In The Court Of The Crimson King

Hello, Red Screamy Man, my old friend… You’ve certainly got a reputation, haven’t ya? The “first progressive rock record”, the “greatest prog album of all time”, a “game changer”, “an album everyone should own on vinyl”…so on and so forth. Here’s thing…You are good, no one’s denying that. You were more or less the first and ushered in a new era. I’m just not sure that makes you immune from criticism, though. Good news first, “21st Century Schizoid Man”: an absolute classic. 53 years on, it’s still an undeniable heavy-duty tune. Great, great, great. Now, “I Talk to the Wind”…I get it, gotta calm down the chaos after the sonic assault of “Schizoid Man”. 6 minutes, though? A little excessive, right? Even in a genre known for excess, this one feels like a bit much and kind sucks the energy out the room after a blistering first track. (Red Screamy Man tries to interject and defend himself) Now hold on, this is for your own good. You’ve been coasting on your reputation for too long and sometimes we need to hear the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable. And besides, you haven’t even heard everything I had to say… “Epitaph”…another classic. An absolutely gorgeous song and easy front runner for greatest Mellotron performance ever committed to tape. Yeah, it’s 2 and half minutes longer than “I Talk to the Wind”, but it does a lot in that time frame, where “Wind” just kind of rehashes the same musical ideas and tacks on a flute solo as an outro. Epitaph is dynamic, it flourishes, has swells of emotion…takes you on journey. See? It’s not all bad. You’ve done some wonderful things here. That said…“Moonchild”. Bro, not sure why you have the tendency to suck the life out of the proceedings right after you strike gold. This thing starts off like a trip to the Renaissance Fair and then devolves into minimalistic free jazz tedium. Again, too damn long and honestly, you’re starting to wear out your welcome at this point. I think even you realize that, because what do you follow it up with? “In the Court of the Crimson King”, which borrows some of the heaviness from “Schizoid Man”, inserts the spacey Mellotron soundscapes of “Epitaph” and makes for a fitting finale, even if it ends…weirdly. Well done. More good than bad, Red Screamy Man. A commendable effort, indeed. We both know you were the template and templates get improved upon and fine tuned…You walked so Lark’s Tongues in Aspic and Red could run. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, you’re the perfect gateway to King Crimson, but you’re not the be-all-end-all of the discography or even the genre and certainly not beyond reproach. Ok, sorry we had to hash that out…are we cool? (Red Screamy Man nods in agreement, but is unable to remove the screamy look from his face) Cool…good talk, bud. Seriously…“Epitaph” is amazing. You’ve got a lot to be proud of.

YES. YES. YES. How have I gone my whole life without knowing about this album? This album is testament to how valuable this project can be. By doing this, I discovered a 5/5 album and a gateway to a piece of music history I once never knew.

A progressive rock landmark. Influenced so many things that came later, including Yes, The Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, Genesis, ELP, and many more. I never realized before that Yes pretty much stole the riff from 21st Century Schizoid Man for their song Heart of the Sunrise. Amazing debut album, it's like King Crimson emerged fully formed and mature. Classic. 5 stars.

2/14/2022 Today's Album: "In The Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson - Finally, I am able to talk about an album from this generator that I know very well and can review top to bottom with ease. This album is incredible. This album defined what would become essential parts of 70s psychedelic rock, progressive rock, noise rock, and art rock. The production is top notch and the choice to split the music into 5 tracks makes listening to it an incredibly deep, yet digestibly experience. The first song, 21st Century Schizoid Man is one of the best openers to any album ever. The blaring saxophones, the blasted out vocals, the booming bass and top notch drumming make this track feel incredibly powerful and chaotic. There's many time switches, screeching saxophone solos, and dizzyingly polyrhythmic drumming. The band keep incredible co-ordination while having random pauses, impacts, and entrances in a way I haven't seen perfected again until Black Midi. The horns, bass, guitar, and drums play off each other so well and the vocals all throughout the track ranting about the terrible condition of this hypothetical 21st century man match the manic and unpredictable tone of the instruments perfectly. It's hard to tell when the track is going to end because of how noisy and scattered all of the instruments get. I Talk to the Wind follows this track up in an almost unexplainable way. It is such a calm and beautiful track that it gives the listener musical whiplash. The vocals are so smooth and dazed, lamenting the condition of the world and the way the vocalist simply talks to themselves and the wind around them. There are clarinets and flutes in the mix that add to the flowing and sedated nature of the track. The flute solo about halfway through the song followed by the pedaled guitar just sounds so pristine and clear they're memorizing. The outro solo from the flute is even more technically impressive and leaves the track off on such a groovy and impressive note. There is then a huge drumroll transition into perhaps the best track on the record, Epitaph. From the hypnotic guitar riff to the drowning bass and snappy snare hits, this album puts the listener into this cage as it drags you through the universe it creates. The singer illustrates a terrible dystopian environment that one might compare to today. The chorus on this song is powerful, insightful, and incredibly saddening. There is just an incredible weight to this song that leaves such an impact after what was such a laid back song in I Talk To The Wind. The whole album feels like it's set in this "world of the crimson king" which just so happens to be medieval Europe. There's instruments like harpsicord that add to this effect. Moonchild follows this epic piece with a haunting and atmospheric track called Moonchild. The lyrics are incredibly well mixed and produced, telling of this moonchild that yearns for a sun-child and dreams in the shadows of a willow. Each song feels like it holds lore to this mysterious land and this song just hugs your ears while doing so. There's a wailing guitar that accompanies drowning synth chords and cymbal clashes until the album completely tapers off into nothing. The 10 following minutes of this 12 minute track contain some of the wildest improv percussion and it really just needs to be listened to to believe. The 10 minutes of psychedelic ambiance is completely smashed with the intro of the final track, In the Court of the Crimson King. This song is the perfect finisher to the album, leaving it on a similarly noisy and chaotic note as it began and with many ending fake outs too! It's a great track to end off this absolutely incredible album. I have to end this off short due to text limits, but please listen to this album. It's something that has to be experienced and in the 3 years I've been listening to it, it hasn't gotten old. Score: 10/10 Period. Highlights: 21st Century Schizoid Man, I Talk To The Wind, Epitaph, Moonchild, ITCOTCK

