In The Court Of The Crimson King

This was a strange listen, it felt like a lullaby at times or what Led Zeppelin sounds like without the actual rock. Quite pleasant in the background!

I can see why people would enjoy it, but not for me

Very prog-y, in a good way

2.7

he de decir que no escuché demasiadas canciones pero tenía buena pinta y me gustó que kanye west sampleara la primera canción. no le pongo nota porque no lo acabé 😔

Two great songs, but the rest just seem overblown.

Better than expected.

Trippy, cool experimental moments but ultimately not something I feel the need to revisit

Like the prog rock

This is some prog rock with a capital P. You can hear how much they must have influenced the artists that came after in the big, thematic AOR category. It's huge and bombastic, and you really have to be in the right vibe to take it in. This would have been hardcore even at my crunchy college back in the day.

Overall a bit wanky to be honest. I get it was a pretty revolutionary album and Robert Frip is a great musician. I quite liked some of the tracks but could have done without 21st Century Schizoid Man

Great album. Not easy listening, progressive madness. Had already listened to it before reviewing session. 3.5/5

Will listen later

It started off interesting, but my interest faded after the first song.

Groundbreaking album that I don’t particularly enjoy listening to.

Not the biggest prog rock fan, so found this to be just ok.

I always see this record as a must listen for an innovator in the prof rock genre. Been meaning to listen - excited for this one. Have a feeling it will take a couple of listens. Well, it’s fine. Of course it’s innovative, progressive, talented musicians etc. It’s just pretty boring. I “liked” a song or two but I’ll likely never come back to this album.

Innovative and a little intellectual

Enjoyed, different - will listen again.

>1hr 7minutes >8 songs I have so many conflicting opinions on this. On one hand I really enjoyed the premise and the themes etc on the other hand most of the album was just random instruments with no lyrics or really any tune to them. I would rate this at a 4 and a 1 simultaneously but I can't so I am averaging them to 2.5 rounded up

Wanted to like this album more than I did. Maybe I want to like prog rock more than I actually do 🫤 First track was great but the rest of the tracks were a bit meh.

Really enjoyed the first song and the rest was awesome to listen on a train with an overloaded brain to relax.

Feels like I should like this more than I did. Enjoyed lots of it but some parts just got a bit too self-indulgent for me.

Enjoyable and what artwork!

The album artwork always put me off. In recent years I couldn't help but think was Robert Fripp's reaction to Toyah Willcox on their YouTube videos. As for the album itself, it's strangely hypnotic, an almost calm before a storm.

Decent, prog rock can be hit or miss for me but this falls somewhere in the middle

Lots of cool drum breaks and fills. Only really like the first track. Everything else was kinda meh for me.

Für ProgRock relativ ruhig. Wenn es was beruhigendes sein soll ist das Album geeignet. 3,5 Sterne wären gerechtfertigt.

7/10

Creative.

Well that was something. Oas sur de comment je me sens. A reecouter 7.5/10

Cool vibes

I thought King Crimson was something completely different to this. Apart for the 5 or 6 minutes of nonsense jazz at the end of track 4, I really enjoyed this. The opener was lively but my favourite was the vibe of ‘Epitaph’ and ‘I Talk to the Wind’. Great vocals throughout. Really good album, maybe better because it was such a surprise! A really high 3.

I hate this album art... The first track is pretty good. The others are fine, but I don't like them nearly as much. Feeling a light 3 on this

Álbum ótimo! Sonoridade gostosa de escutar trabalhando ou estudando.

Great music especially 21st century schizoid man

Some parts are okay, others pretty self-indulgent...that's kind of prog-rock in general. Not as bad as expected. Can see why it's influential. 3.3

I am out of game I have the nerve to make the final cut This is the end, beautiful friends Mi zahts leider nerma so jeden Tag den Albumshördruck zu haben.

Cooles Album, hat mir teilweise echt gut gefallen! 6.6/10

It may be very influential, but it’s not the music I would go for. Some track were very great. Other not that much.

Very interesting album if nothing else. I liked the various styles and instruments featured. Some of it was a little more out there than I normally like. Moonchild did not need to be 12 minutes long. 21st Century Schizoid Man and The Court of The Crimson King were my favorite tracks. It's easy to see the influence Crimson King had on bands like Tool. Definitely not an album I would have sought on my own so glad we got to listen to it but probably not one I will come back to outside of the occasional song.

Really liked this album. I love the vibe and and how the album makes the cover art even better. The highs were really high and the lows were still pretty good, albeit not highly memorable after one listen. This didn't have quite the radio appeal like other peog rock groups so I can see why I haven't had this jammed down my throat for my entire life. I'd like to give it a 4 as it was more than decent, but I most likely won't play this album unless I'm in a specific mood. Fav tracks: 21st century, epitaph, in the court of the crimson king.

Opening track is amazing. Otherwise it’s really a lot

Meh, decent but after Kanye, I just wish someone used this entire album as a sample for other songs. Most also sounded like outro music for a Tarantino movie

Meh, OK but a bit short (lots of reapeated tracks) and a bit dated

I'm a fan of the genre but KC never hit for me until I heard Discipline, which may as well be a different band. Right off the bat almost 30% of the record is complete trash, I'm sorry, and the closing title track is overblown and derivative. Side A is a huge step up and, as strong as they come, and worthy of praise. This is on the list for sure but not a top album in my opinion.

It must have been quite something when it came out. By today's standards the good parts are great, but they're few and far between. For the most part it's boring. I thought I would like this album better. Favorite song by far: 21st century schizoid man.

