King Crimson - C/D S/D

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I guess this is more a search and destroy - particularly for individual tracks, not just albums.

The track "Starless" is one of the most stunning tunes evah!

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 12 February 2004 02:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I really like the version of "Red" on the compilation Sometimes God Hides: The Young Person's Guide to Discipline. It comes from B'BOOM Official Bootleg: Live in Argentina.

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Thursday, 12 February 2004 02:56 (twenty-two years ago)

search "Cat Food"!

― Broheems (diamond), Thursday, 12 February 2004 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I like the late-period double drummer showcase like Thrak and B'Boom a lot. Also, I think Larks' Tongues in Aspic pt. I has always gotten short shrift, there's some funky shit in there. I could go on about some of the 80s tunes as well.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 03:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Search: the first album; Lizard (sure, what the hell); any thing with the Bruford/Cross/Fripp/Wetton/sometimes Muir line-up; the trio of early 80s studio albums all at least make interesting listens, whether you like them or can't stand them.

Destroys: In the Wake of Poseidon; ThrakAttack (zzzzz); actually, pretty much everything they've done after Thrak has yielded uninspired results--certainly Construkction of Light and Power to Believe were disappointing to me.

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 12 February 2004 03:06 (twenty-two years ago)

what Joe said, although I've never really been at a point where I actually liked the first album that much

― dleone (dleone), Thursday, 12 February 2004 03:20 (twenty-two years ago)

(also I should mention that the 70s band is my favorite and Red is the only album I've thrown on in the last few months, and I do indeed think Starless is the best song they ever wrote)

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 03:32 (twenty-two years ago)

never completely warmed to them. I keep trying, but there's always something missing. I love Fripp's 'Exposure' though.

― (Jon L), Thursday, 12 February 2004 04:04 (twenty-two years ago)

My favorite albums by King Crimson are

1. Starless and Bible black
2. Red
3. lark's Tongue in Aspic

I think this line-up is my favorite , the two albums they put out in 1974 are both great( starless and red).

― steven schenk (skenker), Thursday, 12 February 2004 07:16 (twenty-two years ago)

M62 song

― Jole, Thursday, 12 February 2004 07:21 (twenty-two years ago)

E A R T H B O U N D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and "The Great Deceiver" is one of the best riffs ever

classic all the way

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 12 February 2004 07:29 (twenty-two years ago)

i love the first album, like the 80s stuff (mainly because i love talking heads), and really don't like Red. sounds like smashing pumpkins to me

― JaXoN (JasonD), Thursday, 12 February 2004 07:43 (twenty-two years ago)

and what's so bad about that??!? NED, come QUICK!! I'm gonna need backup!

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 12 February 2004 07:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Interesting to see Joe mention Lizard as one of his faves - I think I've got all the other (official, studio!) KC albums (not including side projects!) but I'd always avoided Lizard and Islands because they're generally thought to be amongst the worst.

I picked them up cheap recently 'though so we shall see; FWIW I'm actually extremely partial to ConstruKCtion Of Light and that one doesn't seem to be held in particularly hight esteem either!

With all that said, my faves of the ones I've got are actually sadly predictable:
- In The Court Of The Crimson King
- Discipline

Can I also put in a good word for Desire Of The Rhino King by Adrian Belew?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 12 February 2004 10:06 (twenty-two years ago)

"In The Wake Of Poseidon" was my first KC album and I love it muchly. Then I heard their first album and realised that they are literally the same albums.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 12 February 2004 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Never was a big fan. Just never really was properly introduced though. I remember liking a live version of "Three Of A Perfect Pair" or "Man With An Open Heart". I guess most King Crimson fans probably don't like the 80's stuff huh??

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Thursday, 12 February 2004 11:18 (twenty-two years ago)

There's variability...most fans like (or even love) Discipline and think it's the best one of the three, Beat always seems to get a high dose of negative evaluation (I'm fine with it now, but didn't like it for years), and Three of a Perfect Pair is kind of the 'underrated' album of the three, though there are many who think it's bad..

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 12 February 2004 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Beat and Discipline both have sme good material on them, but I can't really handle the vocals, so I would add just about any of the instrumentals from those two albums. I wouldn't call myself a fan exactly. I do think Red is pretty good, along with Starless and Larks Tongue, probably the best bunch overall, but I don't feel any ned to own them (although I guess I do on cheap college book store cassettes).

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Red is really good esp. "Fallen Angel" and "One More Red Nightmare". Also love "The Great Deceiver" off Starless and Bible Black.

