Your favorite album by King Crimson?

[ytserush]

Sounds like Beat will be my next stop then

Once you grab the studio albums, you absolutely have to pick up the Absent Lovers live set.  It's the final show of the Discipline era, and the band is on fire!  They even add Red and Larks Part II in there as well, and those are killer.  I think it rivals any of the live work of the 72-74 incarnation of the band.

Legendary live album. Was my favorite King Crimson live album for a very long time.

[ytserush]

I’ve got the Live in Chicago one, and it’s very good. The version of Islands on it is amazing. I’ve heard bits of the Mexico one and it sounds good too. I’d say just compare the set lists to see which ones have the songs you like, though there is a good bit of overlap.

Doesn't matter if they have similar sets. The arrangements of the songs could be totally different and may not sound anything like the studio song for much of it.

But again, That is King Crimson. You either like them or you don't.

[millahh]

Is 72-74 Crimson the 'real' King Crimson?

If it has Robert Fripp, it's "real" King Crimson.

It's real even it doesn't have Fripp. Totally OK with a band of members and ex-members and no Fripp. This is bigger than Fripp. He may have even admitted that at one point.

Yep.  He had been planning on eventually passing the mantle to Trey Gunn, before Trey decided he'd rather go a different direction.

[darkshade]

I don't know, I'm a Fripp or bust kinda guy, same with Zappa. It would be like Opeth without Mikael Akerfeldt, Megadeth without Dave Mustaine, Dream Theater without Mike Portnoy, or Spock's Beard without Neal Morse. Oh wait, some of those things have happened and I don't like the final product nearly as much, if at all (post-MP DT, post-NM SB, any off-shoots of KC/Zappa bands)

[HOF]

Gordon Haskel, who sang and played bass on Lizard has passed away at age 74. Don’t think anyone has put Lizard among their favorite KC albums, but it’s a pretty interesting album IMO. To be honest, I couldn’t have named Gordon Haskel as the singer though.

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/gordon-haskell-king-crimson-dead/?fbclid=IwAR2fT5rPJhRSW0zynK8zGhDs6Ko_nlpBQeW4-CDYznr_NOh-_ZltmBJIgww

Just listened to Lizard for the first time in a long time. It’s really a pretty creative and colorful album. A lot going on there. I’d forgotten how cool Fripp’s closing guitar solo is on the title track. Keith Tippett’s (also lost this year) piano on the title track is also pretty outstanding.

[Lupton]

I've got plenty of love for Lizards (and Islands too). But neither are my favorite. I'd probably prefer to listen to either of those records before I'd reach for Larks/S&BB/Red. To be fair, there is not a single KC album I dislike

RIP Gordon Haskell

[HOF]

I've got plenty of love for Lizards (and Islands too). But neither are my favorite. I'd probably prefer to listen to either of those records before I'd reach for Larks/S&BB/Red. To be fair, there is not a single KC album I dislike

RIP Gordon Haskell

I like Islands a lot. Sailor’s Tale and Islands are two of my favorite KC tracks.

[Lupton]

I like Islands a lot. Sailor’s Tale and Islands are two of my favorite KC tracks.

  I've lots of fond memories associated with both of those tracks. Good times. Even managed to successfully convert some people into Crimson fans.

[IDontNotDoThings]

Gordon Haskel, who sang and played bass on Lizard has passed away at age 74. Don’t think anyone has put Lizard among their favorite KC albums, but it’s a pretty interesting album IMO. To be honest, I couldn’t have named Gordon Haskel as the singer though.

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/gordon-haskell-king-crimson-dead/?fbclid=IwAR2fT5rPJhRSW0zynK8zGhDs6Ko_nlpBQeW4-CDYznr_NOh-_ZltmBJIgww

Just listened to Lizard for the first time in a long time. It’s really a pretty creative and colorful album. A lot going on there. I’d forgotten how cool Fripp’s closing guitar solo is on the title track. Keith Tippett’s (also lost this year) piano on the title track is also pretty outstanding.

Mladen would like a word with you.

But yes, R.I.P. Gordon Haskell. May he rest in the Cirkus in the sky.

[Orbert]

I spin Lizard once in a while, just because it's so different.  The early days and the revolving-door lineups meant that each album was unique.  And that's actually kinda cool because with such varied influences and styles, there's lots of variety, and yet it's all King Crimson.  I have to admit that as a Yes fan, the original draw for this was learning that Jon Anderson provides vocals on "Prince Rupert Awakes" (part of the title suite) so I had to check it out anyway.  I ended up getting an imported Japanese vinyl edition that unfolds and everything, still one of my prized possessions.


