King Crimson: Classic Or Dud

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Red is a great album. I bought it for 4.99 at the HMV sale. It's true that the singing isn't great but it isn't horrible either and the instrumental parts are really fantastic. You can go back to them over and over again. Fripp is on song. It grows on you.

Mark- Apparently Red is KC's favourite album ever. He also loved the raincoats, having written some brief notes for the reissue of their excellent debut. Even though nirvana sucked he had good taste (though I think that he only said that to piss off the metal fans that bought his music).

Julio Desouza, Saturday, 16 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Lake's voice was quite good, though (per usual) a bit lofty, especially singing Sinfield's lofty lyrics. Still, at least he could sing back then. Wetton's voice was quite good, though has a 'smoky' quality to it that's an acquired taste. Belew is a bit piercing in the higher registers, but I think in the lower registers or when he's imitating Lennon or Orbison, it's okay.

Joe, Saturday, 16 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

By the way, Greg Lake and John Wetton are the Dick York and Dick Sargent of rock: discuss.

Joe, Saturday, 16 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Prog is taking over this message board for some reason. Anyway, fine by me. However, Joe, does that make Fripp Sherwood Schwartz? Wrong show! Aaron Spelling?

Classic by virtue of the mid 70s albums alone, though the 80s were at least interesting, with Discipline being a damn good album. I was never a huge fan of the early KC, and the 90s version hasn't knocked me out -- YET. I do look forward to Nuovo Metal, though I really wish Fripp would have stuck with the first ProjeKct (worst gimmick ever, the whole "Kc" thing needs to be stopped) band. Apparently Fripp couldn't live with himself putting out a studio record that was avant-noise, even though that's obviously one of things at which he excels.

dleone, Saturday, 16 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

re: Wetton and Asia - can't forgive him


I'd never heard Asia until last week (whilst ripping vinyl to cd for an acquaintance) and it was a truely awfull thing to have to put my house through. So I can understand why you might hate him because of this. But I've always liked his mid 70s stuff, most especially the 2 albums he did with Family: "Fearless" and "Bandstand".

However, his lyrics are, for the most part, very bad indeed - has anyone heard 'Same Time Next Week' from Phil Manzanera's "Diamond Head"? Very ugly.

philT, Saturday, 16 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I used to be a big KC fan and can find something to like about all their albums, but the only stuff I feel like listening to now is Red (because it's heavy and sometimes funky and has 'Starless'), the double live album from the 80s band (because it's like an 80s best of with great sound and because it's poppy and new wave enough that even my girlfriend can like it), and ThraK, which I've always had a soft spot for. I think it's a great blend of their 70s heaviness and 80s pop songs with, um, lots of drums.

Jordan, Saturday, 16 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

dominique wrote: However, Joe, does that make Fripp Sherwood Schwartz? Wrong show! Aaron Spelling?

Agnes Moorehead, obviously. :)

Joe, Sunday, 17 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

So who's Paul Lynde?

nickn, Sunday, 17 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

mark s, there is a truly eye-popping site discussing Sinfields lyrics here:. http://www.songsouponse a.com/Promenade/ if you want to delve even further into Islands its on chapters 16 and 17.

Ladies of the Road and Formetera Ladies are the clunkers I refered to above btw. Though I think Sinfields worst lyrics are on Still.

Alexander Blair, Sunday, 17 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i wuv the idea that KC were in fact FUNKY: even slimy-greasy purist chaki says so, tho i note they were carefully not mentioned on THIS THREAD however. What, does the word have two meanings after all?

mark s, Sunday, 17 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

And this is a surprise? ONLY two would be a surprise!

Josh, Sunday, 17 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Alexander wrote: "there is a truly eye-popping site discussing Sinfields lyrics here:. http://www.songsouponse a.com/Promenade/ if you want to delve even further into Islands its on chapters 16 and 17."

