King Crimson

[Finbar]

King Crimson is my favourite band. Personally, I love every studio album equally, but I am curious to know what my fellow Crimheads on the Rush forum think.

[ReRushed]

Without doubt, Red. A lot of people on this forum consider Side 1 of Moving Pictures the perfect album side. I think Side 1 of Red is a tad bit better. "Red" is devastating, it's as good an instrumental as there is. "Fallen Angel" is a perfect song, IMHO. I love Fripp's acoustic guitar. I also believe it's Wetton's best vocal performance. "One More Red Nightmare" is Bruford at his best. I thank God he found that cymbal in the trash! And his drum fills are superb and sublime. "Providence" is the weak link, but it has grown on me over time, although I do prefer "Asbury Park" from USA, as far as Crimson improvs go. "Starless" could be my favorite song of all time. I love everything about it. That "twicky twicky" one note guitar solo gets me every time. The mellotron. That great bass line. The drumming. The saxophone. Everything is great. I just wish I was a better writer, I just can't get my appreciation across with words.

 

Larks' Tongues in Aspic and Discipline are both a close second and The Power to Believe has grown on me considerably. Also, In the Court of the Crimson King is among the greatest debut albums of all time. I've always had a soft spot for Three of a Perfect Pair being it was the first Crimson album I bought.

 

Gosh, they're good.

[doubled_mystic]

Court of the Crimson King is my favorite, it was my intro to King Crimson, and I think it is a brilliant work of art. Edited January 27, 2007 by doubled_mystic

[the masked drummer]

I Voted for LTIA. Red is awesome and so is TOAPP. tough poll!!! OK, 1st album is great but not the be all to end all like radio play suggests...

[Hatchetaxe&saw]

I love all the albums, but Red is my favourite.

It's such a dark, nihilistic work. Amazing from start to finish.

[bardan]

Red hands down! One More Red Nightmare is probably my favorite King Crimson song.

[rushgoober]

Without a doubt, and one of the absolutely best albums in creation:

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f72/rushgoober5/rushgoober6/lizard1.jpg

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f72/rushgoober5/rushgoober6/lizard2.jpg

 

I guess I can understand why some people don't rate this higher. It's ridiculously complex, and therefore, perhaps a bit difficult listening, but that doesn't stop me from loving it. In fact, that's why I love it. It's SO involved and complex, but really beautiful too. Unmatched IMHO, pure genius...

[Larks]

KC are my favorite band as well. i can even say that they changed my life in any way..

 

my favorite album is Red and second place is In the court.

 

Epitaph and Starless are just...... WOW

 

 

[Finbar]

Just as I figured, a lotta praise on Red.

 

It actually took me a lot longer to appreciate than most other King Crimson albums. I love it now, of course. Fallen Angel is one of about half a dozen songs that have ever made me cry, (all King Crimson) and that was before I got into the album as a whole.

I always figured, since it's their most successful album that isn't the debut, (or maybe just the most well-revered among us fans) that it'd be the one to show people. I haven't had a lot of luck with that. Pretty much everybody I've shown Starless to didn't like the middle bit in 13/8. People have even volunteered their ill opinion on that part when I was just listening to it and not showing it to anyone.

 

The exception is my buddy Sam, the sanest cat I know, who I lent Red to, and he, quote, "loved the polyrhythms" and his favourite track was the last, which he described as, quote, "epic."

 

Other than Sam, (who plays drums in my band ) I've just given up on showing people King Crimson, and it's a shame 'cause their music is what I'm most passionate about. I'm sure glad I got my internet pals to talk with about my two favourite bands to my heart's content. You responded to this King Crimson thread on this Rush forum after all.

[Larks]

Robert fripp=God (:

[KublaKhan]

Red is my favorite album by them, even though In the Court introduced them to me (I still remember the day when I first heard "21st Century Schizoid Man"). In the Court, In The Wake and Lizard are also wicked.

 

Out of all the KC albums ive heard, the only one I didnt exactly enjoy was Islands (even though Ladies of the road is a good song).

 

I havnt heard much of there stuff with Adrian, only Elephant Talk and Sleepless (which I both love).

 

Definitely getting some KC on CD when I go away.

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (KublaKhan @ Jan 27 2007, 02:52 PM)

Red is my favorite album by them, even though In the Court introduced them to me (I still remember the day when I first heard "21st Century Schizoid Man"). In the Court, In The Wake and Lizard are also wicked. Out of all the KC albums ive heard, the only one I didnt exactly enjoy was Islands (even though Ladies of the road is a good song). I havnt heard much of there stuff with Adrian, only Elephant Talk and Sleepless (which I both love). Definitely getting some KC on CD when I go away.

I agree, of all the early studio KC albums, Islands is by FAR the weakest. How they went from Lizard to Islands is a marvel.

[Finbar]

QUOTE (KublaKhan @ Jan 27 2007, 05:52 PM)

I havnt heard much of there stuff with Adrian, only Elephant Talk and Sleepless (which I both love). Definitely getting some KC on CD when I go away.

Dude, you are in for a TREAT!

[Rush!]

