In The Court Of The Crimson King: 30th Anniversary Edition [Original recording remastered]

King Crimson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 14, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Caroline
• ASIN: B000003S09
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,086 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. 21st Century Schizoid Man/Mirrors

2. I Talk to the Wind

3. Epitaph/March for No Reason/Tomorrow and Tomorrow

4. Moonchild/The Dream/The Illusion

5. The Court of the Crimson King/The Return of the Fire Witch/The Dance of the

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When King Crimson released In the Court of the Crimson King in 1969, a year after the band formed in London, the world discovered a music that has never gone away. At times, it is a rush of raw energy that mutates into an impossible balance of light and shade. This was the stuff of musicians who had no fear of stepping boldly into the unknown. Led by crafty guitarist Robert Fripp, who later added his own magic to Bowie's Heroes, King Crimson got big fast with this release. --Paul Clark

Product Description

Special limited 30th anniversary edition of the legendary English prog rock group's phenomenal 1969 debut albumDigitally remastered by the band's guitarist/ keyboardistRobert Fripp using 24 bit technology. Original artwork & sleeve notes intact, plus some

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A surreal modernist classic, April 30, 2001

By 

"crazyeye" (Manalapan, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In The Court Of The Crimson King: 30th Anniversary Edition (Audio CD)

One of the pioneering works of art-rock, In The Court of the Crimson King is a surreal modernist classic. Crimson's debut album was in fact so good that it almost led to the bands premature demise as it took them nearly 5 years to come up with another album with the same focus or strength. Contrasted with music of the same genre of that era "Court" was unparalleled in its fierceness and songwriting, but it is the albums stunning musicianship that gives the recording its durability.

Greg Lake submits what is likely the strongest vocal performance of his career on an extremely challenging set of songs. Ian McDonald is perfect as the bands jack-of-all-trades. His work on keyboards set the stage for Rick Wakeman and Tony Kaye to follow in the early `70's. Michael Giles drumming is steadier and more appropriate than his later replacement Bill Bruford. Then, of course, there is virtuoso, Robert Fripp. Fripp is the only member of the band to exist in each of the numerous permutations that would carry the band into the early `90's. His unique style and experimentation differentiated King Crimson from the other progressive rock bands of the era. This skilled lineup was not to last though. As this album was peaking at 28 on the US charts Fripp was already rehearsing the new lineup that would record the bands follow-up album, In the Wake of Poseidon. In fact King Crimson was to continuously alter their lineups becoming somewhat of a training ground for the progressive movement. Later incarnations of the band would see members such as John Wetton (UK, Asia), Bill Bruford (Yes, Earthworks), Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music), Boz Burell (Bad Company), Adrien Belew (Talking Heads), Tony Levin (Yes), among many others. But it was only Fripp with his odd mix of elegant classic; Hendrix-like explosions and jazz noodling that would survive each and every lineup.

Setting the tone for the rest of the album is the demented "21st Century Schizoid Man" - hard-hitting stuff in 1969 and in fact quite analogous to the industrial rock of the mid `90's. "Schizoid man", with it's huge pumping rhythm section and bewitching guitar, rocks. It is a song to crank your stereo up to, grab your tennis racquet (for the obligatory air guitar) and pump your fists. The lush woodwinds and interesting drumming highlight the wistful ballad "I Talk to the Wind". Probably the most important tune on the album is the epic "Epitaph", a 9-minute landmark that arguably ushered in the genre of symphonic rock. Similar to "Epitaph" but even more majestically lush is the gothic "Moonchild". Opening with an interplay between Lakes heavily processed vocals panned hard to the left channel and Fripp's decadent guitar textures answering in the right channel the piece slowly develops into a classic triumph, which surely influenced some of the early 70's work of Pink Floyd.

The poetic lyrics with it's medieval imagery, tales of bygone eras, and overly obvious social commentary became staples the progressive era as well as one of it's more irritating characteristics. The band's influence, though, cannot be overstated. Anyone wishing to investigate the roots of Yes, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, UK, and later Asia, need look no further than this album. In fact as evidenced by the symphonic progressive bands of the `90's with bands such as Anekdoten, Anglagard, and White Willow. It is apparent that Crimson still has a hold on those which classify themselves as "Art Rock", and it is usually a title which is self imposed.

The production of the album was adequate although a bit thin despite the multitude of tracks and layers of instrumentation however early transfers to compact disc where awful. Caroline has since gone back and worked with the original masters of the entire Crimson catalog and the results are more than satisfactory. If you have an older CD of this album it is worth the $... to replace it with the newer CD. You will hear textures that never came through on the original.

King Crimson has always been a band that was appreciated by musicians, but the general public never seemed to catch on. The lack of any humor, absurd lyrics, and the absence of radio airplay certainly contributed to this trend. In the Court of the Crimson King is such an important and influential recording that it belongs in the collection of any music fan - regardless of their opinions of the progressive genre. With the bands remarkable playing, groundbreaking orchestration, and the recordings relative obscurity, "Court" should find a place in any good diverse CD collection. Additionally, the cover art by Barry Godber is one of the best album covers in all of Rock & Roll.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 24 bit & sounding huge, February 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: In The Court Of The Crimson King: 30th Anniversary Edition (Audio CD)

For all those that know this recording, & in particular, for all those that are fond of this recording - this is a must have. It sounds HUGE! I have the original viny, the remastered cd from 1988 & I gotta tell you - this represents thisRecently I picked up the 24 bit re-release (8-99) of King Crimson "In The Court Of The Crimson King" - a definite personal favorite of mine. I had the 1988 20bit remastered version. While I'm sure the bit factor isn't the only difference, I have rarely heard such an important & drastic sonic improvement such as the jump from 20bit to 24bit... recording like I have never experienced.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Progressive Rock Landmark, September 8, 2003

By 

Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In The Court Of The Crimson King: 30th Anniversary Edition (Audio CD)

King Crimson's 1969 debut album, "In The Court Of The Crimson King," remains an all-time progressive rock classic. The very first line-up of the band, including master guitarist Robert Fripp, bassist/vocalist Greg Lake (later to join Emerson Lake & Palmer), and keyboardist/flautist Ian McDonald created a bold, daring rock album that practically laid down the blueprint for all progressive rock bands to follow. It's music is at times fierce & ferocious (the band's signature freak-out, "21st Century Schizoid Man"), while at other times dramatic ("Epitaph" & the title song), and hauntingly beautiful ("I Talk To The Wind" and "Moonchild"), with a good deal of studio experimentation tossed in for extra measure (such as the lengthy instrumental section of "Moonchild"---it may try some listeners' patience at first, but it really is quite lovely, with the band making musical beauty out of the sparest of notes). King Crimson are progressive rock pioneers, who, 34 years later, and having endured various line-up changes along the way, are still going strong, continuing to make brilliant, sophisticated music to this day. But if "In The Court Of The Crimson King" had been their only album, King Crimson still would've carved a very special place for themselves in the history of rock with this legendary masterwork.