I watched Three Of A Perfect Pair - Live In Japan 1984 yesterday.  I'd caught a one-hour edit (including commercials) on TV 30some years ago.  Recorded it, actually, so technically I still have it, but it's on BetaMax and I don't currently have any way to play it.  But I'd never seen the full-length video.  At 1:42, it seems to be the entire concert.  And it's freaking amazing!  Video quality is only fair, but sound quality is pretty good, and the performances are absolute smoke and fire.  Fantastic concert.  I'd originally set out to watch Déjà Vrooom, but saw this and had to watch it instead.  I have the Déjà Vrooom DVD, but the TV was on already and I was feeling lazy, having ingested a fairly large amount of what is now legal here in Illinois.  I've been getting a lot of use out of my new Roku, checking out concert vids and stuff.

[Stadler]

Is 72-74 Crimson the 'real' King Crimson?

If it has Robert Fripp, it's "real" King Crimson.

It's real even it doesn't have Fripp. Totally OK with a band of members and ex-members and no Fripp. This is bigger than Fripp. He may have even admitted that at one point.

He's said that a number of times.  I forget who it was, but at one point he told the rest of the band "you either need to fire (one guy) or fire me; it's not working with both of us", or something to that effect, and of course, they fired (the other guy).   I don't expect that it was as purely democratic as that, and I imagine legally, nothing happens with Crimson without Fripp approval, including proceeding without him.   

[darkshade]

RIP. I listened to Lizard recently, for the first time in ages. His voice throughout is very English, a bit dry sounding to me. Though not my favorite KC singer, his voice never turned me off because by the time I heard Lizard for the first time I had heard most other KC albums, and knew they almost always had an old-British-guy-sounding singer. This was before I knew much of anything in regards to Crimson lineups or paid attention to such. I didn't care for Lizard much at first, but it definitely grew on me and is one of the more interesting Crimson efforts, one that rewards repeated listens.

I always liked Lizard for its quirkiness and oddball, dark, circus-y theme in the first 4 songs (but it doesn't sound like circus music.) The title track, however, was always my favorite, it stands out from the rest of the album. This is one of the best progressive rock epics of all time. I honestly forgot how beautiful the song is, at least the first half, with Jon Anderson singing, and that great melody on the flute. Later on, the evil horns and Haskell returns to the mic, I like his vocals best here on the whole album. No offense to Haskell, though, but how awesome would it have been if the Lizard album was sung entirely by Jon Anderson instead.

[HOF]

RIP. I listened to Lizard recently, for the first time in ages. His voice throughout is very English, a bit dry sounding to me. Though not my favorite KC singer, his voice never turned me off because by the time I heard Lizard for the first time I had heard most other KC albums, and knew they almost always had an old-British-guy-sounding singer. This was before I knew much of anything in regards to Crimson lineups or paid attention to such. I didn't care for Lizard much at first, but it definitely grew on me and is one of the more interesting Crimson efforts, one that rewards repeated listens.

I always liked Lizard for its quirkiness and oddball, dark, circus-y theme in the first 4 songs (but it doesn't sound like circus music.) The title track, however, was always my favorite, it stands out from the rest of the album. This is one of the best progressive rock epics of all time. I honestly forgot how beautiful the song is, at least the first half, with Jon Anderson singing, and that great melody on the flute. Later on, the evil horns and Haskell returns to the mic, I like his vocals best here on the whole album. No offense to Haskell, though, but how awesome would it have been if the Lizard album was sung entirely by Jon Anderson instead.

Haha, very much this re: the old British singer thing KC had going really until Belew. I think even Wetton purposely made himself sound like an old dude while in KC (he didn’t give off the same vibe in Asia or his solo stuff). Wetton was 24 when he joined KC!

[Stadler]

RIP. I listened to Lizard recently, for the first time in ages. His voice throughout is very English, a bit dry sounding to me. Though not my favorite KC singer, his voice never turned me off because by the time I heard Lizard for the first time I had heard most other KC albums, and knew they almost always had an old-British-guy-sounding singer. This was before I knew much of anything in regards to Crimson lineups or paid attention to such. I didn't care for Lizard much at first, but it definitely grew on me and is one of the more interesting Crimson efforts, one that rewards repeated listens.

I always liked Lizard for its quirkiness and oddball, dark, circus-y theme in the first 4 songs (but it doesn't sound like circus music.) The title track, however, was always my favorite, it stands out from the rest of the album. This is one of the best progressive rock epics of all time. I honestly forgot how beautiful the song is, at least the first half, with Jon Anderson singing, and that great melody on the flute. Later on, the evil horns and Haskell returns to the mic, I like his vocals best here on the whole album. No offense to Haskell, though, but how awesome would it have been if the Lizard album was sung entirely by Jon Anderson instead.

