King Crimson Appreciation Thread

[The King in Crimson]

I unabashedly love ITWoP.  I love every song on it and, IMO, it's their most consistent album from Court through Red.

The one drawback; the good songs don't really compare to the good songs from their other albums.

[Phoenix87x]

I also love ITWoP and I especially love The title track. The only track I don't like is devil's triangle. 

[tedesco23]

"Health food faggot" is a line of its time.  Today you have vegans, before them were vegetarians.  The ones who may have a legitimate reason for the self-imposed food choices they've made, but who are far outnumbered by those who are only into it because it's trendy, and either way, all of us regular folk are sick to death of hearing about it.  People who were into health food were also quite often, ironically, less than healthy-looking.  Their frail appearance put them into the same convenient clichéd box where the gay boys went.  If you were around in the 70's, and were neither into health food nor homosexual, you might bust out laughing every time you heard the line.

I'm not sure why I feel the need to explain it, but it's just the way it is.  In the 80's we had Dire Straits "Money for Nothing" with the line "The little faggot with the earring and the makeup..."  Politically incorrect beyond measure, by today's standards, but in context, acceptable at the time.  Note that both lines are sung by a character and shouldn't be considered the views of the writer, etc.

Just catching up on this thread, and this little exchange from a couple of months ago needs to be corrected. The line "health food faggot" is NOT a slur against gays; see here:

https://www.elephant-talk.com/wiki/FAQ_-_What_Does_It_All_Mean%3F#What_do_the_lyrics_in_the_.27The_Great_Deceiver.27_.28.22Health_Food_Faggot.22.29_refer_to.3F

"Faggot", before it's anti-gay connotation, was a term for basically a burnt chunk of firewood. Veggie burgers, in their earliest forms, were more unappealing back in the 70s than today; this line refers to a slang term for them (because they looked like little burnt chunks of firewood).

[Orbert]

Interesting.  Of course, Brits may well think first of the other slang meaning for "faggot" while Americans certainly would not.  Still, I guess I went and defended something that didn't need any defense.  Not the first time, probably won't be the last.

[crazyaga]

After listening to Red few times this is my opinion about it:
A fucking classic.

[ColdFireYYZ]

Yesterday I listened to the 3 Wetton studio albums. They're all classics. Red is probably in my top 10, maybe even top 5, albums of all time. It gets better after every listen.

[Sketchy]

Got ItWoP on vinyl today, while sheltering from the rain (what a convenient record shop, eh?). I was looking at it on the way home, so I earned the nickname "Record Player Man" from the young rapscallions on the bus. I'm hoping having the vinyl will increase my desire to listen to the album again, as it's a great album but when I'm in the mood for something like it, I generally put on ItCotCK, as the main things I listen to ItWoP for are the title track and Cat Food (Cadence And Cascade's pretty good too, but I Talk To The Wind wins for me on that one).

[Pols Voice]

ITWOP is probably my favorite of the first four albums. CAT FOOD cat food Cat Food AGAIN!

Splitting KC into eras, I would rank them:

1. Thrak to The Power to Believe
2. Discipline to Three of a Perfect Pair
3. Larks' Tongues in Aspic to Red
4. In the Court of the Crimson King to Islands

I really like what Adrian Belew brought to the band. I realize how influential and creative the early stuff was, but it's still my least favorite overall.

[Sketchy]

For me it's generally the other way round (although The Power To Believe is one of my favourite KC albums), I think it's probably a result of the instrumentation and the very orchestral and jazzy influences in the earlier things that are a little missing from later stuff.

[seasonsinthesky]

1. Thrak to The Power to Believe
2. Discipline to Three of a Perfect Pair
3. Larks' Tongues in Aspic to Red
4. In the Court of the Crimson King to Islands

that's pretty much exactly the ranking i said myself pages and pages ago, so: excellent choices

though i've found i rank the Larks-Red KC about equal to Court-Islands KC, as i find there's about an equal balance of brilliance vs. filler, imo.

[Sketchy]

Lizard has just clicked. I mean I liked it beforehand, but now I think I really get it.

And now I just have that electric feeling of "this music so damn good I think I'm about to die". Is this what is known as a progasm?

[Orbert]

It is.  Now go change your shorts.

[Sketchy]

 

[ytserush]

Lizard has just clicked. I mean I liked it beforehand, but now I think I really get it.

And now I just have that electric feeling of "this music so damn good I think I'm about to die". Is this what is known as a progasm?

If you think the studio tracks are good. Check out the live cuts.....

One of the few bands where you'd swear you would be seconds away from becoming one with the universe.

[adace]

So I just found out that an official live DVD was put out last year of KC's concert in Argentina in 1994.
You can order it here: https://www.amazon.com/King-Crimson-Live-Argentina/dp/B007Z1FD7M
and watch some clips at this channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Teimurazart/videos?view=0

edit: looks like there's some focus issues on those clips, but otherwise they seem good

[Nekov]

Discipline's Bass and Drum section only available for download. This should be interesting

https://www.dgmlive.com/archive.htm?artist=6&show=1886

[Sketchy]

Lizard has just clicked. I mean I liked it beforehand, but now I think I really get it.

