King Crimson - C/D S/D

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i love the first album, like the 80s stuff (mainly because i love talking heads), and really don't like Red. sounds like smashing pumpkins to me

JaXoN (JasonD), Thursday, 12 February 2004 07:43 (twenty years ago) link

and what's so bad about that??!? NED, come QUICK!! I'm gonna need backup!

roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 12 February 2004 07:48 (twenty years ago) link

Interesting to see Joe mention Lizard as one of his faves - I think I've got all the other (official, studio!) KC albums (not including side projects!) but I'd always avoided Lizard and Islands because they're generally thought to be amongst the worst.

I picked them up cheap recently 'though so we shall see; FWIW I'm actually extremely partial to ConstruKCtion Of Light and that one doesn't seem to be held in particularly hight esteem either!

With all that said, my faves of the ones I've got are actually sadly predictable:
- In The Court Of The Crimson King
- Discipline

Can I also put in a good word for Desire Of The Rhino King by Adrian Belew?

Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 12 February 2004 10:06 (twenty years ago) link

"In The Wake Of Poseidon" was my first KC album and I love it muchly. Then I heard their first album and realised that they are literally the same albums.

dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 12 February 2004 11:16 (twenty years ago) link

Never was a big fan. Just never really was properly introduced though. I remember liking a live version of "Three Of A Perfect Pair" or "Man With An Open Heart". I guess most King Crimson fans probably don't like the 80's stuff huh??

Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Thursday, 12 February 2004 11:18 (twenty years ago) link

There's variability...most fans like (or even love) Discipline and think it's the best one of the three, Beat always seems to get a high dose of negative evaluation (I'm fine with it now, but didn't like it for years), and Three of a Perfect Pair is kind of the 'underrated' album of the three, though there are many who think it's bad..

Joe (Joe), Thursday, 12 February 2004 11:56 (twenty years ago) link

I think Beat and Discipline both have sme good material on them, but I can't really handle the vocals, so I would add just about any of the instrumentals from those two albums. I wouldn't call myself a fan exactly. I do think Red is pretty good, along with Starless and Larks Tongue, probably the best bunch overall, but I don't feel any ned to own them (although I guess I do on cheap college book store cassettes).

Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:29 (twenty years ago) link

Red is really good esp. "Fallen Angel" and "One More Red Nightmare". Also love "The Great Deceiver" off Starless and Bible Black.

Rocco, Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:48 (twenty years ago) link

I should also mention that I generally like the live stuff better than the studio stuff. For most of the eras there is a double cd set (naturally) that sums it up pretty well...Night Watch for the 70s, Absent Lovers for the 80s (SO MUCH BETTER than the studio albums), a couple for the 90s. I used to have USA on cassette too, which was pretty hot. Is that still OOP?

Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 14:37 (twenty years ago) link

I like Lizard, especially the Keith Tippet jazzier moments. It does have some of their worst mincy fantasy-prog offenses though.

I sold their first four studio albums during the height of my KC fandom, intending to buy the remasters (ha). Then I got interested in other things and never felt like spending the money to replace them.

Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 14:39 (twenty years ago) link

For the live stuff, see also the mystifyingly out of print Great Deceiver box.

dleone (dleone), Thursday, 12 February 2004 14:52 (twenty years ago) link

I'd say:

SEARCH: the entire 80's era, i.e. Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair (although don't rush out of the house to go buy Beat, honestly). Also, In the Court of the Crimson King and Red (I know, not wildly original choices, these) are both jaw-droppingly great.

DESTROY: the 90's "double trio" Crims, and even more so everything after the departure of Tony Levin. Fuck Trey Gunn.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:00 (twenty years ago) link

Indications are that Tony's back in.

Colin Meeder (Mert), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:01 (twenty years ago) link

Izzat a fact? I honestly disengaged after that "all improv" album (which Levin himself disowned).

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:02 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.disciplineglobalmobile.com/diary/

Check the entry for last Thursday.

Colin Meeder (Mert), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:04 (twenty years ago) link

I only like the early-70s lineup. I have Larks' Tongues..., Starless..., USA (which I can't believe hasn't been mentioned yet—one of their heaviest records) and the Great Deceiver box. One of these days I'm gonna buy The Nightwatch and the 2 or 3 other live albums by this lineup that are sold through the King Crimson Collectors' Club. But I'm not in any rush.

Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:06 (twenty years ago) link

The band needs to be Fripp, Bruford and Levin AND THAT'S IT.

dleone (dleone), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:06 (twenty years ago) link

Somewhat promising.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:09 (twenty years ago) link

I note that Exposure was reviewed by Wire as the Sergeant Pepper of avant-punk. Neither the Guardian nor Wire reviews tell me much about my work; both of the reviews tell me something about the reviewers.

This is why I can still put up with Robert Fripp from time to time.

dleone (dleone), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:12 (twenty years ago) link

I wish he would post on ILM.

Rockist Scientist, Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:21 (twenty years ago) link

I mentioned USA, Phil...it's hot, but I think parts of the Night Watch top it.

I think the Thrak band is underrated. Sure, it's kind of a big mess, but sometimes it's as good as the 80s band with a lot more NOISE and percussion flying around, which can be pretty cool.

Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:32 (twenty years ago) link

>>both of the reviews tell me something about the reviewers.

when is this ever not the case. usually cripplingly so.

I also like Fripp's comments about the music industry, the meat starts down around the question 'why independent', but anyone who's been buying the DGM releases has seen this text in the liner notes ten times over...

actually I've heard from diehard fans that Crimson had caught their wind on the last tour. everyone seems to agree that the previous tours were just fingernail torture.

(Jon L), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:34 (twenty years ago) link

thanks to my ipod I've started listening to all of this a lot more closely than I have in years, and decided that although I initially hated it, Islands is one of the best KC albums. It has a really nice, flat sound to the drums; fripp's guitar hasn't quite gone into distortion overload the way it did on subsequent records; the lyrics are stupid for the most part but whatever.

I also just decided that most of the Power to Believe is pretty strong, certainly better than Construction of Light.

Tracks to search: 21st Century Schizoid Man (duh), Moonchild, Cat Food, Formentera Lady/Sailors Tale, the Letters (for the arpeggio pattern), Larks Tongues 1 & 2, Great Deceiver, Fracture, Red, Starless, Discipline, Frame by Frame, Sheltering Sky, Neil and jack and Me, REquiem, Sartori in Tangier, 3 of a perfect pair, Sleepless, Nuages, Industry, Larks Tongue 3, walking on air, one time, sex sleep eat drink dream, vrooom, thrak, larks tonue 4 (live version), eyes wide open, level 5, dangerous curves.

Also, a lot of the Red-era stuff I didn't mention is better in live versions (easy money, etc).

anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:47 (twenty years ago) link

also, I guess Trey Gunn got fired and replaced by Tony Levin again, so it's getting closer to the old familiar line-up. I don't know if that's a good thing.

anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:49 (twenty years ago) link

Love some of the interplay on "Frame by Frame". Mogwai-style post-rock is a big thing around here. I wish some of those bands would give 73-84 Crimson a listen to see how to do it right.

fcussen (Burger), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:16 (twenty years ago) link

I was back at my dad's house last weekend and I realized what an embarrassing amount of KC/DGM collector's type stuff I have. Some of it I'd like to listen to again and some of that shit I definitely want to ebay.

Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:17 (twenty years ago) link

The first album is one of the better refutations of the idea that prog was up-its-arse escapism.

fcussen (Burger), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:41 (twenty years ago) link

Really? I mean, I like it and all, but it's pretty classically prog, don't you think? What with the long tracks with "Including the..." suite-like titles, fantastic lyrics, soaring mellotrons, etc.

Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:44 (twenty years ago) link

yeah but there is all that Gimme Shelter-like post-Kennedy/King assassination, Vietnam-era paranoia and angst in there. With Schizoid Man its pretty obvious but 'I Talk to the Wind' = protesting and not being listened to, 'Epitaph' = "The fate of all mankind I see
Is in the hands of fools". Okay, its done in a roundabout way and 'In the Court...'= you have point.

fcussen (Burger), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:55 (twenty years ago) link

also, I guess Trey Gunn got fired and replaced by Tony Levin again, so it's getting closer to the old familiar line-up. I don't know if that's a good thing.

No, it's not a good thing...it's a GREAT thing!

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:08 (twenty years ago) link

done in a roundabout way

Hee hee.

