In The Court Of The Crimson King

Loved. Epitaph feels psychedelic.

I feel as though the concept of an album is inherently strange. Is it a random assortment of songs or an interconnected story sometimes only loosely linked by a central theme. In the Court of the Crimson King has to be listened to all at once. I can't describe why. I, of course, have heard of this album before but never gave it a listen. Wow. One of the best listens I've ever experienced. Will be purchasing this ASAP. And it's from 1969? That I couldn't believe. In absolute awe.

Oväntat bra

5 stars

Generally, loved it. 4* because some moments here you probably had to be at the party to fully get it. Bloody good party though!

Waste of time

well that was kind of magical

So whimsical, it almost carries you away. Never heard anything quite like it, but I want more.

Some great prog music. Superb musicians. However still not my favourite KC album due to some wishy washy or flashy tracks

wowww

人声很少，满意！

If The Moody Blues hadn't made music like this first, then sure, "Invented."

Did not enjoy but it had that one song that was sampled in the other song

Masterpiece.

Fire sample shout out Kanye

I like it. Would listen again probably only in album format

Prog masterpiece.

Wow really been getting some of the best albums ever recently. I'll just say I think that this clears ALL 'prog rock', as I think a good deal of that era is rubbish, including unfortunately people like Emerson, Lake and Palmer, as I think Greg Lake sings on here. I don't think any band up to this point minus some of the Frank Zappa stuff incorporates so many distinctly 'non-rock' bits into it, like the flutes and stuff on I talk to the wind, and obviously the free jazz thing on 21st century schizoid man. Instrumentals and instrumentalists are totally incredible, I love the mellotron bits, which I think Robert Fripp plays, they totally make some songs, like Epitaph. Also the lyrics and singing are great, its very progressive (no pun), and he might be the best (or second best after Adrian Belew) King Crimson singer. 21st Century schizoid man could maybe be one the most ahead of its time songs ever, its for sure a proto-metal song, although its (in my opinion) much better than most of the 70s metal stuff, which seemed confined to such a specific box, which this most certainly isn't. I feel like the only low point is the part where not much happens in the middle of moonchild, which I don't think is really that bad because I respect the experimentalism but I think it just lasts for too long. But overall I love this! Favourite songs: all but moonchild I guess. (I think maybe I like Red a little more than this, but it probably changes a lot. Overall around 9/10

Not for me

Well, "21st Century Schizoid Man" is good. The rest? Well, it hasn't changed my opinion of prog much.

Fun, and long songs... but I didn't finish listening to it while at work

Classic! The start of prog

kind of cool, jazz esc

Awesome, many were influenced by this album.

Perhaps the birth of prog, for some it might be the peak. It isn't for me personally, but it is still undeniably great.

Stone cold classic. I've loved this album for a long time, and I'm so happy to revisit it 10 years after I discovered it. I just wish Moonchild's length was cut somewhat. Very Strong 9/10

цей альбом і цей гурт став самим кращим моїм музичним відкриттям за остані років 10. абсолютно всі пісні в альбомі неймовірні. глибові, соціальногострі лурікси і магічне темнофентезійне звучання.

Okay never heard of them before

Enjoyable after the first song!

Low key a vibe

YES! but not the band YES!, good prog rock album

3.5 round up to 4

4.5/5

que loco que es el arte y la musica. habia tratado de escuchar este disco otras veces y no podia (osea lo terminaba sacando) hoy fue tipo: dale nicole es el unico que te queda dale una chance. y me encanto. todos. nose porque las primeras veces no pude conectar. verdaderamente todo el sonido me encanta, lo siento un poco versatil, como que va cambiando el tono en el disco y hasta dentro del mismo tema. pero bueno nose, aveces la musica es eso no ? conectar en un momento y en otro no. mismo tema distitnos dias y la percepcion cambio por completo.

Hell yeah. Gritty, intense, and yet very orchestral. I cannot tell if this a manifestation of drug use, anxiety, anger, or all of the above. 21st Century Schizoid man is a classic. There are some dull moments and then some really banger ones. Best heard on vinyl.

