Reviews (page 5 of 14)
I really loved this album! I laid back and listened and it was a great experience
What a great surprise. Precursor to Pink Floyd.
I LOVE THIS ALBUM TOP TEN FAVORITE ALBUMS EVER THIS SHIT CLASSIC CLASSIC CLASSIC
If I had a dollar for every time I've seen this album cover, I wouldn't have been listening to this on my way to work this morning. However, even though I've seen this album countless times, this was my first time listening to it. I know this album is supposed to be the first prog rock album, but I wasn't sure if I'd like it; I like Pink Floyd, Rush, Supertramp, and Yes, but I don't really consider myself a prog rock fan. Well, after listening to In The Court Of The Crimson King, I guess I can consider myself at least a casual fan of prog rock. I really enjoyed this album from start to finish. The jazz influences were easy to hear right from the start, and I loved these long, orchestral songs. This album is incredibly ambitious, and it blows my mind that it was released in 1969. It's easy to hear that this album had a major influence on all of psychedelic rock that came after it, especially Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" songs. As much as I enjoyed the strings and woodwinds, the drumming was probably my favorite aspect of this album. I loved the cymbal crashes in "Epitaph" and the jazz-adjacent fills on "21st Century Schizoid Man." This album isn't the type of thing that I like to listen to regularly, but it was fantastic, and its importance and influence on rock music can't be understated.
Buckle the f**k up. Court is in session. The opening breaks are raucous and cacophonic. You think you know what it is, but then Schizoid fades into Talk to the Wind and the (probably best on a modernish album) flute floats melodious with what is that (clarinet and some starry keyboard?), and you find you don't really know what is going on-- yet. On the third track, the kettle drum rolls thunder and the strings come in and you think, how many instruments do these guys play?? The vocals are a little more pointed and the strings carry you soaring above the mountains while the completely unique guitar pierces through the void and injects salve. Finally, sweet release and the acoustic guitar takes a role stepping aside only for the somber and somnolent clarinet and still thunderous drums. Moonchild swings in like an old sad friend. It seems simple, familiar, predictable. But is it? What sort of hobbit journey are we on and when have you heard anything remotely like this before? Was it in a dream? At the end, we get like 7 minutes of call and response jazz chaos in fits and starts and might be tempted to think, is the album ending here? Going to sputter out? And then the title track comes swooping in, organs and drums, guitars and then into the quiet little hamlet voice. I wonder at this stage briefly, why do I hate Jethro Tull so much?? Oh because it is totally derivative of this album probably with none of the originality, lyrics, or talent. Overall, this is a brilliant piece of work. I met this album at age 13 and it was way beyond my comprehension at the time-- still on the edge. My dear dreadlocked pal, Troy played it for me on vinyl and it was old then. Somehow it stands even taller and is even more fascinating. A musical pillar.
Si Fragile de Yes est un classique des classiques, In The Court Of The Crimson King est L’ULTIME classique du rock progressif. Puissant, mystique, experimental et tout bonnement bien construit, c’est l’un de mes albums préférés. Ps: Si vous voulez skip Moon Child, écouter au moins la dernière minute, la transition avec la dernière chanson en vaux la peine
Excellent malgré quelques rares moments d'égarement
endormie
This album may still be ahead of it’s time, but I loved it.
Well, those that don’t rate this record certainly get hot under the collar explaining why 🤣. I get it though, music has that unique ability to divide opinion. I marvel at the fact that this was released in 1969. A sound that is a hybrid of jazz, classical, blues, folk and everything else. The opening track is a menacing sound and represents the album art work perfectly. Dropping the needle on this for the first time must have been an amazing experience. I am one of those who believe it’s a classic of its time. I don’t like everything, the middle section of Moonchild sounds like the band are each playing a different song and it drags on. They invented Prog Rock with this album, it’s a record that is both “of” and “ahead” of its time. And fifty years later it is still finding new fans. Essential !
an album i've loved for a long time, in no part that i associate with my bf.
Always loved the main song but now I heard the rest and they're great!
Rock jazz ambient wtf.. fuusion.....sitte proge vittuilua... jahas proge.... Haistkaa paska...
Prog rock royalty Zoveel coole sounds, zoveel coole ritmes en ingewikkelde patronen. Al paar x geluisterd en elke keer iets anders dat opvalt. Ik moet ze vaker luisteren.
21st century schizofoid man vuuuur. Prachtig album met veel toffe geluiden. Prog rock zoals ik het graag heb.
a classic!
TWWENTY FIRST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN BEUM BERUMBEUM BEUM esse album é progressivo emocional, não aquelas notas escaladas que soam como um show off. a maneira como tudo progride e se encaixa aqui é unica, principalmente considerando a diversidade das musicas.
Amazing find. Amazing album.
Amazing.
En juvel!!
Starting off with the sample to a Kanye song, very neat! 21st Century Schizoid is a certified jam. Singer's voice is amazing. Very interesting mix of heavy metal, classical, and jazz(?), reminds me of S&M. This album sounds like it could have been released today. This album is amazing. I like the story-telling aspect to it, reminds me of Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The Moonchild interlude goes a bit long, but that's the only blemish I could point out. I love this list for albums like this where I have never heard of the band. There are a lot of masterpieces to discover.
21st Century Schizoid Man really kicked things off with a bang. Then I enjoyed the slowed down more instrumental middle. Whatever that is called that was happening in Moon Child had me on the edge of my seat waiting for it to start up again which it certainly does during Court of the Crimson King. Love this album and happy it was brought up because I have heard of it but never listen to it once.
Epic tunes while still super catchy. Felt like I was listening to an orchestra play Pink Floyd. Pretty fun stuff, 5 star whynot?
The album that launched prog rock. In The Court Of The Crimson King is not an easy listen and you need to be in a place to appreciate it and prog-style music. Once you're comfortable with songs longer than the 3-5 minute range and in the 7-13 minute range you'll appreciate what goes into it, similar to freeform Jazz of the 50's & 60's. 4.5/5.
To have ever called myself a lover of progressive rock and not have listened to King Crimson's "In The Court Of The Crimson King" is a little unbelievable, alas it was very true. This album, from top to bottom, is nothing short of a masterpiece, and to think this was King Crimson's first really set a high bar probably for themselves and certainly any band that came after them. Having said the album is fantastic through and through, my personal highlights would have to be "Epitaph" and album closer "The Court of the Crimson King". Having only a rough idea of who King Crimson were, and being more familiar with their namesake through another piece of media, Hirohiko Araki's decades spanning manga "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure", I came in knowing this album was genre defining and heavily praised, and I can say now without a doubt that I completely understand why. This album will definitely go into my rotation now that I've taken the time to listen to it, and I'll have to explore more of KC's work from here on out.
One of my all-time favorites
good
“21st Century Schizoid Man” is one of the best rock songs of all time and an insane album opener. It’s got that ridiculous heavy metal riff and opens up into an all-out jazz freak-out in the second half. Phenomenal. I love how the gentle “I Talk to the Wind” follows the noise of “Schizoid Man.” Great transition and palette cleanser. And a beautiful song too. I love the flute solo at the end. The drumming on this album is fantastic. Michael Giles (had to look up the name and give him a shoutout) is so precise and on point the way you need for hard rock and heavy metal, but he’s also got this light jazzy touch too, depending on the song. “Epitaph” is a prog rock epic! So cinematic. When I was 14, I would listen to this CD on my Walkman and challenge myself not to skip past the avant-garde section of "Moonchild." I think it helped me build up a tolerance for free jazz and experimental music. 😂 Honestly, it's not as challenging as I remember it being. It's actually pretty calming and soothing. Another epic one with the closing title track. Love those dramatic backing vocals. And more flute solos! 🙌 Listening to this took me back to riding the bus to high school in the morning. This CD was in high rotation for teenaged Steve for a while. One of the best album covers of all time. It might even take my vote for best ever.
Finally- a reason to sit and listen to this album! I've been told that I need to listen to it for my entire life but I never have. Alright yea this is really sick. Incredibly tasteful prog rock. Wow this is really great. It does everything and does it well. It's so beautiful at times, it's so heavy at times, it's so fantastical but also approachable. There's a part of me that wants to make this my first blind 5/5 but there's also a part of me that wants to hold back on a 5 because the one thing this album doesn't really seem to have for me is that it is lacking some real re-listenable hits on it. Like it doesn't have too many choruses or moments where I'm thinking "oh man I'll remember this part" except for the chorus of the first track (which is killer). Ultimately I feel like this has to be a 5 though. It really wowed me in ways that other albums have not on this list and I can't wait to re-listen. One of the best album covers of all time, right? It's so unique but everyone knows what it is.
