King Crimson

Any King Crimson fans around here (looks at Fenris )
I've recently started listening to their stuff, and i'm pretty impressed. Really enjoy Fripp's guitar work, its simple but effective and i can see how they influenced Tool so much.
Anyway, as i'm a King Crimson Newb, i have a few questions.

What would people recommend as their "heavier" stuff? (So far it seems to be from the Red album i think)

What album is the best to start with? i've only downloaded a load of random tracks, but with prog bands its really best to listen to the entire album, or at least thats what i've always found.

What songs are their most "epic"? So far my favourite would have to be "Starless and Bible Black". The way it builds up to that end bass part is amazing, and then the distorted bass at the end really kicks the song up a gear.

By the way, when you talk about the song Starless and Bible Black, you are in reality referring to the song Starless. There's another song called Starless and Bible Black but it's an intrumental improvisation on the album of the same name. The internet messed up the names.

Red is indeed probably their heavier stuff. One thing to understand is that KC were never really an heavy band, but they do have a couple of heavy song. I think the three albums one should start with with KC is (keep in mind that they constantly changed their sound, and there's not many of their albums that sounds alike):

In the Court of the Crimson King: Their first, groundbreaking, innovative and very influential album. Probably the album that defined progressive music.

Red: Just for the quality on the songs on it, especially Red and Starless (which is also my favorite song).

Discipline: A come back in 1981 after 7 years of absence, the first line up Fripp kept intact for more than 1 album. It really marks a new era in the KC sound, I'd say it's a little more pop (but saying KC is more pop doesn't mean it's pop music you know), the musicianship is incredible with what is their most notorious line-up, basically every musician on there is a legend.

My personal favourite is Lizard mainly for the "Prince rupert awakes song". Then I would recommend LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC and STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK

For epic, In the Court of the Crimson King is probably together with In the Wake of Poseidon their most epic work.

If you enjoy Fripp's guitar I suggest you look for Damage (1994 with David Sylvian)....
:original:

Thanks for clearing that up Fenris, i'd noticed that there seemed to be 2 songs with similiar names.

I'll look into the albums you've both suggested.

You guys seem to have covered most of the best stuff, although there are good bits on all of their albums. My personal favourites are Red, Starless and Bibleblack, and Larks Tongues in Aspic, in no particular order. I have some great bootlegs from that era too.

However, dismiss the later King crimsons at your peril. The 80's stuff rocks. Discipline is an incredible album, and Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair are great too. It's a completely different style from the prog rock days, but there is still creativity and musicianship in bucketloads, albeit without the legendary John Wetton. I love the multilayered polyrythmic groovyness of songs like Thela Hun Ginjeet, with incredibly elaborate time signatures to get lost in and confused by.

In the 90's they started to experiment with a sound bordering on thrash metal at times, and with the curious "dual trio" sixpiece. There's some greatness on VROOOM, but it's not their best album.

Since then I have slightly lost track of what they have been up to, but I can recommend Heavy ConstuKction, a blisteringly good live album featuring their 2000 four piece lineup. Once again, they sound completely different to what came before. There are some excellent energetic punk-rock style live improvisations, the reckless and uncomplicated feel of which is something completely new for King Crimson and in sharp contrast with their usually deliberate, intricate material.

An amazing and unique band that undergo constant metamorphosis. I'm probably the only person alive who likes every era of their music and every incarnation of the band.

Originally Posted by Nihil

However, dismiss the later King crimsons at your peril. The 80's stuff rocks. Discipline is an incredible album, and Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair are great too.

I completly agree.

An amazing and unique band that undergo constant metamorphosis. I'm probably the only person alive who likes every era of thier music and every incarnation of the band.

No you're not.




I just like Fripp way of describing King Crimson:
(from memory it gives...) "King Crimson is not a band, it's a way to do things."

Since there's almost as many line-ups as there has been albums...

My personal favourite is Lizard

Yes, it's also among my favorites.

My sister-in-law loves King Crimson and tried to get me into them, but I find it a little, I don't know ... pretentious? Too prog? I should probably get one of their albums to appreciate them more.

Originally Posted by Justinian

but I find it a little, I don't know ... pretentious? Too prog?

You have indeed identified their greatest weakness. It only mars some of their stuff though, so don't be put off by it or you'll be missing out.

It depends to which era of KG you are refering Just. Pretencious is something that can be said with few exceptions for all prog rock, but 30 years later we can look beyond that. I suggest you try Goldbluff by Van der Graaf generator or The Lamb lies down on Broadway by Genesis.

As for KG, Nihil you're not the only one..I have everything up to Three of...in vinyl...hehe

Originally Posted by Garbarsardar

As for KG, Nihil you're not the only one..I have everything up to Three of...in vinyl...hehe

If that is true...then why do you call them KG!!??

I kid, I kid. I've got Red, Starless and Bibleblack, Beat and Discipline on vinyl, and a bunch of CDs. Darned good stuff.

By the way Rhah, Starless is probably my favourite song. Not just the ripping earth-shattering bass, but what about the incredible barrage of percussion? God dammit! That song is of of my favourites ever, by any band, along with Fracture - have you heard that one yet? I pity anybody who hasn't heard it, for they have not lived. :original:

Originally Posted by Nihil

By the way Rhah, Starless is probably my favourite song. Not just the ripping earth-shattering bass, but what about the incredible barrage of percussion? God dammit! That song is of of my favourites ever, by any band, along with Fracture - have you heard that one yet? I pity anybody who hasn't heard it, for they have not lived. :original:

This song is simply everyone's favorite... I remember I heard this song from a bunch of downloads, and I was... what... the... ****... this is too frigging good... then I went to check what CD it was on to go buy it asap, I checked it and every review of this CD said: Starless is the most amazing song ever or stuff along these lines.

The drumming by Bill Bruford on this song is simply perfect, it's Perfection with a capital P. And so is the bass... scratch this, the song is perfect. End of the story.

Originally Posted by Garbarsardar

The Lamb lies down on Broadway by Genesis.

Heard it, thought it was overblown and pretentious ... maybe I just need to get used to prog rock, but I far prefer songs which don't try to be so confusingly profound.

Originally Posted by Justinian

Heard it, thought it was overblown and pretentious ... maybe I just need to get used to prog rock, but I far prefer songs which don't try to be so confusingly profound.

You have a point, but the best moments of King Crimson are their episodes of what Fripp called "organised chaos", rather than their studied and poised prog posturing. You won't hear music more explosive and impassioned.

.. scratch this, the song is perfect. End of the story.

Yup, but Fracture may be its equal, I contend.