"In the court of the Crimson AHHHHHHHH AHHHHH AHH AHHH! AHH AHH AHHHHHHH!" So damn good. I was lost during some of the quiet free-form jazz shit, but I am here for all of the rest. And one of the best pieces of album art of all time!

Psychedelic rock and progressive rock are always kind of hit or miss, and this album is no different. There were a lot of places where I felt like I was just getting impatient for something interesting to happen and other places where I was wowed by what I just heard. No doubt this was influential and I think this might get better on repeated listens but on this listen it was just a little above average overall. 3.5 stars

"Confusion will be my epitaph." A central line of the album, I defy you to think of anything more succinctly pompous. The reference to death, the deliberate ambiguity, the fact that the band hasn't realised the lyric makes balls-all sense: this album wants to be taken seriously, but there is nothing whatsoever that makes the listener contemplate (fuck the standard claims that cannabis opens up this album; that's no better than saying the album sounds better when you're drunk). Is there a more pernicious album in the canon? This is the album that invented prog rock, after all. Prog rock, my dear sugarplums, is the worst music genre of all. Prog rock is a perversion of all of rock's wonders. The smuggest, most conceited genre, prog rock bands wilfully failed to clock that their music was completely empty, that for all their virtuosity and Tolkien references (a children's author, for fuck's sake!), they had nothing to say at all. Every Roger Waters era Pink Floyd album has no deep message other than, "it's grim up north". Do you need further proof than the title of Yes' Tales of Topographic Oceans? I'll give it to you: Tales of Topographic Oceans was supposedly based on a series of Hindu texts, yet when pressed, the band admitted that they'd never evn read them. Or how about literally any lyric from Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Greg Lake was the guitarist and vocalist on ITCOTCK, and recycled the line "Confusion with be my epitaph" for their cyborg armadillo concept album Tarkus (yes, cyborg armadillo))? By the by, if you rearrange ITCOTCK, you get TIT COCK. As far as I can gauge, TIT COCK doesn't have an overarching concept. That is, I can't discern a central theme, even though the men involved (and it is only men) may claim that the album outlined the gulf between man in the hypothetical state of nature and man in the hyperthetical modern world of concrete and electricity. Horrifically, as I typed that, I realised that some trainspotters will assert that as the authentic reading of TIT COCK. Do you not comprehend that you can read anything into any old cryptic claptrap? Did you think "I Talk to the Wind" was a sagacious insight of a guru at one with Arcadia? If you're talking, you're technically talking to the wind except if you're in space. Hitler giving his speeches at the Nuremberg Rally was talking to the wind. And that inprovised section of Moonchild (a title condensed to utter painfulness) isn't improvisation, it's just hitting instruments at random. All this would be tolerable if the album had a sense of fun, a sense of theatricality, a sense of camp. But no, this is a serious contrivance, a work purporting to reveal the depths of humanity. But this album lacks the gravity for me to truly hate it, but instead I dismiss it like a wasp landing on my forearm. To give a contrast, I went and listened to Joy Division's Closer, an album I take seriously. I felt my eyes moisten during the third track. TIT COCK only made me mock. It shouldn't be a scream on the cover, it should be a boo. 21st Century Schizoid Man is one of Tony Blair's favourite songs.

screamy man screamed and I screamed wittem

'I Talk To The Wind' is right. This is farting around, plain and simple. They put in a lot of work in place of inspiration, but for what? A seven and a half minute opener with half a hook to show for it. And they don't get any closer than that in the subsequent 36 tedious as fuck minutes.

Yes, that sounded like they just invented prog rock.

One of my favorite albums of alltime, that's for sure - and the easiest 5/5 I gave here so far. This album is pure perfection and I am convinced it's one of the most important artistic statements in human history of music. Hey, I might be just a King Crimson glazer, but they were one of the pioneers of my favorite, most beloved progressive genres, so how could I not love them? In The Court Of The Crimson is one of the best choices to put on this list - it's also quite sad that the cover is so well known while I think not everyone who knows the cover listened to this album in full. King Crimson's debut has everything a prog album needs, and it was so ahead if its time. It has heaviness, melancholy, grandiose finish, it's just a perfect experience listening to it everytime.

Fuck you if you think Frank Zappa is better or weirder than King Crimson. This album is basically perfect. Normies should not even begin to consider thinking about attempting to try listening to this without the proper headgear. All necessary precautions must be taken, not to be limited to the usage of thick wall padding, a straitjacket. This album is legally and medically considered a highly effective (if extremely unsafe) method of boosting one's IQ to beyond normal human range. Severe volume is recommended for maximum dilation of the third through fifth eyes and/or other sensory organs. Do not attempt while primitively confined to any arbitrary set of three dimensions; alternately, if confined to less than the necessary number of dimensions: use quickly, far too much, and in any way not recommended. Seriously, this is some heavy-duty shit, man

A real pinch in the hourglass for the genre; all the influences and fledgling prog ideas beforehand really came together into this album, and no prog rock can look back without tracing some roots to it. A true influence, and a true masterpiece.