Album from 69, basically considered the first prog rock album. Such an amazing blend of new sounds but also still showing its 60s flavour. Sounds like something from the future, even now. Giving 5 as it deserves another listen after this. Super impressive
люблю очень
This album cover was ubiquitous in record stores back in the 70s. It was definitely a key LP in the fledgling progressive rock movement with it's symphonic sound and lengthy songs. I'm surprised I didn't rush out and buy it - must have been that cover. When MC and I saw them a couple of years ago, their sets were still peppered with songs from this LP. It's a shame the line-up more or less disintegrated after it was finished. "I Talk to the Wind", "Epitath" & "Court of the Crimson King" are my favourites. Ian McDonald's flute, wind instruments and mellotron create a lush backdrop for Greg Lake's voice and it was a smart move to have a designated lyricist. Peter Sinfield's lyrics elevate the music and combined with Lake's delivery, give the music a regal feel. "Moonchild" wanders off after a great start but the LP is still a classic.
Bestes album cover oat und ein geniales album Decent 9/10
One of the albums that shaped prog rock as we know it. Not my personal favorite of theirs but it’s one of the GOAT prog rock albums ever and experimental as fuck for it’s time.
This is probably the greatest prog-rock album of all time.
Art. I hope this album will be forever remembered, because it is an iconic and essential progressive rock album. So many things to like here - the percussion, the guitars, the synths, the use of silence and phrasing. It was released incredibly early in the timeline of progressive rock and helped pioneer the genre. Fave tracks: 21st Century Schizoid Man, The Court Of The Crimson King (but preferably listen to the album front to back)
Oh man, I love this album so much. An incredible debut from Prog giants King Crimson. Such a good blend of rock, jazz, psychedelic and symphonic sounds, this thing is larger than life. The influence of this album is far reaching, many great prog bands cite it as inspiration, and the first track was even sampled by Kanye 40 years later. Definitely deserves to be on any greatest albums list. Fav Tracks: 21st Century, I Talk to The Wind, Epitaph, In the Court of the Crimson King
If I had heard this during my formative years, it would have been a favorite. Glad I finally learned of its existence.
extremely influential, and impressive progressive rock
The best debut album ever, and also one of the most important albums in history ❤️
Nice rock vibe. Good for roadtrip
Ебучая классика прог рока. Не понял претензий по выебонистости, учитывая что это суть жанра : усложни все что слишком легко и попсово звучит. А обложка - это Мега сексуально Алкоальбом: ты под котиками разговариваешь с друзьями под пиво о смерти человечества
One of the top prog albums
First of all, the cover art. Outside and inside. I'm not a fan of ranking or rating anything to do with art -- music or visual or otherwise -- so I'm speaking exclusively from my own subjective experience when I say it's one of the greatest album covers of all time. I owned this record as a teen and used to get lost in the paintings on the outside and inside. Now, the album, musically. The older I get (now in my mid-50s) and the further I travel along my own music-learning journey -- I am a relatively early-stage guitarist (a little over three years in now) and music student (taking courses via Berklee Online in guitar, music theory, harmony, etc.) -- the more I appreciate the creativity, skill, and innovation I hear in this album. I listen to a wide variety of music, thanks in part to this wonderful project, and although I really do cut across as many genres as I can, jazz still has the largest share of my listening ear. Unskilled as I am as a musician, and still-at-this-point relatively untrained as my ear is, I find an endless source of artistic fascination in all music, especially jazz. My ears are drawn more and more to being challenged and surprised. Even though this is King Crimson's debut album, and they were so young at the time, it's incredible. So rich, so dark, so intricate. I need to dive deeply into the rest of their catalog, of course. I know the personnel changed a lot over the years, but they've always had founding member Robert Fripp. Robert Fripp fascinates me. I have not yet read it, but I did get his recent book, The Guitar Circle, because every time I learn about him or hear him in an interview, it's always so interesting to me. And the way he plays so inventively and so very much in his own way. I just read the full Wikipedia entry on Robert Fripp. I knew he had done so much, but I didn't realize it is THAT much. Whoa. Brilliant, brilliant stuff here. Brilliant!
Didnt fancy today's album and boy am I glad to have come to this instead. The first time an album I didn't know at all has landed in five territory. It's a magical musical carpet ride that takes you through about seven different states every seven minutes. Brilliant.
Radiohead before Radiohead, Floyd before they made up their mind.
Un des meilleurs albums prog de tout les temps. Un classique. 5
10
Perhaps the greatest most beautiful progressive rock album ever. After the madness of 21st Century Schizoid Man, comes the melodic beauty of the rest of this consistently gorgeous album. The melodies are so sweet and poignant that they endure still some 50 years later. Prog rock should have just stopped and left this as the near perfect peak of its existence. Wow!
Honestly, I was not expecting to enjoy this album as much as I did. I knew nothing about it going in and came out pleasantly surprised at the end. All the different sections of the songs are really something to marvel at. I know this came out a long time after this album but it reminds me of how Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming by Green Day do the same thing. They're both over 9 minute songs and you'd think, "Oh this is gonna be basically the same thing all the way through," but the way it changes tone and really tells a story through the song is very similar.
Absolutely blew my mind the first time I heard it almost 2 years ago. One of those albums you didn't think music could sound like that. "21st Century Schizoid Man" is a chaotic mess of experimental jazz and proto-metal where you're constantly on the edge of your seat, with tons of crazy and memorable moments. Toning it down in the opposite direction, "I Talk to the Wind" is super jammy and peaceful with its flute-based classical influence. "Epitaph" carries on that energy but becomes much more dramatic with its symphonic ensemble. "Moonchild" is literally a filler track and the only remotely weak track. It's a minimalist modern classical track that at times sounds like Indian Classical. There are cool moments, but if only it were cut down by half. "The Court of the Crimson King" sounds like what ever prog band would try to emulate, an operatic approach to music with the instrumentation providing eery psychedelic sound effects in support of Lake's gripping storytelling, and emphatic enveloping segments in between.
Amazing album!
Awesome. New find for me.
Great prog rock album, good stuff
masterpiece
Excellent masterpiece
The keeper of the city keys Put shutters on the dreams I wait outside the pilgrim's door With insufficient schemes The black queen chants The funeral march The cracked brass bells will ring To summon back the fire witch To the court of the crimson king 5/5
Prog rock at its finest. The creativity is overflowing and the production is off the charts. The album opens so strong with 21st century schizoid man and ends perfectly on In the court of the Crimson King.
My ears are oscillating between extremely intrigued and borderline climaxing. They produced this in 69'?
Kanye knew it was big. Samples KC loads. Same as Genesis, all amazing musicians. Lineup changes throughout. Also recommend Discipline from ‘81. SoT 21st Century Schizoid Man I Talk To The Wind Epitaph 4.5/5
21st century schizoid man is a certified banger. Epitaph is my favorite track, great prog rock ballad. Beginning of Moonchild 100% influenced Opeth’s quieter/darker sound, which makes sense since Mikael is a prog rock fanboy I definitely appreciate this album more as an adult than when I listened as a teen. Some of the weirder parts of songs kinda bored me (the last 10 mins of Moonchild as an example) cuz I wanted more BANGER. But now I find them more interesting since I’ve gotten more into ambient music over the years. It’s more about creating an atmosphere than melodies.
Ultimate players
21st Century Schizoid Man- 9.4 I Talk To The Wind- 9.6 Epitaph- 9.8 Moonchild- 7.9 The Court Of The Crimson King- 9.4
Oh I liked this. I liked this a lot. If there's anything I'm a sucker for, it's 10+ min songs that kind of keep dragging, but when done well, feel like a soundtrack to your life. "21st Century Schizoid Man" is going on my 'me' playlist, because no doubt will I shamelessly bulldoze anyone who attempts to cross paths me when it comes on.
Imagine releasing this as your first album.
Where it might have all begin for the progressive genre. I'm not a big fan of KC's entire discography, but this one is quite the masterpiece. Classical music for hippies.
One of my all time favorite. Prog Masterpiece.
This might be one of the most important album in my musical evolution and journey. I was 15 or 16 years old the first time I heard it. With this album, I discovered a whole other way to play drum. I learned that a strong listening within the musicians can be a game changer for a jam part or even for a written part. I found that an album artwork can be weirdly fascinating. I also gave a more important attention to abstract lyrics and poetry. And most of all, it was my introduction to my favorite instrument ever : the mellotron. I remember the first time I listened to this album, I have rarely felt something so strong on the first try. 5 stars is not enough.
