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Monday 17 March 2014

One of Greatest Albums Ever Forgotten By an Industry.

Artist: King Crimson
Albums: In The Court Of The Crimson King
Length: 43:53
Date: 10 October 1969
Location: Wessex Sound Studio
Label: Island Records (UK) Atlantic Records (US)


1. 21st Century Schizoid Man - 7:21
2. I Talk to the Wind - 6:05
3. Epitaph - 8:47
4. Moonchild - 12:13
5. The Court of the Crimson King - 9:25


Although a late comer to the growing Progressive/Psychedelic Rock movement of England and America, King Crimsons debut album still may define a genre and age better than SGT. Peppers and Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Black American RN’B was the evolution of Blues and Rock N’ Roll and was quickly travelling to England. The Beatles had a baby faced attempt in their early days but the likes of Pre Pink Floyd and Small Faces were taking it seriously and were writing a new pop sensation at the same time. It seems most Progressive Rock acts were making their pocket money by performing Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon before the thought of experiments of sound, light and vision popped into their heads..


The first album to peel away from the Blues based medleys and the E chord was one the greatest albums forgotten by an aging industry. King Crimson had formed a musical experience that shunned away from pop music with Former songwriter Peter Sinfield stating “We just refused to play anything that sounded anything like a Tin Pan Alley record”. With this in mind, the aim of the band was to create a performance that would be remembered for not how spectacular it was, but for how the instruments could produce both sound and feeling. Songs like Itchycoo Park, Arnold Layne, Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite, See Emily Play and FIRE! were coming from what seemed to be a drug induced scene. Each song seeming to take a trip to the next level, but King Crimson would raise the bar for a less drug induced experience and would make the music be the most important part. As It should be.


I remember hearing a story on a BBC documentary from someone who went to see them live. He claimed they were half way through a long instrumental piece when the suddenly the drummer started tapping the bells of the cymbals ever so lightly. Everyone was slightly on edge until someone took off their boot and repeatedly smashed it against the stage. When I heard this story it became apparent to me that King Crimson were not just a couple of guys who blended in smoothly with bands like The Grateful Dead and Jethro Tull. They were so much more.
Although the album would be discarded today because of its length, track listing and its largely instrumental breaks, there’s no reason why an album of such character, creation and originality should be forgotten by the 3 minute pop song that was once again discouraged in the seventies. Although music is for listening, people should understand that music is still an art form and although music will never die and will continue to gather importance to those who hear it, the art form has already fell far from popularity and success, hence such classic albums like the aforementioned be classed as “Just noise”, “Weird” and “Of a different era”. However, there are only a handful of bands in the 60 years of pop music that would be fortunate enough to have a real classic album and an even smaller handful to have their debut album be a classic.


It is untrue that there will never be another classic album because everything that could be done has been, there needs to be a resurgence in creativity, composition and originality. We hear too often the words “I’ve heard something like before,” but never “I’ve heard something similar, but it’s a new way of doing it!”. Pop music would go on generate several subgenres, several phases and even more repeated chord patterns but as time goes by Major chord changes will change to minor chord changes, fast beats will be over ruled by the slow pace of creative battering and instruments will once again create music for 90% of popular artists. Singers won’t rule the world. There will be another album similar to the album that created Prog Rock. Prog Rock was the single most creative and important period of Rock music and this album generated a new way of doing the old. But still, if this album was released today, because of its length, track listing and its large instrumental breaks it wouldn't sell, but that takes nothing away from this classic.


The sessions for the Crimson King were scheduled to take place with Guitarist and Moody Blues producer Tony Clarke, but after a few sessions with Clarke King Crimson were granted permission to produce the record themselves. With the Beatles being the pioneers of layering with just a 4 track, it was only a matter of time that the 8 track would be stretched just as far. Although live performances would stand strong, the real power of the album would come from Ian McDonald spending most of his time overdubbing with the legendary Mellotron and several different instruments. Although Greg Lake and Robert Fripp would be the legends of king crimson, some would agree that the real genius behind the powerful studio sound was Ian McDonald. The importance of Ian McDonald will never be captured on any other record to exist.

Although the album had a mixed reception on its initial release, Musicians were there to tell you just how important the album was and what it did for rock music. Although Kanye West (Tosser) sampled 21st Century Schizoid Man, the album is still a large step away from slipping back into popularity, but make no mistake, to music historians, this album is treasure and will be treasured for decades to come.

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