I really wanted to hate this Album, but it was pretty neat. Apart from the middle part, where they forgot to stop the recording and we got like 10 minutes of random noises.

While I love some aspects of prog rock, my brain craves structure. This experimental stuff led to some of my favorite bands (Rush, for example) but most of this album is a bit too off-kilter for me. Also I hate the album cover. Ugh.

Godlike

Even in albums I enjoy, there's always one or two songs that just don't live up to the rest of the album. In The Court of The Crimson King is an exception. It's an album where I genuinely cannot pick my favourite song (Sure, there's only 5 on the tracklist but they're divided into parts so technically there's more). Even the improv part of Moonchild, which fans tend to dislike and which I found boring at first listen, is amazing once it transitions to the title track, and I can't imagine the album without it. That's really one of the many strengths of ITCOTCK: each new song part ends up complimenting the last one. The majority of the album is actually quieter and more peaceful than 21st Century Schizoid Man and the title track might make one think; it starts off with the angry but anthemic first song, then becomes more mellow and introspective, gradually building up to the climactic final track. That's not to say any of the 3 tracks in the middle are in any way worse; they're just as perfect as the opener and closer. I'd like to point out the absolutely fantastic instrumental work on this album (just like all future King Crimson albums, of course). Michael Giles' drumming carries the entire album and the whole thing would be significantly lesser if the band had a less talented drummer. Ian McDonald's (rip) flute parts are simply perfect too. In conclusion, listen to this album. Or I will find you.

Superb, sounds like a real anachronism coming out at the time it did. King Crimson often sounded more expansive, grown-up and frankly more sinister than their peers - probably because they were. Nice to see a band that was (kind of) from my hometown represented on here!

My feelings on prog are well known. I am not, generally, a fan. Too clever clogs, widdly-widdly, pretentious, ridiculous time wasting, and not nearly rock and roll enough. I do, however, make an exception for King Crimson, largely because they rock hard. I have a number of albums from across the breadth of their career, although I have never become a devotee (i.e., I have never been even mildly tempted to buy any of their encyclopaedic and hideously expensive box sets). If ever you were going to identify the ground zero for prog rock, it really would have to be In the Court of the Crimson King. But let's not hold the subsequent sins of others against it. I was turned onto this record, especially 21st Century Schizoid Man, by some uni mates in the early 90s who had an instrumental jazz rock band (Trout Fishing in Quebec, check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEeU3rFSO6c You can hear the King Crimson influence). I still think 21st Century Schizoid Man is the bomb. It excites me every time I hear it. If all prog was this good, I would listen to prog (but it isn't, so I don't). Observations: - I am sure that that Fripp and MacDonald are playing each other's solos. The guitar solo sounds like a sax solo, and vice versa. - The fast start-stop section is awesome. As my drummer son pointed out, the timing is not precise. They were playing that tight in the room together, because they could. If you listen to the live recoding on Earthbound, you can hear that they could replicate that on stage, too. A testimony to Robert Fripp's band discipline. - This is the first evidence of Robert Fripp's propensity to play at right angles to what any other guitar player ever would. His note choice is consistently weird, but I love it. I will listen to him play on anything. (I particularly like the album he did with David Sylvian in the early 90s. And the Bowie records. And the Eno records. And Talking Heads and Blondie and Peter Gabriel and hundreds of other records). The title track is majestic, and memorably featured in Children of Men (2006). The use of mellotron has never been bettered. Really, all the pastoral stuff in the middle of those two tracks are dull with a tendency to go widdly-widdly on occasion. Personally, I could live without everything but 21st Century and the title track. But those two tracks alone rate 4 stars.

This is #day280 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… as much as I'm not a fan of prog rock a la Yes or Rush (I find this music too showy technically), I do, however, like Pink Floyd. But, I'm not sure I've ever actually "been" In the Court of the Crimson King before. Maybe it's the gloomy, rainy weather in my hometown today, or it's simply that this album is crafted with such intricate attention to detail… The way it weaves jazz, folk, classical, and symphonic elements into late '60s rock is mesmerizing. It's like reading good literature. Also, the lyrics complement the music so poetically. I'm in awe. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day281.

Kingly? This mournful, dramatic big synth and murmur of this took me back to memories of the folks playing the Moody Blues in the car: it carries the impression of huge brooding skies and romanticism that’s an unappreciated tradition in English art.

ok WOAH! -OMGGGGGG THIS IS WHERE THE KANYE WEST SONG COMES FROM "POWER" ??????? ohhhhh i didnt even know that was a sampleeee bro 21st century schizoid mannnnn -talk to the wind lyrics are GOOD - great album 5/5

this was a lot I think I liked it? not at first, but it really grew on me

Ah the classic r/vinyljerk album cover. Love it. I've listened to this before but never really paying as much attention to it as I should've Only know 21st Century Dude and the Court of the Crimson King. Leggooooooo No one man should have all that POWER! What an awesome sample. 21st Century Schizoid Man rules. Just some finger-lickin' jams. I have gained such a respect for my favorite of the woodwinds, ze flute (thanks Stu Mac). Dude fucking kills it on this track with it. Epitaph would be a great song to use in a film. Thinking Tarantino. Fun fact Space Jam got its name from Moonchild. Wiggly is the word I'd use. I really like that every song seems to have a different instrument that sticks out. Saw Claypool Lennon Delirium cover The Court of the Crimson King and have been in love with this song since. That fucking flute and the drums are so fucking good. This is some baller ass prog rock. I'll be back

21st Century Schizoid Man gets this an automatic 5 star. Amazing song, great album.

