In The Court Of The Crimson King

Blending elements of several forms of music, including classical, jazz, and folk, four young British musicians banded together in 1969 as King Crimson and recorded a five-song masterpiece. Looking back in time to the year when this album was released, it has oftentimes been said that King Crimson's first album, "In the Court of the Crimson King", was a milestone in rock music history that marked the beginning of a new branch in rock music henceforth called, "progressive or art rock." However, it would be amiss to claim here that this group had accomplished this feat all alone. There were a number of other prominent rock groups at the time such as The Moody Blues and Deep Purple who were likewise experimenting along the same lines. Both of these groups had also been strongly influenced by classical music, and The Moody Blues, in particular, released two groundbreaking albums that same year. These two albums, "On the Threshold of a Dream" and "To Our Children's Children", were phenomenal in their own right. Like King Crimson, The Moody Blues prominently used a relatively new instrument at that time called, the mellotron. In addition, certain harsh and heavy passages from this album by King Crimson have, at times, been credited as being a strong influence in the formation, and early development, of yet another form, or branch, of rock music, namely, "heavy metal." And now, and most fortunately, King Crimson's debut album, "In the Court of the Crimson King", has, once again, been remastered using the latest advances in digital technology for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. The early stages of this group's formation saw three friends, Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, and Peter Giles, enter the studio and record a number of songs together under the name of "Giles, Giles, and Fripp." Robert Fripp was a versatile guitarist with the ability to play a wide range of styles. Along the way, they were joined by Ian McDonald, a multi-instrumentalist, who played various woodwind instruments and who also played a number of different keyboards, including the mellotron. When one of the Giles brothers left the band, he was soon replaced with Greg Lake on bass and vocals. With the final addition of Peter Sinfield as lyricist, the group was formed. The year was late 1968. The album's strong appeal, no doubt, lay in the group's prominent use of the mellotron. Without its use, the album would certainly not have reached masterpiece status. This instrument (actually, an amalgam of prerecorded tapes) replaced the diverse sounds of an entire philharmonic orchestra. Rock groups had already been experimenting, and recording, with the mellotron for sometime, ever since the Summer of Love. The Rolling Stones, for one, first began to use the mellotron in 1967 when they were writing songs for their upcoming album, "For Their Satanic Majesties Request." The Rolling Stones, too, had a talented multi-instrumentalist in Brian Jones. During the psychedelic era, musicians from various groups, ranging from David Bowie to Pink Floyd, took an interest in, and a quick liking to, the mellotron, especially with its outworldly sounds. However, the Stones soon returned to their R&B roots, abandoning further experimentation in that direction with the mellotron. The Moody Blues, on the other hand, who had previously employed the full services of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, found the mellotron to be a suitable replacement for the orchestra, and they soon integrated the new instrument into their recordings (and also into their upcoming touring plans.) Mike Pinder of The Moody Blues became quite proficient with its use. The Rolling Stones did not forget their brief experimentation with the mellotron, and their affection towards it. And when it came time to introduce to the public, especially their fans, their new line-up in the summer of 1969, featuring guitarist extraordinaire Mick Taylor, at a free concert in London's Hyde Park, they invited King Crimson to precede them on stage. It was a great honor. The group's unconventional approach to rock music that day blew away the crowd. Needless to say, these Stone's fans knew that they had just experienced something very special musically, something new and refreshing. It had been the public debut of King Crimson! The end for King Crimson's stellar initial line-up was nonetheless near. While on tour in North America to support the release of their debut album, tensions within the band became apparent. Giles and McDonald declared that they planned to leave the band at the conclusion of the tour and record together. Their ensuing album entitled, "McDonald and Giles", unsurprisingly had much of the same feel as King Crimson's debut album. It is worth a listen. Greg Lake soon thereafter left the band, too, to form the supergroup, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, with Keith Emerson on keyboards (formerly with the band, The Nice) and Carl Palmer on drums (formerly with Atomic Rooster.) This band's popularity, especially with fans of progressive rock, soon eclipsed the popularity of King Crimson. Before he left King Crimson, however, Greg Lake began work with the remaining members of the band on several tracks for the band's second album, "In the Wake of Poseidon." Further down the line, Ian McDonald founded another prominent group in the mid-1970's. This band, Foreigner, with time, made its own significant contribution to rock music history, too.