I liked the middle sections of a number of the tracks, but found the start and ends a bit drawn out

Only listened once, definitely liked it, need to hear again 3.5 score

More enjoyable than I expected! Went in thinking it would be prog-rock hippy-dippy nonsense that I wouldn’t be able to relate to but no. Favorite was the first song 21st Century Man, with its engaging hard rock leanings.

21st century SM is awesome. But some of the extended flute stuff is too niche.

Some great moments !

Enjoyable album, from some of the founders of Prog Rock.

I really enjoyed this prog album far more than I would have imagined. It sounds far more contemporary than its '69 release date. It is chock full of musical ideas traversing the spectrum of rock and jazz, yet is far more accessible than, say, Zappa. In particular, I was happy to to discover 'The Court of the Chrimson King' - a song I have heard coutnless times on movies and tv, always loved, yet had no idea where it was from - it's a fantastic track. It's so far out of my wheelhouse I may not relisten to it much so it loses a little in that regard, if I could give a 3.5/5 I would, but I'll have to settle for 3 stars.

The long prog-rock albums are still not my favorites, but this one was pretty good. I like the slower parts where the guy is actually singing. The long choppy random parts bring it down though

The origins of prog rock. Weird sounds, hitting keys, guitar riffs, it's all here. First track is a banger. Kanye heard it too.

Ethereal, kind of trippy and quiet, all in a Pink Floyd'ish kind of way. Not bad. Enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

Not too shabby. Wouldn’t say it’s King, but I’d listen to more. But I could just be Talking To The Wind.

I'm not a big fan of this style of progressive art rock, but it paved the way for others.

Love the title track, not a massive sax fan

Pretty good. Too experimental for my taste personally

Pretty enjoyable prog rock. Cool songs that were sampled.

Interesting. I guess in some quarters this could be called a seminal album. It's certainly grabs influences from a variety of places. Great production as it sounds pretty good. Love the tinny drum sound! I'm glad I took time to listen. 3.5/5

I'm a fan of prog, but never really dived into older progressive rock beyond rush. This was pretty interesting overall. I might have to give it another try just because I know progressive stuff tends to need a few listens to click. On first go though, I'll have to give this a 3.5/5

Reminds me of early Pink Floyd. Incredible musicianship, light on melody.

My first time listening much past the first track, which I shamefully came to from Kanye’s sampling of it. I have since moved on to much better hip hop and can hardly see the appeal in his music anymore. Needless to say this is vastly superior, though it’s obviously apples and oranges. The middle section that is seemingly random noises - made by instruments and non-instruments alike - aside, I quite like it. Definitely an underrated prog rock album. Far be it from me to call it a masterpiece as I’ve seen stated elsewhere, but I definitely prefer it to anything by Pink Floyd. It’s spacious! It’s catchy! It’s interesting! It’s frenetic! It’s difficult to judge on a single listen, but that is my take thus far.

Very enjoyable, there's just some components that I don't mesh with entirely

I lov e instruments

i normally have so much to say abt each album but i am tire and eepy and its 3am and i need to shower and sleep i like flute in this album iz good and cool 👍 faves: 21st century schizoid man, i talk to the wind duo version (the cool flute version), the court of the crimson king would i listen to more king crimson: yes but i would not purposefully seek it out. and i have listened to this album before.

Hmm, I wasn't feeling it as much. 21st century schizoid man is a great tune, but moonchild was a chore to get through. Super impressed by all the layering of different sounds.

Definitely weird but interesting

Pretty cool but not for me. I liked a bunch of it but a bunch was also a bit meh. Not much here i want to add to my playlist

Is this progressive rock? Why does it so often refuse to dance or swing. This is why Dead > any prog - they too get weird but always come back to dance. Still, close enough to my wheelhouse that I’ll listen at least once again. There’s good stuff here, not least the cover art.

Album cover scares me. Long ass songs. Some bangers and real visible jazz influences. Tentative three for now. It's my first album so idk what the competition is. Long slow parts that aren't calm enough to be relaxing and end up tedious.

21st Century Schizoid Man has a nice few minutes and a bunch of showing off. The rest is a little English prog-y but not as silly as you might expect with Greg Lake in the band. It's listenable. It probably fits as a soundtrack to something. music: acknowledged. (╹⌓╹)

Liked this, but isn’t my favorite.

Interesting music. Reminds me of the moody blues but maybe a little more experimental without any big hits

It was good, but I did NOT understand why every so called vinyl enthusiast has to have this album.

The first and last songs go hard. Otherwise fun, fine.

KANYE!! but, fun instrumentation. and then moody and bowie-esque. weird.

cover is its own reaction shot

Partly enjoyable and groovy but lengthy noodly section I had to skip for my own sanity

3.5/5 Some of it was jarring. Really enjoyed court of the crimson king.

-interesting mix of songs, many of which include sounds/ideas that I like but I don't know if the quality is there (makes sense given how pioneering this was) -some are a little too far in the direction of traditional rock for me, others too meandering

What I heard and I didn't get to all of it was very hippie vibe and chill. Nothing wrong with that but nothing I'll be going out of my way to revisit. 3 stars because it was okay and I didn't get to all of it so I won't dog it too badly

Yes nice i know

This was quite surprising. I've always revered In the Court of the Crimson King as a prog standard but haven't really listened to it. I was underwhelmed tonight. I realized that I enjoy covers of Schizoid Man better than the original. Even Court of the Crimson King sounded bland. The other three tracks did not engage me at all. So sorry this didn't work out. All the math says I'll love this album, but I don't.

has a lot of good instrumental and vocal moments, but sometimes the songs go on for way too long for my taste tbh loved horns on 21st cen schizoid man and the riff(?) at about 4:45 on I Talk to the Wind and the sax on A man a city

Definitely a unique sound especially when considering the year.

sympa, expérimental

you know who is a 21st century schizoid man? SHACK.