― Rocco, Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I should also mention that I generally like the live stuff better than the studio stuff. For most of the eras there is a double cd set (naturally) that sums it up pretty well...Night Watch for the 70s, Absent Lovers for the 80s (SO MUCH BETTER than the studio albums), a couple for the 90s. I used to have USA on cassette too, which was pretty hot. Is that still OOP?

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I like Lizard, especially the Keith Tippet jazzier moments. It does have some of their worst mincy fantasy-prog offenses though.

I sold their first four studio albums during the height of my KC fandom, intending to buy the remasters (ha). Then I got interested in other things and never felt like spending the money to replace them.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

For the live stuff, see also the mystifyingly out of print Great Deceiver box.

― dleone (dleone), Thursday, 12 February 2004 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd say:

SEARCH: the entire 80's era, i.e. Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair (although don't rush out of the house to go buy Beat, honestly). Also, In the Court of the Crimson King and Red (I know, not wildly original choices, these) are both jaw-droppingly great.

DESTROY: the 90's "double trio" Crims, and even more so everything after the departure of Tony Levin. Fuck Trey Gunn.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Indications are that Tony's back in.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Izzat a fact? I honestly disengaged after that "all improv" album (which Levin himself disowned).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.disciplineglobalmobile.com/diary/

Check the entry for last Thursday.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I only like the early-70s lineup. I have Larks' Tongues..., Starless..., USA (which I can't believe hasn't been mentioned yet—one of their heaviest records) and the Great Deceiver box. One of these days I'm gonna buy The Nightwatch and the 2 or 3 other live albums by this lineup that are sold through the King Crimson Collectors' Club. But I'm not in any rush.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

The band needs to be Fripp, Bruford and Levin AND THAT'S IT.

― dleone (dleone), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Somewhat promising.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I note that Exposure was reviewed by Wire as the Sergeant Pepper of avant-punk. Neither the Guardian nor Wire reviews tell me much about my work; both of the reviews tell me something about the reviewers.

This is why I can still put up with Robert Fripp from time to time.

― dleone (dleone), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I wish he would post on ILM.

― Rockist Scientist, Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I mentioned USA, Phil...it's hot, but I think parts of the Night Watch top it.

I think the Thrak band is underrated. Sure, it's kind of a big mess, but sometimes it's as good as the 80s band with a lot more NOISE and percussion flying around, which can be pretty cool.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

>>both of the reviews tell me something about the reviewers.

when is this ever not the case. usually cripplingly so.

I also like Fripp's comments about the music industry, the meat starts down around the question 'why independent', but anyone who's been buying the DGM releases has seen this text in the liner notes ten times over...

actually I've heard from diehard fans that Crimson had caught their wind on the last tour. everyone seems to agree that the previous tours were just fingernail torture.

― (Jon L), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:34 (twenty-two years ago)

thanks to my ipod I've started listening to all of this a lot more closely than I have in years, and decided that although I initially hated it, Islands is one of the best KC albums. It has a really nice, flat sound to the drums; fripp's guitar hasn't quite gone into distortion overload the way it did on subsequent records; the lyrics are stupid for the most part but whatever.

I also just decided that most of the Power to Believe is pretty strong, certainly better than Construction of Light.

Tracks to search: 21st Century Schizoid Man (duh), Moonchild, Cat Food, Formentera Lady/Sailors Tale, the Letters (for the arpeggio pattern), Larks Tongues 1 & 2, Great Deceiver, Fracture, Red, Starless, Discipline, Frame by Frame, Sheltering Sky, Neil and jack and Me, REquiem, Sartori in Tangier, 3 of a perfect pair, Sleepless, Nuages, Industry, Larks Tongue 3, walking on air, one time, sex sleep eat drink dream, vrooom, thrak, larks tonue 4 (live version), eyes wide open, level 5, dangerous curves.

Also, a lot of the Red-era stuff I didn't mention is better in live versions (easy money, etc).

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

also, I guess Trey Gunn got fired and replaced by Tony Levin again, so it's getting closer to the old familiar line-up. I don't know if that's a good thing.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Love some of the interplay on "Frame by Frame". Mogwai-style post-rock is a big thing around here. I wish some of those bands would give 73-84 Crimson a listen to see how to do it right.