I would definitely place this in my top five favorite albums of all time. Though it isn't immediately accessible, with repeated lessons, its genius is slowly revealed. It's a five song set, with incredibly varied, consistently high-quality material throughout. It arguably has no real down time or "filler," with the possible exception of the wandering experimentation on Moonchild. Even that is debatable, however, as some experimentation is always welcome on any album. The album is great from start to finish, and really has no equal. There is no other album which compares to this one in style--not even King Crimson's later efforts. This "golden period" in their career was one which was never repeated. Though they were able to capture a similar level of originality and grandiosity in later albums (In the Wake of Poseidon, Red) they never did reach the same level of quality as on their debut. 1. 21st Century Schizoid Man - Sets the perfect tone for the album. Epic, overblown and sporadic, moving in many different directions all at once. Mystical, political, jazzy and experimental, this is one of King Crimson's most well-known and noteworthy tracks. It isn't the absolute best on the album, but does an excellent job of grabbing the listener and making them wonder what else is in store over the course of this unique album. The band's creative, free-form style is showcased excellently on this opening piece. 2. I Talk to the Wind - If you thought that the whole album was going to be comprised of the hyperactive, jazz-infused rocking out which was flaunted during the previous track, think again. I Talk to the Wind is a laid back, introspective song. It's dreamy and folk-like, and makes evident King Crimson's ability to restrain themselves as a band, and resist the urge to rock out in order to write varied material. A wholly satisfying song, which complements the album perfectly. Includes a cool little jam with mellotron and drums at the end. 3. Epitaph - After the break that was I Talk to the Wind, King Crimson take us on another extravagant adventure. This time, the tone is less quirky and more sincere, with lyrics that verge on heart-wrenching. The subject matter is earnest and grandiose, with otherworldly, expansive instrumentation and a reflective, powerful vocal performance by Greg Lake. The creative, off-beat and glorious drumming talents of Mike Giles are put to excellent use, especially as the song builds to its towering climax. This is easily one of the most enjoyable songs on the album, and stands as one of the greatest examples of King Crimson's importance. 4. Moonchild - Here is another more relaxed, toned-down track, with a greater emphasis on experimentation than I Talk to the Wind. Esoteric and unpredictable, Moonchild is quite mysterious and beautiful in its downbeat, fractured nature. Though the song can be eerie and unappealing to listen to on its own, due to its lack of resolution and meandering nature, when taken in context with the rest of the album, it's an eccentric masterpiece. 5. In The Court of the Crimson King - This is the track which everyone has been waiting for, by the time they're through with the rest of the album. The title track is a sprawling, prog rock masterpiece, which utilizes every single one of the band's strengths. The lyrics are especially fantastical and relevantly surrealistic. Robert Fripp's mellotron once again steals the show by adding a healthy dose of psychadelic, awe-inspiring, layered harmony over the rest of the band. The song is over 9 minutes in length, with a false-ending 7 and a half minutes in. The song goes quiet, and then a keyboard plays a twisted, stripped-down version of the main melody, before the other instruments join in for an encore of the song's infectious, inspiring chorus. This time, however, Greg Lake takes a break and a strange "electricity" patch is used on the keyboard to great effect. Some of the finest moments in prog rock come at the end of this magnum opus.

Je n'avais pas réécouté ce disque depuis quelques décennies et là, ce fut le grand frisson ! Il y a une ambiance dans cet album qui est incroyable...ça plane et c'est un régal pour les oreilles!

Aşırı begendigim bir albüm.Plağımın geldiği gün pikapım bozuldu.Asla dinleyemedim:)))) Umarım sorunu yoktur.Bir gün zevkle dinlemeyi umuyorum.(pikap tamircisi bulursam:)))

Approved by Robert Fripp himself this vinyl pressing has a unique warm sound of the classic King Crimson. It's my first addition to my record collection and I am not disappointed at all. Some websites say that this pressing sounds better than the original 1969 pressing but I have no idea if that's true or not. But it has crisp clear sound especially the bass and the drums sound wonderful. In addition Greg Lake's mesmerizing vocals in Epitaph along with Fripp's brilliant guitar work is really something that gives you goosebumps everytime you spin it.

Maravilloso disco por la gran obra musical, lo que representó en su tiempo y una apertura a lo atonal sobre todo en el requinto de Fripp, un genio de la guitarra. La voz de Lake perfecta, una demostración de su afinación melódica y contraste de sentimiento y potencia. Sellado, bien embalado y sin huellas de uso, me esperé mucho para apreciar esta gran obra del rock progresivo. Muy contento con la compra.

Lyssna på denna lp. Tjock vinyl, bra ljud, mycket bra musik, klassiker.