Kevin's Watch

Ahh! I love these guys! In the Court of the Crimson King is unbelievable! I can see why some thought they'd be "the next Beatles".

But my favorite album is Red. In fact, the song "Starless" has now topped Kashmir as my all-time favorite. I thought it would never happen, but that song just gives me chills every time.

Aside from Red and Crimson King, I have Larks' Tongues In Aspic. Another great album, although I think it's not as strong an offering as Red or Crimson King.

Any other Crimso fans?

I had In The Wake of Posiedon, Court and Lizards for a long time back in the day. I do like Red and a number of songs on Discipline, primarily the 2nd and last three, The Sheltering Sky is prob the best. Since I held on to Wake longer the the others, for some reason, I remember the Greg Lake stuff a little more in focus like; I Talk to the Wind, Cat Food and Cadance and Cascade. Since I've always liked Yes Jon Anderson's appearence on Lizard is great. Lark's Tounge in Aspic is a classic album. I need to search Red to see if I remember most of it...

You may not know, but Bill Bruford drummed on Larks' Tongues and on Red, and he too was formally of Yes.

Yes the intertwinings of these great musicians like Anderson, Lake and Bruford through King Crimson's stuff is fascinating, Fripp is a serious genius. Everytime I hear Epitaph I have to shake my head and say, "...no...wait...that's not Emerson, Lake and Palmer-that's King Crimson!" (I even liked some of Keith Emerson's early stuff with The Nice and Carl Palmer with Atomic Rooster--that stuff goes back to my sister's generation! )

I was up in Santa Fe Friday night with my buddy Forest and we listened to Starless and Bible Black a studio edited live album--it seriously kicks and the song Fractured is amazing! I think I like John Wetton's vocals better than Lake's. Guess it depends on my mood tho...he is a MUCH more intricate bassist, that's for sure. David Cross is an awesome violinist!

I have a lot of KC.

The eighties stuff with Levin, Fripp, Belew and Bruford is fantastic - Polyrhythms and Chapman Sticks...awesome musicianship...and their more recent Projeckts stuff....

Yeah! Love their 80s stuff! Currently, I've got Red, In the Court of the Crimson King, Discipline, Larks' Tongues In Aspic, and Three of a Perfect Pair. Used to have their latest album The Power to Believe, but only listened to it for one song, usually (Level Five).

Also, Levin is back in the band. All we need now is Bruford!

I know I've mentioned that I bought Red some months back, but I thought I posted about it here. Odd...

Anyway, I bought ItCotCK today. Only one listening so far, and it wasn't my undivided attention. Still, sounds great! I'm looking forward to getting to know the slow songs.

"Epitaph" is my personal fav, as far as their debut goes. In the Court of, like all great prog rock, requires multiple listenings to fully appreciate.

Also: King Crimson's studio stuff is great, but live is where they shine (most fans will tell you King Crimson is best at being a live band, rather than a studio band).

I recommend "Absent Lovers", which is their last show of the 80s before they broke up. Highly intense, and 90% of it beats the studio cuts, hands down. It's amazing to think they're playing live; you think they'll mess all that tight, complex music up at any moment, but it holds together. True discipline. Something very rare with most rock bands.

Lord Foul wrote: True discipline. Something very rare with most rock bands.

Speaking from bitter personal experience, I'd say it's a quality absent in the majority of rock musicians.

Dang, I can't beleive I missed this post. I can usually sniff out Crimso topics.
Yes, KC is perhaps one of the greatest bands ever. I think I have everyhting commercial they ever put out and a number of special "Klub" releases they have on teh DMG site. Fantastic stuff on some of the unreleased music on these CDs.
The newest incarnation is getting better (even without Bruford, a true percussion genius), but lacks the musical tension that was so wonderful in most of thier compositions and improvisations. Just listen to Project Two CD with 4 nights of improvised music with Bruford, Levin, Fripp and Gunn... fantastic stuff!

Once of my recent favourite tracks is the version of Thrak on the EP called Vroom. 8 minutes of such tension and power wrapped around a common rhythm and signature line that the six musicians take turns carrying while the others 'go nuts' in a disciplined way only members of Crimso can do...

great stuff...

Lord Foul wrote:But my favorite album is Red. In fact, the song "Starless" has now topped Kashmir as my all-time favorite. I thought it would never happen, but that song just gives me chills every time.