Whilst I don't normally condone the monarchy, in this instance they have made me feel like an underage commoner being buggered to death by Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. And Prince.

Overrated but with some nice moments. Listening to it is not the overwhelming experience that it's been cracked up to be, but it's not a waste of time either. Good cover.

Mostly aimless noodling or random avant garde guitar thrashing. Occasionally some lovely melodies, but overall it just meanders along with no direction. The title track and 21st century schizoid man are brilliant, though.

Not sure to start with. After opening track it starts to open up into something different, some lovely melodic moments and a crochet of melancholia and confusion emerges. The move into the (sort of) title track makes sense of the piece as a whole. I appreciate it thinking of it in the context of its time and there are jazz influences flying around in there. Didn’t blow me away but I might throw it on someday again to see how it sits. A few listens might unlock something more but the prog noodling around isn’t instantly appealing for a relisten.

stark trea, kanske en fyra om jag får lyssna igen.

Prog wankery

Another record I've known about for years, seen the cover many times, yet never listened to. The riff from 21st Schizoid Man is fantastic and familar. The rest is OK - I can see the influence on lots of other artists such as Frank Zappa and John Zorn

I've known of this album for a long time, but never got around to listening to it. It's definitely fine. Good even. However, after years of hearing people swear by this album, I can confidently say that it is insanely overrated. 3/5

What a strange album ! The ambient changes all the time between songs and even in songs !

I really liked this. It's weird and wild and whacky and definitely a bit 'out there'. The only thing that drags it down to a 3 is the lack of a good 'groove'. I appreciate how instrumental this band and record are in forming the progressive rock branch and totally love it. 21st Century Schizoid Man was a real standout, definitely that track is going to be played again in my house.

i liked. 7/10

March For No reason was very good, all other else was not my type lol

Another album where one track was a stand out and the rest were 'meh'. Objectively, I'm sure King Crimson are doing something special here. I can recognise this album was influential and is beloved to many music fans. I do love the album cover, I must say. I talk to the wind is a nice soothing, late night track. Lovely stuff. The rest felt forgettable. Maybe they'll catch on with me on further listens.

Uplifting, exciting prog rock which occasionally meanders into self indulgent cul-de-sacs.

Appreciate the talent and composition, just not my preference

I like a lot of this album. I Talk To The Wind is my favorite song. I like the varied instruments. I like the vocals. I don’t like the jazz influences, the random noise generator shite. It shows up a bit on 21st Century Schizoid Man, but mostly on Moonchild. The first couple minutes of Moonchild is great. Then it’s followed by far too much noise that sounds like King Crimson dropped acid and blew their own minds. Unfortunately, my mind is wondering why they interrupted a really good album with crap. Even with these departures, I like the album. It’s a 3.5 that has to be rounded down.

I can get the historical importance of this album, and King Crimson was responsible (thanks to the 1001 list) for my discoveries on experimentalism and progressive rock. On the other hand, as expected for their first release (still starting to mix up stuff with the most basic rock lines), this album is a bit repetitive and not so easy to listen to. The song "The Court Of The Crimson King" is truly amazing, but the rest of the album could be much better, as their own proved in their later releases.

Surprise sample from Kanye

I think I was expecting more but there aren’t that many songs on this one. I’m glad I finally got to it though.

Silloin kun ei kilinkolistella, biisit ovat oikein hyviä. Albumi on osattu pitää sopivan mittaisena, kun idea on toisto ja kolistelu. Silti liian junnaava silti (ja kilistelevä) omaan makuuni.

21st Century Schizoid Man is great track, not so keen on the free style jazz

Interesting and unusual

Opening track is an all time classic, album has only one way to go from there. The rest of the album is good but can’t match what 21st century schizoid man brings

Apparently this is the first ever program rock album. Some nice moments but it’s sandwiches between long sessions of noodling that sometimes meander. Could have trimmed the fat in places. Maybe that’s the point? I enjoyed the drumming and the melodic bass lines though. And the guitar part has a spaghetti western vibe and sounds like they belong in a Ennio Morricone piece.

I remember my folks having a different King Crimson album – Larks tongues in aspic. I never heard them play it. So I was intrigued when I heard this album what direction they may have taken. I definitely enjoyed select parts of this album. Some of it was a bit too noodley-woodley and a bit too jazzy. But I quite liked the trippy dippy elements. In places they sounded like Pink Floyd and the lyrics were very prescient. I liked it enough to then play Lark’s… which is way too prog rock for me. I now know why my parents never played it. But this was intriguing and compelling in places. It lost me halfway through moonchild and all I wanted to do was roll my eyes and sigh, but pulled it back right at the end. And unfortunately I don’t think in 50 years we’ve gone that far: Knowledge is a deadly friend If no one sets the rules The fate of all mankind I see Is in the hands of fools

Music sounds like something from Ocean’s 11 or The Pink Panther. Some caper movie from the 60s. Grand swells of music that make me feel like I am in some sort of magical land of long ago where dragons and unicorns exist.