That feeling when one of your favourites pops up on the 1001.........😊 I've listened to this for many years and it is quite simply in the Top 10 of all albums ever produced. Barry Godber's haunting artwork inside and out, Peter Sinfields mystical lyrics, Fripps inspired guitar, McDonald's multitude of wind and Keyboard instruments (that Sax is a killer), Lake's vocals and powerful bass (so dominant) and Giles's drums (i've never heard anyone play the drums that well since)....... .......and finally to the Vision: to create something that stands alone in it's own world, untouched and eternal. There are haters that like to label everything and disdainfully call this 'Prog' then close their minds. Of course it's their own choice but I think they're missing out.

Nunca había escuchado nada de King Crimson y vaya que es un viaje. Disco de 1969, es la pura psicodelia progresiva. Arreglos complejos, van de 0 a 100 y de 100 a 0 una y otra vez. Epitaph fue mi favorita del disco, lúgubre y grandiosa. Desafortunadamente después de disfrutarla tanto viene Moonchild y si fue tortuoso bajarle de revoluciones tanto durante tanto tiempo, pero en general es un discazo. Songs: Epitaph, 21st Century Schizoid Man

Una obra mestra atemporal. Cinc petites joies d'orfebreria tan ben engastades que no es desgasten per més escoltes que es facin. Quina millor manera d'acabar el 2021 que escoltant un álbum 5 estrelles!

What an opening track. A total ripper that feels so ahead of its time and still wows today. During its release, to have been a fan of both Black Sabbath & Yes only to then hear this must have been a surreal and exciting experience. Strangely, I always found a lot of this album sleepier than I would have liked. That said, there are some EPIC moments besides the opening song like what you find in “The Court of the Crimson King” as well as the truly ethereal moments of “...” which for me make this album truly enjoyable. Moments on this album also feel like the permission the Mars Volta (and many others) needed to do what they do today.

Pre-listening thoughts: I’m really curious about this one. I feel like it’s super popular among classic rock fans but I’ve just missed it. Also I get this band mixed up with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard oops Post/during listening thoughts: this was actually really good. I understand why people glaze the shit out of this. HOWEVER. Every single song went on at least a minute too long. Moonchild was like insane. I thought we had transitioned to another song but there were still SEVEN minutes left. But the good parts of the songs were really good. 7.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nah Fav tracks: honestly all of them except MoonChild Least fav tracks: moonchild

Overall pretty good. When he is singing the instruments back him perfectly but the long instrumentals are nowhere near as enjoyable. Moonchild is really not a great listen because of this.

Screamy red man album. This one is the stuff of legends, it's up there with Dark Side of the Moon as the album that your pretentious music nerd friend won't shut up about. Memed to oblivion, but I haven't heard it in full yet, so let's see if it's worth the hype. Of course, it's got "21st Century Schizoid Man," infamously sampled by Kanye West on "Power." That's a cool song, sounds nothing like "Power," which is why sampling is so fun. A few other great tracks on here too. I'm into this prog stuff, I'm not entirely sure if I like this album or Larks Tongues in Aspic more, but safe to say I'm a fan of these guys. That said, I also don't see this as "best album ever" by any stretch, so it doesn't quite live up to the pedestal in the way Dark Side of the Moon absolutely did. But it's still a great ride, and knowing this is one that I'm sure would grow on me too, I'll give it the half-star bump. Glad we finally got this! Favorite tracks: 21st Century Schizoid Man, Moonchild, The Court of the Crimson King. Album art: Screamy red man. This poor guy looks like he just noticed the door of the room he's being wheeled into is labeled the "Penis Explosion Chamber." 100% iconic, no notes. 4.5/5

This is a classic album that aptly represents the times. Always worth and end-to-end listen.

I've been on Reddit long enough to see endless memes about the Red Screamy Man, but I had never listened to it until now. It is a pretty good album but I will continue to laugh at the memes about it.

Starts strong. The textures were weird and bold and I liked that they weren’t afraid to get a little messy. Somewhere close to early Floyd but less refined. Still worth a spin. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - 21st Century Schizoid Man - Epitaph - The Court Of The Crimson King

Quite a wacky album, if you know what I mean. There were plenty of highs and lows. I'm glad I heard it, but I doubt I'd seek it out again.

Har godt hørt navnet King Crimson før men tror ikke jeg har lyttet til det. Det er lidt flippet musik Hov jeg har hørt “i talk to the Wind”?? Ved ikke hvor. Men den kan jeg meget godt lide. Ikke fantastisk. Men den ville jeg lytte til. Det er faktisk meget godt. Kender åbenbart også deres sang “Matte Kudasai”? Den er i hvert fald på min playliste

Algo completamente distinto y experimental. Muy curioso

”it’s fine”

sympatoche sans plus

Some good tunes in there, not entirely my cup of tea. I think the cult following of this album does a lot of carrying in it’s ratings

I loved parts of this. Other parts were so self indulgent it became unenjoyable. Really not sure how to rate this actually in a simple 1-5 rating. Kind of album that I think would be amazing on the 100th listen and is pretty good on the first. Given it a 3. In hindsight Duran Duran should have been a 2 as this is taken from a list of classic albums. The voting system is not granular enough imo.