― fcussen (Burger), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I was back at my dad's house last weekend and I realized what an embarrassing amount of KC/DGM collector's type stuff I have. Some of it I'd like to listen to again and some of that shit I definitely want to ebay.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:17 (twenty-two years ago)

The first album is one of the better refutations of the idea that prog was up-its-arse escapism.

― fcussen (Burger), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Really? I mean, I like it and all, but it's pretty classically prog, don't you think? What with the long tracks with "Including the..." suite-like titles, fantastic lyrics, soaring mellotrons, etc.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah but there is all that Gimme Shelter-like post-Kennedy/King assassination, Vietnam-era paranoia and angst in there. With Schizoid Man its pretty obvious but 'I Talk to the Wind' = protesting and not being listened to, 'Epitaph' = "The fate of all mankind I see
Is in the hands of fools". Okay, its done in a roundabout way and 'In the Court...'= you have point.

― fcussen (Burger), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

also, I guess Trey Gunn got fired and replaced by Tony Levin again, so it's getting closer to the old familiar line-up. I don't know if that's a good thing.

No, it's not a good thing...it's a GREAT thing!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:08 (twenty-two years ago)

done in a roundabout way

Hee hee.

I'd say classic and my faves are Lizard, Islands, Starless, and Red (Lark's Tongue I think I have but acquired after I stopped listening to them so that I don't really have much of an opinion). I like the odd 80s track that I've heard but I don't think I've ever listened to an entire 80s album.

― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:11 (twenty-two years ago)

the live 70's shit is the only stuff i like

― Pablo Cruise (chaki), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"Asbury Park" is one of the best live improvs I've ever heard.

― Bryan (Bryan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:45 (twenty-two years ago)

"In The Wake Of Poseidon" was my first KC album and I love it muchly. Then I heard their first album and realised that they are literally the same albums.
-- dog latin (doglati...), February 12th, 2004.

Oh, I agree totally! "Pictures of a City" is structurally like a carbon copy of "Schizoid Man". I still love both records too. Which is why I couldn't understand why Joe Lakeside said in his post to "search" the first one & "destroy" Poseidon...

― Broheems (diamond), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Basically, that's why. I do like "Pictures of a City", as blatant a rip-off of Schizoid Man as it is. Much of the rest I could do without ("Cat Food"/"Groon" and the "Peace" interludes are pretty cool, too).

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

the second side suite doesn't work very well at all

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Search : "The First Day"

― bahtology, Friday, 13 February 2004 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Damage, if you're going to go there.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

indeed.

― bahtology, Friday, 13 February 2004 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe this needs its own thread, but let's get even more specific - what's your favorite live version of "21st Century Schizoid Man"?

The one on Cirkus SCREAMS...the sax, especially, is just out there, speed-freaked and sleazy. The second version (out of three!) on Epitaph (track 7 on disc one) is notable for being the fastest version I've probably heard - it sounds like it could fall apart any second, but it never does. Generally, I really dig the Wetton/Bruford-era KC, but that lineup's "Schizoid Man" just wasn't crazed enough. And, check out "Schizoid Men" on Ladies of the Road, which takes up an entire disc (54 minutes!) - it's one mega-version, with various solos stitched together. You might think it's too much of a good thing, but ummm boy, it's something else.

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:45 (twenty-two years ago)

USA has an absolutely killer version of "21st Century"

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 13 February 2004 13:21 (twenty-two years ago)

just in case anyone hasn't heard dokaka.

damn, he took down his version of 'fracture'.

― (Jon L), Friday, 13 February 2004 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, that looks fantastic. I wish I could listen to it at work.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 13 February 2004 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)

four months pass...

I just got Three of a Perfect Pair... it sounds like the Talking Heads sort of!?@!?@?!@ Interesting

― Jon in R'lyeh (ex machina), Sunday, 13 June 2004 01:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Fripp & Eno connection

― otto, Sunday, 13 June 2004 01:30 (twenty-one years ago)

...and don't forget, Fripp played guitar on the Talking Heads track "I Zimbra" - listen to that one, then listen to KC's Discipline...hmmm...

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Sunday, 13 June 2004 01:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Both my parents each just walked in and asked if I was listening to David Bryne / Talking Heads!@!@!!

― Jon in R'lyeh (ex machina), Sunday, 13 June 2004 02:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Didn't Adrian Belew playing some guitar for TH too?

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 13 June 2004 02:05 (twenty-one years ago)

(play, argh)

The 80s live album, Absent Lovers, sounds so much fuller and better than the studio ones and thus even MORE like a prog Talking Heads.