This album wasn't as difficult to listen to as I initially feared. In fact, there were moments of pleasure and I found the sounds and words rather British in a lovely way. All you have to do is say "jester" and "court" in a British accent and I'm usually hooked. An old friend (Glenn) LOVED King Crimson and decades ago I suspect it was over lunch and a few bongs that he spun this LP. He convinced me to go with him to a King Crimson concert at The Tower in Upper Darby. So there we were 2nd row, Robert Fripp came out center stage and SAT down on a chair and "jammed" the rest of the night. It was intense hard prog rock the whole night and the sitting down guitar playing really made me feel weird. I looked around and no lie...I could not see another woman in the audience. I suffered through the concert and never again listed to King Crimson until yesterday. They are historically relevant and I like when people have extreme fans so I get why they are on this list.

Kijk, dit album kan ik al veel beter hebben dan die vorige. Openingsnummer is echt te gek!

It's cool to see how progressive rock went from what it was in the 60's to what it is today.

Banda sobrevalorada. No pueden durar toooodos tus temas 15 minutos. Tienen partes lindas y tocan bien.

Enjoyed

Didn’t meet the height of Brit rock

Meh

I’m not usually of the 9+ minute song fan category - but if you see it as a record it’s actually not too long and not overindulgent. It’s also quite surprisingly grounded given this is prog AND King Crimson. I was pleasantly surprised - enjoyed most of the album except maybe Moon Child - which while interesting - is way too sparse for repeated listens. That said it’s not my genre still won’t return to it often so hence my rating.

Hard to believe that the song "The Court of the Crimson King" was written to be a country song. The colourfulness of the lyrics makes me want to call "Bullshit!". Country songs don't typically reference colours like purple (piper), (ever)green, yellow (jester) and, duh, crimson. But the song also references  gray (mornings) and, the ultimate country and western colour, black (queen); so on second thought, perhaps I'll buy it.  I looked up the word schizoid to be sure. The Mayo clinic's definition helped me understand how powerful the lyrics of 21sr Century Schizoid Man are. There are a mere 54 words in that 7:22 song. Oh yeah, this is seen and the kick start of prog rock. I appreciate the band's contribution to prog. I gave their other album a 4 after listening to it a couple of times with headphones. My headphones weren't handy for this one.

still don't really know what prog rock is

Rock suave con influencias un tanto psicodélicas. Buena voz e instrumentalmente bien elaborado.

Praised as the finest progressive rock album of all time. At one point it's jazzy, frantic, and surreal. The next moment is reflective, taking a break from the unstable energy of the previous track. King Crimson took excellent care to pace their album, such that the flow from one track to the next without giving the listener whiplash. My issue with In The Court Of The Crimson King is that the core body if it mostly bores me. I think the opening track is exciting and deserves every bit of praise. Going from the excellent movement of 21st Century Schizoid Man to the run of I Talk to the Wind, Epitaph, and Moonchild brings the album down. If they had removed Moonchild (which is a fine track), then it would've had more room to work with. There is no doubt in my mind that In The Court Of The Crimson King is a well-written, well-composed, and well-performed album. I can easily see why it is heralded as the best of all time. My grief is that much of the momentum built up from the first track is lost and then never recovered.

Yes yes. It’s everyone’s favorite. I get it. Epitaph is the strongest, schizoid man is decent, court of the crimson king is wild but also alright. I dig the instrumental in I talk to the wind. I fully understand how this would have been groundbreaking when it debuted, it is creative and very intriguing and takes some crazy risks with the wild horns, rock licks, and jazziness. For me it lacks the overall cohesion and is not set on a coherent direction. I got lost and bored, but ultimately enjoyed some portions.

I liked their main song "In the Court of the Crimson King". It was a kind of calming album for the most part. I was able to get into the "world" of the album. 3/5

Weird, menacing at times, and trippy as hell. A fun ride!

In The Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson Going in let it be known that I’m not a prog rock kind of guy. There are a few decent songs on here as far as melodic beauty goes but then there is also just schizophrenia. Too much schizophrenia. And a meandering song called Moonchild that just sounds like all the background bells and whistles from THE ENTIRETY of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood in a 10 minute track. The title track is half fun and half meandering. I know prog rock is meant for meandering but a little editing down would make this song in particular more accessible (to folks like me) but I get it. Overall, the first track is just too off the wall for me. The next two were actually kind of nice and chill. The Moonchild one is fucking weird but the last song was (mostly) somewhat enjoyable. I’m not shitting on it but I’m ok. It has its place and I am glad I listened to know what this is. Doubt I’ll give it a re-listen, though. Then I listened to it again after I got high and I understood it better. Go figure.

Very enjoyable. Technically not an album though...

A somewhat overrated album that does actually get better with each listen.

Det var okay, men lidt småkedeligt undervejs.

Very interesting album. I did not expect all of the jazz solos/themes/improvisations as all I knew was this was a prog rock classic. A bit long but there are multiple tracks I will be returning to.

Like it more than I thought I would. Still don’t know that prog rock is for me. Epitaph was my favorite track.

It’s a nice enough album for its day.

Pretty chill

It was weird but in a good way.

This was more up and down than their previous but I still rate it.

You know what, this redeemed King Crimson. First track is a banger. Middle songs get kind of jazzy. Works for me. Could see myself revisiting it.