I like prog rock and I cannot lie! This dipped to a 2 "Just musicians noodling around with no real plans" to a 4 "transported to a fantasy world" No real suprise I ended up in the middle (again)

First off - top contender for iconic album covers. Don't know much about King Crimson other than it is an early progressive rock band whose members have expanded and left incredible marks on modern music through the musical prowess and creativity of its various members. As with many other prog artists, I have no idea what the heck they are talking about - it is more about the music and vibe. The first few songs are beautiful, of ourse The Court of the Crimson King is familiar and an epic listen. Really like the voice of the singer, although I know he didn't last long in the group with John Wetton (another great prog singer/bassist), but the vocals really hit on this one. Enjoyed the album much more than I anticipated and support weird, good music when I can.

I genuinely am torn on how to rate this. On one hand, it’s so ahead of its time. Never would’ve guessed it’s a summer of love era album. And Basically created Prog Rock and manages to still hold its own and not be overshadowed by later prog albums. I love the way the vocals are mixed in particular, and I’m a big fan of some psychedelic nonsense lyrics. On the other hand, it’s very artsy in a way I don’t really like. Moonchild in particular reminds me too much of an art museum, which is my least favorite kind of museum. It’s what’s playing in one of those dark isolated corner rooms. I get nothing out of the instrumentals and solos except a sense of impatience for something else to happen. 21st Century Schizoid Man and Court of the Crimson King would be easy 10/10 for me without the 5 minute solos (the latter of which, while too long, is probably the best one as I feel it goes somewhere and has appropriate thematic elements to it). Ultimately I think this is one of those best listened to while on drugs albums, but I’m an anxious man and can’t really do that. 5/5 with less improv solos, 2/5 with them. The strong elements are really strong but how am I supposed to enjoy this in the car? Gonna have to be a 3 from me. What’s a man gotta do get an abridged version of this album?

Too many random noises sprinkled throughout and silence / nothing musical happening in Moonchild to be Great for me. "In the Court of the Crimson King" is a great track though. I can see peoples' minds being absolutely blown by this when it came out, seeing as they're contemporaries with the likes of the Beatles and the Carpenters. Too experimental and abstract in many sections for my liking though.

Cover: 4 It's ok. It took several listens for me to even pay attention. Not my style of music but it was ok for what it was.

LOVE 21st Century Schizoid Man Like I Talk to the Wind, Epitaph, and Court of the Crimson King, A Man A City Not a big fan of Moonchild Probably would not listen again but 21st century did get added to my playlist

This album cover always looked cool but I was afraid the music wouldn't live up to the imagery. Once I started reading H.P. Lovecraft and The King in Yellow (which Lovecraft referenced, maybe even co-opted) the image in my head turned even darker. 21st century schizoid man kind of fit the expectations and was cool. The rest just made me think classic rock about fantasy things. Basically, more flute than I expected or wanted. But preconceived notions aside, it was alright.

Based on the album cover I had no idea what I was getting into... I don't hate it, overall parts are actually really interesting and enjoyable. My criticisms are that its kind of all over the place and I am not always seeing everything connecting with the songs being really long. It kind of feels like each song is its own kind of mini album or piece, that don't necessarily all go together but on their own they are mostly nice. Moonchild just kept going and I am not really sure why

No. 61/1001 21st Century Schizoid Man 2/5 I Talk To The Wind 4/5 Epitaph 4/5 Moonchild 2/5 The Court Of The Crimson King 4/5 Average: 3,2 Epitaph and the title track are really good, other Songs are too out there for me. Adding evidence to the discovery I made on the Taylor Swift album: I'm a basic bitch

Overwrought and outdated. I was never a big fan of prog-rock, even when it was current and I was young. Always felt like a bunch of young men being way too introverted for their own good. There are some fun tunes but ultimately I just can't get on board.

Ugh, this thing. I first heard this album in ninth grade. I had an English teacher who tried to display that he was a "cool teacher" by decorating his classroom with various Rock albums. I asked him about this one, as it had the most distinctive art. Encouraged by my curiosity, he offered to let me borrow it, guaranteeing that is was "heavy" and "so cool." I took it home, played it on my parents' stereo, and quickly realized that the music was incredibly tedious, annoying, and painfully uncool. Forty years later. my opinion remains unchanged and my distrust for authority, and my English teacher (we'll call him Mr. P.) in particular, remains unchanged.* The single star is granted solely for the quality of the album's cover art. * This sentence was poorly written as a protest against said English teacher.

Goddammit I hate this album. This is like the 3rd time I've listened through it. I don't get it overall. The rock moments overall are fine, but the songs get BORING, go on for WAY too long, and like sometimes I'm like "these guys had way too much money to want to record THIS." I do not get the hype. Sometimes there is just silence and random noise going on and I am like what is this. It lowkey gives me anxiety. Also WHAT THE FUCK was "Moonchild"? Not good is what it was. Kinda funny that Kanye sampled "21st Century Schizoid Man" for "Power"....what a much better song. I think I was a little harsh on my first review ever of it. I gave it .5 stars. This isn't worse than "Dub Housing" so it gets 1. "Liked" songs: "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "Epitaph"

I just couldn’t get behind this album. I don’t know how this is talked about on level with Dark Side of the Moon.

This, to me, is the classic prog rock album. It's complex, sprawling and full of fantastic imagery. It set much of the template for other bands to come, including some less math rocky bands like Pink Floyd. It won't appeal to everyone but for those interested in the genre, it holds up incredibly well.