Quite a diversity of sounds, a melting pot of jazz and prog, but does not stand out to my ears

Conal is wrong

It’s prog in its purest

Class album except Moonchild which is shite. Great cover. Fuck Gary

Prog masterpiece

I just listened to this album for the first time the other day. It's really really good. Easily the best non-Pink Floyd prog rock album I've listened to. An incredible album, crazy that this is a debut. I can see why this is a must listen, King Crimson really cooked with ts. 10/10 would recommend.

Good, but a bit boring

A cheestastic wank fest. This brings to mind Sean Connery as Zardoz, only this is the soundtrack to an even worse 70s B-movie. This album has been heralded by some musicians I know. I'll try not to hold it against them.

This album is new to me and takes you on a bit of a wild journey. Lots of sounds, musical experiences, genres. It's a fun listen and definitely doesn't bore you. Some parts really resonated with me and others not so much. I love 21st Century Schizoid Man - so good.

I don’t know this album is really good but it just doesn’t do much for me. 21st century schizoid and the title track are really good and the title track reminds me of thick as a brick which I love but idk? The other tracks are alright too but yeah I think their is much better stuff, especially from the late 60s.

I do not need to relisten to this album to know it's a 5. I Talk to the Wind and 21st Century Schizoid Man all time bangers.

GOAT

oh i LOVE this! The rollercoaster of instrumentals in the first track is awesome. Every single song in the album evokes a different emotion. Epitaph is a personal favorite - it's like a beautiful-sounding tragedy unraveling in my ears. good shit. There was no bad song. 8/10 - will definitely listen to this again!

Experimental, but really cool. Love the variety of song structures and instruments, and the drumming in particular too.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to after generally trying to avoid prog rock for most of my life. Musicianship is obviously top notch, some of the melodies are exquisite, and the lyrics and vocals are nowhere near as bad as I feared. Definitely completely lost me a few times though.

If there's one thing to critic about this album is that it has some freeform improv in the middle of it. Some of the best things in the genere you could hear besides that sore spot on it.

can't believe I never heard this before but I guess that's the point of this thing

I still need to listen to it some more to gel, but I don't think this is the best King Crimson has to offer, despite what RYM says.

9/10

Heard it before, liked it.

It's almost one of those albums where the cover doesn't reflect the music inside besides maybe "21st Century Schizoid Man." The rest is proggy fantasy music. It's fine. The music is mostly alright, but I can't really do the vocals. But I guess the vocals do match the fantasy feel of the album. It's fine. I'd never put it on again, but at least I've finally listened to that album with that one cover of that dude's crazy face screaming.

Long and meandering songs with the musicality of an unsupervised middle school band class

Пиздато и гениально. Впервые послушала эту группу, вряд ли буду слушать постоянно, потому что это прям сложная для меня музыка, надеюсь, что больше будут узнавать о группе и возвращаться к альбому по настроению. Темно, мрачно и тягуче.

Hard to believe this came out in the 1960s, as the first true prog rock album it was so ahead of its time. Top 3: 21st Century Schizoid Man Epitaph The Court Of The Crimson King

meh

"In the Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson is an absolute classic of late-60s and early-70s prog-rock. I honestly cannot remember when I first heard it, but I have listened to this album many times over the years and I still really enjoy it every single time. I am a big prog-rock fan in general, so this album naturally speaks to me. It has that perfect mix of ambition, atmosphere, and musicianship that defines the genre at its best. It also reminds me of other great prog albums from that era, like "Days of Future Passed" by The Moody Blues, both in mood and in scope. Fun fact: the iconic album cover, with the screaming face, was painted by Barry Godber, who was actually a computer programmer and not a professional artist. Sadly, he died just a few months after the album was released, making this painting his only widely known artwork.

The best prog rock album I got thus far. Not too difficult though.

j' aime beaucoup très bonne decouverte , 1 ere chanson pub drôle

Interesting album. Felt like a long jam session, but nothing interesting enough for me to revisit.

Another rock opera adjacent album. Complex but still mostly interesting

I can’t believe I missed out on this album for this long. Everything about it is perfect, from the lyrics to the little jam sessions. It’s so perfectly infused between rock and jazz and contemporary rock. 10/10.

