King's Road (1972-1980)

John Wetton | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 31, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1972
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: E.G. Records
• ASIN: B000003S22
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #435,485 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Nothing to Lose

2. In the Dead of Night

3. Baby Come Back

4. Caught in the Crossfire

5. Night After Night [Live]

6. Eyesight to the Blind

7. Turn on the Radio

8. Rendezvous 6:02

9. Book of Saturday

10. Paper Talk

11. As Long as You Want Me Here [Live]

12. Cold Is the Night

13. Starless

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My favorite vocalist John, November 6, 2000

By 

youngchool choe (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King's Road (1972-1980) (Audio CD)

I cannot believe I am the first... This CD is a kind of mixed bag. This is why I don't give five stars. Surely, the songs from his UK years are the best. Nothing to lose, Rendezvous 6:05... but I cannot say I like his solo stuffs simply. And also, I think he has done pop style music too much. Everybody knows he can do something much much greater only if he wants! Anyway, this CD is a good introduction before his Asia days. And I'd like to recommend "did it all for love" by Phonomena II(his vocal). It's a really emotional and great song!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant career overview, January 27, 2006

By 

Crystal '63 (northern CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King's Road (1972-1980) (Audio CD)

I think this disc is a good, comprehensive summary of John Wetton's oft-brilliant music, with inclusions from his early career work with King Crimson: the schizophrenic Starless and Book of Saturday, arguably -in my opinion - one of the most beautiful songs EVAH! If only they'd added Nightwatch too, but alas...Some of Wetton's best work with U.K. is also on this disc. I've always thought his dazzling vocal work on "As Long as you want me Here" (live version)is passionate, pleading and qualifies him as one of the best - if not somewhat overlooked - rock vocalists. "Rendezvous 6:02" is here too, in all it's lovely, keyboard-driven beauty. Work from Wetton's "Caught in the Crossfire" album is also here. "Turn on the Radio" could've easily crossed into the top 40 market, but to my knowledge, this album was poorly distributed/promoted, and occurred prior to the Asia explosion, which is a shame. To those who are unfamiliar with John Wetton's illustrious career, this is a very fine example of his art.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Probably beyond its sell-by date, March 2, 2001

By 

Gavin Wilson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: King's Road (1972-1980) (Audio CD)

When CD players first came out in the early 80s, record companies didn't immediately convert their back-catalogue to the CD format. (Rather like the DVD phenomenon today.) It took time to arrange for the scarce CD production capacity to be scheduled to produce what record companies thought would be the most lucrative titles.

It took EG records many years to transfer King Crimson's RED and LARKS' TONGUES and UK's UK to CD. But somehow John Wetton got EG to create this compilation early -- in 1987, at least a year or two ahead of RED and UK. That was simple reason why I bought this album, and I imagine I wasn't the only one.

I cannot speak for his bass-playing, but John Wetton had one of the best voices in the rock business. He made fantastic contributions to some classic albums of the 70s. But his best period was with King Crimson and UK. Only about half of the tracks on this album are from that era. His solo songs of 79/80, judging by this album, were unremarkable.

Every prog-rock CD collection needs to contain RED and UK, but I feel this compilation is somewhat optional.