Strong 4,5

Makes me turn crimson from how good it is

Unlike the majority of this style of rock album that is the penchant for this list, this album benefits from being put next to its peers. Like putting Usain Bolt next to some high school track stars. Are they all athletes? Sure. But one of them is obviously bounds ahead. Contrasting this to the similar albums of the time really highlights how insanely good this album is.and some of the best drum sounds you'll hear

Absolute 5 stars. One of my fave finds on here so far. I think they’re better than Pink Floyd and other contemporaries, I’m so excited to listen to more of their stuff from here on out

Equal parts beautiful and weird. An absolute pinnacle of the prog rock genre

Exceptional album from KC. Perhaps their best.

This is pretty familiar to me as I had the cassette tape of it in college days. Excellent musicianship, and I see some of the ideas here being used by other prog bands later (there's a section in Moon child that influences Genesis circa Lamb Lies Down IMO)

Great

Had the privilege to see KC back in 1970. Just brilliant and this album is a triumph from start to finish. Who doesn’t like a bit of noodling about but the great tracks are great.

absolutely loved this album, great discovery. will listen again

Wow, this was some crazy early experimental progressiverock which I was vaguely aware of, but did not realize how good it was. Shit, I listened to it twice in a day

Fou

woah

Yurp its a banger

Incroyable, toujours aussi frais après plus de 50 ans.

Absolutely everything its cracked up to be - the music is expansive and exploratory, eminating with power and proficiency.

I knew the album already. Some sounds a little dated but the songs are great. A true classic.

One of the first Prog Rock albums and actually very good. Must have been ground breaking in its day. In all honesty I could have done with a shorter version of Moonchild but that is being picky. Rest of the tracks have been added to my "Likes" 5 Stars

I hope you're all sitting down for this review - it's what Robert Fripp would want. This record was a big part of me going from being a football obsessed teenager who just wanted to be outdoors all time kicking stuff around to a fucking weirdo who took music far too seriously and liked the INDOORS. My tiny mate Dan had got me into Pink Floyd so I was open to a bit more down that sorta avenue. We listened to this and became unbearable. It's mad that this is a 60s album. It's so far ahead of what else was going in in 1969 that you'd be forgiven for thinking it came out after Dark Side. The opener is class, and probably the most traditional part of the album (opening strong with a solid catch riff) but it goes off the rails already towards the end with just noise. It's been sampled loads since which is a testament to Fripp and Sinfield bridging the gap between accessibility and peculiar. I Talk To The Wind is one of my all-time favourite songs - a gorgeous almost soft folky tune with one of the only acceptable uses of flute as a main instrument in the history of music. Then Epitaph and Moonchild happen and it all gets fucking weird. Epitaph is a powerful tune, and the best example of how perfect Greg Lake (of the band with those other two nerds fame) and his vocals were to this iteration of King Crimson (of which there are 204). Moonchild goes wild with the keyed instruments and you're essentially just wandering through a weird Final Fantasy sidequest for a bit but it had it's moments. Then the finale hits and hits perfectly to begin with. You've been through a bit of a weird journey and then you get hit with safety in the form of a guitar part and vocals. I'm convinced when Roger Waters wrote Eclipse he just listened to this a couple of hundred times and came up with his own version. But then again they can't resist getting a bit medieval fairground amongst it all. But this is pure prog at it's best - heavy, atmospheric, a big vocal AHHHH chorus and weird fucking lyrics about fire witches n that. The record then ends but of course it doesn't cos its prog and we've gotta have at least ONE REPRISE WHEYYYY and it's a bit more upbeat and hopeful - then it gets weird one last time. Class. Love you. 4.8/5 JF - What an album to start off a Monday whilst I'm stuck at work till 8 o clock. First of all, arguably one of the most influential albums of all times in the genre of Prog Rock, without this album its likely we wouldn't see the likes of Darkside of the Moon, Meddle, Fragile by Yes and the list goes on. Its not a perfect album by any means, there are faults which i'll go into more detail about but for the mark it left on musical history, its a bloody giant. As I could write a thesis for every single track on this album, I will try limit the track discussion to not be several paragraphs long (Key word there being try). Starting off with one of the most well-known of King Crimson's discography, 21st Century Schizoid Man, its a powerful banging track, distorted and disjointed, with abrupt chaotic tempo changes and the wailing of electric guitars along with an almost terrified sounding yelling of brass instruments, all backed with tight bass lines and the controlled chaos of the drums. Lyrically it chants of the impact of war, more specifically the Vietnam War, as well as the rise and demand of consumerism in modern society. All in all what more do you want from a prog rock track and what a fucking banging opener. I Talk to the Wind takes the album in the complete opposite direction, where there was chaos and instruments screaming for freedom, there's now gentle serenity, a beautiful track speaking of a longing for connection almost pleading for understanding in a world that is quite hollow and lonely, with the flute being the outstanding instrument of the track. A beautiful bit of calm to differ from 21st Century Schizoid Man, I can see why this would be part of Jay's hangover playlist. Epitaph is probably the bleakest track on the album, not in a bad way, it carries across the image of defeat and hopelessness beautifully well, it paints a post-apocalyptic earth, destroyed by war, greed and humanities inability to learn from their mistakes, as if we are always doomed to fail, its a powerful look into humanity as a whole that can take place at any moment in time. Next we have Moonchild, which is one of my favourite tracks on the album, the soft voice of Greg Lake is hauntingly beautiful, almost like a calling to a far distant land, the first 2 and a half minutes of Moonchild stick to this beautiful haunting folky type theme, then comes the controversial type bits, the remainder of the track is entirely an improvised jam, executed very well but it does take away slightly from the beauty and simplicity of the beginning of the track, if I'm in the right headspace I'll listen to the full track any day of the week but usually? First 2/3 minutes of the track work just fine. Finally we have the albums closing and title track, sticking hard to that the theme of wars and the helplessness of the individual, this time with the added medieval theme. The track jumps between softer verses building up to a bombastic epic explosion of strings, brass and keys all with the familiar banging drums and bass. The track switches momentarily to a softer verse with return of the combined flute and bass as seen on Talk to the Wind. The closing track encompasses everything that makes this album as influential and poetically brilliant. Overall, holy shit what an album, its beautiful, dynamic, poetic, quiet, chaotically loud and one of the grandfathers of Prog Rock, always a happy listen from me and a great way to start a monday. 4.6/5 MTW. - Lots to unpack with this album as it holds a lot of value in the prog rock community, so let’s go. I feel like if it’s your first time listening to King Crimson (or any prog band from the same period) your gonna come away feeling that most of the songs start better than they finish, that’s how I felt first time round anyway. And I still think that’s the case for some of the tracks on this album, however I’d say that although this is a con for me, in the grand scheme of the genre it’s a necessary risk by the artist that’s helped to scape the movement. Schizoid man definetly finishes just as well as it starts tho, seriously this song fucks, and the vocals are the centre piece for me personally, sending it like he’s on the front line hot digging dog. I Talk To The Wind gives us a chance to calm down after being psychologically skull fucked for 7 minutes, which is thoughtful and appreciated, however I do think this song drags on a little bit too long for my taste, as is also the case for the song Moonchild. By fucking god is this song frustrating, the most angelic 2/3 minutes of a song I’ve possibly ever heard, then all of a sudden we enter a duel of two keyboards with half their keys missing, having a whispering contest for 10 fucking minutes. I just don’t think the instrumental elements are strong enough to warrant the runtime of this track sadly. Epitaph however I’d say has a lot more minerals and the structure plays to its advantages, this song rocks, as does Court which is a great way to end the album. Overall a pleasant revisit to an album I haven’t heard in time, will listen again sometime 3.8/5 FTW Hello, happy Monday :) This album is rare in every sense of the word, it practically invented progressive rock in real time, combining jazz complexity, symphonic drama, and psychedelic weirdness. Its importance can’t be overstated; without it, bands like Yes or Genesis might’ve just stayed polite rock groups instead of launching into epic, otherworldly sonic rollercoaster's. The album’s mood swings between haunting beauty and apocalyptic chaos, which is probably why it still feels so alive decades later. And honestly, listening to “21st Century Schizoid Man” at full volume might be the closest thing to time travelling back to 1969 without accidentally growing offensive sideburns and landing on the moon. 4/5 - HF xo