3.5 Despite being one of the most memed albums of all-time (probably second only to In the Aeroplane Over the Sea), I had never heard this before in whole, just the song 21st Century Schizoid Man and the nightmare-fuel album art. Idk, I’m mixed here - this was a ride. I’ve always kind of liked the first song, so I knew what I was getting into there. Between the distorted vocals, blasts of saxophone, and thundering guitar riffs, it’s a great prog rock track. Then, all of a sudden things really slowed down and devolved into boring soft rock on I Talk to the Wind. The song just feels out of place, like it was lifted from a Buffalo Springfield album or something. However, just as I was losing interest, Epitaph came in hard, and was a song that really made me go “Oh, this is what all the hype is about.” The atmosphere it builds is among the best I’ve ever heard, and you can almost physically feel the musical soundscape you’re in while listening… so it’s a shame it leads into the bullshit that is Moonchild. Moonchild is the equivalent of seeing a painting of a square at an art gallery and thinking to yourself “I could have made that”. Imagine the looks you’d get if you were given the aux cord and put this on… and I say that as a Bright Eyes fan. And it’s not like this is a brief transition track or anything, this is like 25% of the album’s runtime. But, just as I was over it, things drastically shifted AGAIN with an absolute banger of a closer in The Court of the Crimson King, which I really don’t think can be described as anything short of epic. Even long after I finished my listening, I couldn’t get the chorus out of my head, especially with that huge crescendo on the delivery of “KINGGGGGGG”. If I was a bigger Beatles fan, this album would probably remind me of The White Album - moments of brilliance between moments of wtf, though the production on this is miles ahead. So anyway, all that being said, this is really hard to rate. Like when it’s good, it’s REALLY GOOD, but when you don’t like two of the tracks on a five track album, how much can you say you really like it? I’m pretty sure that’s a failing grade in school. Was going to give 3/5 accordingly, but I do think that undercuts the great moments a bit, so bumping up a half point.

I get it

Seemed cool proggy stuff

Ehhh too much prog rock for my tastes. An interesting listen and maybe i'll return to it someday but it's not my jam.

🌞 Favourite song: Epitaph 🌜 Least favourite song: Moonchild I don't think I'll ever be a prog rock person ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ but I came pretty close while listening to this!! Very good! I didn't like Moonchild (except for the very start). It has that element of prog rock that makes me hate it... way too long, way too many random noises for no reason. Other than that every song was good! Epitaph was the only one that made me really sing along or anything though. ✨3.5/5💫

Varied from inspirational genius, to just bad. Sometime during three same song

The sounds of this album was great. I focused more on the sound then lyrics because there weren’t that many (which i kind of liked). All the different sounds intrigued me and I’m just glad i had to honor to listen to this work of art.

I wasn't much taken in by the cover art but this album was pretty good. Classic rock but interesting enough to set it apart.

Didn't hate it but in no rush for a second listen.

Little too much experimentation for my liking but not bad

Peaks at “21st Century Schizoid Man” and goes down in interest after a while. The album just ends up being very slow after the opening track. I’ve listened to this album 2-3 times and I still couldn’t get into it.

Really great album. The instrumentals are cool, I think my mind would have been blown if I listened to this when it came out. It would've been more digestible if the songs were shorter, but overall I liked every song. Fave track(s): Epitaph, The Court of the Crimson King

experimental and cool with deep dark feel to it. not a great listen however. 3

Have been meaning to listen to this for a long time and just can't say I'm overly impressed

Listening to Moonchild my housemates probably thought I was trying to summon the Goblin King. Objectively I can understand it being a 5, but jazz and prog rock pay a high rent to live in my head and struggle to get over a 3.

Highlights: "Talk to the Wind," "Court of the Crimson King," honorable mention to the fuzz bass on "Schizoid," probably the hugest sound of the entire decade. The best thing about this album is its dramatic sense of transition. Crashing out of the stressful opener into the flute duet is better than either track in itself, and the same goes for the (progressively worse) dithering of "Moonchild" stumbling into a clearing and getting blindsided by the huge Mellotron theme of the closer. It has incredible *moments* that are spread thin. "Epitaph" is an interminable cliche, huge drag in the middle of the album. Everything people hate about prog is here at its start, too. It doesn't help that the band is not tight at all. It took King Crimson their entire career to learn how to lock in, and they were oh so proud of themselves for that too when they got there. The exciting synched staccato section of "Schizoid" highlights the band biting off more than they can chew, but it's roughest on "I Talk to the Wind," where the drummer Never Stops Filling. Production issues, in short. The lyrics are lovably dopey. "The wind cannot hear" always puts a smile on my face; Spinal Tap couldn't have done better. I like the idea of the album more than the execution, and I think every King Crimson fan does too if they're being honest. Grateful for their influence.

This album has more of a historical impact that’s significant more than me Enjoying the songs themselves. Being the influencer for Pink Floyd this band/album is pretty impressive. However some of the songs drag on. With only 5 songs it doesn’t feel long but each song is unique and its own journey. I don’t love the album like some prog rock fans do but I’m here for its significance. 6.7/10

So it was a perfect album to solo listen to while driving in the rain feeling slightly existential after working a shift of dealing with humanity. Definitely went into the obscure. Moonchild was my favorite. Could see myself dancing to the stars by the ocean to that

Late 60s were an… interesting… time for rock.

Interesting album, long tracks, nice changes

Everybody from Doves to The Flaming Lips to Kanye has lifted stuff from this album. And I can see why sampling these somewhat lengthy tracks is the right move. Credit must be given for the hooks, though.

I'm not sure what I made of this. I'll probably try again and see if it makes some more sense...

Rock progresivo. Se me ha hecho un poco pesado, aún así, ni fu ni fa.

It was a pretty weird album, i didnt like how quiet the vocals were but the instrumentals were good.