Haha, very much this re: the old British singer thing KC had going really until Belew. I think even Wetton purposely made himself sound like an old dude while in KC (he didn’t give off the same vibe in Asia or his solo stuff). Wetton was 24 when he joined KC!

Exactly!!!!  Especially so on Larks Tongue, and to a lesser extent on Starless.  He even had a a sort of "mush mouth" delivery that belied the clean, clear tone he used later for the Asia, UK and solo stuff (Wetton is actually one of my favorite singers of all time).   

[HOF]

RIP. I listened to Lizard recently, for the first time in ages. His voice throughout is very English, a bit dry sounding to me. Though not my favorite KC singer, his voice never turned me off because by the time I heard Lizard for the first time I had heard most other KC albums, and knew they almost always had an old-British-guy-sounding singer. This was before I knew much of anything in regards to Crimson lineups or paid attention to such. I didn't care for Lizard much at first, but it definitely grew on me and is one of the more interesting Crimson efforts, one that rewards repeated listens.

I always liked Lizard for its quirkiness and oddball, dark, circus-y theme in the first 4 songs (but it doesn't sound like circus music.) The title track, however, was always my favorite, it stands out from the rest of the album. This is one of the best progressive rock epics of all time. I honestly forgot how beautiful the song is, at least the first half, with Jon Anderson singing, and that great melody on the flute. Later on, the evil horns and Haskell returns to the mic, I like his vocals best here on the whole album. No offense to Haskell, though, but how awesome would it have been if the Lizard album was sung entirely by Jon Anderson instead.

Haha, very much this re: the old British singer thing KC had going really until Belew. I think even Wetton purposely made himself sound like an old dude while in KC (he didn’t give off the same vibe in Asia or his solo stuff). Wetton was 24 when he joined KC!

Exactly!!!!  Especially so on Larks Tongue, and to a lesser extent on Starless.  He even had a a sort of "mush mouth" delivery that belied the clean, clear tone he used later for the Asia, UK and solo stuff (Wetton is actually one of my favorite singers of all time).

I’ve never gotten much into Asia or U.K., but two things he did that I thought were great outside of KC were The Tokyo Tapes concert with Hackett and his solo album Battle Lines.

[Stadler]

I know it's much maligned (and I can even understand why - though I whole-heartedly disagree) but those first two Asia albums are STILL go-to records, 40 years later. 

[The Walrus]

I know it's much maligned (and I can even understand why - though I whole-heartedly disagree) but those first two Asia albums are STILL go-to records, 40 years later. 

 

My only correction is that Alpha kicks the crap out of the first one. That and XXX are imo far and away the best Asia records. I wish XXX was on Spotify.

[darkshade]

I never got into Asia, but that first UK album is great. Can't go wrong with Wetton, Bruford, Eddie Jobson, and Allan Holdsworth.

[me7]

Sounds like Beat will be my next stop then

Also don't wait too long to try Thrak.
KC albums can be grouped into three eras, 70s, 80s and 90s/00s. I think it's best to experience all three of them early and then dive deeper.

[darkshade]

Sounds like Beat will be my next stop then

Also don't wait too long to try Thrak.
KC albums can be grouped into three eras, 70s, 80s and 90s/00s. I think it's best to experience all three of them early and then dive deeper.

I put the two 2000s albums in their own category. They're way different and harsher albums than THRAK, while also incorporating world music. A companion EP called Happy To Be With What You Have To Be Happy With came out in the early 2000s which has more music from this era with unreleased music.

THRAK is like a more evil, slightly funky version of the 80s band while also looking ahead to what they would do in the 00s.

THRAK goes better with VROOOM, and The Projekts for me.

[HOF]

Sounds like Beat will be my next stop then

Also don't wait too long to try Thrak.
KC albums can be grouped into three eras, 70s, 80s and 90s/00s. I think it's best to experience all three of them early and then dive deeper.

I put the two 2000s albums in their own category. They're way different and harsher albums than THRAK, while also incorporating world music. A companion EP called Happy To Be With What You Have To Be Happy With came out in the early 2000s which has more music from this era with unreleased music.

THRAK is like a more evil, slightly funky version of the 80s band while also looking ahead to what they would do in the 00s.

THRAK goes better with VROOOM, and The Projekts for me.