One description I’ve often seen of this album is that it sounds like it could’ve been released today. Certainly, there are elements that betray it being a product of the 60s, but it’s no mean feat to still sound fresh more than 50 years on. One reason for this is probably the fact that prog bands are using it as a reference point even to this day. The more relevant reason, however, which is common with every album that transcends time and genre, is great songwriting. And every song on here is a classic, never quite replicated by another band since except maybe King Crimson themselves. This is all without mentioning the massive musical talent within the band: Greg Lake steals the show with his powerful voice, not to overshadow his nimble bass playing providing great counterpoint to the rest of the music. Robert Fripp, who should need no introduction, takes a more subdued role, with hints of his unique melodic approach present in the guitar solos/improvisation. Michael Giles provides a stunning performance on drums, showing off his impressive chops not just in the bombastic moments but also the quiet ones. Not least of all is Ian McDonald, showing faultless multi-instrumental prowess on reeds, woodwinds and keys while also being the principal songwriter. The lyrical contribution of Peter Sinfield also deserve mention, illustrating wondrous fantasy worlds alongside rough depictions of war, solitude and the human condition. This line-up of King Crimson was not to last, as Ian McDonald and Greg Lake would leave the group before the release of their next album less than a year later, with Fripp taking over as band leader and principal writer from then on (even the artist behind the iconic cover art, Barry Godber, would tragically pass away a few months after the albums release at the age of 24). King Crimson then went on to experiment wildly with their style for the rest of their career, leaving behind perhaps the greatest debut album of all time. P.S. The flaw of the album is not Moonchild. That song is wonderful all the way through. The true flaw is the anti-climactic fake out ending of The Court Of The Crimson King. Why they decided to put that one last instead of using the perfect ending that precedes it I will never understand.
even in spite of the jazz influences and instrumental breaks that create an effortlessly cool, meandering tempo, In The Court of The Crimson King, King Crimson’s seminal debut that practically changed the face of progressive rock, is a bubbling pot of endless urgency that quietly brews underneath the skin of each song, so that by the time the album comes to an end, the slow walk has become a full blown sprint. it does make sense that jazz and rock — ripped from the same cloth in how they both yield to unexpected twists and turns, and yet are wholly different in pace and structure — would be sonically matrimonial, but King Crimson refuses to exist in the equilibrium. each song sounds as though their influences are clashing; their key elements here are flipped, contrasted, and then juxtaposed, designed to be at war with each other. and like an actual battle, there is no knowing where any of this songs are headed. this is most prevalent on opener “21st Century Schizoid Man”, where all sense of musical predictability is thrown out the window, and every song that follows it is just as burdened with a similar volatility: they change time signatures with almost no sense of reason; random pauses and brief silences appear out of nowhere in the middle of songs; they introduce instrumental breaks when the songs begin to climax (the flute solo in the middle of the title track is some of the most sublime); and then build frantic polyrhythmic drum sections that grate and grind. what results is a carefully orchestrated battlefield where chaos rules supreme, and the only casualties are those left playing catch up to King Crimson’s madness.
9/10 I always forget about this album and then every time I listen to it I’m like. What have I been doing. It’s great, cool variety of sounds and styles but each one of them is great
10/10. Yeah, I really liked this. Very melodramatic and complex. Only downside is it makes me think of that "Prog Rock? More like Frog Cock" meme I had described to me once
The blueprint for so much prog to come. This listen I was struck by how the more ambient parts sounded so similar to Echoes. 9/10
This is easily one of my favourites albums not only from rock history, but from music history in general. I listened to all of King Crimson's discography, and while it is full of perfect albums, I still think that no one could surpass the greatness of their debut. Everything about this record is just on point: the lyrics, the guitar, the orchestral and jazz arrangements, the percussion, Greg Lake's theatrical vocals... "21st Century Schizoid Man", despite having limited lyrics, still remains as one of the most brutal and aggressive anti-war songs, and so does "Epitaph". "I Talk To The Wind" and "The Court of The Crimson King" still give me the same chills that I got the first time that I listened to them. Even "Moonchild", the weakest track on the album, is still a very solid song. If you liked this album, I heavily recommend checking out the rest ofKing Crimson's huge discography. Seriously, if you thought this album was insane, believe me when I tell you that the rest of their music becomes even more batshit crazy as they evolve. Despite never achieving mainstream success, this band managed to have a huge influence and/pr be a pioneer in genres such as prog rock, prog metal, avant-garde metal, jazz rock, experimental rock, prog folk, math rock, industrial, industrial rock/metal, post-progressive and even perhaps new wave (looking at you, 80s albums...) and post-rock (looking at you "Starless"...). If you like any band of these genres, their band members probably listened to King Crimson. Or perhaps they listened to Rush instead. Or maybe both...
This is an incredible album, especially taking into consideration when it was released. In 1969 we were still listening to Pop am radio songs. FM was still considered "underground" radio. This was so different than other albums being released. Like Abbey Road, Tommy, let it bleed; songs like honky-tonk woman, crimson and clover, build me up Buttercup; music was really starting to change in 1969. I discovered this album around 1971. That was when I was starting to listen to Grand Funk and Deep Purple and other things besides the a.m. radio Pop hits. Definitely the best album cover of all time in my opinion.
Awesome album.
This has been one of my favorite albums of all time, for a long time. It was a pleasure to listen to it straight through again.
Великолепный альбом, в котором замечательно всё. Изощрённый инструментал, который иногда перекликается с текстом, прекрасный вокал и трогательно-суровые тексты тянут за душу с каждым прослушиванием каждый раз, как в первый. Это альбом нужно прочувствовать каждому.
"In the Court of the Crimson King" is the debut album by English rock band King Crimson and considered one of the earliest and most influential albums in the progressive (prog) rock genre. It is and was the only album with all orginal members including Grebg Lake (lead vocals, bass), Robert Fripp (guitars), Ian McDonald (woodwinds, piano, mellotron, organ, vibraphone), Michael Giles (drums, percussion) and Peter Sinfield (lyricist, illumination). They all had major roles and all produced this album. There have been various remixes and reissues. Pitchfork described this music as a hybrid of menacing rock, classical sophisticated, pastoral pyschedelia and free-jazz mania. I'll say, quite the journey. You can really go down the research rabbit hole on this one with the comparisons to Roman Emperor Frederick II and the content and art. I'd need at least a month to adequately take in. Side one or the below/earth/present side begins with "21st Century Schizoid Man." The sound of air which then kicks into a big music sound. Proto-metal riffs, jazz rock drums, the alto sax and Greg Lake's distorted lyrics. A guitar solo and a totally musical chaotic ending. Images of burning politicians/starving children and I think a commentary on the destruction of the Vietnam War and contradictory societal moral values. A monster of an opening song. "I Talk to the Wind" slows things down. Gentler vocals by Lake. A dominat flute. An outsider/elder talking (to the wind) and no one is listening. A dramatic start to "Epitaph" which then slows down going softer and then builds with the music and emotion. The mellotron. A Cold War commentary. Many think a transition song connecting the first and second sides. "Moonchild" kicks-off side two or the above/metaphysical past side. The first part is a ballad and the kicks in to a trippy space jam. Jazzy. Pyschedelic. Chill. Yeah! Abstract images with the moon as a center piece. The album ends with their single "In the Court of the Crimson King." Very dramatic. The mellotron riff. Now we're talking about the sun. References to colors, jesters, queens...very medieval. About death? A similar chaotic/dramatic ending just as the album starts. There can be a lot here in this album if you want to keep digging. The artistry and music alone is great without trying to figure out the meaning. An epic album and still sounding great, every bit its masterpiece reputation.
Prog album that deserves multiple listens
10/10
Ah, yes the sound of blaring horns. Seriously though, one of the most progressive albums of all time (through my minuscule knowledge). It harsh, it's loud, and it's complex. but that's what it makes it great. The harshness of it is what makes the album amazing, a true originator of prog metal. (i.e. 21st Century Schizoid Man) Well, actually part of it is beautiful. Strange wording. Still, one of the greatest albums of all time.