I'd say classic and my faves are Lizard, Islands, Starless, and Red (Lark's Tongue I think I have but acquired after I stopped listening to them so that I don't really have much of an opinion). I like the odd 80s track that I've heard but I don't think I've ever listened to an entire 80s album.

nickn (nickn), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:11 (twenty years ago) link

the live 70's shit is the only stuff i like

Pablo Cruise (chaki), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:41 (twenty years ago) link

"Asbury Park" is one of the best live improvs I've ever heard.

Bryan (Bryan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:45 (twenty years ago) link

"In The Wake Of Poseidon" was my first KC album and I love it muchly. Then I heard their first album and realised that they are literally the same albums.
-- dog latin (doglati...), February 12th, 2004.

Oh, I agree totally! "Pictures of a City" is structurally like a carbon copy of "Schizoid Man". I still love both records too. Which is why I couldn't understand why Joe Lakeside said in his post to "search" the first one & "destroy" Poseidon...

Broheems (diamond), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:46 (twenty years ago) link

Basically, that's why. I do like "Pictures of a City", as blatant a rip-off of Schizoid Man as it is. Much of the rest I could do without ("Cat Food"/"Groon" and the "Peace" interludes are pretty cool, too).

Joe (Joe), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:03 (twenty years ago) link

the second side suite doesn't work very well at all

anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:03 (twenty years ago) link

Search : "The First Day"

bahtology, Friday, 13 February 2004 00:15 (twenty years ago) link

Damage, if you're going to go there.

anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:15 (twenty years ago) link

indeed.

bahtology, Friday, 13 February 2004 03:27 (twenty years ago) link

Maybe this needs its own thread, but let's get even more specific - what's your favorite live version of "21st Century Schizoid Man"?

The one on Cirkus SCREAMS...the sax, especially, is just out there, speed-freaked and sleazy. The second version (out of three!) on Epitaph (track 7 on disc one) is notable for being the fastest version I've probably heard - it sounds like it could fall apart any second, but it never does. Generally, I really dig the Wetton/Bruford-era KC, but that lineup's "Schizoid Man" just wasn't crazed enough. And, check out "Schizoid Men" on Ladies of the Road, which takes up an entire disc (54 minutes!) - it's one mega-version, with various solos stitched together. You might think it's too much of a good thing, but ummm boy, it's something else.

Ernest P. (ernestp), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:45 (twenty years ago) link

USA has an absolutely killer version of "21st Century"

Joe (Joe), Friday, 13 February 2004 13:21 (twenty years ago) link

just in case anyone hasn't heard dokaka.

damn, he took down his version of 'fracture'.

(Jon L), Friday, 13 February 2004 19:16 (twenty years ago) link

Haha, that looks fantastic. I wish I could listen to it at work.

Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 13 February 2004 19:20 (twenty years ago) link

four months pass...
I just got Three of a Perfect Pair... it sounds like the Talking Heads sort of!?@!?@?!@ Interesting

Jon in R'lyeh (ex machina), Sunday, 13 June 2004 01:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Fripp & Eno connection

otto, Sunday, 13 June 2004 01:30 (nineteen years ago) link

...and don't forget, Fripp played guitar on the Talking Heads track "I Zimbra" - listen to that one, then listen to KC's Discipline...hmmm...

Ernest P. (ernestp), Sunday, 13 June 2004 01:54 (nineteen years ago) link

Both my parents each just walked in and asked if I was listening to David Bryne / Talking Heads!@!@!!

Jon in R'lyeh (ex machina), Sunday, 13 June 2004 02:02 (nineteen years ago) link

Didn't Adrian Belew playing some guitar for TH too?

Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 13 June 2004 02:05 (nineteen years ago) link

(play, argh)

The 80s live album, Absent Lovers, sounds so much fuller and better than the studio ones and thus even MORE like a prog Talking Heads.

Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 13 June 2004 02:06 (nineteen years ago) link

SEARCH: the cymbal on moonchild!

fuck the 80s and 90's k.c.
it bred funk metal and you know it.

starless and bible black is probably thier last great album. and it IS great.

the song 'starless and bible black'>>>>>>>the song 'starless'

emma cleveland (emma cleveland), Sunday, 13 June 2004 03:35 (nineteen years ago) link

Search anything from early on, destroy more the closer to get to the present age.

