an extent...then the HUGE difference with Lizard. Islands is subtle, mellow at first but with a nasty element in "Ladies of the Road", you'll like that one I'm sure. It may be good to go ahead and get Islands before the shift to the Lark's Tongues, Starless, and Red era of King Crimson. From there you can get some live shows of Islands era KC or the Lark/Starless/Red era, before moving on to their early 1980's incarnation. Then of course the 1990's double trio, and then the Y2K era Crimson. It's a heady progression and will fill your head with an expansive musical appreciation that's for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadScreamingGallery Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 (edited) Lizard and Islands are unique in the King Crimson fold in that they were what I'd call "floaters". In the Court and Poseidon had similar lineups and sound within that canon. Lark's Tongues, Starless and Red were also similar, somewhat, as they had a basic core personel cohesiveness. Lizard seemed more a a Robert Fripp solo album to me having a few different vocalists, Jon Anderson of Yes included, and this band never toured. Gordon Haskell on bass and vocals, Andy McCollugh on drums, Keith Tippit on keyboards, Mel Collins on sax. There were also other added horn players. The album was definately more progressive jazzy than rocky. The album cover's artwork reflected the names of the songs if you look closely, especially the little drawings. The Beatles are drawn in a scene, as depicted by the song "Happy Family", and even Yoko is there looking like a genie coming out of a vase. On the upper right of this photo montage, you can see the Beatles and Yoko. Sorry about the resolution, squint hard. Islands was a whole new batch of musicians including Boz Burrel on bass and vocals (later went on to Bad Co.), Ian Wallace on drums, and returning from Lizard, Mel Collins and Keith Tippit. Another more jazzy album, not so crunchy, and some orchestrations too of strings and reeds. This band's core toured quite extensively from late 1971 thru mid 1972 and put out many releases through the King Crimson Collector's Club series. After this incarnation broke up, Fripp assembled his heaviest combo in Wetton, Bruford, Cross and Muir as bonzomaniac posted. This was a forceful unit blasting away in concert (from late 1972 through summer of 1974), HEAVY riffs and the improvisation of jazz in their intense rock. Many of these live shows are also released through the Collector's Club "bootleg" releases and legitimate offerings. A HUGE change from the previous Islands touring band. Wesley, thanks for your excellent analyses of King Crimson. Very interesting reading! I've shared them with my husband as he is a much greater fan of King Crimson and Fripp than I am. "In the Court of the Crimson King" is one of our favorite albums. My husband saw King Crimson live, in Central Park, in the early '70's and still says that particular concert was one of the most innovative concerts he has attended. Edited March 19, 2008 by MadScreamingGallery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick C Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 You should check out their recent album 'The Power to believe" its amazing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Wesley, thanks for your excellent analyses of King Crimson. Very interesting reading! I've shared them with my husband as he is a much greater fan of King Crimson and Fripp than I am. "In the Court of the Crimson King" is one of our favorite albums. My husband saw King Crimson live, in Central Park, in the early '70's and still says that particular concert was one of the most innovative concerts he has attended. Thank you, glad you found it interesting. Maybe this is the show your husband attended. From July 1, 1974 Nick C., that's an excellent cd you posted about, and certainly zosodude13 ought to get that eventually, but to jump right to their latest studio release would bypass that whole period from 1972 till 2003! Then again, he could get that and backtrack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zosodude13 Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 Thank you, glad you found it interesting. Maybe this is the show your husband attended. From July 1, 1974 Nick C., that's an excellent cd you posted about, and certainly zosodude13 ought to get that eventually, but to jump right to their latest studio release would bypass that whole period from 1972 till 2003! Then again, he could get that and backtrack. I think my plan is to get islands, larks, starless and red... all from the early period, and take a break to enjoy all of those in that period... and from there... I'll look at the rest of the collection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phr0z3n Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 (edited) Nobody has mentioned "Discipline" yet.. I love this line(s): I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat.. From: "Indiscipline" EDIT: How many albums did King Crimson release? I have 15. Edited March 20, 2008 by phr0z3n Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 EDIT: How many albums did King Crimson release? I have 15. Besides their "regular" studio albums of 1969-1974, 1981-1984, 1994-95, 2000 and 2003 you have a mulititude of releases through Robert Fripps's DGM website. The current amount available for download [flac $12.95, mp3 (192kbps) $9.95] is 85 various live and outtake/rehearsal and Projeckt offerings spanning their entire 1969-2000+ career. So eat your heart out.....this link will take you to page 1 of the listings, it's extensive ! Artwork included. http://www.dgmlive.com/archive.htm?&name=crimson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phr0z3n Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Besides their "regular" studio albums of 1969-1974, 1981-1984, 1994-95, 2000 and 2003 you have a mulititude of releases through Robert Fripps's DGM website. The current amount available for download [flac $12.95, mp3 (192kbps) $9.95] is 85 various live and outtake/rehearsal and Projeckt offerings spanning their entire 1969-2000+ career. So eat your heart out.....this link will take you to page 1 of the listings, it's extensive ! Artwork included. http://www.dgmlive.com/archive.htm?&name=crimson NICE! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 NICE! Thanks. Great to see King Crimson fans here like you and zosodude13. Let me know what you think about all the available music at that DGM site. It's really unique and amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadScreamingGallery Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Thank you, glad you found it interesting. Maybe this is the show your husband attended. From July 1, 1974 Nick C., that's an excellent cd you posted about, and certainly zosodude13 ought to get that eventually, but to jump right to their latest studio release would bypass that whole period from 1972 till 2003! Then again, he could get that and backtrack. I thought I posted a response to this. Thanks again, Wesley. The pic you posted might jog my husband's memory a bit as to which show he attended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 I thought I posted a response to this. Thanks again, Wesley. The pic you posted might jog my husband's memory a bit as to which show he attended. It must've been a PM. During the song, 'Starless', I think the last song before the encore, provided an intense sensory moment for the band and they repsonded in kind. "This was the first gig since the 1969 Crimson where the bottom of my spine registered "out of this world" to the same degree. The 1969 outfit began at the top and then disappeared. This team took two years to get to the same point of being-out-there-ness. As the sun went down and we moved into the ominous bass riff emerging from the "Starless" vocal, red stage lights faded up from behind the band. For me, a stunning theatrical moment highlighting the tension within the piece and the group: a moment of resonance". - Robert Fripp So if indeed your husband was at this, he was a lucky fellow indeed. Here's another link to the many releases of King Crimson. http://www.elephant-talk.com/discog/fripp/indexk.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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