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RPG: In The Court Of The Crimson King vs. Three Sides Live


choose one  

19 members have voted

  1. 1. album

    • King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King
    • Genesis - Three Sides Live
  2. 2. band

  3. 3. singer



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I think Genesis is more popular around here, especially this period when they were first transitioning into being pop stars, but still retaining a lot of their earlier prog muscle. That said, ITCOTCK is among the most beloved flag bearers of progressive rock in the genre's history, and considering Rush attract a lot of prog fans as well, I imagine this record is well liked by many here too. So interesting will be the results.

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I voted as follows -

 

COTCK - easily

 

Genesis - Based solely on the Gabriel era output

 

Lake - a very underrated vocalist. (But if it was v Gabriel, I would vote Gabriel).

Edited by zepphead
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4 hours ago, zepphead said:

I voted as follows -

 

COTCK - easily

 

Genesis - Based solely on the Gabriel era output

 

Lake - a very underrated vocalist. (But if it was v Gabriel, I would vote Gabriel).

Exactly

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Would it shock anyone that i'm not a big crimson guy?  i think not, lol

 

they never really grabbed me that's not to say i hate them but never excited me.

 

So i go

 

Three Sides Live

Genesis

Lake (i love Phil but Greg is a better vocalist)

 

Mick

Edited by bluefox4000
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I went with Three Sides Live (although it's not as good as Seconds Out . . .) because I've never really been able to embrace King Crimson. Too much discordant anti-melody or something, I guess. 

 

Genesis, then, for me, but -- to echo Zepphead -- it's the Gabriel-era stuff that clinches it.

 

Phil Collins is fine for what he does, but Greg Lake had a quality I always liked in ELP(s).

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2 hours ago, Nova Carmina said:

I went with Three Sides Live (although it's not as good as Seconds Out . . .) because I've never really been able to embrace King Crimson. Too much discordant anti-melody or something, I guess. 

 

Genesis, then, for me, but -- to echo Zepphead -- it's the Gabriel-era stuff that clinches it.

 

Phil Collins is fine for what he does, but Greg Lake had a quality I always liked in ELP(s).

The I Talk To The Wind chord sequence demonstrates enough melodic mettle,  in itself.

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ItCotCK is a great album, although I like Red a bit more from that early KC era.  Genesis from that era is a whatever for me.  Just not my vibe.

 

However, later 70s/80s Genesis is some of my favorite pop prog(?) ever created.

 

Greg Lake is one of my favorite rock singers.  He must rank among the very best across all rock genres, right?  Phil, on the other hand, is fine and has come up with some good melodies over the years but just doesn't have a pleasing enough voice to be in the same poll.

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36 minutes ago, Rick N. Backer said:

Had Collins not taken over, this would be “none,” across the board.

Now how did I know you’re not a Crimhead?

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On 5/27/2022 at 4:03 AM, custom55 said:

Exactly

I'll take Collins the better singer.  I think he has a phenomenally expressive voice.  

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Firmly in camp Krim.  Don't get me wrong, I love Genesis.  But for me, Crimson is King.

 

That said, the comparison of ItCotCK vs. 3SL is, at best, a very unbalanced - the iconic 1969 studio debut of a classic prog band vs. a 1982 live album featuring only a hint of the band's original prog mastery (and only the ghosts of two former key members.)  For that reason, in my book, not even close.  To give Court a run for it's money, put it up against Selling England by the Pound or even Foxtrot.  A more apt Crim comparison for 3SL would be Absent Lovers.

Edited by cygnify
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I'm kinda amazed how much traction this one got!  It took me a long time, but as much as I love Three Sides Live, I don't think I can confidently say the record really does justice to how awesome the Abacab and Duke material must have sounded live on that tour. It feels kinda hollow compared to the studio cuts, and I doubt it felt hollow in person. The prog medley almost totally makes up for it though, and the studio side is rich with good stuff as well. But... In The Court Of The Crimson King just has a slightly better ratio of fantastic to merely good or passable stuff. I'm not a big fan of Moonchild's aimless meandering improv (and it's not anything to do with KC's improv in general, for example their 73-74 live jams are phenomenal, and often even better than the actual structured songs they played), but the rest of the record is fantastic, and the sound (well, the remixed/remastered sound of the versions I have) still holds up today as otherworldly and clear as crystal.

 

But Genesis for the band. Much as I love KC, they don't always hit perfectly with me, though I respect them even at their least enjoyable (The Devil's Triangle for instance...). Genesis have almost nothing I haven't come to love from Tresspass through W&W and from Duke through Invisible Touch.  I'm not huge on ATTWT; trying to continue in the same priggish vein without Hackett just feels like treading water. And We Can't Dance has a phenomenal follow up to Invisible Touch buried beneath about 4 or 5 filler tracks that probably belonged on one of Phil's solo albums.

 

Speaking of Phil. Greg Lake is great and all, but Collins takes the cake for me. Lake's voice is pretty and very well suited to the material he sings on in ELP and KC, but Phil's voice can go from achingly beautiful to funny to desperate to forlorn to downright scary in a heartbeat. 

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On 6/5/2022 at 12:05 AM, Entre_Perpetuo said:

I'm kinda amazed how much traction this one got!  It took me a long time, but as much as I love Three Sides Live, I don't think I can confidently say the record really does justice to how awesome the Abacab and Duke material must have sounded live on that tour. It feels kinda hollow compared to the studio cuts, and I doubt it felt hollow in person. The prog medley almost totally makes up for it though, and the studio side is rich with good stuff as well.

 

Three Sides (or Four Sides depending on which version I listen to) is my favorite Genesis live album. I think it sounds great and I prefer the live versions over the ones on Duke and Abacab. But if you're looking for a different experience, try the Lyceum 1980 bootleg which is an incredible document from that time period. In many ways it's even better (not overly processed)

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