The Offical King Crimson Thread

[RonToon]

I love all the early King Crimson albums through RED. Never really cared for the 80s line up although I love Adrian Belew. The 1974 tour is my favorite and there are some great recordings/performances available from this tour through their official website. Now if only Floyd followed this lead...

[J Ed]

yet another King Crimson related album added to the archives

McDonald & Giles
released shortly after the breakup of the original lineup
with Sinfield and brother Peter Giles involved, this actually includes of more original Crimson members than does ...Poseidon
several of McDonalds songs are long structured things, but the best toon is actually Giles' selfcongratulatory hippy anthem "Tomorrow's People - The Children of Today", otherwise it lacks the zany edge of Court of...

somewhere I also have the original UK album, which I must pull out and compare, but I recall that as also very weak sounding compared to Red and the others Wetton & Bruford did
interesting how following the breakup of a lineup theres often an album by everybody in the band except Fripp, and how without Fripp they just dont sound so good

anybody heard the Alexis Corner albums that included everybody but Fripp from the Islands/Earthbound lineup?

[Massed Gadgets]

I absolutely love the McDonald and Giles album. It's long been one of my favourites. I know, it's kind of "early King Crimson lite", but perhaps that's one of the things I like about it. It's not as difficult a listen as King Crimson's material. I have to be in the right mood for that. McDonald and Giles, on the other hand, is just pure listening pleasure. Put it on an a lazy summer afternoon and it's the perfect soundtrack. Great album.

As for UK, I always found them to be much more towards the commercial end of prog rock. Some of their stuff, especially on Danger Money, could really be the template for the Asia sound which Wetton was to follow with two years later.

[J Ed]

I gave the 1st UK album a few spins these last few nights

I realise my problem with this album has been I want it to sound like a combination of Red meets Country Life and it doesnt, it has its own character
its much subtler than either of those albums and more complex
seemingly very staccato at first listen theres actually a lot of little bits and pieces to these compositions ... not many memorable hooks but lots of little bits and pieces

[Idisaffect]

If you have listened to that wretched UK album but have not heard Eddie Jobson's violin solo on Black Napkins from Zappa's Halloween show from 1976, you are really missing out.

I couldn't find the Halloween show on youtube but this one from a week earlier is almost as good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud4nt94BbuI

[rememberaday]

Since I've been into classic rock (thank god for that, musically i had been misled for quite some time) for only a year or so, I have heard of them but not actually listened to them. But I hope to end that by the following week. Any guys tell me some of their good albums?

[Enish]

Since I've been into classic rock (thank god for that, musically i had been misled for quite some time) for only a year or so, I have heard of them but not actually listened to them. But I hope to end that by the following week. Any guys tell me some of their good albums?

Aren't we in the same position! Been a classic rock devotee for almost 3 years now. One of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.

I'd start with In the Court of the Crimson King. I actually used to hate King Crimson because they seemed to be so inconsistent (ironic, since I'm a David Bowie fan), but that album changed my mind. If you like how that one sounded, you should check out In the Wake of Poseidon. If you want something else that sounds slightly different, go to Lizard.

[Jimi Dean Barrett]

But the thing with King Crimson is their sound really did change over the years. I love ITCOTKC but I prefer Larks Tongue's In Aspic.
But I agree, begin with the first and see how far that takes you.

[rememberaday]

I just listened to a few tracks - Pictures of a city and Peace-A Theme (Contrary to what you said- I think I'll start with Poseidon first and then In The Court ). They're really impressing me. It has this perfect progressive psychedelic rock blend (it was 1969, after all) that instantly turned me on.

[Enish]

That's good to hear. I've only listened to some of Poseidon up to this point, but from what I've heard, I could tell that it was going for the same kind of vibe as Crimson King.

[rememberaday]

Yeah. Actually Poseidon was criticized for seeming like an "imitation" of their debut.

[Enish]

Yeah. Actually Poseidon was criticized for seeming like an "imitation" of their debut.

They share a similar vibe, but their approaches were different. Crimson King seems to be more inspired by free-form jazz than Poseidon, though the latter isn't without its jazzy touches. There's also that epic instrumental that's on the latter...

[mastaflatch]

i'm heavily into Crimso these days. most of their albums (that i know) are worth listening since they all have their distinct personality with Fripp's reassuring ( ) presence.

if i'd have to rank their albums today, it'd look like this:

1- Starless and Bible Black
2- In the Court of the Crimson King
3- Red
4- Lark's Tongues in Aspic
5- Lizard
6- Discipline
7- In the Wake of Poseidon
8- Islands
9- Thrak

i've yet to sit down and listen to the other 2 80s albums more carefully than i did before. Discipline is pretty impressive but i've been neglecting it on the sole basis that it sounded too clean for my taste. of course, if i had to choose, their 73-74 sound would be their definitive one.
Thrak is better than a last spot on a list. its title track is a classic and Dinosaur is a guilty pleasure of mine. interresting lineup too!
i still don't have an urge to pick the latest ones. from what i've heard it's quite bland and drifts too far from my idea of Fripp's musical tastes. the EP released before Thrak came out (Vroom?) sounds interresting enough - i'll pick this one up next time.

[Enish]

Discipline is definitely worth giving another shot. It's the second King Crimson album that I bought and despite it being vastly different from something like ITCOTKC, I really liked it. It flows nicely and it has some exotic touches to it. I'm still trying to get over the Old Grey Whistle Test version of "Frame by Frame". Robert Fripp's finger work in that is something else.

BTW, mastaflatch, your avatar is adorable.

[rememberaday]

mastaflatch, your avatar is adorable.

His avatar? Oh that little hamster?

Oh my God it's so cute, SO CUTE, so cute, SO CUTE , so cute, oh my god I'm freaking out, adorable, adorable, adorable, adorable, adorable, adorable, adorable, adorable, adorable, adorable, adorable, adorable.....

Um... Hope I didn't overdo that