KING CRIMSON

This is an album often attributed as being the first ever prog album. You can actually make a case both ways as there were albums released earlier that may be classed as prog (eg. Days of Future Passed) and some prog bands had already released material even if it wasn't of a particularly prog nature (eg. Yes). On the other hand this is the first album (to the best of my knowledge) that shows all the ear-marks of a good prog album. Pretentious song titles (indeed the full album title is In the Court of the Crimson King an Observation by King Crimson), ridiculous lyrics (interestingly not penned by a member of the band, as if it was hard work to write such crap) and general pretentious prog malarkey with songs going on forever and not much really happening. King Crimson also consisted of some luminaries of the prog world, most notably Greg Lake (the surname should be clue enough) and King Crimson main man Robert Fripp. I touched upon this in my Bowie reviews but a year or so ago I attended a free lecture given by mr. Robert Fripp on the subject of...well, how great he is. His "philosophy" was ludicrous ("there are two destinies: the one given to you and the one you make for yourself" - sounds like Oprah fucking Winfrey) and seriously dubious and the man himself came across as a bitter, selfish, arrogant old man. At one point a man behind me, obviously not hearing the softly spoken warning at the start about not taking "flash-photography" pictures, took a snapshot at which point crazy Bob Fripp spun round, hissed at him (I kid you not) and then banged on about the violation of human rights involved in taking a picture. He makes my skin crawl. But anyway this shouldn't and doesn't distract from the music on here so I review this with an open mind. Funnily enough I took my copy with me to get it signed only to discover he doesn't "do" autographs because they fetishize the relationship between artist and audience or some crap like that. OK, if you won't have a bad word said against the Frippster you can look back now. Robert Fripp's a tosser. Hah, got you. No seriously, no more Fripp bashing. So given that this album is early prog, a mellotron is used instead of those hideous synthesisers and thus we get one of the most listenable albums of the genre. Fripp is also an excellent guitarist (there, I said it) so on the basis of the sound this is probably my favourite prog album. There is also a strong jazz influence which is usually a good thing. Thus the brass on album opener "21st Century Schizoid Man" brings a very jazzy feel to the song. Not least the section in the middle where the trumpets et al really start blasting away. It is actually a pretty heavy song (there can be few prog songs heavier) with a Zeppelin-style riff and Lake really forced to give his vocals some venom. For a short while, prog rocks. "I Talk to the Wind" is an altogether milder affair with a flute making the wind-instrument contribution. It's a pretty nice song, and succinctly short, but it doesn't really grab you. I guess that's sort of the point, though. "Epitaph" is probably the most grandiose effort and is really heightened by the mellotron, thank God. I honestly think, and maybe this is my problem, that if a stupid synthesiser was used throughout, instead of a mellotron, it would be a worse album. "Epitaph" is also a great example of the superficiality of the emotions of prog songs. With the mellotron crashing away it gives the immediate appearance of being an emotional masterpiece when actually it is as fake as they come. Give me "Kick Out the Jams" any day. I'm not saying, as artists, proggers don't communicate anything but it certainly isn't emotion. God, I sound like that twat Bob Fripp. You know he's married to Toyah Wilcox? Crazy... "Moonchild" is the most infuriating song on the album and the reason why I can't stretch to awarding this album 10* either. It starts off fine but soon gives way to almost ten minutes of almost inaudible tinkling with the keyboards and guitar. Maybe a couple of minutes would have been alright but to make his "I'm an artist" case Fripp drags it out forever. It does heighten, though, the crash of the near-title track. "The Court of the Crimson King" is certainly the most commercial song with the good verses giving way to the crashing chorus. Again, maybe it is overdone a bit, going on a while, but you can't complain much. This is the very essence of prog, after all. I guess I've said all I need to say so here's the tag-line: "probably the first prog album ever". And I went to a Robert Fripp lecture and he is a pretentious twat.

From: Joe-Joe Joe_Joe-Shabadoo

I also like this album a lot. "Schizoid Man" is a classic of course, the sheer energy in the song is simply mind-blowing. The flute in "I Talk to The Wind" is a beautiful touch. It simply sounds delicate and just wonderful. "Epitaph" is a wonderful, moving epic - I don't know what you mean about the emotions being fake. Certainly, I think, some prog rock songs sound aloof from the listener; but I think this is due to them being so experimental. I think there is real emotion there, anyway. "Moonchild" is utter crap of course...the experimental bit is so boring, and the song bit is really dumb, especially the lyrics. "The Court of the Crimson King" is a grand finale, that chorus just hits you like a sledgehammer. So, yes, another great album that is unfortunately ruined by an awful song. I'd give it an 8

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