Geir Hongro, Friday, 23 March 2007 09:36 (seventeen years ago) link

The more recent stuff is not bad actually. Not bad at all.

Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Friday, 23 March 2007 15:37 (seventeen years ago) link

it's not great though

akm, Friday, 23 March 2007 16:53 (seventeen years ago) link

'Into The Frying Pan' is an excellent song

unfished business, Friday, 23 March 2007 16:54 (seventeen years ago) link

Better than the "symphonic rock" that Geir likes.

Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Friday, 23 March 2007 16:54 (seventeen years ago) link

the last two albums sound really dated to me in ways that no other crimson albums do. they no longer sound visionary; they sound like they are trailing behind in areas where their followers already went. not that there aren't some good songs on them, they're just, on the whole, not very memorable albums. they need to work with an outside producer, I think, one who would push them to vary their compostions a little bit. think about how diverse those 80's albums are (even Thrak, for that matter); the last two records really don't have that kind of variety and it makes them a chore to listen to rather than a pleasure.

akm, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:09 (seventeen years ago) link

The last two Crimson albums sound very self-conscious, especially ConstruKction of Light...very formulaic, very by-the-numbers, IMO. I suspect Bill Bruford realized very early on in the band's 90s reformation where they might be headed creatively and jumped ship for other waters.

I think part of what made Fripp's career (both solo and Crimson) so interesting was the constant flux and diverse group of musicians he collaborated with in the 70s and 80s. At this point, I think he's pretty much exhausted what could be accomplished in working with Belew and/or Levin and/or Gunn.

Joe, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:25 (seventeen years ago) link

A vintage King Crimson tune ("In The Court of...) was used in the soundtrack to "Children of Men" to very nice effect. Kind of a jarring, but very cool moment in an amazing film. I guess the director, Cuaron, is kind of a prog-head? "Y Tu Mama Tambien" had some of that going on as well...

tylerw, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:30 (seventeen years ago) link

oh yeah I saw that the other day. They use it for this whole extended 5-minute chunk as well!

unfished business, Friday, 23 March 2007 17:31 (seventeen years ago) link

I like Greg Lake.

marissa, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 00:59 (seventeen years ago) link

i like wetton better.

chaki, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 01:13 (seventeen years ago) link

vincent gallo used a kc song in buffalo '66. I couldn't pay attention to the scene cuz I was breaking my brane trying to remember the name of the song ("moonchild").

Edward III, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 02:26 (seventeen years ago) link

these days somehow the first album seems the most classic and least dated of all of them, to me

akm, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 03:51 (seventeen years ago) link

Joe otm

Which sux, because theoretically, I'm still interested in KC. Fripp should hire Ruins or Orthrelm for the next incarnation of the band, as it seems he's wanted a really technical, more metallic band for a while. (and esp as those bands are a big reason current KC seems so not-that-interesting to me).

Dominique, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 06:42 (seventeen years ago) link

GET RID OF THE FUCKING CHAPMAN STICKS

chaki, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 08:50 (seventeen years ago) link

They were at their best when Greg Lake was still in the group and Pete Sinfield still working closely with them.

Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 14:03 (seventeen years ago) link

one month passes...
um, so this is my 2nd kc album (larks' tongue in aspic) and i'm diggin, really diggin. cassette tape no less

Surmounter, Thursday, 3 May 2007 00:55 (sixteen years ago) link

tongues xcuse me

Surmounter, Thursday, 3 May 2007 00:55 (sixteen years ago) link

oh no wait i think i have 2 newish krimsons like with sex eat drink sleep dream, watever it is

i mean that one was ok (ep or something), but kinda like, dorky or crochety or something. u know newer.

Surmounter, Thursday, 3 May 2007 01:00 (sixteen years ago) link

FOGY, dang i haven't used that word in a while

Surmounter, Thursday, 3 May 2007 01:07 (sixteen years ago) link

Get Starless and Bible Black if you like Larks Tongues...

Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 3 May 2007 01:10 (sixteen years ago) link

=) thx... i luv how i just use these threads to vent about whatever i'm reeling over at the moment

Surmounter, Thursday, 3 May 2007 01:36 (sixteen years ago) link

one month passes...

wetton's kind of a weird one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZIPwZ6BaBg

gershy, Saturday, 9 June 2007 06:29 (sixteen years ago) link

Surmounter if you like Larks' and perhaps by now, Starless & Bible Black, you of course should cop Red which is the unbelievably heavy studio pinnacle of that line-up.