And now I just have that electric feeling of "this music so damn good I think I'm about to die". Is this what is known as a progasm?

If you think the studio tracks are good. Check out the live cuts.....

One of the few bands where you'd swear you would be seconds away from becoming one with the universe.

I NEED.

[jammindude]

I only own ITCOTCK...but I was checking out several of the SW 40th anniversary sets today at the cd shop...which one would be the best "next step"?

[Sigz]

In the Wake of Poseidon or Lark's Tongues in Aspic I'd say. Or Red. I don't know.

[seasonsinthesky]

i'd say jump on Red after ITCOTCK — if you try both and prefer the more 'out there' side, go for Poseidon and Lizard; if you prefer the rawk, go for Starless and Larks'. (you'll eventually have to hear Starless and Larks' anyway!)

however, i'd honestly wait for the upcoming Red stereo re-mix coming out with the Road to Red release this year. for some reason, SW didn't bother doing the stereo mix when they put out the 40th anniversary release, but now he and Fripp have gone back to redo it (a wise decision, as the Red mix just doesn't sound as good as the rest remixed by SW). if you were gonna just listen to the surround mix, though, you can grab Red right away.

if you don't wanna wait for the Red mix, perhaps do Larks' instead.

[Nekov]

In the Wake of Poseidon or Lark's Tongues in Aspic I'd say. Or Red. I don't know.

[Nel]

In the Wake of Poseidon or Lark's Tongues in Aspic I'd say. Or Red. I don't know.

Yeah, all three of these I like. Larks' I like just as much as the debut, Poseidon's title track is one of the most beautiful I've ever heard, and Red's just an all around fun album.

Personally, I'd save Lizard for last. Easily my least favorite from KC. I don't think there was a single song I liked on there.

[Phoenix87x]

Just discovered the song Waiting Man, and I truly love it.

[jammindude]

Has there ever been a KC album discussion thread?

[The King in Crimson]

Has there ever been a KC album discussion thread?

You mean a discog thread similar to Orbert's Chicago, Yes, ELP and Genesis threads?

As far as I know, nope.

[jammindude]

Has there ever been a KC album discussion thread?

You mean a discog thread similar to Orbert's Chicago, Yes, ELP and Genesis threads?

As far as I know, nope.

Someone more knowledgeable than myself needs to remedy that.  I would *LOVE* to see a write up of the albums.

[Phoenix87x]

Someone more knowledgeable than myself needs to remedy that.  I would *LOVE* to see a write up of the albums.

I second the motion.

[ytserush]

Has there ever been a KC album discussion thread?

Probably on the Portnoy or Steve Hoffman forums....

[Nekov]

Why? As Dr. Mike would ask: Why do some things happen and other things not? One possible answer: the meeting of Necessity and Contingency.

Necessity: how King Crimson might return to active service, the form it would take and how it could be done, presented itself on Monday 22nd. July https://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?entry=23873… While the rich conversation and comments continued around me, I looked at a situation-of-interest and how it might be approached: it spoke back, directly. Earlier in my life, an experience like this would have set the next period in motion. Presently, choices generate rich repercussions and are to be nicely considered. But, good to know that creative insight remains available to enquiry. This is one kind of necessity: where a creative insight carries with it a certain demand.

Contingency: the removal / dwindling-effect of four contingencies that restrained and limited my ability to act on choices and decisions, two negative and two positive.

1.     The likely UMG settlement

2.     The non-industry dispute, although without resolution and without agreement, has a de facto position close to that intended.

3.     The almost-completion of The Guitar Circle book.

4.    The completion of the DU Reading Project.

I note also the Minx’s support, and willing-availability of  encouraging Business Persons.

So, King Crimson is in motion. This is a very different reformation to what has gone before: seven players, four English and three American, with three drummers.

The Seven-Headed Beast of Crim is in Go! mode.

From this to a very tasty supper and good conversation, as is always the case when Mr. Bill comes to visit.

Source: https://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?artist&show&member=3&entry=24091

[Orbert]

As he gets older, Robert Fripp writes more and more like an eccentric college professor, and less like an actual human being.

[Nekov]

As he gets older, Robert Fripp writes more and more like an eccentric college professor, and less like an actual human being.

He's announcing King Crimson is back and that's what you pay attention to? Show some emotion god dammit!

[Orbert]

I like King Crimson a lot.  But not everything they touch is golden.  I was good with them up through the 80's, and even into the 90's with the double trio.  But a seven-piece band, with three drummers?  I'm looking forward to checking it out, but as with anything Robert Fripp says, I'll believe it when I see it.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I must admit, that update leaves me more than a little confused, but he's saying Crimson is back again?

[ColdFireYYZ]

I must admit, that update leaves me more than a little confused, but he's saying Crimson is back again?

Yep, they're back!!! With 7 members (3 of them are drummers)!

So excited about this!!!!!

[darkshade]

Oh man this is exciting. I hope there will be a new album this time.