A Masterpiece, it is 5, just because there’s no higher option.

Absolutely fuck yeah. All-timer album cover and INSANE debut btw..... what?????

genuinely inconceivably good ... so impressive and still so fresh... love this album a bit too much

Probably the best album I've listened to in this series yet. Long on the list, but this is stellar.

++*: 21st Century Schizoid Man ++: I Talk to the Wind, Epitaph, Moonchild, The Court of the Crimson King 9,9/10

I've already listened to his album (12). The original prog rock classic. Never gets old.

Visionary. Not a light listen but a great one.

Love this album, helped kick off and entroe decade of music. So many great (and terrifying) instrumentals and lyrics

Favourite track(s): I Talk To The Wind; Epitaph; The Court of the Crimson King What a journey. From the distorted screams of 21st Century Schizoid Man to the soft flute in I Talk To The Wind (a favourite simply for its melancholic tone). Then the intro to Epitaph, longing and dramatic, with the song later morphing into what feels like a death march and ending in that phrase, repeated. You do need to be willing to take a journey in Moonchild when distant guitar and percussion become more vibe than music. And lastly the big crescendo of The Court of the Crimson King with the organ at the end. Then it is over. Not too long. Experimental, yes. But still musically so very enjoyable. Perfect album.

Another one I own on vinyl. #2. I love this album. Its all incredible. I don't know how they are so on time all the time.

Alright, listen up. If you're into rock music at all, there's one album you absolutely have to know about: In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson. This isn't just an album; it's a total head trip and, no exaggeration, one of the best prog rock albums ever made. In my opinion, King Crimson is one of the all-time great prog bands, and this record is the reason why. The first time you drop the needle on this thing, it's like nothing you've ever heard. It's got this totally unreal vibe, with these swirling Mellotron sounds that just take you to another dimension. The album shifts from intense, chaotic moments—like the opener "21st Century Schizoid Man" with its killer sax solo and heavy guitar—to these beautifully eerie, almost-sad tracks like "Epitaph." It’s a whole journey, not just a collection of songs. The production on this thing still holds up decades later; it's just so crisp and clear. I've had this on vinyl for ages, and there's just something special about listening to it that way. The artwork is iconic, and the sound just feels so warm and full. It’s the kind of record you put on when you want to really listen to something, not just have it on in the background. It's a solid five-star album for me, no question. If you haven't heard it, do yourself a favor and check it out. Seriously. And if you have a turntable, you owe it to yourself to go find this record and add it to your collection. You won't regret it.