I read a lot of good things about this album but I have never got to listen to the album until now. I now understand why people hype this record as one of the greatest. It has beautiful production, soulful vocals and excellent instrumentation. For me, I love the drumming by Michael Giles throughout the whole album. That guy is a fucking machine. I also love how Ian McDonald adds power to songs with his saxophone on 21st Century Schizoid Man while setting the mood and feel with the woodwind on "I Talk to the Wind" and "Moonchild".
damn i love this
A classic
Wouldn’t change a note
Epic. I remember the first time I heard "In The Court of the Crimson King" many years ago. It was unlike any other music I had heard before. It's not a surprise to find how influential this album has become. I think prog rock has a tendency to become too experimental and become an exercise in musicianship rather than just being good music, but I think that King Crimson hit the nail on the head with this one. 5/5
Majestic genius. Opened the door for the most magical and fantastical genre of all time: prog rock. A fusion of high art with rock music, taking inspiration from classical, jazz, psychedilia, and rock n roll. I love so much about prog: its themes, its complexity, the unorthodox musical forms, the high degree of technical skill involved, the long tracks that each feel like self-contained journeys, and so on. Prog musicians in the early 70s reached incredible artistic heights; when was the last time a genre even AIMED that high, let alone reached it? Nobody strived for majesty like these guys did. Modern music feels empty and cheap in comparison to this. First track is just insanity. Robert Fripp is a twisted mad genius; anyone who knows anything about King Crimson knows that much. The drums are just outstanding for 1969. Everyone is playing at a high level on this track. Second track is serene and gorgeous, reminds me of halcyon days long since past. I feel like I'm in an enchanted forest meadow. The third track is apocalyptic and tragic: "The fate of all mankind, I see, is in the hands of fools." The Mellotron adds so much richness to the sound The first few minutes of the fourth track are hauntingly beautiful. Obviously there's too much noodling, but I at least like part of the ambient section, specifically the guitar-driven parts. In defense of the noodling, I would at least say that it perfectly primes you for the impact of that final track. The final track mesmerizes me. Its sounds are lush and overwhelming. The lyrics confuse and entrance me. It is almost too majestic to describe with words. It is otherworldly. It sounds like heaven and hell colliding.
A prog rock staple - something new around every corner.
This is a weird album. I loved it
Absolutely incredible, easy 10/10
Absolute classic
hell yes
Brilliant. Possibly the best prog rock album ever made
It’s like if a rock band tried to replicate classical pieces. I love me a good rock ballad, and this has 4 of em, with Moonchild being a bit of a breather/interlude. I love how cinematic and grand the instrumentals are, but the periodically fall away to just a single instrument. Very well put together and all around a fantastic time. 9/10
Excellent album and hidden gem. Deserves more listens
Did not realize King Crimson was this old! This album rules and was incredibly foundational for so much incredible prog music that came afterwards. Even if you don't like or haven't heard this, you know someone influenced by it, and likely even recognize the cover art! || I will acknowledge some unnecessary and potentially off-putting sections and interludes of sound between songs, but not apologize for them.
Insanely creative, sooo far ahead of its time
Epitaph made me cry. What a beautiful mournful song
love this album
In my college days this record was like holy artifact. Listening to it again now after so many years, it doesn't give me that same "spiritual experience" but it's still a landmark record that was/is insanely influential on many of my favorite artists.
The album that got me into progressive rock. I heard it when visiting Philadelphia on a family-owned radio station that had DJs that played what they liked and not what they were told to play. The first few notes and I was hooked. Made sure I listened for the name of the band after it played. Totally blew me away.
One of the true prog rock masterpieces, brilliant album.
Для 1969 года это просто ВАУ.
Brilliant.
i talk to the wind is enough for five stars
It wasn't just the doves that flew out in Hyde Park on that fateful July day in 1969. With them went the blueprint of a genre that would come to define, for better or worse, the sounds coming from Britain in the ensuing decade that was pouring out of many aspiring bands that favored complex time signatures, ambitious concepts and grandiose statements. And, if it weren't for King Crimson and their epochal debut In the Court of the Crimson King, I surely believe that progressive rock wouldn't have had the headstart that it needed to produce the Yes's and Genesis's and Emerson, Lake and Palmer's of the world. Sure, those bands would arrive eventually but they would have Robert Fripp and his mad genius to thank for the heads up. Perhaps one of the all time greatest debuts to have an all time great opening track, it's incredible to think that we allowed one band (or one man) to have all that power. But we did and we're thankful for that. By the way, Godspeed Barry Godber and thank you for an immortal album cover. Never has a sleeve defined a sound so well.
<3
The first album with 5 stars! While it's not my favourite prog rock record. These guys were definitely ahead of their time. (Opening track is so good!)
best album cover ever
I think I wrote earlier that there is bad prog and good prog. There is also great prog (a rare occurrence). This is great prog and for me five stars is not enough. It is a towering achievement and I am not sure if the blend of rock, folk, classical and free jazz has been surpassed. It sounds progressive today, fifty plus years later. Even the album cover is one of the great ones, and an entire generation heard Crimson in the Kanye sample.
I was interested in prog rock in high school and had this album. It wasn't one of my favorite albums but did like it and thought the production sounded unique. I also ended up painting a copy of the cover. I think this is still a unique album and even the slower songs are great.
Day 100 and a classic album that I’ve never herd before that’s good!… The album starts with 21st century schizoid man and I have to say ( for the 60’s) it’s certainly one of the most unique songs I’ve ever herd. Love the fuzzed out vocals, and the extended instrumental in particular! (The only thing is when he yells “21st century schizoid man”; I annoyingly have the thought of Kanye West’s ego spreading over the song). It’s really odd though because the next song I talk to the wind removes the every bit of heaviest in favour of a baron psychedelic folk track it’s not a favourite but it’s still enjoyable. Ending side one is epitaph it’s such an epic, grand and powerful sounding tune that definitely never misses a beat. But then the instrumental of the song comes in a much slower section sounding like death marching through the song, honestly flawless! Side 2 track one and also the album’s penultimate track moonchild and and don’t get me wrong I like the song but the more silent bit in the middle where you can only hear little bits of sound is just too long really; but hey It’s prog what are you gonna expect. The court of the crimson king alone redeemed everything bad about moonchild as it’s probably in my top 3 album closers of all time now, so grand, so epic and ultra climactic, just perfection! Fine, only 4/5 songs were perfection but those songs make up for moonchild!
The moment when jamming while on LSD became highbrow art Classic album that is still great today
4.5
Intense. A cornerstone of prog rock. So many decades later, it still feels experimental. May have to see if a cover band tours--I would imagine this album is 100% better live.
Amazing drumming awesome opening track. Other songs also hold up. Amazing album.
Needed more than one listen to really appreciate.
Good Lord what have I gotten into.
Godlike
amazing
An album which when you hear it for the first time on a project such as this you wonder- how have I never decided to give this a listen? It’s pretty amazing- it takes you to some other place entirely, one of menacing atmosphere and foreboding. What possible influences could these guys have heard to produce this work of art, something that feels entirely new and challenging. And whilst you can, of course, point to jazz and classic and rock influences, nevertheless, you still feel as if you’re entering some realm, some kingdom that only emerged in front of you, just now. Terrifying and curious in equal measure. Outstanding.
Bom pra caralho
This one is a classic of progressive rock. 21st Schizoid Man is heavily Jazz influenced with quite some guitar noodling, which is a bit tedious. I Talk To the Wind is a sweeping 60's ballad dominated by a synth flute. Epitaph is the absolute high point of the album; it's such a strong and beautiful song, with great vocals by Greg Lake. Moonchild is the most experimental (and longest) song, with even more guitar noodling - I have to be in the mood for this one. Finally, The Court of the Crimson King is a classic in its own right, for me almost on par with Epitaph. All things considered, the highs on this album are incredibly high, while the lows are only somewhat so, but still interesting in their own right. I like this album quite a bit. 4.5/5
uou
Amazing vocals with no whiny or pompous quality of a glam rock star. Instrumentals breaks that does not intimidate but falls down like a snowflake on a quiet night. Short lyrics that is deep but not deep enough to be ironically self-indulgent. Here is a non-Floyd progrock album that legitimately blew my mind.
✊🏻👊🏻Killer record, prog and jazz and blues mixed. Crazy to think this was made in 1969, all these guys were geniuses at their craft in composing.
Really really really enjoyed this a lot!!
Absolutely mega album. A stunning mix of prog rock, jazz, and symphonic music that's just a groundbreaking delight
FIVE STARS An all-time classic and a personal favorite of mine. As is usually the case with those five-stars albums, I won't write a full-blown review about this particular record, because others have already written wonderful stuff about it and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. It's just a gem. Go and listen to it a.s.a.p. Number of records left to review or just listen to: 933 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 33 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 18 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 17
This is a phenomenal accomplishment of an album, and it just feels right any time I listen to it
Awesome album, I’ve been aware of it but never actually listened to it before, super-glad I did. I enjoyed the first track, 21st Century Schizoid Man, but loved the other four, especially Epitaph and The Court Of The Crimson King. Due to it not being on Spotify I’ll have to pick it up on vinyl I think.
Amazing. Right out of the gate this album defined prog rock genre and set a very high bar for anything that would follow it. Overall great stuff.
This slammed. Really, really good.
Weird, technical, but very melodic and beautiful
Awesome shit
I loved it, I loved the influences and everything about it it was amazing.
Classic. Modern. Masterpiece.
Still a great album. I usually go for a later KC album and had forgotten how good this album was.
I don't listen to this kind of music as much as I used to, but I was happy to hear some King Crimson again after many years. Great album.
Pleasantly surprised by this
Absolute classic
One of the greatest albums of all time!
Favoritei várias músicas, não conhecia a banda, gostei muito das experimentações.