I dunno, I think of Thrak as pretty unique and distinct from the three 80s albums. Production is quite different, you had the whole 2 drummer/double trio thing. It’s closer to Construcktion of Light than Three of a Perfect Pair, though that one is quite unique as well. I would say each of Thrak, COL, and Power to Believe are pretty distinct.

Edit: I really screwed up the quote text earlier.

[The Letter M]

Sounds like Beat will be my next stop then

Also don't wait too long to try Thrak.
KC albums can be grouped into three eras, 70s, 80s and 90s/00s. I think it's best to experience all three of them early and then dive deeper.

I put them in 4 distinct sections, personally speaking: the first four albums, then John Welton era, the 80s/Below era, and the 90s/00s era, though  as darkshade said, THRAK could be its own era in the 90s with the ProjeKcts.

-Marc.

[Stadler]

Welton and Below.  That makes me laugh (in a friendly way).

So, question for the experts:  how do you pronounce Adrian's last name?   Beh-LOO?   "BAY-loo"?  I had a chance to talk to Sean Lennon and Les Claypool, and I wanted to ask them about King Crimson (they covered In The Court Of The Crimson King on their last tour) but I couldn't figure out how to ask the question I wanted to without mentioning Adrian, and I didn't want to mispronounce his name, so I never did ask.   

 

[HOF]

Welton and Below.  That makes me laugh (in a friendly way).

So, question for the experts:  how do you pronounce Adrian's last name?   Beh-LOO?   "BAY-loo"?  I had a chance to talk to Sean Lennon and Les Claypool, and I wanted to ask them about King Crimson (they covered In The Court Of The Crimson King on their last tour) but I couldn't figure out how to ask the question I wanted to without mentioning Adrian, and I didn't want to mispronounce his name, so I never did ask.   

 

I thought it was like Beh-LOO, but I’m not sure if I’ve heard it or just made it up in my head.

Edit: here you go from the man himself!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ93rucNVBI

[Orbert]

Frank Zappa pronounced it beh-LOO, and he was quite particular about getting details like that right, so my friends and I have always pronounced it beh-LOO.

[The Letter M]

 

Dumb auto-correct and typing when half-awake.

Wetton and Belew.

-Marc.

[IDontNotDoThings]

Welton and Below.  That makes me laugh (in a friendly way).

So, question for the experts:  how do you pronounce Adrian's last name?   Beh-LOO?   "BAY-loo"?  I had a chance to talk to Sean Lennon and Les Claypool, and I wanted to ask them about King Crimson (they covered In The Court Of The Crimson King on their last tour) but I couldn't figure out how to ask the question I wanted to without mentioning Adrian, and I didn't want to mispronounce his name, so I never did ask.   

 

I thought it was like Beh-LOO, but I’m not sure if I’ve heard it or just made it up in my head.

Edit: here you go from the man himself!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ93rucNVBI

I was half expecting the link to be this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJGQ-mDgcL8 

[HOF]

Welton and Below.  That makes me laugh (in a friendly way).

So, question for the experts:  how do you pronounce Adrian's last name?   Beh-LOO?   "BAY-loo"?  I had a chance to talk to Sean Lennon and Les Claypool, and I wanted to ask them about King Crimson (they covered In The Court Of The Crimson King on their last tour) but I couldn't figure out how to ask the question I wanted to without mentioning Adrian, and I didn't want to mispronounce his name, so I never did ask.   

 

I thought it was like Beh-LOO, but I’m not sure if I’ve heard it or just made it up in my head.

Edit: here you go from the man himself!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ93rucNVBI

I was half expecting the link to be this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJGQ-mDgcL8 

That’s probably where I heard it pronounced!

[ytserush]

Is 72-74 Crimson the 'real' King Crimson?

If it has Robert Fripp, it's "real" King Crimson.

It's real even it doesn't have Fripp. Totally OK with a band of members and ex-members and no Fripp. This is bigger than Fripp. He may have even admitted that at one point.

He's said that a number of times.  I forget who it was, but at one point he told the rest of the band "you either need to fire (one guy) or fire me; it's not working with both of us", or something to that effect, and of course, they fired (the other guy).   I don't expect that it was as purely democratic as that, and I imagine legally, nothing happens with Crimson without Fripp approval, including proceeding without him.

Well Fripp, albeit reluctantly, excels at the business side of music and the rights of artists which he had to learn the hard way back in the '70s and '80s. He's one of the few musicians who has mastered the business side with respect to artists' rights. On that front at least, he's irreplaceable.

[ytserush]

I know it's much maligned (and I can even understand why - though I whole-heartedly disagree) but those first two Asia albums are STILL go-to records, 40 years later.