I was super excited to get this album today. Then I realized the production quality for this album was really bad, even for the remaster version. As a prog fan, I feel like I have to love this album, in fact, I don't. The mix for vocal (actually not just vocal) overall is just weird.

In The Court Of The Crimson King has some really hatable prog but also some half decent late 60s/early 70s rock sounds. Probably lands in the middle at a 3/5 because it captured my attention.

This is really good, way ahead of its time and well worth a listen. Definitely better than the Pink Floyd of its era, but not as good as later Pink Floyd. I still find that prog rock albums set in fantasy world albums are a bit cringey, and this has its cringey moments, but it mostly manages to overcome them. 3/5

Best Song: 21st Century Schizoid Man. Great song, has been sampled well to great effect. Sufficiently prog without overstaying its welcome. Worst Song: Epitaph. It isn't bad per se, but it does certainly take it's time, feeling like a lengthy mourning for someone I don't care much about. Overall: An almost medieval feeling fantasy prog album that is more often atmospheric than it is in-your-face rock. The opener is the best track, but also feels at odds with the rest of the album, resulting in a listening experience that feels a bit scattered. The sparse jazz of Moonchild feels like it doesn't belong in the same album as the raucous electricity of 21st Century Schizoid Man.

I have seen the album art throughout my life, but had never listened or really thought much about it. It is not what I expected, although I can't say what I was expecting. It's lighter, more genre bending, more free spirited, even haunting at times.

its the true start of prog rock, as a Tool man I appreciate it. Wouldn't seek it out though.

It's pretty proggy in a pre prog way. Some great moments, some less so.

It was clear they’re good but I hate chaos noise so much.

Highlights: 21st century schizoid man Guitar break in moonchcild

wish i liked the album more, like a 2,5/5 for me

h ow does king crimson work

Un début d'album extrêmement prometteur complètement gâchée par une soudaine envie de faire n'importe quoi. On commence à être habitué.

Je suis comme vous le savez en ce moment très occupé, le projet de construction d'une enceinte de 4m sur 5 dans mes bureaux étant extrêmement chronophage. Il m'est donc impossible de rédiger des reviews dignes de ce nom pour le moment.

Reminds me of Moody Blues. Check more later.

3 stars. I’ve never quite understood the appeal with this album. I think it just goes on and on too much. Maybe I don’t have a refined enough palate?

I've tried with this album, I really have. I've owned it on vinyl since the since 2005, and every few years I hear people talking about how great it is, and I decide that this is the time that I'm finally going to "get" this album. Except, I never do. I find this album boring, even for a prog rock album. It's not bad, the compositions can be quite intricate, but ultimately it doesn't inspire anything in me. I think the last song on the album is the best, though even that song has a fake ending that really takes the steam out of the track 3/5

This album made me a bit schizophrenic. Maybe that was the goal. It was a decent album to wash dishes to, only to have the wife come back and complain that I didn't throw away her pancakes.

Trip trip songs

Love the album art - one of the best covers of the era, and that’s saying something. 21st Century Schizoid Man is great, but the middle section drags a bit. The rest is mediocre Renaissance Festival fare.

Strong 3

Top 3 Songs: 1 - The Court of the Crimson King (5) 2 - 21st Century Schizoid Man (1) 3 - Epitaph (3)

The lyrics are not great. The oboe is a welcome contribution on the second track and the Mellotron sounds divine. I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. Robert Christgau called it "ersatz shit" which I love but don't really agree with.

Enjoyed this more than I was expecting, I need to be in the right mood for the Prog-Rock, but this was dope.

The album starts and finishes very strong, but everything in between pulls it down a bit.

One of those records that is great in places, but dated prog nonsense in others

S razlogom je ovaj album smatran esencijalnim. Međutva, meni je dobar, ali ne toliko.

Its pretty decent but its as silly and indulgent as the worst of prog

Promising start, and interesting blend of styles throughout.

pretty good just not something i could see myself listening to much

Title track is sensational

I remember being more into this on previous listens so maybe I just didn’t give it the attention it deserved. Based on this listen, high 3*

A little psychedelic, a little jam band, a little classic sixties rock. Not in love, but I *do* love that they kept the album to terse five (eight, with expansion) tracks. If you love them, maybe 2-3 tracks a side on vinyl would be crappy… Three stars for brevity when being weird.

Enjoyable psychedelic prog - at points sounded like the soundtrack to a Zelda game. The rest was big and noisy enough to sound like they were making an effort.

Snooze...and like Greg Lake..

decent album i suppose its special partially for its innovation at the time, reminds me a little bit of rainbow with dio albeit more 'alternative'

Great album. Early progressive rock. After more than 50 years it is nice to listen to it.

Trippy 60s music

How have I never heard this before? I have heard of King Crimson, but this was my first time hearing an album by them. This was really good! Standouts: 21st Century Schizoid Man, The Court of the Crimson King First listen. Can't wait to hear it again! 3.5 / 5

massa o rockzao progressivo

This album is the debut by English rock band King Crimson. It's one of the earliest and most influential progressive rock albums. Hailed today as a classic in the rock genre but receiving mixed reviews at release, this album helped shape progressive rock before it was ever really classified as a genre. The album's music is beautifully mesmerizing and seamlessly transitions the listener from one track to the next. This album is highly ranked in progressive rock or simply rock album lists, and this album has been certified gold in the US. 'Twas a good album to enjoy for an hour during the workday.

Album needs more time Cover art 5/5

Classic

Fun fun fun

Having never heard of King Crimson before, it was really surprising to hear the song sampled in Kanye's Power. The juxtaposition between the cacophony of how 21st Century Schizoid Man ends and I Talk To The Wind's soft and sweet beginning makes it interesting.