I only have In The Court and Lizard on CD. I have to say I enjoy the debut more but Lizard is still pretty good. I'll collect more eventually.

[Mandalorian Hunter]

Has to be Larks' Tongues In Aspic for me.

[Finbar]

QUOTE (Mandalorian Hunter @ Jan 28 2007, 02:44 PM)

Has to be Larks' Tongues In Aspic for me.

Great lyrics on that one, eh?

[Larks]

Larks tongues in aspic is a groundbraking album.

 

This album is early metal at its best.

 

 

The drums in this album.... wow

 

 

Early prog king crimson albums are just amazing(can't stand most of the 80s-90s albums that are not prog at all though...)

 

 

[Mandalorian Hunter]

QUOTE (Finbar @ Jan 28 2007, 07:56 PM)

QUOTE (Mandalorian Hunter @ Jan 28 2007, 02:44 PM) Has to be Larks' Tongues In Aspic for me. Great lyrics on that one, eh? The lyrics are excellent on this album. Really strong.   None are as good as Fallen Angel, but i think the lyrics are good on that one because of the music. Exiles has some good lyrics.

[Finbar]

QUOTE (Mandalorian Hunter @ Jan 28 2007, 03:09 PM)

QUOTE (Finbar @ Jan 28 2007, 07:56 PM) QUOTE (Mandalorian Hunter @ Jan 28 2007, 02:44 PM) Has to be Larks' Tongues In Aspic for me. Great lyrics on that one, eh? The lyrics are excellent on this album. Really strong.   None are as good as Fallen Angel, but i think the lyrics are good on that one because of the music. Exiles has some good lyrics. Fallen Angel does have some of my favourite King Crimson lyrics but.... I think One More Red Nightmare has terrible lyrics. Not that I mind, I think it's one of those dig-the-tune-ignore-the-lyrics songs but... yeah.   I think, as a whole, my favourite King Crimson album lyrically would have to be either Discipline, Beat or Three of a Perfect Pair.

[Larks]

my favorite KC lyrics are in:In the court...

 

Peter seinfeld is such an amazing writer..

 

and the voice of Greg lake... it's sad that the original lineup didnt last for another 5-6 albums that are pure prog genius like In the court..

 

 

[KublaKhan]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Jan 27 2007, 08:27 PM)

QUOTE (KublaKhan @ Jan 27 2007, 02:52 PM) Red is my favorite album by them, even though In the Court introduced them to me (I still remember the day when I first heard "21st Century Schizoid Man"). In the Court, In The Wake and Lizard are also wicked. Out of all the KC albums ive heard, the only one I didnt exactly enjoy was Islands (even though Ladies of the road is a good song). I havnt heard much of there stuff with Adrian, only Elephant Talk and Sleepless (which I both love). Definitely getting some KC on CD when I go away. I agree, of all the early studio KC albums, Islands is by FAR the weakest. How they went from Lizard to Islands is a marvel. Its most likely Boz. his singing is iffy, and Fripp taught him how to play bass becasue they would have been short a bassist.     Actually, I feel like listening to some Crimson right now!

[Finbar]

QUOTE (KublaKhan @ Jan 28 2007, 05:52 PM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Jan 27 2007, 08:27 PM) QUOTE (KublaKhan @ Jan 27 2007, 02:52 PM) Red is my favorite album by them, even though In the Court introduced them to me (I still remember the day when I first heard "21st Century Schizoid Man"). In the Court, In The Wake and Lizard are also wicked. Out of all the KC albums ive heard, the only one I didnt exactly enjoy was Islands (even though Ladies of the road is a good song). I havnt heard much of there stuff with Adrian, only Elephant Talk and Sleepless (which I both love). Definitely getting some KC on CD when I go away. I agree, of all the early studio KC albums, Islands is by FAR the weakest. How they went from Lizard to Islands is a marvel. Its most likely Boz. his singing is iffy, and Fripp taught him how to play bass becasue they would have been short a bassist.     Actually, I feel like listening to some Crimson right now! I LOVE Islands.

[The Rocinante]

I haven't heard alot of KC, but what I've heard is good. I picked ICKC. I really liked discipline too...

 

Why all the votes for Red? It's a very good album but IMO nowhere near as good as the ones I mentioned above

[Finbar]

QUOTE (The Rocinante @ Jan 28 2007, 09:32 PM)

I haven't heard alot of KC, but what I've heard is good. I picked ICKC. I really liked discipline too... Why all the votes for Red? It's a very good album but IMO nowhere near as good as the ones I mentioned above

It rocks out harder than those two?

 

I love every King Crimson album pretty much equally, but Red does seem to be the most well-revered among fans.

 

The albums with the most rock-out factor are Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black, Red, THRAK and The Power to Believe. As my friend Dane once put it, "When King Crimson wants to rock, they know how to do it."

[ReRushed]

QUOTE (Finbar @ Jan 29 2007, 01:14 AM)

"When King Crimson wants to rock, they know how to do it."

I love the part in "Fracture" around 7:40 into it - the crunching guitar just jolts you, then the bass and drums kicking it. Wow. The barely audible "wooh" at around 8:26. Brilliant stuff.