Having very well-known albums on this list goes against its purpose a bit; after all, the goal is to help people discover chapters in music history that they might otherwise be unaware of. But I can't complain about having a reason to listen to "In The Court Of The Crimson King" again. It deserves six stars, of course.
My first album. Still sounds amazing.
Epic. I now understand where the flaming lips got all their licks from.
Awesome Listen, I hadn't listen too it for a long while.
Prog at it's best
hey
Great album. Awesome exploration of sound
It's a classic, one of the best albums ever recorded
It's a classic, not sure what else to say.
Would be 5 stars if it weren't for Moonchild, but Moonchild exists, so it gets a mid 4
How did I never listen to this album start to finish its literally 5 songs
i feel like these boys really like to have fun and I love that for them, its good scurrying around music. I think the fact that there was less singing helped me really sink into the instrumentals here and enjoy them more, I also had some CAD work today for the first time in a while and it made for a good soundtrack to some rote computer work. When there is singing, it blends with the music well and doesn't take center stage which I find very nice, good vibey album to put on. Despite the deeply unfuckable dude on the cover of the album (tough transition after the beautiful young american bowie from yesterday) I think this is a pretty approachable one. I especially loved the end of the album, it felt like video game music, I wish the songs were separated more so i could just save that. I did not listen to the bonus tracks btw, I have not been doing that for any of these albums because I will pretty much always prefer to keep them short. Likelihood that the members of this band lezzed out: 2/5 i just don't really think they were that into each other, they seemed more focused on the music or whatever. music doesn't seem too horny either, these guys are giving off surprisingly buttoned up vibes to me
I discovered this in like middle school, and I don't think I *fully* understood it, but I *did* enjoy it. The best of King Crimson is pretty much the best of capital P "Prog". And this is pretty soundly one of King Crimson's best. I think what sticks out to me is that this is both, basically proto metal, while also being so regal. For all the surprisingly heavy moments, there is so much richness here in the form of classical and jazz influence. Honestly, I will say, I don't know if this is a 5 for me, just because this is like one of the most acclaimed albums ever, and so I feel that I'm allowed to dock it a little for a couple moments I'm not *fully* sold on. But there are a few *perfect* songs here. 21st Century Schizoid Man is kind of *the* proto metal song for me. The riff is actually *heavy*, the lyrics are dark and vivid and they make you clench your teeth a little, and the solo section uses it's jazz influence to harness a really particular kind of chaos that is really cool. The song just hits like a ton of bricks, it's some of the coolest shit pre-1970, full stop. Epitaph is the other song here that is like completely perfect. It's so epic and rich and immense. It's prog in execution and spirit, totally devoid of the genre's annoyances, there's nothing to get between the listener and Epitaph's rich tapestry of sorrow, complete with some of the most emotive vocals in all of prog. As far as the other songs go, they *are* all good, but in different capacities. To start, I think I Talk To The Wind is the least interesting song here, or at least the most straightforward for sure. The flute forward arrangement is pretty cool, and uniquely sparse, but I also think that it's easily the song with the least interesting melodies and general writing ideas. Although it is pleasant, and has it's fair share of little flourishes. In The Court Of The Crimson King is the only track where some occasional prog goofiness pops up. But it manages to coexist with several of the album's greatest passages, so it's more just that the band occasionally fails to stick a landing here or there. Lastly, let us discuss Moonchild. The beginning of Moonchild is the most gorgeous music on the album, and one of the prettiest melodies of all time. "Then why is it most people's least favorite song here?" You may ask. Well, it's because the song dissolves into ambient soloing after just 2.5ish of it's 12 minute runtime. And then the ambient soloing dissolves into honest to fucking God ambient free jazz, in which King Crimson completely give up things like, meter, key, time, and conventional composition. We will talk about my relationship with this decision in a sec, but first, I would like to mention that this section is why I'm skeptical of so many very online music fans putting this album as one of their favorites ever, because I just don't think *that* many people are actually willing to put up with nearly 7 minutes of this, just on principle. That being said, I actually do kind of like this section, but it took some *work*. I'd advise you listen to it at least once, it's a really twinkly section, largely just guitar and xylophone and drum set, like ripples on a pond. It actually *is* pretty gorgeous in it's own right, but you have to be *very* patient. I think the problem is that if we got quite a bit more of the first 3 minutes, this would be a song I like more, *but* it would be much less interesting. The existence of Moonchild as it is is pretty damn bold, and I must respect it. It does set forth the idea that King Crimson are in it for the love of the game too. Bands who are in it for the money don't add 8 minutes of increasingly abstract improv to the tail end of their best melody, maybe ever. Anyways, as I said, I am learning to like it too. I actually *do* enjoy some free jazz (shout out to Ornette Coleman), though I usually gravitate to the side of the genre that's a little more chaotic than this. Whereas King Crimson basically give the listener the audio equivalent of watching turtles from a bridge. It's not a bad time, and is actually pretty serene, it just may be hard to convince someone that you're not insane for being into it. Anyways, I have my qualms, but this *is* a masterpiece. Rich and powerful, and often beautiful. You have to work harder than some people would convince you, but this really *does* need to be on a list like this. I don't know if I have yet more to find in this album by the way. I definitely have more to find in Moonchild, but would that get it to a 5? I really don't know, maybe we'll see.
it was nice to listen to first song was great the rest was kind of mid
Prog out with my hog out fr fr Really good apart from the instrumental on Moonchild, which really tested one's patience rather. Other than that, really interesting music which was always going somewhere new
Interesting
Is dit album nu één grote chaos, of zit het heel vernuftig in elkaar? Dat ik mij dit afvraag toont dat het een interessant geheel is. Het album is één grote beleving, met invloeden uit uiteenlopende muzikale hoeken en met uiteenlopende emoties. De eerste samenstelling is hiervoor een prima introductie. Het uiteenlopende en wat chaotische karakter neemt natuurlijk ook mee dat niet alles voor iedereen even prettig is. Zo vind ik I talk to the wind nogal saai. En heeft de vierde samenstelling me te veel piepjes. Soms is ook dit album teveel 'Kunst, omdat het moet'. Maar net als bij Dagmar, gaat dat niet ten koste van de muziek. Of ik dit album in zijn geheel nog eens zal luisteren, weet ik niet zo goed. Het is met deze muziek lastig te testen. Dit luister je niet twee maal zo snel achter elkaar. Maar ik verwacht de samenstellingen 1 en 5 in elk geval nog wel een los te luisteren en dat is samen toch een flink deel van het album.
love it! i have heard this but didn’t pay enough attention, i just put i talk to the wind on any playlist i can. it was good to listen all the way through and honestly have been listening multiple times since this.
This album is a masterpiece, not overhyped, just perfect.
One of the coolest albums I've heard. Standout songs include "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "Epitaph". This album was a spiritual experience, so cool.
I’m at a festival in the grounds of a medeaval castle. Spent the morning wandering through the gardens pretending that I’m in the Courr of the Crimson King. Like the bombast of the opener and the title track. In between it’s pleasantly ambient
I have actually listened to this album a number of times over the years because of its reputation and placement on “best of” lists. And it has grown on me. My husband calls that brainwashing. I have, in fact, been brainwashed by King Crimson over the years. But. I just can’t ever get into the Renaissance Fair bit. Not here. Not in Zeppelin. Not in Crosby Stills and Nash. I do not like it Sam I am. Not in a tree, not with a bee - you know what I mean?!!? This would be a 5. But the Medievalist mess in the middle takes it down. 4 Boolean: True
Nice King Crimson album, but not my favorite.
First song is the best tbh then the slow ones I'm like urrrrrrggg
"My coworker be losing his fucking mind"
05 The Court of the Crimson King 04 Moonchild
A considerable amount of this album resides in the sunlit, unicorn-filled uplands of practically perfect prog - green and Craig triangle Islands that emerge from shallow. She is a primordial sound, with peaks is peaky is anything in music that “wwwaaaauu, wwwaaaauu, wwwaaaauuu” that bookends “21st Century Schizoid Man,” you know, just before the vox comes in); the fluty bits with whatever that limpid descending arpeggio instrument is and the gentle underlying synth tones on “I Talk to the Wind”; those tymp rolls and beat 3 snares on “Epitaph” - that’s just side 1. Too often the space is in between those sublime moments are filled in with kinda weird feeling, twitchy pseudo virtuosity— I want to use words like “munchkin free jazz” or “can’t stop itching” to describe it, and with regard to the roaming unicorns above, it makes me remember how we used to call raver glitter “unicorn scabies,” and not meaning to make any musical connection between the two, but as far as the metaphor goes, I do feel like listening to those twitchy blurry instrumental parts of this album is kind of sonically akin to what having unicorn scabies would feel like.
The album I could listen to while studying 3,75/5 ?