Truly unfathomable, I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes. However, it explains much. There's a site where I help write reviews for prog rock albums, and we once received a snippy letter for dissing the Wake of Poseidon album (or at least, not being fanboy-ish enough towards it), and the person, opening up by claiming we had "less wit and culture than an ant" (yep) used much of the material found in the Wake of Poseidon chapter as their defense of the album and its depth. Maybe it was even The Keeper of the onyx-embolden'd-husking-jewelled-warthogs website himself! :)

Joe, Sunday, 17 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

four years pass...
Boz Burrell, RIP http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=165889

kyle (akmonday), Friday, 22 September 2006 22:32 (eighteen years ago)

four years pass...

Cue your golf swing.

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 16:32 (thirteen years ago)

Wow... Mind = blown.

An influential prophet from Denton, Texas (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 27 July 2011 16:42 (thirteen years ago)

Very cool! thx ned

an excellent source of vitamins and minerals (WmC), Wednesday, 27 July 2011 16:43 (thirteen years ago)

"that's some really wild stuff"

buzza, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 16:44 (thirteen years ago)

In The Lounge of the Crimson King

tylerw, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 16:46 (thirteen years ago)

More on Belew's fourth-rate David Byrne impersonation - "I repeat myself under stress, I repeat myself under stress." Geddit? Hilarious, eh? Anybody who finds that remotely amusing in any way should be avoided.

Dave Q really killed it on this thread, huh? I like lots of KC but I hardly ever find myself playing them. When I do, it's either Larks' Tongues or Beat.

Clarke B., Wednesday, 27 July 2011 18:29 (thirteen years ago)

I think Belew's a pretty terrible lyricist but that was kinda the point, right? The lyrics weren't supposed to stand out. It was all about the music at that point.

frogbs, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 18:31 (thirteen years ago)

two months pass...

Met this guy tonight who said he'd done tarot card readings with Adrian Belew, back in '83 or so

the story just got weirder from there

geeta, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 07:54 (thirteen years ago)

four months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILSVAUjd5QI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

nostormo, Saturday, 4 February 2012 13:35 (thirteen years ago)

six months pass...

Fripp speaks

Elvis Telecom, Saturday, 4 August 2012 20:10 (twelve years ago)

excellent...wish it was longer

frogbs, Saturday, 4 August 2012 20:18 (twelve years ago)

2009 Crimson, with Porcupine Tree drummer as second drummer, was awesome live.

Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 4 August 2012 21:28 (twelve years ago)

so, who is buying the 13 CD, 1 DVD, 1 Blu-Ray of Larks' Tongue In Aspic?

http://www.dgmlive.com/news.htm?entry=3916

EZ Snappin, Monday, 13 August 2012 19:48 (twelve years ago)

Just registered for DJM live site just so I could hear a sparse guide track for "Islands" the song. Boz sounds like he's singing into a cheap condenser mike, but otherwise it's quite lovely.

'Islands' is the worst album ever made by anybody.
― dave q, Friday, February 15, 2002 7:00 PM (10 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

NO.

Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Monday, 13 August 2012 20:19 (twelve years ago)

its kind of weird to imagine that King Crimson only played a fixed amount of concerts when they were active. it feels like they're able to just create more and more live bootleg material at will, even if it was phyiscally impossible for them to have played that many dates.

frogbs, Monday, 13 August 2012 20:20 (twelve years ago)

So many of them are pretty dodgy quality though, aren't they?

Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Monday, 13 August 2012 20:21 (twelve years ago)

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/lk/l/w/dd360157ea8e506661983ea7336800bc/4330188.gif

frogbs, Friday, 17 August 2012 13:23 (twelve years ago)

classic:

'released in three separate editions to satisfy the merely curious and the expectant collector'

j., Friday, 17 August 2012 14:31 (twelve years ago)

so, who is buying the 13 CD, 1 DVD, 1 Blu-Ray of /Larks' Tongue In Aspic/?

http://www.dgmlive.com/news.htm?entry=3916


Who ISN'T?

Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 20 August 2012 03:26 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWaz8xfFjuE

Three Word Username, Monday, 20 August 2012 06:50 (twelve years ago)

two weeks pass...

Guess Fripperlips is done for good?

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-robert-fripp-quits-music-business/

Hope he enjoys retirement!

frogbs, Friday, 7 September 2012 13:35 (twelve years ago)

He's been retired for a while, I believe. Couple of years? Also, for what it's worth, he was semi-retired for pretty much the second half of the '70s, too.

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 September 2012 14:14 (twelve years ago)

Yeah, this is not new news.

How's My Modding? Call 1-800-SBU-RSELF (WmC), Friday, 7 September 2012 14:15 (twelve years ago)

Wait, hold up:

A multi-disc deluxe edition of the 1973 Crimson classic ‘Larks’ Tongues in Aspic’ is set for release in October and will include 13 CD’s, a DVD and a Blu-Ray disc.

13 CDs!?!?!

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 September 2012 14:15 (twelve years ago)

Disc details at the bottom of this page: http://www.dgmlive.com/news.htm

How's My Modding? Call 1-800-SBU-RSELF (WmC), Friday, 7 September 2012 14:28 (twelve years ago)

So basically a bunch of live discs previously sold through the site. That's cool though. Band in the Muir era was neat.

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 September 2012 14:33 (twelve years ago)

Wasn't aware Kanye had sampled "Schizoid Man," which Fripp seems pissed he didn't get paid for. Wonder if he ever paid any royalties for quoting "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" in "Moonchild?"

Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Friday, 7 September 2012 16:19 (twelve years ago)

I figured Fripp was done, but this is the first time I ever heard him say it (I know he said he wasn't going to tour anymore some 4-5 years ago), maybe I'm just not paying attention

frogbs, Friday, 7 September 2012 16:22 (twelve years ago)

Fripp got paid for Schizoid sample, but iirc only after going straight to Kanye and the two of them presenting a united front to the label. He was very careful never to criticize West, even though he could have for not clearing the sample ahead of time.

How's My Modding? Call 1-800-SBU-RSELF (WmC), Friday, 7 September 2012 16:41 (twelve years ago)

fripp did an album with mel collins and jakko jakwhatsit last year, so he hasn't been retired for 4 years. it was a bit disappointing, definitely not the new lease on KC I think they were hoping for.

akm, Friday, 7 September 2012 18:31 (twelve years ago)

Well it certainly wasnt the new lease on KC I was hoping for.

WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Friday, 7 September 2012 19:36 (twelve years ago)

If the '72-74 lineup reunited I would buy a ticket in about 5 seconds flat. Anything beyond that, I don't really care.

誤訳侮辱, Friday, 7 September 2012 19:46 (twelve years ago)

Pretty sure Cross & Wetton are the only ones game for that.

WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Friday, 7 September 2012 19:51 (twelve years ago)

I'd be up for another outing of any other combination that the last 2 though (the Jakko one or previous I mean).

WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Friday, 7 September 2012 19:52 (twelve years ago)

Fripp has such a narrow comfort range anymore that I wouldn't see him live unless he personally invited me into his living room to hear him play. I don't need the grief while he tries to figure out whether he can midwife any music.

How's My Modding? Call 1-800-SBU-RSELF (WmC), Friday, 7 September 2012 20:14 (twelve years ago)

Mentioned it before, but the last King Crimson tour I saw - Levin, Belew, Fripp, Mastelotto and the drummer from Porcupine Tree - really was awesome. There was a Fripp-less Crimson that toured with Dream Theater a couple of months ago. Believe it was basically Belew and his all-kid band, plus Levin and Mastelotto.