Most of all though, treat yourself eventually to some live recordings from this era. The newish release of what used to be called USA, now called Asbury Park 1974 (the USA version has overdubs, the new one doesn't), is just maybe the apotheosis of the Wetton era. As with only the very awesomest of live discs, listening to it I can't believe people actually sat in an audience and SAW THIS.

Jon Lewis, Saturday, 9 June 2007 17:42 (sixteen years ago) link

is that a download only from dgm? I can't seem to find the album

akm, Saturday, 9 June 2007 20:15 (sixteen years ago) link

Yep.
http://www.dgmlive.com/archive.htm?artist=5&show=419

Rock Hardy, Saturday, 9 June 2007 20:28 (sixteen years ago) link

I think maybe it's been released on CDin one of these DGM 2-fers I've been seeing around... no?

Jon Lewis, Saturday, 9 June 2007 20:36 (sixteen years ago) link

Yeah, it's on Vol. 1 of the "Collectable King Crimson" 2-fer CDs (the other concert on Vol. 1 is "Mainz 1974").

Joe, Saturday, 9 June 2007 21:37 (sixteen years ago) link

Let's go off the beaten path and try

the nonreleased and improv tracks on Vrooom and Vrooom Vrooom

and get the Heavy ConstruKction album for the new songs and improvs

I can't remember the names of my favorite songs this way but
ccccSeizurecc, Uböö, Cage, and Blastic Rhino all seem to ring a bell

this is stuff you won't find on Thrak, The Constukction of light, and
The Power To Believe albums

CaptainLorax, Sunday, 10 June 2007 20:27 (sixteen years ago) link

http://www.kimmopohjonen.com/img/kTU/KTU815press2-L.jpg

HMMM

Davey D, Monday, 11 June 2007 17:28 (sixteen years ago) link

two months pass...

I can't find a thread for the Discipline album.

Frame by Frame has endeared itself to my heart over the last couple of weeks big time.

Bimble, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 04:49 (sixteen years ago) link

nothing rocks me quite like "Red"

poortheatre, Sunday, 9 September 2007 07:53 (sixteen years ago) link

I'm really excited about The Great Deceiver being re-released now. I've wanted that for years, but not found it. As good as some of the studio albums are, they always (or at least since the Wetton years) were a better live group than studio band.
For those who're not familiar, TGD is a 4-disc collection of live recordings from 1973 and 1974. It's now being put out as two 2-disc sets, new packaging, but no changes whatsoever to the content of the discs themselves.

Have to admit that I would've preferred the original box being re-released as it was, as I'm not too fond of the artwork they go for these days. I also got the impression that the original liner notes are just included as a PDF this time, which is odd. But what the hell, the packaging and booklet is rarely of interest after the first day.

Further info:
Elephant Talk | Wikipedia

Øystein, Sunday, 9 September 2007 08:16 (sixteen years ago) link

Here ya go, Bimble:

Defend The Hypothetically Defensible: King Crimson's Discipline

Myonga Vön Bontee, Sunday, 9 September 2007 08:49 (sixteen years ago) link

Well done! Cheers.

Bimble, Sunday, 9 September 2007 09:01 (sixteen years ago) link

one year passes...

Larks Tongues in Aspic is nothing short of amazing. I feel/fear I might be going in to that Crimson phase I've been putting off for so long now...

sonderangerbot, Tuesday, 11 November 2008 03:38 (fifteen years ago) link

eight months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZyysKcJLmM

:(

Turangalila, Thursday, 16 July 2009 06:28 (fourteen years ago) link

two years pass...

I want this vinyl reissue of In The Wake Of Poseidon!!!

- 200g Super-Heavyweight Vinyl
- Newly cut from Robert Fripp approved masters
- Reprint of Original Stunning Gatefold Sleeve
- Limited Time MP3 Code for access to download transfer of an original 1970 pressing

sleeve, Wednesday, 9 November 2011 01:56 (twelve years ago) link

six years pass...

Here's some siqq ass rare 80s footage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiS2LZhLvYw

kurt schwitterz, Thursday, 15 March 2018 22:42 (six years ago) link


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