The King Crimson studio album poll

surprised fripp would feel that way and not also think "construktion of light" was 30 minutes too long, which it is.

construktion of shite

That album wins the "worst KC vocals ever" category.

yeah it is totally irritating. there are some good songs on there, kind of (barely). the next one was better. I've said elsewhere, I really wish KC would move back toward the clean sound of the 80's albums or do something completely different, going back to "Red" and rewriting it hundreds of times is pretty boring.

Tonight's instalment is "In The Wake Of Poseidon".

Not grabbing me anything like as immediately as "In The Court Of...", but I enjoyed 'Cat Food' and b-side 'Groon' a lot. Just about to start a second spin.

those are maybe the most interesting things on it. cat food is really overlooked, I kind of wish the current lineup would try playing it.

the title track is epic but maybe not quite up to Epitaph

the title track sounds exactly like a cross b/w epitaph and in the court!

the worst thing about the album is the horrible cover art.

"Groon" - Boris covered that.

I never got into The Wake of Poseidon really. (It's still to this date the only king crimson studio LP I never purchased - oh and The Construkction of Light - I pirated that album). I do have Frame by Frame box set which has all the best Poseidon stuff anyways plus the last disc has great live versions. Not that I listen to the Frame by Frame box set very often.

If you're like me, you'll like Lizard and Islands more than Poseidon. ITCOTCK is the best of the first 4, imo - on first listens the title track was my favorite but now my favorite song is either "Epitaph" or "I Talk to the Wind"). Also "Moonchild" is quite lovely. I like to consider myself a "Moonchild" since I was born slightly past midnight during a full moon in late June.

Once you get to Starless and Bible Black and Red you'll be having quite a bit of fun.

BTW, 21st Century Schizoid man is going to be on Guitar Hero 5.

xpost, I was just wondering if that were the case as I listened...

Lizard has been the one that's grown on me the most over the years.

lizard is pretty let down by haskell's vocals which are markedly different and more dramatic than on "cadence and cascade", and the presence of jon anderson.

the worst thing about the album is the horrible cover art.

really? i love it

Last night we got a copy of Belew's new album "E" in the post, from Tennesee. Bf then pointed out that the customs shipping declaration was actually signed by Adrian himself.

What a dude!

Yeah, he lives right outside Nashville.

Tonight it's the controversial "Lizard".

Tonight you are going to be David Icke?

how did you get on with Lizard?

It was OK. It didn't set me alight, but I certainly didn't think it was bad in any way, pretty good in fact, but no "In The Court Of...".

It is better than Islands.

Larks Tongue in Aspic is my favorite, but Lizard is criminally underrated. Cirkus and the title track make that thing amazing.

i like lizard best for sure. "cirkus (including entrance of the chameleons" is an even better lead off than "21st century schizoid man." as great as that song is, "cirkus" overwhelms me less but sticks in my craw more somehow. and why would someone knock jon anderson's "prince rupert awakens" vocals? i can only chalk that up to not enough love for the cheerful insanity of giles, giles, and fripp

Having a listen to http://www.last.fm/music/King+Crimson/USA just now.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/Steven-Wilson-On-Remixing-King-Crimson-20442.aspx

some interesting stuff about the remixing project.

(and some Lizard love)

I'm interested to hear what krakow thinks of Islands, because that's another getting-off-the-bus point for people. it's good though, I didn't appreciate it until I heard the live stuff from the same band.

That's up next. Might try it tonight, depending on how things go.

Primer in The Wire this month.

Yeah, by Joseph Stannard who is one of their metalheads. So I fear he's going to rep for the 90s stuff (Construkction of Light, Thrak, Power to Believe, which I find pretty unbearable.

I also think Crimson is kind of a safe and obvious choice for a Wire Primer, but maybe that's just me.

I suspect stannard would laugh in your face if you called him a metalhead.

He was editor of Terrorizer you know

yes, I know. but he is no longer editor of terrorizer, largely because he tried to broaden the remit beyond metal.

haven't read the article yet, but I know that stannard has seriously broad taste - and, pertinent in this context, he really knows and loves his prog. don't be afeared.

(as it happens, construkction is my own personal favourite),

Maybe I should pick that Wire up then.

I just saw this thread bumped and think I might have to get Red. I've never heard it; I have In The Court, Lark's Tongues, and Starless, but that's it. I remember having Thrak a while ago, but I don't seem to anymore. I don't think I sold it, but if some poor schlub roommate "borrowed" it off of me, I guess a just penance is to have to carry it around.

(as it happens, construkction is my own personal favourite),

Really? I gave it a couple of tries around the time of release, but I couldn't take it...and I generally give even dubious Crim a pretty wide latitude. What are the standout tracks on Construkction in your opinion?

FWIW I thought the Power to believe was an improvement, but they really need a rethinking of the band if they're to continue.

i'm sure mr. fripp will take your recommendation under advisement

What are the standout tracks on Construkction in your opinion?

genuinely believe that 'into the frying pan' is all-time top-5 crim

prozakc blues and frakctured are pretty good too. as is the coda. title-track has the single worst line in lyrical history, but i'll let y'guys find it for yourselves

i mean some days 'into the frying pan' is second behind 21CSM

I just saw this thread bumped and think I might have to get Red

Definitely, it's their most cohesive and powerful album. Now is the time to get it as well, what with it having been remastered by S Wilson out of Porcupine Tree and with a bonus DVD of rare live footage or something.

I'd be most grateful if they included the Red-era band actually performing Red live.

Really? I gave it a couple of tries around the time of release, but I couldn't take it...and I generally give even dubious Crim a pretty wide latitude. What are the standout tracks on Construkction in your opinion?

frakctured, larks' tongues IV and the title track are all great (terrible but affable lyrics aside). the ping-pong interplay between the guitars is incredible on this album. it mostly seems to be based on the conceit that fripp and belew play the usual complex riffs, but alternate notes are split between them. it sounds pretty abstract if you hear the two guitars as existing in their own space, but if you take their combined interplay as one melodic line it makes a lot more sense.

I really love KC, but can't abide them in gentle balladeering mode. they're at their best at full force, and construkction is pretty relentless on that score. no songs on here are quite as good as schizoid man or larks tongues' pt 1, or red, but overall its their most consistent album for me. I do like power to believe as well - level five is fantastic - but it's a bit more patchy.

I'd be most grateful if they included the Red-era band actually performing Red live.

― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion)

Unfortunately this never happened. They finished a US tour in mid-74, fired David Cross, went into the studio and recorded Red, and disbanded before the album came out without playing anymore live shows.

Yes indeed, but I have hope that they've been holding out on us for all these years.

Adrian Crimson could have stopped as soon as they made their first album and played 'Red' live as far as I'm concerned. I like the guy as a guitarist but just cannot fucking abide his singing and lyrics.

i hear you but there are a couple of songs where his vocal style works, like "thela hun ginjeet"

Yes-- somehow on that first record it all works.

I like his voice (at least in the 70s/80s), and like about a third of his lyrics. He's kinda fearless as a singer, likes to hold long notes -- "City of Tiny Lites," "Three of a Perfect Pair" -- it can be irritating if you're not engaged with the lyric.

his work on the 80's albums are good and so are many of his solo records, but he's been crummy in the last few crimson records, but the recrods haven't been great either. I feel like there isn't enough of his influence in the music these days.

as I mentioned above, I find KC's vocals pretty bad, no matter who's at the mic. but the vocals are such a minimal and irrelevant part of how I hear them that it really doesn't matter.