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 13 June 2004 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)

SEARCH: the cymbal on moonchild!

fuck the 80s and 90's k.c.
it bred funk metal and you know it.

starless and bible black is probably thier last great album. and it IS great.

the song 'starless and bible black'>>>>>>>the song 'starless'

― emma cleveland (emma cleveland), Sunday, 13 June 2004 03:35 (twenty-one years ago)

p.s. catfood is the jam.

joe, lets dual. haha

― emma cleveland (emma cleveland), Sunday, 13 June 2004 03:37 (twenty-one years ago)

dual? do you mean like magic the gathering????

― Jon in R'lyeh (ex machina), Sunday, 13 June 2004 03:45 (twenty-one years ago)

that will work.
maybe i meant joust?

― emma cleveland (emma cleveland), Sunday, 13 June 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

S: Starless and BB, Red, USA
D: first two albums (dated); Islands (except "Ladies of the Road"); Lizard ("interesting" but not good); Larks' Tongues (again, some good ideas and riffs, but boring)

Their '80s stuff is even more sterile than their earlier shit, in my opinion. Hard to fault them for execution, but it sounds to me like they're just spinning their wheels with those patented riffs...

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Sunday, 13 June 2004 18:12 (twenty-one years ago)

That's the point, though! Completely sterile, phased, mindbending, interlocking guitar riffs. Except more rhythmically complicated and less distorted and before.

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 13 June 2004 21:25 (twenty-one years ago)

As I stated some time ago on another thread, KC are up there with MC5 and Prince as the greatest acts to never release a completely satisfying LP. Lotsa B's and B+'s, the occasional A-, but nothing higher. (Obviously this is a much less relevent concern in the age of iPods & CDR burners, but nevermind.) A lot of my frustration comes from Robert Fripp's terminal tendency to downplay his own guitar playing: One of the most sonically disruptive axe maniacs EVER, he deserves the right to stretch out more than just about anyone, and (in the studio anyways), the perverse bastard always refuses! But paradoxically, that contrary streak is part of the reason I love the guy, along with his inability to play while standing and his ever-droll liner notes and various pronouncements. Honestly, the guy's a comedic genius! Always cracks me up.

Anyhow, Crimson-wise, I'll take about half of each of the early saxophone-&-Mellotron-drenched LPs, 2/3 of the mid-70s John Wetton LPs (most folks' favourites), and about 3/4 of the '80s Adrian Belew LPs - my personal favourites. Yes, it's uncharacteristic of a 70s-booster like me to prefer the 80s incarnation, but I really like those mock-Gamelan and pseudo-African/Arabic textures. Aside from bits of "Zoom" or "Thrak" or whatever, I've never really warmed up to those '90s-and-beyond Crimson LPs, but I'll probably give 'em another chance someday.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 00:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Myonga mostly otm (except for the Adrian Belew part).

And the song "Thrak" is just about as good as anything the mid-70s version did.

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 01:22 (twenty-one years ago)

It sounds like Talking Heads because Belew sounds like David Byrne.

TPP is great but inconsistent. I don't like the way the vocals are mixed, making it sound like some bad '80s bargain-bin act.

― New No New Age Advanced Ambient Motor Music Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 01:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, Belew should've kept his mouth and his rhyming dictionary shut. But his guitar playing really added a lot!

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 05:40 (twenty-one years ago)

the second side of that album is really interesting, definitely different from anything else they ever did, different even from the other 80's records. i'd like more of that sound personally.

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 05:44 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

I can't believe how much i love Starless and Lark's Tongue In Aspic which is right now so f**king awesome, stoned. But Red I've heard yet once. Must invest.

― piers (piers), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 08:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Aha! I new there was something missing from my summer other than the presence of sunshine. I'd do anything for a copy of Poseidon to listen to at lunchtime.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 08:52 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

The new DGM site went live yesterday or today. Lots of downloads, lots of photos. Looks pretty nice.

― I do feel guilty for getting any perverse amusement out of it (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 22:30 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

Out of the blue, I got in the mood listen to "Elephant Talk," and now I'm listening to the rest of Discipline and, again, out of the blue, enjoying it more than I have for several years. I don't even have a good theory about it. The only thing I'm really not enjoying are the lyrics.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Thursday, 16 February 2006 02:08 (twenty years ago)

Listening to Discipline again for the first time in what must be five years (and with a bit of a buzz!). And I gotta say: "The Sheltering Sky" is still so wonderful and mournfully exotic -- I'm still taken back to being 15 and having no fucking idea whatsoever as to what Fripp was playing on this.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 16 February 2006 03:28 (twenty years ago)

Probably a Roland guitar synthesizer on that one...