Interesting to see early examples of prog rock, just a bit too unrefined for me in total

Oye, oye! Rock sicodelico que, si escucho bien, todavía puede hacer sentir su influencia en el rock del presente año. A estos locos los conozco sólo de nombre, pero me he llevado ina gran sorpresa.

This was alright. Songs are a bit too long for my taste but otherwise forgettable. 6/10.

In my opinion 21st Century Schizoid Man is the one true highlight of this album. Mixes prog, free jazz, rock freak out into a heady stew. The rest is filler.

This should have been the 420th album, huge miss random album selecting algorithm

7/10, proggy! fun! I feel that most people listen to this because of POWER and it ends up being really good in its own right!

Nonsense, but pleasant enough. Didn't realise before that Greg Lake (from ELP/Xmas) was in King Crimson. Schizoid man and the title track were the highlights for me

A little jam, a little rock'n'roll.

I’d like to check out more of their stuff. This one was a little too abstract for me at time. Like their more upbeat stuff the most

* Decent. Prob 3.5

Pretty abstract, enjoyed it. Didn’t think it was the greatest but still enjoyed it

Felt orchestral throughout which I really liked.

Just before 1970 this album when it came out probably wasn't any other at that time. This is must the definition of an outsider rock band. To do what they like. Explorative melodic music with jazz elements . Very cool album

Rock progresivo. Se me ha hecho un poco pesado, aún así, ni fu ni fa.

Some good songs

21st Century Schizoid man - holy crap. Like, it's brilliant but I wouldn't add it to a playlist. And at a certain point you might just be making noise. It's like going on an involuntary musical odyssey. I feel like I should be leading elephants across the Alps rather than sitting in my room. Things can be incredible without being enjoyable necessarily. Moonchild - this is driving me nuts. I'm not smart enough to appreciate this, it's just noise. Court of the crimson king - very atmospheric, I was playing hole i.o while I listened and it felt like I was on a quest. A man a city - we're getting through this but we are not liking the experience. If other people can read this - this is my personal thoughts lol I'm sure the album is technically very good don't take anything I say seriously idk what I'm talking about. If anything, today I learned that I am not a prog rock girlie. Valuable experience in all.

Fav: Epitaph Least fav: Moonchild 2

No me gustó tanto.

not quite my taste, dont think i´ll listen to it again but musically I really liked it

Started string and quickly fell into 60’s bullshit rock.

A lot of people love this it seems. I was just bored. Enjoyed the title song and that’s all. 2.5 rounding down

nop

Some cool moments but I'll never listen to it again on purpose

Good study beats B) But boring and a little odd. Extra point for the amazing album cover, this is on my laptop full screen and I am loving it.

I just couldn't quite get into this. I liked the other album, but this one just kind of meandered. I did kind of like the bonus tracks.

That first track is a force. I think I like the other King Crimson one we got better.

Didn’t like sound but liked how weird it was at least

Moonchild- lord have mercy longest song I ever heard, kind of good for studying ngl A man a city- pretty good reminds me of an old detective/ action film

Only gets a 2 because of 21st century schizoid man. Why are we randomly clanging items that belong in the kitchen together and calling that music? DNF.

Not my thing. I just don’t get it

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

Not interesting

Fav- 21st century schizoid man 2/5

Weird online retailer tried to sell me a copy of this record today too. Very weird.

okay

So, I liked 21st Century Schizoid Man. Which surprised me, because for whatever reason, my preconceived notion about this album was that I would completely hate it (I've struggled with early prog.). And that was about it. "I Talk To the Wind" was too ren faire. "Epitaph" was ok - but kind of dragged. "Moonchild" I can't even...just what was that? 8 minutes of instrument tuning? "TCOTCK" had some decent moments, but just didn't keep me interested for 9+ minutes. Not for me. I will probably keep Schizoid in my playlist though.

No es mi rollo

As with all concept progressive rock the songs are too long, at 40mins the album is to long could of got away with 20mins if all the fillers were taken out. Such as what sounded like a primary school music lesson. Some of it was good but is it worth all the hype, No.

This band has an identity crisis. The sax sounds great, though.

pretentious self indulgent crap

i only like one song but its not that bad

Not my thing.

Very boring

21st Century Man is such a strong opener that it would have gotten a 5 right then and there. The classic book-end...Moon-Child? Just record a EP if you dont have that much music, seriously...just dont.

Slow, quiet progressive rock and symphonic psychedelia built on Mellotron swells, subdued guitars, restrained rhythms, and calm, distant vocals unfolds with lingering stillness. Listening feels like wandering through a vast, empty hall where sounds echo softly and time stretches out. The result to some might be atmospheric and immersive for me its pacing feels overly slow and subdued.

"21st Century Schizoid Man", the first track off King Crimson's debut record is equal parts abrasive and abstract, making it a distinctly unpleasant listen on two fronts. The second cut "I Talk To The Wind" then downshifts into jazzy, pastoral territory that's easier on the ears but is ultimately more narcoleptic than hypnotic. The pivot point of the album, "Epitaph" is a heavy-on-the-strings number that sounds like it wandered in from a Moody Blues record and finds Greg Lake oversinging in a desperate attempt to infuse the trite lyrics with some sort of emotion. "Moonchild" has about two minutes of something *resembling* a song followed by a vast wasteland of barely-audible keyboard 'n' guitar 'n' percussion noodling. (At this point you are fully justified in taking this album back to the record store and making the case that it is defective.) The band tries to make amends for all the goofing off by starting off "In The Court Of The Crimson King" with a monster Mellotron and choir hook but dumps that after several verses to take a needless trip through fluteland for what seems like forever. (A decent producer would have slammed the door shut on that track after 4 minutes instead of letting it run on for 9 1/2, by which time said hook has completely worn out its welcome.) There's a couple of interesting musical patches here and there on this record, but wading through so much musical self-indulgence to get to them makes it a real chore.