Love the first three even though Howe isn't on the third and I think all of the reunion albums are pretty sweet too. Can't get enough Asia from 1982-1990 and 2006 to 2014.

[ytserush]

I never got into Asia, but that first UK album is great. Can't go wrong with Wetton, Bruford, Eddie Jobson, and Allan Holdsworth.

Dig those three UK albums and Bruford's projects as well.  Great stuff.

[HOF]

So I’m finishing up my first listen to the new Jakko Jakzyk album, Secrets & Lies, and it’s really impressive. Probably the closest thing we’ll get to a new KC studio album as most of the current lineup appears on it (Fripp, Gavin, Levin, Collins) and a couple of the songs grew out of KC writing sessions and have obvious KC overtones. This is the ultimate gray winter day album I think. Pretty gloomy lyrical subject matter, but a lot of beauty in a strange way that you’d expect from the KC family of musicians.

[LudwigVan]

RIP. I listened to Lizard recently, for the first time in ages. His voice throughout is very English, a bit dry sounding to me. Though not my favorite KC singer, his voice never turned me off because by the time I heard Lizard for the first time I had heard most other KC albums, and knew they almost always had an old-British-guy-sounding singer. This was before I knew much of anything in regards to Crimson lineups or paid attention to such. I didn't care for Lizard much at first, but it definitely grew on me and is one of the more interesting Crimson efforts, one that rewards repeated listens.

I always liked Lizard for its quirkiness and oddball, dark, circus-y theme in the first 4 songs (but it doesn't sound like circus music.) The title track, however, was always my favorite, it stands out from the rest of the album. This is one of the best progressive rock epics of all time. I honestly forgot how beautiful the song is, at least the first half, with Jon Anderson singing, and that great melody on the flute. Later on, the evil horns and Haskell returns to the mic, I like his vocals best here on the whole album. No offense to Haskell, though, but how awesome would it have been if the Lizard album was sung entirely by Jon Anderson instead.

Haha, very much this re: the old British singer thing KC had going really until Belew. I think even Wetton purposely made himself sound like an old dude while in KC (he didn’t give off the same vibe in Asia or his solo stuff). Wetton was 24 when he joined KC!

Exactly!!!!  Especially so on Larks Tongue, and to a lesser extent on Starless.  He even had a a sort of "mush mouth" delivery that belied the clean, clear tone he used later for the Asia, UK and solo stuff (Wetton is actually one of my favorite singers of all time).

LOL that transformation in his vocals was always baffling. Wetton went from mumbling to progheads to crooning to schoolgirls. From a hairy caterpillar to a butterfly in full flight.

As for Adrian Belew, he's a fantastic talent, no matter that he sounds uncannily like David Byrne.

[ytserush]

RIP. I listened to Lizard recently, for the first time in ages. His voice throughout is very English, a bit dry sounding to me. Though not my favorite KC singer, his voice never turned me off because by the time I heard Lizard for the first time I had heard most other KC albums, and knew they almost always had an old-British-guy-sounding singer. This was before I knew much of anything in regards to Crimson lineups or paid attention to such. I didn't care for Lizard much at first, but it definitely grew on me and is one of the more interesting Crimson efforts, one that rewards repeated listens.

I always liked Lizard for its quirkiness and oddball, dark, circus-y theme in the first 4 songs (but it doesn't sound like circus music.) The title track, however, was always my favorite, it stands out from the rest of the album. This is one of the best progressive rock epics of all time. I honestly forgot how beautiful the song is, at least the first half, with Jon Anderson singing, and that great melody on the flute. Later on, the evil horns and Haskell returns to the mic, I like his vocals best here on the whole album. No offense to Haskell, though, but how awesome would it have been if the Lizard album was sung entirely by Jon Anderson instead.

Haha, very much this re: the old British singer thing KC had going really until Belew. I think even Wetton purposely made himself sound like an old dude while in KC (he didn’t give off the same vibe in Asia or his solo stuff). Wetton was 24 when he joined KC!

Exactly!!!!  Especially so on Larks Tongue, and to a lesser extent on Starless.  He even had a a sort of "mush mouth" delivery that belied the clean, clear tone he used later for the Asia, UK and solo stuff (Wetton is actually one of my favorite singers of all time).

LOL that transformation in his vocals was always baffling. Wetton went from mumbling to progheads to crooning to schoolgirls. From a hairy caterpillar to a butterfly in full flight.

As for Adrian Belew, he's a fantastic talent, no matter that he sounds uncannily like David Byrne.

Yeah........Belew and Byrne are very similar stylistically.