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 September 2012 20:45 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wpTOxb1nFw

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 September 2012 20:47 (twelve years ago)

yeah man the Beat show was a dream come true. I love Exposure more than many things but this is really a cover band thing where Beat felt like a legit Crimson projekct

I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Thursday, 6 February 2025 21:18 (five months ago)

well having the singer and main songwriter on board is a huge part of that, this Exposure thing will probably be good but that's Fripp's record

frogbs, Thursday, 6 February 2025 21:23 (five months ago)

I mean, Terre Roche! That's pretty badass. And the fact that that second gig is at Daryl's House ...

Nice. Terre showed up as Linda Thompson's guest when Teddy organized the Proxy Music show at City Winery in NYC. It was great to see she was still around and she (and Linda) got onstage at the end.

birdistheword, Thursday, 6 February 2025 22:18 (five months ago)

Bill Bruford just posted this on social media:

Jamie Muir died today 17.02.2025 in Cornwall, UK, with his brother George by his side. From Bill:

Jamie was the drummer/percussionist with whom I worked on the King Crimson album ‘Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (1973). He had a volcanic effect on me, professionally and personally, in the brief time we were together many years ago – an effect which I still remember half a century later. I’m sorry we lost touch, but his departure from our working relationship was so sudden and unexpected, I sort of assumed he didn’t want anything more to do with me and my colleagues in King Crimson!

He was a lovely, artistic man, childlike in his gentleness. There was probably a dark side underneath. It could be be glimpsed as he climbed the PA stacks in a wolf’s fur jacket, blood (from a capsule) pouring from his mouth, on a rainy Thursday night in Preston, Lancs., to hurl chains across the stage at his drumkit. One of these Robert Fripp will tell you, only narrowly missed him.

His conversations with Jon Anderson at my 1973 wedding party, in Jon’s words, ‘changed my life’. Jamie also changed mine.

I consider it a privilege to have known, and benefitted from the company of, a man of such quiet power, even briefly. He struck me as one of those about whom one might truthfully say he was a beautiful human being. He will be much missed. Goodbye, Jamie.

birdistheword, Monday, 17 February 2025 23:12 (four months ago)

RIP (honestly I didn't know he was still alive). I've always loved how Bruford, known for his technique and precision, holds Muir in such high esteem. Maybe they should have brought in more anti-technique wild cards rather than piling on prog drummers in increasing numbers.

Jordan s/t (Jordan), Tuesday, 18 February 2025 18:23 (four months ago)

:-(

xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 18 February 2025 21:37 (four months ago)

This alb is beautiful: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dart_Drug_(album)

xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 18 February 2025 21:40 (four months ago)

man i wish that lineup could've held for even one more KC LP. Muir rules so hard

Bendy, you're a fine girl (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 18 February 2025 23:03 (four months ago)

Maybe they should have brought in more anti-technique wild cards

This is to me what makes the Lark's Tongue era so great, the tightly wound Fripp-ness vs the wild Muir-ness and that friction is so incredible

My fave Muir playing is on Incus Music Improvisation Company lp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Improvisation_Company_1968%E2%80%931971

chr1sb3singer, Wednesday, 19 February 2025 15:42 (four months ago)

I think it's not a coincidence that the improv in the very brief Muir era of KC is top notch. Iirc the live shows from that massive "Larks" boxed set were full of surprises.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 19 February 2025 15:46 (four months ago)

I really don't think there was room for someone like that in the 80s band but it might've been cool to see what the 90's/00's band could've done with like, I dunno, a weirdo DJ in their midst

frogbs, Wednesday, 19 February 2025 16:07 (four months ago)

Or three DJs, each set up behind a drummer

Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 19 February 2025 16:18 (four months ago)

...and none of them can hear what the other two are doing

Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 19 February 2025 16:21 (four months ago)

Pere Ubu never really abandoned the whole "disrupting/commenting/contradicting synth player" element even when they were rocking a more mainstream-avant sound in the late 80s

Bendy, you're a fine girl (Jon not Jon), Wednesday, 19 February 2025 16:23 (four months ago)

What KC really needed in the 80s was an onstage mime artist

who are the spanish nickelback (Matt #2), Wednesday, 19 February 2025 16:28 (four months ago)

Though even Ubu mixed the synth low or out on single mixes. Every listener has their own line where "thrillingly spontaneous disruption" becomes "random extraneous sonic garbage".
I think the 1995-2003 Crimson was better when they were four rather than six pieces, maybe because the digital tools allowed for so much more sound from each player that a sextet was always getting in each other's way.

Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 19 February 2025 16:52 (four months ago)

By the end Bill was getting pretty wacky and unconventional on his set. That's where you get stuff like "Industry."

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 19 February 2025 17:06 (four months ago)

two months pass...

Fripp recently had a heart attack. This week's Robert and Toyah video tells the whole story but he seems to be recovering fine.

birdistheword, Monday, 12 May 2025 02:55 (two months ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m63V3KbyUY

birdistheword, Monday, 12 May 2025 02:59 (two months ago)

one month passes...

Jakko saying a final KC album may be on its way?

https://www.stereogum.com/2314598/king-crimson-recording-first-new-album-since-2003/news/

tbh I'm not convinced, reminds me of how Ralf Hutter has been saying for nearly two decades that another Kraftwerk album was being worked on, that said the latest incarnation actually did play some new songs live

frogbs, Wednesday, 9 July 2025 17:40 (four days ago)

They've certainly got an album's worth of material. It's a shame Rieflin isn't around to contribute.

Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Wednesday, 9 July 2025 17:45 (four days ago)

Beat live album coming in September, too.

A. Begrand, Wednesday, 9 July 2025 18:30 (four days ago)

now an album of new material by Beat, that would be really cool

normally I'd say no chance but the whole project was a remarkable success and Belew seems like the sort of dude who is writing songs constantly so who knows. I'm thinkin something with a monochrome green cover and a minimal design like the 80s KC albums...c'mon, so many people would flip their shit over that

frogbs, Wednesday, 9 July 2025 18:51 (four days ago)

a monochrome green cover and a minimal design like the 80s KC albums...c'mon, so many people would flip their shit over that

https://qc-ckb.s3.amazonaws.com/ilx/beatonthebrat.jpg

Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 9 July 2025 21:07 (four days ago)

haha that would be brilliant but these guys already used an ugly AI generated elephant for everything and I don't think that will go away

also don't think Beat will wind up doing any new material, but who knows.

I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 9 July 2025 22:46 (four days ago)

Word from management:

Addressing the idea of some form of studio recording by the last incarnation of King Crimson, Bill Rieflin posed the excellent question “why make a studio album? There are excellent live recordings of all the songs out there already.”

One possible answer would be an album the very sound of which no-one has ever heard before. A sound driven by the three drummers. And those drummers have now recorded studio versions of their parts – separately, so that there is perfect separation.

So there is the seed of a new recording. Whether it is an album, whether it sees the light of day, whether it is something else is unknown. As is the outcome of any creative process.

So yes, recordings have taken place. Getting excited about the possibility of a new album, as has apparently been happening, is somewhat premature. Carts before horses.

Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Friday, 11 July 2025 16:09 (two days ago)

They should release an album that's just drums, then one that is just guitars, then one that is just bass/Stick and then pull a "Zaireeka."

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 11 July 2025 20:25 (two days ago)

Three Drum/House of Crimsun

Ward Fowler, Friday, 11 July 2025 20:36 (two days ago)

the very sound of which no-one has ever heard before. A sound driven by the three drummers

Ok lol

Jordan s/t (Jordan), Friday, 11 July 2025 20:38 (two days ago)

Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five BladesDrummers

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 11 July 2025 21:15 (two days ago)

I really want the next iteration to be one drummer, one bas and five Chapman sticks.

better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 11 July 2025 21:16 (two days ago)

People tend to forget about the ProjeKCts, which was all manner of combos. I saw one with Belew on drums the whole set! I know there are a few recordings out there of the tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69mHMg9JKaQ

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 11 July 2025 21:35 (two days ago)


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