Do you King Crimson?

mike65

For years the only track I knew was 21st Century Schiziod Man but recently I've been plundering the interweb picking up mp3s here and there having become a fan via youtube. Elephant Talk live version here really caught my imagination and I reckon a live CD purchase can't be too far away!

Any fans here and if so which era do you rate - 70s 'trad-prog' or 80s 'alt-rock with prog' or the 90s 'hard rock with a bit of prog thrown in'?

Mike.

John

Yes and no. Some of their stuff is deadly. I was listening to Red the other day and I'd forgotten how mind bendingly great it is. However, their albums from the last 15 years or so have done nothing for me. Not bad but not that interesting.

Alucard II

i'd pretty much agree with John, newer era stuff isnt as interesting at all at all.

Karl Hungus

I've got "In The Court Of The Crimson King" and "Red" aswell as the "Eyes Wide Open" DVD. I've not really looked at the DVD much though, but the aforementioned albums are just phenominal pieces of music, can't say enough good things about them.

DublinWriter

Funny, but I only really liked them during the periods that Bill Bruford was on drums.

A lot of Fripp's solo-stuff is cak, basically, his solo LP "Let the Power Fall" is basically the same instrumental song in 8 different keys. Some highlights from Fripp solo is the Exposure LP, which was a triology with Darryl Halls "Sacred Songs" and Peter Gabriel's second LP.

Fripp's collaborations aren't really that noteworthy either - Eno, Andy Summers, yer man from Japan, etc. For completists only.

e.doobie

In the Wake of Poseidon was feckin fantastic.. i say 'was' when really i mean 'is'
and always will be one of the untouchables

Zombienosh

Three of a perfect pair is one of my favourite songs ever

DublinWriter

AlcoholicA wrote:

Three of a perfect pair is one of my favourite songs ever

Oh yes. I love that early 80's triology of albums.

Crim fans howlled in protest at a Yank (Adrian Bellew) fronting the band in the early 80's and after seeing them clad in Miami-Vice gear on an appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test circa 1981 I could probably understand why.

I would say that King Crimson was very much more than the sum of it's constituant parts at any given time considering the solo efforts of it's members.

mike65

I liked what I've heard of the League Of Crafty Guitarists and I bought a double live Crimson Cd called Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal which seems to have good reviews.

Mike.

shatners basoon

Larks tongues in aspic is their masterpiece in my opinion, probably my favourite album ever! My only problem with Krimson is that their lyrics were pretty awful, i always preferred their instrumental, though that being said it was never about the lyrics with them anyway. That being said i think Bellew is the best frontman they've ever had.

I've managed to enjoy all their incarnations hugely (with the larks tongues- red period my favourite). I'd hardly call that period trad prog though, much proggier than anything that went before it!:p

Absent lovers is good enough bar the fact i dont like the sound of Bruford's electric kit on it (too 80s ish) Its still a good enough introduction to that period though and it does grow on you (like most their albums)

Man I wish i could play like Fripp (except maybe a little less evil!)

mike65

Belew is the man who got me interested in the first place! He's kinda like David Byrnes older, less crazy brother.

Mike.

Civilian_Target

Some of their other stuff is great but none of it really hold up to In the Court of the Crimson King, which is a superb album!

lld

King Crimson are great, many of Fripp's solo works are excellent too (blessing of tears, let the power fall, show of hands, gates of paradise etc), but I guess they'd be no good to anyone with a short attention span.

jayemcee555

I'm certainly into 70's (late 60's)Crimson.
In retrospect 21st Century is now a tad annoying,although the rest of "In the Court...." album is excellent.
My fave albums(in no particular order are)....Lark's,Red,Starless and the great live one...USA.
In the Wake of Poseidon and Lizard are also worth a listen now and then.

Of the later stuff.....Three of a Perfect pair is the one I listen to most often