Now that I've heard it several times, I have to say - Starless is an extraordinary song! Absolutely NOT to be missed! I can't imagine being able to pick one song above all others, but this is certainly as good as any other.

Lord Foul wrote:"Epitaph" is my personal fav, as far as their debut goes.

:::vigorously nodding:::

ITA! Epitaph touches me on various levels.

I haven't really explored KC, all I have is ITCotKC and Lizards (Yes, Genesis, Moody Blues, and Pink Floyd are my bands of choice). I may have to search out more of their music.

I do enjoy Jon Anderson's solo work (Olias of Sunhillow is my favorite) and his work with Vangelis. I also like Vangelis' work, alone and with Aphrodite's Child.

Classic KC is great, but I absolutely love Thrak. I love the line-up, the songs, the musicianship. I don't meet many other KC fans that like this one as much as I do, and I never understood why. This album is more unified musically, with repeating themes and alternate versions that cohere better than the chaos of their long-winded, rambling improvisations (circa Red era). I love Adrian Belew's vocals and his "sea-gull" wailing guitar. The songs are more accessible, too, more listenable.

Yes, I love their live stuff, too. I agree that this is where they really shine. I've got a DVD, forgot the title, but it's post-Thrak. I believe it's from that tour, actually, because they play a lot of stuff from it. But they play plenty from their older stuff, too. Lots from Three of a Perfect Pair (great album). The sound isn't as good as I'd hoped, but it has both Dolby Digital and DTS, so it's got a decent surround mix if you've got a 5.1 system.

I've been listening to an Adrian Belew solo CD with Les Claypool playing bass, along with the drummer from Tool. The CD is called Side One, I believe. It's REALLY good. Check it out if you're a Belew fan.

Malik23 wrote:Classic KC is great, but I absolutely love Thrak. I love the line-up, the songs, the musicianship. I don't meet many other KC fans that like this one as much as I do, and I never understood why. This album is more unified musically, with repeating themes and alternate versions that cohere better than the chaos of their long-winded, rambling improvisations (circa Red era). I love Adrian Belew's vocals and his "sea-gull" wailing guitar. The songs are more accessible, too, more listenable.

While Red is my favorite Crim album (and second-favorite album ever), Thrak is definitely no slouch. Amazing album! I especially love the first side. The build-up in Coda: Marine 475 always blows me away.

As a completely unrelated aside: the greatest aural experience I ever had was the day I bought "In the Court of the Crimson King". I listened to it for the first time in my friend's truck, while he was driving, and the stereo was MEGA-LOUD. Was in another freaking world, I'm telling you.

And did I mention Bill Bruford is my favorite drummer ever? His African-influenced polyrhythms are inhuman. And Tony Levin is my favorite bassist, by the way.

Yep, for my money, the 1980s Crimson incarnation was the hottest, tightest instrumental combo around. Their last live show (Montreal, 1984) is the hardest-hitting, technically impressive, and most disciplined musical performance I've ever witnessed in rock.

And yeah, there was some rambling music from Crim during the 70s (it was the golden age of pot, after all), but I hope you weren't referring to the actual Red instrumental itself! That thing is not redundant in the slightest; an amazing piece by a virtuosi guitarist with something to say.

I think my personal favorite KC song is <i>Epitaph</i>.

Yeah, I love how Epitaph reprises and Lake sings it once more, almost screaming it. Yeah, Lake's vocals were amazing on that song. Heck, everything was: Ian's schizophrenic drumming, the symphonic over-wash that completely overwhelms and transports. Truly a divinely-inspired tune ("epic", rather, since calling it a mere "tune" is a bit demeaning).

I never really got into this band, but I love Adrian Belew.

nice review, Foul, except for your 'pot' reference. I am pretty sure, having read the Crimson biography, that Fripp and Bruford stayed away from the stuff, but that Wetton may have partaken (along with the heavy booze). The early eventies Crim, was a truly outstanding, mean, heavy, virtuoso improv band.

And, yah, Levin and Bruford are perhaps the best bass/drum duo ever. Check out their album "Upper Extremeties"... fabulous stuff. I think Bruford elevates the music of anyone he plays with, such as UK, Kazumi Watanabe, and Patrick Moraz ...

Fab stuff...