Really pleasantly surprised by this album. The very beginning of the first track—with the sound of the whistling train—felt like it was giving me an anxiety attack, but thankfully that was short-lived.
Wait this is sounding a lot better than I thought it would ngl. Ok prog rock. I feel like everything I've heard about prog rock has just been making fun of it. Like lowkey who listened to prog rock. Me now I guess. Massive instrumentals. good music but just kinda boring. They're dynamic, it's just rock instrumentals. Bro talks to the wind. This is weird. I like it. Ok what is this? Interesting. But very weird. What are we doing. Not necessarily a bad thing though. Just weird. Genuinely what is this guy on about. Just doing whatever. My least favourite is only that bc it's weird I actually do like it it's funky and interesting I'm just not sure if it's a song instead of a collection of noises. Wait he's actually hitting that. Hold on a sec. Why is every song just a bunch of other songs as well. What are we doing. Literally what. Favourite: The Court Of The Crimson King Least favourite: Moonchild
I was teetering on a 5 star review for this as it does fit most the criteria I’ve set for myself for a 5 star album. It’s memorable, impactful, and I’d consider it essential listening. However, it doesn’t meet my other criteria of being near-perfect. There are just a few too many extended periods of aimless noodling throughout this, thus hindering it from quite getting that 5 star rating.
My first time listening to this album. Very interesting.
4 Another one where I'd heard it before but relistening through this project has let me appreciate it a lot more. I even enjoyed the more low key songs that some people here seem to dislike, although I did think the ending to moonchild let the whole album down quite a bit
"21st Century Schizoid Man" (and the accompanying prog-jazz blowout "Mirrors") is sensational, one of those songs that demand you crank your speakers, break out the air guitar, and headbang. The rest of this album is unfortunately nothing like it at all, to the point where it almost feels like an entirely different group. The album (aforementioned track aside) feels almost like a parody of prog music, with some musical wanking sections and some "I've been reading too much Tolkien" level lyrics, but then you remember this was essentially the first prog album, and thus the wellspring from where all such tropes sprang forth. Even without 21st Century Schizoid Man, I'd say it's fine. With that song, it gets a little extra juice and four stars.
JL : 4, The Court of the Crimson King
I love progressive rock and this feels like a good but not fully formed version.
A little gauche to sample Kanye but maybe I’m just “too woke” 🙄. Somehow I’d never actually listened to this before and it mostly lived up to the hype? 21st century schizoid man and the court of the crimson king are so so good. The rest of it is so poisoned with flute and pan pipes and all the other British prog nonsense, and Moonchild - 12 minutes of noodling that resulted in the tragic loss of 1 star for Mr. Crimson. And obviously perfect album cover.
60s jam band feel
i’m shocked at the year this came out, really set the 70s up for success.
Truly a one of a kind album. The vibes of this album from five songs alone are immaculate. It's a near perfect album that executes sound so damn well.
Muito bom, mas Moonchild é um pouco demais pra mim no momento. Acho que não sou cult o bastante
Very funky and experimental for the time. Great listen and the legendary Robert Fripp on guitars
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: 21st Century Schizoid Man, Epitaph, The Court of the Crimson King This was cool, like if the Beatles did even more psychedelic drugs and had jazz backgrounds. I've possibly heard some of these songs before. They sound familiar. I am a bit confused by the album description though. On the wikipedia description, there is some indication that the album should be "five CDs" worth of music - a box set - but there's only 1h7m of music on YTM, and no alternate versions of the album or other albums containing the precise collection of music. I am not sure why YTM does not have all of the tracks :(
I’d somehow managed never to sit down and properly listen to this album before, despite knowing plenty of its cultural after-effects. It was an ur-text for one of my old musical collaborators, and Barry Godber’s screaming-face artwork fed directly into the visual language of Falling Apart-era Soft Cell. So I knew something of its consequences without really knowing the source. The first thing I had to do was stop thinking of it as “prog”. That word is useless here. This is October 1969. The clichés don’t exist yet. 21st Century Schizoid Man is astonishing. It’s abrasive, physical and almost feral: Lake’s mangled vocal, Fripp apparently off his nut, Ian McDonald’s sax screaming alongside the guitar until the two almost become one instrument, and Michael Giles drumming like a machine programmed by Thom Yorke. This is a band who watch each other. You can hear it. The virtuosity is collective rather than individual: people responding, leaving space, taking it, changing direction together. Even at their most violent they sound like an ensemble, not four musicians demonstrating their chops. Then I Talk to the Wind arrives and almost everything disappears. Flute, tiny percussion, space, Greg Lake being improbably winsome. The contrast reveals that Schizoid Man wasn’t simply “what King Crimson sound like”. They chose to make that racket, and they can choose not to. Epitaph then demonstrates another strength: scale. The Mellotron isn’t accompaniment so much as architecture. At one point it sounds as though the London Philharmonic has been swallowed by a haunted wardrobe. And then Moonchild, which may actually have been my favourite phase of the album. Phase rather than track, because eventually the song gives up being a song. Rhythm almost disappears. Conventional forward motion disappears. Tiny sounds occur, hang in the air and receive equally tiny replies. It’s Watch with Mother deconstructed: bells, little wooden knocks and delicate plunks that ought to accompany a knitted creature completing some modest domestic task, except somebody has removed the reassuring grammar. It amused me enormously. More importantly, it makes the title track work. Moonchild reduces the record almost to particles, then The Court of the Crimson King rebuilds the entire thing at cathedral scale. The Mellotron briefly drops into that familiar toy-like flute register and then the whole synthetic orchestra comes back through the wall, with Giles seemingly carrying the drums in on a hod. And then it simply takes off. Silence. At that point I realised I hadn’t really been listening to five songs in the normal album sense. It felt more like a 44-minute happening: assault, delicacy, apocalypse, dissolution and reconstruction. The record repeatedly changes the apparent dimensions of the room. That’s also why I’m increasingly unconvinced by the familiar description of it as “the beginning of prog”. It feels more important than that. It feels like permission. Sgt. Pepper had already demonstrated that a rock album could invent its own rules. King Crimson seem to have taken that permission and asked how far it could actually go. Jazz ensemble playing, chamber music, noise, pastoralism, free improvisation, abandoning the beat altogether, synthetic orchestration and near-silence are all available. You can hear the possibilities subsequently exploited by Canterbury, Fred Frith, Henry Cow and plenty of other odd corners of experimental rock. And because this is 1969, none of it is cliché. The clichés haven’t been invented yet. Which leads me to the monstrously unfair thought that much of subsequent prog consists of people attempting to remake this album while copying the nouns and missing the grammar: Mellotron, virtuosity, long tracks, portent. Here those things aren’t the point. They’re simply tools available to an astonishingly responsive band. I’m not sure I’d want to live with In the Court of the Crimson King. That keeps it at four stars rather than five for me. But as a single artistic event, it’s extraordinary. Four musicians, a bloke with a pen, and apparently no conception whatsoever of where the permissible boundaries are.
intersesting cover
For what i heard, it was a good listen, it has kanye sing so good, i will prolly hear it again
Realmente es un álbum que tiene todo el sentido del mundo en esta lista. Siento que si muero ahora tengo un peso menos. Pero hablando enserio está bueno, algunas canciones se hacen muyy largas, pero en general están buenas. La verdad que lo volvería a escuchar.
Absolutely loved it favorite one so far.
Enjoyed most songs
It was good. Liked it. 4/5 on initial listen. Love the cover art. Classic rock music.
Great Album, not 100% into it, but will be in my list for a while.
Every other song on here is brilliant. The others are incredibly boring. 3/5 makes three stars, right? No, because these three songs are so great that I’m feeling generous today
awesome album
I was sort of dreading this, seen to many posts about it that seemed to suggest it was a polarising difficult album. I actually loved the kick off track, and the rest of the album was a really good listen. Makes think that if Radiohead had formed in 1969 they might sound like this. Second listen just reaffirmed this is a solid enjoyable album. Plays close to the art/prog rock thing I am very iffy on but I never lost interest and will play again
This was actually intriguing and for 69 imo impressive?
Sehr cool, kannte einen Song bereits (:
Great album, when the LPs has great producers.
Classic for a reason. This would be a 5 but Moonchild kind of kills the flow for me
I had no idea what to expect with this album even though I know the band and iconic cover. Once the explosion in schizoid man I got hooked. Their ability to build up and then payoff with something so strong is so fun in this song. I appreciate a horn section a lot more now. I talk to the wind and epitaph is genuinely such a pretty song. Moonchild was way too art rock for me. Court of the crimson king, the song, was powerful, the weird whistle was dumb lol. Beautiful music but not an everyday listen.