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 16 February 2006 03:48 (twenty years ago)

Oh, it def. was (and I know b/c I bought one). It just sounded so mysterious to my ears then.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 16 February 2006 04:39 (twenty years ago)

SO weird. I was at a thrift store with one of my prog-hatin' buddies this morning and I came across a copy of Earthbound. He'd never heard the live "...Schizoid Man" so I actually bought the damn record and we immediately went back to my house and listened to it. The look on his face was priceless when the sounds of Fushitsusha fronted by Tom Smith hit his ears. "This isn't anything like the King Crimson I'VE heard..." ha ha ha

I LOVE playing that record for people!

Next I'll try to throw on Rush's "Passage to Bangkok!"

OK, well maybe not...one step at a time

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Thursday, 16 February 2006 04:44 (twenty years ago)

I was raised on KC's Discipline album and it still remains my favourite and one of what I believe to be the best line ups. I was led to believe that KC were a session band with only Robert Fripp(an insane perfectionist!) and Peter Sinfield remaining as constant fixtures, like Frank Zappa & his Mothers of Invention. Thrakk interested me with the two drummer experimentation but still wasn't near what I revel in from their early work.

― McClintock, Thursday, 16 February 2006 11:19 (twenty years ago)

I'm old school... I still prefer the Fripp-Cross-Wetton-Bruford version, although the new-wavey Crim of the 80s still gets play, too. My first couple of exposures to the third incarnation were off-putting, so i've completley ignored them until a week or so ago, when someone pointed to the "ballad" from Thrakk. Not bad, but not enough to convince me to revisit them, either.

― Mitya (mitya), Thursday, 16 February 2006 13:32 (twenty years ago)

I'm kinda partial to Lizard, Islands, and the Wetton-years stuff. The new albums - in fact, everything after Discipline - fail to move me. It's good music but I don't feel "King Crimson!" about it.

The ISLANDS group was my 1st concert - They opened for Humble Pie at Alexandria Roller Rink in VA. My dad dropped me off! That's no brag, but it certainly marks me as: 1) Old, and 2) Weird.

― matty bobatty, Thursday, 16 February 2006 15:32 (twenty years ago)

I've met a surprising number of KC fans who love Islands, but I just can't get into it. My fave period has always been the Wetton/Cross/Bruford stuff. What am I not getting about Islands and Lizard?

― Dominique (dleone), Thursday, 16 February 2006 15:47 (twenty years ago)

Oh, wow. This could be a great topic, actually.

Lizard has this warped circus thing going on throughout, with a ton of third stream nonsense to boot. There's kind of a spanish feel there — if you've had trouble getting into it, Dom, I'd suggest checking out the track "Prince Rupert Awakes" w/ Jon Anderson singing. It's catchy and fun.

Islands has Boz's ridiculous sotto voce thing going on, but its main attribute is its lyricism — "Formentera Lady" and "Islands" are just beautiful chamber pieces. But if you really wanna dig it, Dom, I'd center in on "Sailor's Tale" which smokes.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 16 February 2006 15:59 (twenty years ago)

xpost

yes, do tell

― Mitya (mitya), Thursday, 16 February 2006 15:59 (twenty years ago)

s1sk-in now...

― Mitya (mitya), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:00 (twenty years ago)

i used to dislike both of those records a lot but I've come around on Islands, I think it's very underrated, and the vocals are no worse than the vocals on any of the other albums. Formentera Lady and Sailors Tale are among the best KC songs ever.

Lizard is still ropey for me.

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:05 (twenty years ago)

OTM about Sailors Tale. As soon as I saw this thread, I knew I had to post about it.

My favorite KC songs are: Sailors Tale, Sheltering Sky, Moonchild, Epitaph, Starless and Bible Black, Red, Easy Money, Teh Great Deciever, and Lark's Tongue in Aspic pts 1 & 2 (the guitar riffing that starts 5 minutes into part one floors me every time).

― josh in sf (stfu kthx), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:50 (twenty years ago)

Fans of early KC (particulary first 2 albums) may enjoy the s/t one-off lp from a pair of ex-Crimsoners - Ian McDonald & Michael Giles, circa '71. I believe recently re-issued on CD. I just love Giles' drumming stylee.

