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126 of 132 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning debut-- pinnacle of late 60s progressive rock., March 28, 2005
In the life of any music fans, there are albums that change the way you perceive music-- "In the Court of the Crimson King" was, for me, one of them.
The original King Crimson band-- Robert Fripp (guitar), Ian McDonald (keys, reeds, vocals), Michael Giles (drum kit, backing vocals), Greg Lake (bass, vocals), and Peter Sinfield (lyrics) was a group positioned to do something great-- when Ian McDonald joined Giles, Giles & Fripp (an off kilter pop band and the prototype for King Crimson), and eventually the arrival of vocalist Greg Lake, the band's former pop sensibilities were largely replaced by a neoclassical form and a love for improv. The only resulting document of this group in the studio is this album.
I'm going to briefly jump into the sound before talking about the music-- if you're not interested, skip to the next paragraph. Fripp has remastered the album for what seems like the millionth time-- this time from the original session tapes. The result is stunning-- there's a clarity here not present on previous editions, the production seems to have slightly changed, Lake often sounds like he's singing right in your ear, the vocal harmonies, always for me one of the things that separated this album from similar acheivements (the stunning playing of Fripp and Giles being the other) are clear and distinct. And for an album of dynamic, it has long gone without any clear hearing-- "Moonchild", which often sounded like unfocused tinkling, finally sounds coherent on record. From a sonic standpoint, this is finally the treatment the record deserves.
The music is this album is breathtaking-- the sound is in some ways very 1969-- mellotrons abound, lead playing splits between reeds and guitars, and a unique, high tuned drum sound, but there's a certain timeless quality to some of the tracks that make it stand out, even when seeped in the technology of the time. The album's opener, "21st Century Schizoid Man", is the closest thing to a hit the band had-- a group composition, the song opens with a whisper, mellotron effects, before exploding into power chord guitar and wailing sax-- Lake's voice, neveer a favorite of mine, takes a powerful and harsh edge and runs through two verses before the song breaks into a syncopated rhythm over which McDonald (on sax) and Fripp both take brilliant solos before coming back around to the verse again. By the time this ended for the first time, I was hooked. The level of playing on here, in particular hearing the four musicians playing complex lines in unison, will grab hold of anyone. Combine that with a great metal hook, and you've got something in many ways overwhelming.
The following track, "I Talk to the Wind", is quite the opposite-- delicate, with quiet guitars, reeds, a brilliant flute solo, and soft harmonies, makes you realize this band is not a one trick pony. This may be the finest lead vocal Lake has ever sung-- he sounds relaxed, confident, and without that air of pretension that so often dominates his singing. Again, simply breathtaking, but in its own way. Skipping ahead a bit to "Moonchild", the first two minutes are similar-- quiet musical performance and a great lead vocal from Lake before meandering into an extended guitar, vibes and drums improv. While the trio improv is a bit overlong, it does (at least on this edition, not nearly as well on previous ones), work without having a feeling of draggin.
The other two tracks on the album are really the only ones that lack a timeless quality, largely in part because they're dominated by the lush mellotron strings that clearly point to their era. "Epitaph" is probably my least favorite track on the album, dark, building, boiling, with some great guitar work from Fripp, I find it (and to a lesser extent the album closer) marred by Lake's overblown vocal delivery. The album closer, again dominated by the string sounds and Lake's vocal, is also washed in vocal harmonies, features a really incredible reed bridge, and some great distorted guitar interplaying with the mellotron-- while it feels dated, its one of those period pieces whose performance is so brilliant and whose composition is so strong, it gets past its sound.
The album was one of a kind-- while Crimson would continue and produce many stunning albums, McDonald and Giles abdicated leaving Fripp to continue. This is an effort that would never be repeated-- it also, unfortunately, established King Crimson as a progressive rock band, a sound that, by the mid-70s, they largely abandoned, and by the 80s, they totally turned their back on. Nonetheless, its a great record, and definitely should be heard.