I've heard 21st Century Schizoid Man sampled in so many songs that I pretty much knew the whole song from front to back despite never listening to it before. Despite this, it's still really cool. Most of this album was solid, though I think Moonchild fell off after the first few minutes and the whole second half of it just sort of feels like noise. Still had a great time overall.
Not sure if it lived up to the hype
Epic!
I added two songs to my playlist
Tykkäsin. Selkeästi uraa uurtava levy jota ei sido genrerajat. Yleissoundimaailma tosi miellyttävä. 4/5
The songs are too long, but I loved this. Hadn't heard it before, but this was great.
Sometimes let down by songs dragging on too long, but that's the nature of prog, some of my favourite pieces of music all time in here though, great to see where the genre "Started" 1) 21st Century Schizoid Man 2) I Talk To The Wind 3) The Court Of The Crimson King Least Fave: Moonchild
GREAT! it was like listening to a movie, with all it´s twist and climax of an own movie
The drummer! Why doesn't anyone write about the drummer? I like the overall sound a lot - but the melodies were a bit dim. It left me a bit empty handed. Overall a stunning record. I never heard of King Crimson (my bad I guess).
This was a pretty inspiring album for me. I listened to one song on it a while ago and never got the chance to sit down and listen to the rest. I really had a fun time with it.
It was really nice I liked how each one felt different but all together
Very cool and so ahead of its time.
puh, interessante Mischung, paar ziemlich gute sachen dabei. manchmal doch zu wirr für meinen Geschmack.
Ausnahmsweise mal guter Prog Rock
Two king crimson records on one week! 21st century schizoid man: it was an insane name, but it was pretty good. I talk to the wind was very pretty and I enjoyed it quite a bit! Epitaph was just gorgeous music the whole way through. The vocals, the beat, it was just amazing. Moonchild was pretty again and then the title track was a great ending. I see why this is the album people always buy when starting a record collection! It’s lovely, it’s weird, and it feels so cohesive. A great listen today. 4/5 ⭐️ 189/1089
7/10 I liked it - a lot. But has anyone ever wrote prog rock lyrics that aren't naff? Even PF's are usually a bit sixth form Eng Lit student. Anyway, very good
So so so legendary. One of the most surreal sounding albums ever. Very ahead of the curve, immaculate instrumentation skills front to back. This is exactly what I love about prog rock, they deliver these sprawling compositions that are so vivid and epic and make them seem effortlessly cool. The guitar work is out of this world and super grandiose. The album is super cohesive both instrumentally and lyrically. Manages to make a statement and convey the feeling of paranoia and fear while sounding incredibly powerful. It would have been a perfect 4 track album, but unfortunately Moonchild sticks out like a sore thumb in the tracklist. I think the song starts off pretty but then fizzles out into a bunch of nonsense. The rest of the album is fire and a totally essential listen.
Objectively terrific album. Another case of "I like the idea of liking this more than I actually like it." Love that each track has it's own energy and for once I'm not mad that they're all very long songs. Overall doesn't grip me as much as it did when I was a wee teen. It's still good, just not something I'd seek out.
Kai kur per daug experimental, bet zjbs.
Ziemlich abwechslungsreich und vorallem fortschrittlich für 1969. Kann man sich gut anhören.
Epic start with 21st century schizoid man. God damn a lot of these songs are long as hell.
The introduction was kind of misleading as it was quite intense compared to the other tracks that were fairly mellow. All in all, very interesting to see how despite the album being older than my dad, it still feels actual. Also finding out about the kanye west sample was cool
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wow. This is an album with a reputation that certainly precedes it. It’s really really good. I do not think that I can really be sure on how I would rate it after only one listen, but I’m going with four stars for now. I am going to spend some more time with it for sure. I can easily see why so many people view this as one of the best albums of ever made. When I was younger, my brother was a big fan of this album but I never actually listened to it. My tastes at that time were not nearly refined enough to appreciate this work. I’m not sure that they are even now. But this is clearly a prog rock masterpiece that deserved the accolades that it gets.
The best prog rock album I've heard so far!
After everything I had heard about this record, I had come to expect a difficult listen that required an acquired taste. I was delighted to find out this is a very listenable record, and exciting at all times -- barring one notable case. I was a big fan of the album, and I really enjoyed the guitar riffs and the drums especially. The only complaint I have is that the second half of "Moonchild," or rather the majority (10 minutes of a 12 minute song), is free-form improvisation. I have tried so hard to like this style of playing, and whether it is in jazz or rock or whatever, I hate it so so so much. Nothing happens for 10 minutes on that song! Nothing! You get like 5 musicians standing around in a room, who decide to stop playing and instead choose to stare intensely at each other and attempt to seduce one another with their playing. Maybe when I am older and wiser, it'll be my thing, but god, it is so boring and never amounts to a thing. Thankfully the title track and closer of the album shows up and saves the day with a catchy chorus and gorgeous chords. Good album, but when 10 minutes of a 45 minute record is some hot ass I can't give it a 5. I wish they had condensed that 10 minute session into a 1 minute closer consisting of the best little bits.
Wait...prog rock can sound good? As a man who only emerged recently, naked and shivering, from under the massive shadow cast by Geddy Lee and Rush over Canadian music, I wish I had become aware of King Crimson earlier. I still have a complaint or two, such as that the final hour of Moonchild doesn't quite reach the same heights as the first two, but that is neither here nor there.
this is a classic. i opens with an absolutely banger - "21st century schizoid man". there is no denying that. they open with the highlight and it doesn't get any better, but how could it. i wasn't alive, but i can't imagine anyone had heard something like this before. i have the six disc boxset. "moonchild" really drags this album down. "epitaph" and the title track are awesome. "i talk to the wind" is ok. kind crimson is a hard band to peg down. it has very distinct eras and very distinct lineups. and it's hard to pin down "the best". this one could be in the running for its influence, but there are other strong options and ones i like better. the run from "larks' tongue in aspic" through "discipline" is impressive ("larks'" > "starless and the bible black" > "red" > "discipline").
a solid short little album, finally hearing the whole album makes me realize why it had such an impact during its time, beautiful lyrics and instrumentals, almost like a movie in my head.
21st century schizoid man - esquizo triparia máxima I talk to the wind - amei a transição de hospital psiquiátrico para flautinha estilo simon and garfunkel
Great cover! 20th Century Skizoid Man: fantastic song! Robert Fripp’s guitar playing is out standing! Some of the songs are too long. Typical progressive rock A good album. Four stars.
I love the overall haunting or creepy vibes the album gave off for me. There were certain songs on it as well that stood that to me specifically for that. It’s a great album and a lot of its songs will most definitely be getting on my playlists.
I DIDN'T KNOW "21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN" IS THE KANYE SAMPLE!! That's so insane. But I really enjoyed this album (listened during Chest+Back gym session).
An LP with contenders for both the best opener and best closer of all time. Top album.
Even a genre as unutterably unpalatable as Prog has a classic lurking the closet, and here it is - great album, thank you for sharing RGP, 4 stars❤️❤️❤️❤️ Tom.
Very talented but songs are too lengthy for me and slow progressing, reminds me of ancient medieval times. What I would imagine the average monty python watcher to listen to
"I talk to the wind. My words are all carried away. I talk to the wind. The wind does not hear. The wind cannot hear." These lyrics still live in my head rent-free. I've listened to this album a few times before, and each time I find something new to appreciate. I will most likely listen to it again soon enough.
I really love some of it, but not all.
I couldn't believe it when I learned that this is the album that birthed prog rock! I don't listen to the genre at all, but I got an idea of what it's like. The album sounds like it was made well after the genre came to be. It's insane to think that a single band could just make a new genre, which would become a very popular one as well. In The Court of The Crimson King definitely isn't an easy album, so I'll try to give it an another listen one day. The album flows nicely, but you need to pay a lot of attention to what it going on. I didn't really engage with the experience until the 5th and last track, which was definetely the highlight of the album for me. After all, I couldn't imagine myself as a prog rock fan, but at least I learned something about the history of music. You can just hear the inventiveness oozing out from the record.
Hmmm almost off put by the artwork but turns out pretty good
<3
In the Court of the Crimson King has 3 really great songs and 2 really mid songs so it all kind of evens out
Voiam sa zic ca-mi place foarte mult albumul.Imi da vibe-ul unui oras citadin intr-o lume magica,as putea sa l asociez cu dark souls.Cand il ascultam ma gandeam la dark souls 2 dintr-un motiv sau altul .Imaginea vizuala e una mistica ,iar titlurile melodiilor ofera aceasta viziune.Totodata,sunetele experimentale de chitara si balade se imbina intr-un ansamblu complex .Cantece precum "Epitath"si "I talk to the wind" ofera o atmosfera nostalgica si placuta."21st Century Schizoid Man" si "The Court of the Crimson King" incalzesc lucrurile prin dinamica lor energica si placuta.Acum chiar inteleg de ce kanye west a dat sample la 21st Century Schizoid Man ,lowkey chiar e un banger .Dar e foarte popular ,adica si taica miu probabil stia de el.Cel mai putin mi a placut "Moonchild"mi s a parut plictisitoare .De asemenea,nu a avut nicio continuitate ,foarte lunga si foarte boring ,doar aruncau sunete din dreapta in stanga.Daca nu era melodia aia ,albumul primea un straight 5.