― drewo (drewo), Thursday, 16 February 2006 18:44 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, Giles is a great drummer.

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:18 (twenty years ago)

I used to love record. Kind of like a more lyrical Traffic.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:29 (twenty years ago)

love THAT record, that is...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:39 (twenty years ago)

I found that album in mom's old record collection in high school!

― Dominique (dleone), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:48 (twenty years ago)

(and I also remember hearing "In the Court of the Crimson King" on classic rock radio once - the DJ intro'd it by saying "all the old hippies may remember this". who knew KC was a proto-hipster band?)

― Dominique (dleone), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:49 (twenty years ago)

Listen to Moonchild or I Talk to the Wind again. Makes perfet sense to me.

― Mitya (mitya), Thursday, 16 February 2006 20:57 (twenty years ago)

Also worthy is the pre-KC home demo collection by Giles, Giles & Fripp "The Brondesbury Tapes". Over 20 shortish tracks, some forgettable, but also some great stuff including early versions (2) of "I Talk To The Wind" (one featuring vocalist Julie Dyble) and tracks that later morphed into parts of longer Crimson pieces.

― drewo (drewo), Thursday, 16 February 2006 21:45 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

Damnit, King Crimson is fucking awesome! Why didn't I know that before? Why didn't people tell me? I like Yes! I mean people DID tell me, because I like Yes, but I would usually smile and nod like "Yeah, ok whatever prog dude. I know you want me to be your little prog friend, but I'm not one of you." But maybe I am.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 03:29 (nineteen years ago)

is yes more acceptable to like these days than KC? because it was the other way around for years. but I think KC did some damage to their tripster cred with the last few boring records.

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 04:59 (nineteen years ago)

Accept No Substitutes!

http://www.nndb.com/people/970/000034868/bruford03.jpg

― timmy tannin (pompous), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 05:16 (nineteen years ago)

is yes more acceptable to like these days than KC?

Well gee, fuck if I know which is more "acceptable." I guess I personally used to think Yes were more acceptable, but I got plenty of crap from people for even liking them.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 05:28 (nineteen years ago)

Fuck acceptable. KC and Yes are both great for bong hits. The weed does not judge.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 05:59 (nineteen years ago)

is yes more acceptable to like these days than KC?

I always assumed no, because I figured it's easier to own up to liking Crimson because they were a bit evil (same with Van Der Graaf Generator), whereas Yes never really "radiate" fuckoff scary vibes to the same extent.

― Lotta Continua (Damian), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 06:28 (nineteen years ago)

Fuck acceptable. KC and Yes are both great for bong hits. The weed does not judge.

QED

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 23:35 (nineteen years ago)

― Dominique (dleone), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 23:58 (nineteen years ago)

Crimso rules now and forever.

Search "the great deceiver" box disc 3

Destroy Prozakc Blues with extreme prejudice.

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Wednesday, 10 May 2006 00:19 (nineteen years ago)

I was a KC freak near the end of high school. Now they're a pleasure so guilty that I haven't put a record on in years, which I should probably rectify. I think I have some live albums around here somewhere (the 80s one esp.).

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 10 May 2006 00:49 (nineteen years ago)

Dominique is spot on: KC invented math-rock via "Lark's Tongue," "Red" and "Fracture."

plus, it seems that, since the vogue for early '80s post-punk goes on and on, folks that like Franz, Arctic Ms, Interpol and Bloc party would dig the '80s Crim… or maybe not, since them folks seem to be anti-virtuosity…

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Wednesday, 10 May 2006 11:34 (nineteen years ago)

TS: Larks' Tongues vs. Heart of the Sunrise

It's a toughie

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Wednesday, 10 May 2006 11:41 (nineteen years ago)

xpost I was also thinking that Larks' Tongues would appeal to Deerhoof fans.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Wednesday, 10 May 2006 11:42 (nineteen years ago)

ten months pass...

They never toured the RED album did they? I discovered that after trying to find live boots of it!

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Friday, 23 March 2007 01:35 (nineteen years ago)

No Chapman Stick, No Credibility.

― King Boy Pato, Friday, 23 March 2007 01:58 (nineteen years ago)

(Not really, it's just a) I wanted to use that line and b) I really really like Discipline.)

― King Boy Pato, Friday, 23 March 2007 01:59 (nineteen years ago)

Discipline is great.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Friday, 23 March 2007 02:02 (nineteen years ago)

i think they split right after red was recorded, and before it was even released.