Some of it is ok but most are dragged out or drift off into oblivion. A place I'd rather not return.

Pure 70s rock. I've always heard the name king Crimson but never actually heard it. Nothing standout. Pretty standard 70s prog rock

With over 5 songs on the album toping out over 7 minutes in length it felt like I was in actual court

This album cover is so iconic for such a shit album. I get he’s going freestyle or whatever but 11 min songs at a time come on now . Thought the song was over so many times just to have to listen to more tuning practice . Specific rating - 1.7 Fav song - 21st century schizoid ma Least fav - a man a city

The first track is incredible and then it goes downhill into endless noodling, theatrics and ¨atmosphere.¨ I was bored to death by the end of the second song, which would have been halfway through a Ramones cd.

Mostly a slog, not up to the level of later prog rock masters like Rush. There's a lot of tracks with typical 60s and 70s long noisy jams.

Bof

Realizing I’m a bit prog-averse. My fav parts on here are the quiet bits where Fripp is noodling. Have listened to this quite a bit and have even loved it at times in my life. Gah a 2 feels bad but I won’t be returning.

It's fine, but I would never listen to it on purpose.

2/3

lo definiría como radical. fusiona varios estilos muy distintos, siento que no se define como uno solo pero si tiende a una oscuridad por momentos explícita y por momentos implícita. dice mucho

bisschen zu crazy

very smelly

All the king crimson super fans who think that King Crimson is the best prog band seriously need to listen to 1 Rush album. King Crimson isn’t bad, but they’re no where as good as people say they are.

Wouldn't even consider this a bad album. It's a curiosity. It's an experimental and conceptual story. It's hard to listen on repeat, though, and I qualify listen ability as criteria for a good rating. It's interesting.

Sure the musicianship is pretty amazing as it twists through jazz, psychedelic, classical, rock, but the songs are just so pompous and full of themselves. I guess that's prog for you, but I will not be back anytime soon.

Just no. Too much pompous ridiculosity, not enough music you really want to listen to.

Long ahh songs

Si te gusta el progressive rock esto es espectacular para vos. Tocan increíble. Yo desconocía totalmente la existencia de esta banda. Igualmente yo no soy muy fanático de este género, me resultó aburrido. No me despertó muchos sentimientos. Yo priorizo eso por sobre la calidad musical por así decirlo. El sentimiento. Como dato curioso, sentí que en el 3er tema se les bajó el volumen de todo, nose si tendrá que ver con algun error o algo de la época. Me resulto raro eso, nada mas.

I’ve tried with this a few times, folks I respect love it, I like a lot of Fripp's guest work elsewhere...but it’s just...never happening.

i recognize its great music, not my style though.

A little much for me but I get it

Prog rock...and super long song lengths...to quote Han Solo, "I've got a bad feeling about this." Justified, totally justified. The saxophone parts are cool though. I Talk To The Wind is better, but that's not much of a bar to clear. Damnit...it's just Emerson, Lake and Palmer in disguise. It's so obvious on Epitaph that I'm embarrassed I didn't notice before. Now I can't unhear his voice. Why wouldn't you add a bunch of nonsense noises in the middle of a 12 minute long song? Nothing like random noises to enhance a song. Good lord, this is tedious. Ten minutes of gobbledegook. The Court of The Crimson King is the best song on the album.

Nichts für mich😄

Too much

meh

It was interesting. Honestly schizo man and the title track are the most worthwhile ones. The rest sound like...idk sound checks or something.

better than the other one. the highs were high and the lows were low.

First 60 seconds of this: hell yeah, this album rules I spent the rest of the album waiting impatiently for it to end. This album was a slog and a chore to sit through.

I don't think I'm a prog rock girlie

Much of a muchness

Prog Rock just is not appealing to me. I don’t really have much more to say about it.

Impressive in its own way but just not what I'm looking for in rock music.

Funk

Really fucked with I Talk to the Wind. Overall, I don't really think the album was for me. I can see how some can enjoy it, but I wasn't really wowed by it or felt some sort of connection. I probably wouldn't listen again, but I do think it was a decent album and probably has a lot of important messages. I don't have the time to look into that right now, so I kinda just have to take everything at face value. I give it a 4/10.

Self indulgent Tolkien nonsense

Mucha flautita poco estribillo El primer tema esta muy bueno lo demas mmeeee Demasiado progresivo para mi gusto

Cool idea. Not for me though 2.5

Notablebtextzeile: Knowledge is a deadly friend If no one sets the rules The fate of all mankind, I see Is in the hands of fools Bin gespalten. Einige Stellen finde ich richtig gut, aber darum herum ist so viel repetetives getüdel, das es mir im ganzen eigentlich gar nicht gefällt. Außerdem vermutlich schuld an sowas wie Fantasy Metal

Jeder Song hat eine gute Idee in die sich jemand zu sehr verliebt hat. Es hätte beim Flirt bleiben sollen, es wurde jedes mal geheiratet.

I get the context, but this is just boring to me for the most part.

long and kinda boring