Well... that was really unusual. It's like Pink Floyd. It sounds pretty unusual and progressive for 1969.
I knew half the album already. 21st csm and inkoftck are all time classics. Epitah deserves to be on that list too. What a beautiful song. The other two prevented this from being a 5 star album. I especially didn’t care for the free jazz bit. But all in all, great record
The 21st century schizoid man being the POWER kanye sample was epic. I talk to the wind was such a beautiful way to wind down my night. Dont judge an album by its cover!
Epic in the right circumstances 4.4
Really enjoyed the opener (those distorted vocals way ahead of their time) and closer (so powerful, one of my top soundtrack moments in Children of Men). Rest was decent, excellent drumming throughout. You could detect the influence to and from Floyd running throughout, so definably the more palatable side of the prog genre for me.
ik vond dit echt heel leuk despite de lengte van de liedjes !
mix of jazz and rock
This is the perfect album to go listening on the road. Sounds a lot like a soundtrack for a movie. Not quite my type but I respect what it is and what it means to people. I liked tracks: 21st Century Schizoid Man, Moonchild (my favorite) and The Court of the Crimson King.
this tickled my brain in a nice way
Slows down a little for my taste in the middle but bookended by some terrific, serpentine, technical wonders of songs. The be all end all KC for quite a few folk but I love the subsequent albums where they bare their teeth a bit more.
I love this album. The quintessential proto-prog rock masterpiece. I had to knock a star off because it gets too noodly in parts, I'm pretty sure the freeform widdly bit in the middle wasn't there when I've listened to it before
Enjoyed this album much more on the 3rd listen.
so robert fripp went “it’s prog time” and progged all over the place. yet i don't understand it. some parts are decent. 4/5
Crazy pull for a first aIbum. Luckily i even have it on vinyl already. I love the songs individually, but i do not understand the choice to have such a calm interlude in the middle of the album. I prefer Albums to be structured like the Hero's journey in terms of intensity.
KINGO CRIMSON!!!
This one is a true musical journey. There are so many crazy moments, both good and not so good. That kick in from moonchild to court of the crimson king hits like very few songs can. The flutes, clarinets, and xylophones add so much intrigue, even if the parts sound more like noodling than an actual song at times. I love this genre, I love this period of music. The freedom to be experimental and creative is unmatched. Overall, I found the piece as a whole to be enthralling and inventive, but not necessarily amazing songs. I think a high 4/5 and many more listens to digest are in my future.
Bonkers - the contrast between the first track and the rest is hilarious. I have a soft spot for the whole thing though.
LOVED this one! 4/5 only because the order of the songs. It started abruptly with the heavy guitar and volume of the schizoid man song, and in my morning fog, it was tough to all of a sudden vibe to. Then it mellowed out! And gave some beautiful melodies and lyrics, it had some neat segments with goofy and bizarre noises and such. It slowly built up the energy again through each song that by the time the radio version of schizoid man came in I was ready and excited for it and enjoyed it a lot more. The transition after the first song between the energy of the music was good and got me in the mood for the higher energy stuff. Fave songs: (A lot of em) I talk to the wind (both versions!) The court of the crimson king (ofc) Moonchild —— The rest of them were really good too! Epitaph was a vibe, etc etc, but if I had to choose 3 (1/2 bc duo version of i talk to the wind) to return to, it would be those 3
Classic and groundbreaking for its time
Kult!
low recording quality, which isn't really a problem but would've loved a remaster/remake. jazzy. i hope these notes are private... nvm, quality didn't matter. the composition is very, very good, feels like I'm watching a spectacle but with my ears. i should probably buy a cd for my grandparents, make them listen to something "new"(i don't think they've heard foreign music that much)
Interesting. Some songs were better than others. Sometimes there is jazz, others pure rock, at times it feel like they forgot to play some instrument, because it is just a couple of sounds in the background. To me, it sounds experimental, innovative, creative, and I appreciate that. So I will give them a 3,5/5. A better grade would depend on listening the whole album paying more attention.
Oddly, because I've probably not listened to this in the past with quite the same degree of scrutiny this project encourages, the mark I'm about to give, having now done so, is lower than I'd have thought. So much of it is a clear five, but now that I've actually read the lyrics ... well, without wanting to be too harsh on a record I really like, there are too many patches of sixth-form poetry to go that high. To the extent that this influenced so much of the properly cringe-worthy prog that was to follow, it's therefore a four for me.
I often think of this as one of the greatest albums of all time, but when tossing tracks on a playlist that I’d actually want to listen to, only the first and last song make the cut. The middle has always seemed to me to be the anticipatory silence, with some noodling and decent poetic imagery, before the big slamming finale. I have this on vinyl, and sometimes you can barely make out that music is playing at all for like a half a hour of this if you’re spinning it at a party and have it at a volume that won’t blow people away in that finale. But what a finale it is. Have ever heard anything quite like In the Court of the Crimson King?
Both really enjoyed more than expected!
Was a really good time until the weird stuff started up... but it's King Crimson, it's Prof, it's too be expected (as I've said about every Prof album on this list).
Alle proginteresserte 50+ sitt foretrukne profilbilde på Facebook. Man hører at King Crimson står seg fra mengden av samtidige progga 60-tallsband, men det fremstår litt uferdig. Det tar seg opp på de neste platene.
Wanted to love it but idk
Yeah this does kinda slap...
Interesting mix of casual and homey with complex anthems
4 yeah this was good
The album’s dramatic and melancholic atmosphere sometimes even reminded me of Japanese kayōkyoku in an unexpected way. While some of the longer passages felt excessive to me, the overall sense of scale and influence was undeniable. Epitaph was my favorite track, and I was surprised to learn that the punk label Epitaph Records took its name from the song, which really showed me how far this album’s influence reaches.
Finally, finalmente, a prog album that I can get behind. This isn't full of orks and wizards, it's not got a grating voice, there are no lute and mandolin solos. Just well crafted epic songs. Hats off and a great new addition to my rotation. An album cover I recognise and could name but have never one felt the urge to explore, until now.
Honestly awesome album.
can't decide if this is a 4 or a 5, i'm going to say 4 because my god did the song 'moonchild' drag on
classic
4.5/5
Lately I acknowledged progressive rock as one of my favourite generes in music although I'm very far from acknowledging King Crimson for the greatness of this album. It its a big thing, it is something revolutionary, but I will die on a grave with opinion that I...simply don't like it.
This album was great - weird at times, self indulgent at times, but ultimately have relistened and would relisten again. This is one of those albums I understand why it’s on this list…. Good music
In time grew like less that some of their other albums. Not sure what else is on the list. 4.5 rounded down Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes: 74/294 (24%) Will I get: Already have
breathtaking in its own singular way. one of the best first listens i've had so far with this project
7/10 Aside from the 10 straight minutes where it felt like they were trying to wake up a sleeper cell inside of me, it was pretty darn good.
An album I've constantly heard about but never actually listened to. I would see it posted almost every day on /mu/. One of the better Progressive Rock albums I've listened to. Definitely better than any Yes or Nektar album I've heard... Might even be better than DSOTM, or maybe I've just listened to that one too many times.
listened to again still super great
A lot better than I thought it would be! Track 1 is a sample on Kanye West's 'Power'. Some great songs, though they do go on for a bit... value for money, I suppose!
this is so f#cking frantic... and i love it.
I was prepared to be underwhelmed - another British rock album?? - but this won me over.
It feels awkward giving this a 4 and I really wish there was a .5 system but I just think Moonchild (especially Moonchild) and the title track don’t stick the landing as well as the first 3 tracks do on here. Nevertheless, this is a highly influential record and one of the definitive greats though, and always a pleasure.
gem finder!!! Ball knowledge required. Fire ablum and lwk iconic
The Court Of The Crimson King is pretty baller. I feel like that gotta be Declan’s theme song. And of course 21st Century Schizoid Man is a vibe and a half. Also gotta take a sec to admire the album cover pretty sick.
(87/100)
crazy instrumentals and influence
7.5/10 - Super impressive musicianship. This is the closest I get to being excited about Prog. Somewhere solidly between a 3 and a 4.
There's a few minutes of Moonchild that halts the flow of the album, but other than that it's a masterpiece. It's probably my favorite prog album and the musicianship is unreal. 9/10
Reading in a sunny russel square leaning against a tree