― akm, Friday, 23 March 2007 03:33 (nineteen years ago)

I think Yes has a marginally higher profile because their biggest hits were a lot closer to pop than KC has ever been. However, I think if the average 21-year-old indie diehard heard "Red" live played by any random spiky indie rock band, KC would have the clear edge as far as the kind of music that actually "translates" now

They'd probably translate better to the math rock niche crowd but surely Yes's overall profile is more than marginally higher, given that they still play stadiums?

― Sundar, Friday, 23 March 2007 04:40 (nineteen years ago)

Search anything from early on, destroy more the closer to get to the present age.

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 23 March 2007 09:36 (nineteen years ago)

The more recent stuff is not bad actually. Not bad at all.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Friday, 23 March 2007 15:37 (nineteen years ago)

it's not great though

― akm, Friday, 23 March 2007 16:53 (nineteen years ago)

'Into The Frying Pan' is an excellent song

― unfished business, Friday, 23 March 2007 16:54 (nineteen years ago)

Better than the "symphonic rock" that Geir likes.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Friday, 23 March 2007 16:54 (nineteen years ago)

the last two albums sound really dated to me in ways that no other crimson albums do. they no longer sound visionary; they sound like they are trailing behind in areas where their followers already went. not that there aren't some good songs on them, they're just, on the whole, not very memorable albums. they need to work with an outside producer, I think, one who would push them to vary their compostions a little bit. think about how diverse those 80's albums are (even Thrak, for that matter); the last two records really don't have that kind of variety and it makes them a chore to listen to rather than a pleasure.

― akm, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:09 (nineteen years ago)

The last two Crimson albums sound very self-conscious, especially ConstruKction of Light...very formulaic, very by-the-numbers, IMO. I suspect Bill Bruford realized very early on in the band's 90s reformation where they might be headed creatively and jumped ship for other waters.

I think part of what made Fripp's career (both solo and Crimson) so interesting was the constant flux and diverse group of musicians he collaborated with in the 70s and 80s. At this point, I think he's pretty much exhausted what could be accomplished in working with Belew and/or Levin and/or Gunn.

― Joe, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:25 (nineteen years ago)

A vintage King Crimson tune ("In The Court of...) was used in the soundtrack to "Children of Men" to very nice effect. Kind of a jarring, but very cool moment in an amazing film. I guess the director, Cuaron, is kind of a prog-head? "Y Tu Mama Tambien" had some of that going on as well...

― tylerw, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:30 (nineteen years ago)

oh yeah I saw that the other day. They use it for this whole extended 5-minute chunk as well!

― unfished business, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:31 (nineteen years ago)

I like Greg Lake.

― marissa, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 00:59 (nineteen years ago)

i like wetton better.

― chaki, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 01:13 (nineteen years ago)

vincent gallo used a kc song in buffalo '66. I couldn't pay attention to the scene cuz I was breaking my brane trying to remember the name of the song ("moonchild").

― Edward III, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 02:26 (nineteen years ago)

these days somehow the first album seems the most classic and least dated of all of them, to me

― akm, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 03:51 (nineteen years ago)

Joe otm

Which sux, because theoretically, I'm still interested in KC. Fripp should hire Ruins or Orthrelm for the next incarnation of the band, as it seems he's wanted a really technical, more metallic band for a while. (and esp as those bands are a big reason current KC seems so not-that-interesting to me).

― Dominique, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 06:42 (nineteen years ago)

GET RID OF THE FUCKING CHAPMAN STICKS

― chaki, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 08:50 (nineteen years ago)

They were at their best when Greg Lake was still in the group and Pete Sinfield still working closely with them.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

um, so this is my 2nd kc album (larks' tongue in aspic) and i'm diggin, really diggin. cassette tape no less

― Surmounter, Thursday, 3 May 2007 00:55 (eighteen years ago)

tongues xcuse me

― Surmounter, Thursday, 3 May 2007 00:55 (eighteen years ago)

oh no wait i think i have 2 newish krimsons like with sex eat drink sleep dream, watever it is

i mean that one was ok (ep or something), but kinda like, dorky or crochety or something. u know newer.

― Surmounter, Thursday, 3 May 2007 01:00 (eighteen years ago)

FOGY, dang i haven't used that word in a while

― Surmounter, Thursday, 3 May 2007 01:07 (eighteen years ago)

Get Starless and Bible Black if you like Larks Tongues...

― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 3 May 2007 01:10 (eighteen years ago)

=) thx... i luv how i just use these threads to vent about whatever i'm reeling over at the moment

― Surmounter, Thursday, 3 May 2007 01:36 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

wetton's kind of a weird one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZIPwZ6BaBg

― gershy, Saturday, 9 June 2007 06:29 (eighteen years ago)

Surmounter if you like Larks' and perhaps by now, Starless & Bible Black, you of course should cop Red which is the unbelievably heavy studio pinnacle of that line-up.

Most of all though, treat yourself eventually to some live recordings from this era. The newish release of what used to be called USA, now called Asbury Park 1974 (the USA version has overdubs, the new one doesn't), is just maybe the apotheosis of the Wetton era. As with only the very awesomest of live discs, listening to it I can't believe people actually sat in an audience and SAW THIS.

― Jon Lewis, Saturday, 9 June 2007 17:42 (eighteen years ago)

is that a download only from dgm? I can't seem to find the album

― akm, Saturday, 9 June 2007 20:15 (eighteen years ago)

Yep.
http://www.dgmlive.com/archive.htm?artist=5&show=419

― Rock Hardy, Saturday, 9 June 2007 20:28 (eighteen years ago)

I think maybe it's been released on CDin one of these DGM 2-fers I've been seeing around... no?

― Jon Lewis, Saturday, 9 June 2007 20:36 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, it's on Vol. 1 of the "Collectable King Crimson" 2-fer CDs (the other concert on Vol. 1 is "Mainz 1974").

― Joe, Saturday, 9 June 2007 21:37 (eighteen years ago)

Let's go off the beaten path and try

the nonreleased and improv tracks on Vrooom and Vrooom Vrooom

and get the Heavy ConstruKction album for the new songs and improvs

I can't remember the names of my favorite songs this way but
ccccSeizurecc, Uböö, Cage, and Blastic Rhino all seem to ring a bell

this is stuff you won't find on Thrak, The Constukction of light, and
The Power To Believe albums

― CaptainLorax, Sunday, 10 June 2007 20:27 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.kimmopohjonen.com/img/kTU/KTU815press2-L.jpg

HMMM

― Davey D, Monday, 11 June 2007 17:28 (eighteen years ago)

two months pass...

I can't find a thread for the Discipline album.

Frame by Frame has endeared itself to my heart over the last couple of weeks big time.

― Bimble, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 04:49 (eighteen years ago)

nothing rocks me quite like "Red"

― poortheatre, Sunday, 9 September 2007 07:53 (eighteen years ago)

I'm really excited about The Great Deceiver being re-released now. I've wanted that for years, but not found it. As good as some of the studio albums are, they always (or at least since the Wetton years) were a better live group than studio band.
For those who're not familiar, TGD is a 4-disc collection of live recordings from 1973 and 1974. It's now being put out as two 2-disc sets, new packaging, but no changes whatsoever to the content of the discs themselves.

Have to admit that I would've preferred the original box being re-released as it was, as I'm not too fond of the artwork they go for these days. I also got the impression that the original liner notes are just included as a PDF this time, which is odd. But what the hell, the packaging and booklet is rarely of interest after the first day.

Further info:
Elephant Talk | Wikipedia

― Øystein, Sunday, 9 September 2007 08:16 (eighteen years ago)

Here ya go, Bimble:

Defend The Hypothetically Defensible: King Crimson's Discipline

― Myonga Vön Bontee, Sunday, 9 September 2007 08:49 (eighteen years ago)

Well done! Cheers.

― Bimble, Sunday, 9 September 2007 09:01 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

Larks Tongues in Aspic is nothing short of amazing. I feel/fear I might be going in to that Crimson phase I've been putting off for so long now...

― sonderangerbot, Tuesday, 11 November 2008 03:38 (seventeen years ago)

eight months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZyysKcJLmM

― Turangalila, Thursday, 16 July 2009 06:28 (sixteen years ago)

two years pass...

I want this vinyl reissue of In The Wake Of Poseidon!!!

- 200g Super-Heavyweight Vinyl
- Newly cut from Robert Fripp approved masters
- Reprint of Original Stunning Gatefold Sleeve
- Limited Time MP3 Code for access to download transfer of an original 1970 pressing

― sleeve, Wednesday, 9 November 2011 01:56 (fourteen years ago)

six years pass...

Here's some siqq ass rare 80s footage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiS2LZhLvYw

― kurt schwitterz, Thursday, 15 March 2018 22:42 (eight years ago)

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