Chaotic, beautiful, theatrical. Absolute beautiful find, and why I started doing this challenge!

classic

My older brother introduced me to this album when I was, I guess 13 / 14. I didn't really understand it, but I knew that it was different and exciting - from the insane track lengths to the vivid album sleeve. I guess "Schizoid Man" is probably the most well know but I had to play "Return of the Fire Witch" twice because it's just soooooo good. The flute, the drums.................... *insert heart emoji*

One of (if not THE) the best debut albums ever made

Rather liked this -- kinda proggy affected jazz. Wasn't familiar with them, would spent more time with them.

Неделю назад я смотрел фильм "King Crimson at 50", просто охуенный, и в общем участники группы все как один говорят, что Фрипп - демон, и что с ним невозможно работать, но продолжают это делать, а сам Фрипп имеет полное право требовать, потому что уровень, которого он требует от себя в свои миллиард лет - просто космический. Чел тренеруется на гитаре часами каждый. божий. день. Потому что иначе он не сможет сыграть Larks. Я никогда не воспринимал артиста вот так. Это всё в дополнение с эпопеей по фотографиям Кинг Кримзон на ластфм, отсутствием легальных способов послушать хоть какую-то музыку группы, перфомансы Фриппа на ютубе в ковид. Сам альбом звучит только актуальнее в 2025, на мой взгляд. Лучшая песня - Epitaph.

# 103/1001. Words cannot really describe this album.

One hit after another wow

Mindmelted. I am still working on this one.

the court was welcoming. really balanced and still exploratory. intense and chill all at once. 5

Throughout this record, King Crimson absolutely nails the art of "theme and variation". Five lengthy tracks with (essentially) only five musical ideas spread across them – and yet you're completely hooked, completely engaged, for all 44 heart-wrenching minutes. The quiet, tense lead-in of 21st Century Schizoid Man with the lonely sound of wind whooshing past you – and then you're hit with an excellent riff and (soon afterward) an enraged, heavily distorted vocal. Greg Lake delivers a slew of disillusioned and disjointed lyrics about, well, a schizophrenic dude. Rapid time signature and tempo changes, a bluesy harmonic mode, fast horn lines, and extremely high-level playing on bass and drums definitely sell this piece. Then we get I Talk To The Wind with its largely flute-based instrument accompaniment and a chillingly desolate melody. Epitaph has one of my favourite uses of the mellotron in any piece of music. And again Lake's singing is very strong – possibly the best on the record. Upon a first listen, Moonchild is definitely a tough nut to crack. It has an almost ancient-imperial feel about it, as well as the dizzying fantasy element (à la side 2 of Queen II). I've seen a lot of criticism about the lengthy soundscape in the middle of this track, with many citing it as boring and longer than necessary. I kind of agree. It's the weakest point in the album, though it does have its place as a sort of semi-psychedelic downtime between the two darkest and heaviest tracks. Speaking of which, the heavy and dramatic title track is ridiculously good. It's a climactic way to send off the listener, that's for sure. The delivery of the title line and subsequent backing vocals is so over-the-top, so passionately done, and has such a great melody that it's impossible not to fall in love. This is around the time where the strange cover art really clicks. We're all just puppets, subjects in a terrifying mystical court. (Or something.) Not a perfect album by any means, but as prog rock goes, it's darn impressive for its time. A rollercoaster of emotions showcasing lots of interesting musical ideas, some excellent musicianship, and variation of mood. If that ain't a great showing, I don't know what is. 5/5 Key tracks: 21st Century Schizoid Man, Epitaph, The Court Of The Crimson King

I mean, what else can I even add to the discussion on this album? I'l just say thank you Guitar Hero 5 for having this song on there

Un álbum históricamente destacable. Una obra representativa del rock progresivo clásico, genera muchísimas atmósferas diferentes, tiene contenido político en sus letras, combina elementos del rock, el jazz y la música clásica (en términos de instrumentación, pero también de estructuras e improvisación). La duración del álbum es muy amena para ser una obra de rock progresivo, lo que mejora muchísimo la experiencia de escucha. Lo cierto es que siendo un álbum de rock, los temas tienden más hacia la balada y lo melancólico (con la excepción del primer y último track). Algunos aspectos a criticar para mi gusto: La calidad de la grabación es muy buena, pero entre tema y tema la mezcla es un tanto disímil y por momentos cada tema pareciera de un álbum diferente, no es que sea algo malo, pero es extraña la gran diferencia que tiene el sonido de la voz en un track en comparación con el que le sigue, siento que al oído le capta la atención este aspecto, hasta que uno se vuelve a acostumbrar. Por otro lado, la decisión de poner "I Talk To The Wind" como segundo track, luego de "21st Century Schizoid Man" me resulta errada. Son temas demasiado contrastantes, y creo que "Epitaph" hubiese sido una mejor elección como segundo track. "I Talk To The Wind" es un tema que pertenecía al grupo anterior de Fripp, y lo utilizaron en este álbum para también proponer un sonido más suave. Esto es notorio, y aunque son detalles que no le quitan para nada valor al álbum, porque los temas son excelentes, afectó un poco mi experiencia de escucha. Aún así, un gran álbum.

I first tried this when I was in a band in 6th form. 16 years old and my two fellow band members recommended it to me. I really struggled with it. I tried it again a few times in my life and slowly got to grips with it. I come back to it as part of this and realise its insane majesty and the influence it has had on some of the greatest bands on this list. I didn't know Fripp invented prog. I know, though that he did play some of the best guitar on some of the greatest albums ever made. Including this.