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34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The single most influential album of progressive rock ever released, May 23, 2006
Released in 1969, this incredible album by King Crimson not only established a new genre of music (progressive rock), but single-handedly established the different models subsequent prog bands would follow. In short, all of the elements that characterize prog (especially ensemble virtuosity) came together in one place on this album. Many musicologists (including this prog-obsessed biologist) regard In the Court of the Crimson King as the single most influential album of progressive rock ever released.
The band members on this album include Robert Fripp (electric and acoustic guitars); multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald (saxophone, flute, piano, organ, mellotron); unbelievably good drummer Michael Giles; Greg Lake (bass, vocals); and last but not least Pete Sinfield (lyrics). All of the musicians are excellent and set new standards for ensemble virtuosity that would be taken up in earnest by the major English prog bands including Yes, Genesis, ELP, Gentle Giant, Van der Graaf Generator, and Jethro Tull. I should note that the influence of King Crimson was not just restricted to England and spread throughout continental Europe, particularly Italy - listen to any early PFM album (1972-1974) for proof.
The pieces on the album cover a broad spectrum of styles, moods, tempi and dynamics ranging from all out rave-ups to delicate passages comprised of just flute and soft cymbal work. The opening track 21st Century Schizoid Man features blistering riffs played in unison by several musicians and at breakneck speeds. There are sections of this piece that are vaguely reminiscent of the furious pace of be-bop jazz. In stark contrast to this all-out assault is the quiet and contemplative piece I Talk to the Wind, which showcases Ian on the flute. Epitaph is my favorite piece out of King Crimson's entire recorded output and features (in all its glory and splendor), the mellotron with string setting. This instrument, with its haunting and sweeping textures, lends this piece (and the album) an emotional sophistication that is truly something to behold. The 12'13" Moonchild is an odd piece that is more of a sound collage than anything else. Specifically, it opens with a brief and somber guitar passage and Greg on vocals, which then gives way to a very experimental and "free-form" instrumental passage that features various percussion instruments and delicate guitar parts (they verge on "noodling"). In fact, there are moments where the "noodling" gives way to sections of near silence. The opening flourish of the closing track The Court of the Crimson King breaks the listener out of the reverie induced by Moonchild, and is structurally somewhat similar to Epitaph - just like Epitaph, it features a ton of mellotron with some great ensemble work and is pretty haunting.
With regard to this particular iteration, the sound quality is excellent and is perhaps better than the other versions out there.
All in all, this is a landmark recording with far-reaching influences and is very highly recommended along with Larks Tongues in Aspic (1973) and Red (1974).
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
End of and era start of a new era, August 15, 2005
Some critics have made a compelling argument for 1969 being the greatest year in rock, with the last Beatles albums and the first Zeppelin Albums, and a whole lot in between this marked the end of era and the beginning of a new. This album was one of the landmarks in this amazing year, each track is different, and represent such different views they could be by differnt bands, but when you listen to this album, that isn't the feeling you get. Each track is individually crafted; from the unbelievably heavy 20th Century Schizoid Man (even the 2 great albums of Zeppelin didn't have a track that produces this amount of drive), through the wistful I Talk To The Wind on through the lyrical Epitaph, psychedelic Moonchild (Syd Barrett would have been proud!) and finally the Storytelling title track. This album after 30 years of listening still sends shivers down my spine, and is still one of my all time favourite albums!
Though never a big band, the band and it's members became pervasive through 70's, 80's and 90's rock. Pete Sinfield continued writing and went on to also produce. (including Roxy Music's 1st album, their 2nd, For Your Pleasure, being at least as good, if not better that Court!) Lake went off to ELP (some interesting but mostly very over blown prog/symphonic rock!) and Asia, whilst Fripp (one the greatest and innovative British guitarists ever) continued the band whilst also producing some amazing session work especially his work with Bowie and Eno. MacDonald played in many bands including being a cofounder of Foreigner! And of Giles who knows!
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