Porque me recuerda a Amílcar

I can hear how Bad Religion's 21st Century (Digital Boy) was inspired by 21st Century Schizoid Man. Some of this music was too far off the deep-end and some of it was really great. I really liked the way A Man A City really leaned into the jazz.

Absolutely understand the value of the record. It's clever, it's a sophisticated, it opened a gateway to whole other realm of music,. Sadly, that is not a realm in which I ever want to live. I could last the rest of my life and most of the next one never hearing a prog record again, and, yet, I suspect, given this enterprise, I will have no such fate. No fault of the album's, but it is is just Not. For. Me. To be perfectly honest, I made it about halfway before turning it off. Sorry King. Mr Crimson. Sire. It is what it is. I've got 1000 more albums to get through.

Super cool album, really liked the variety of sounds

This is a once in a generation album. Complex arrangements. Vocals that stun. A landmark in recorded music

The rest of this album is so good I'm actually willing to forgive Moonchild

Wow, I loved this. Shockingly I’d never heard of King Crimson until now, let alone heard this album so this was an unexpected delight and I look forward to delving into the rest of their discography. I’ve only stuck to 4* because I could have happily listened to double the length of this album. Oh no… do i like prog rock now?!

A landmark album, so I’m told, and I will say it definitely sounds newer than it is. 21st Century Schizoid Man is a little too chaotic - could have used a consistent bass line. It feels more meandering than schizophrenic. I Talk to the Wind and Epitaph are much better… moving and swelling in ways that feel beautiful and purposeful. And then there’s Moonchild. Never have I ever heard a longer stretch of directionless messing around on a record. The musical equivalent of doodling. It’s fine as background noise, but it’s not good. Finally, the Court of the Crimson King is the highlight of the record. Everything comes together (although there is a minute more of pointless noodling near the end that keeps it from being a perfect song). This record has some 5/5 moments and some 1/5 moments… but the good parts are so strong I still think it’s a light 4, and an album that I think could grow on me with repeated listenings.

U, vidm, da je cajt, da potegnem ven ploščo dons. Odličen začetek s "21st Century Schizoid Man". Mislim, da meni najljubši komad s tega albuma. Všeč mi je tud, kako se konča v kakofoniji, potem pa smo kr naenkrat v chill "I Talk To The Wind", kjer je vse mirno in nekdo igra piščal. In, experimentation time z "Moonchild". In pa še zadnji, "The Court of the Crimson King", k je pa najbl epski, dreamy komad. Magickal.

Am ANfangd es Album dachte ich mir : Oh Mein Gott.. Nach 15 Minuten darf ichs agend as ich doch überrascht bin.

Respecting a piece of media for your personal taste in it as well as its place in history are usually two different lenses, but I just love this album. Had a game of Warhammer 40k where my opponent brought out Magnus with his T-Sons and we jammed this album. Was a great time.

If ever there was an album that could be described as "awesome in parts" this is it. The band is virtuosic tight, inventive and pretty much unlike anything else. Fripp's guitar playing is impeccable. 21st Century Schizoid Man is astonishing. Epitaph and the title track are equally brilliant. But two problems exist. One is the lyrics. The band had a member whose sole job was to write the words to the songs. And what a set of self consciousnessly arty, pretentious nonsense they are. YOU HAD ONE JOB!!! (Sinfield went on to write lyrics for Emerson Lake and Palmer and didn't get any better.) And then there's the.band's fixation on pastoral, fey, mellotron love ins that, at the time, probably seemed like the music of tomorrow but now seem like unlistenable excess. So 5/5 when they're good. 2/5 when they're being "artistes".

Really fun, actually!

Can't believe I've never listened to King Crimson before, really good and didn't feel self-indulgent like some other prog albums on the list.

Pretty fun prog rocks, gets a little dull in some spots. I understand it’s a landmark record, and it’s definitely with listening to, it’s just not really my favourite.

Har alltid haft svårt att ta till mig det här albumet helt ordentligt. Det har en viktig plats på proggrocks-himlen men jag föredrar fan andra band från den här eran. Med det sagt är det en otroligt stark öppning, med 21st century... och I Talk To The Wind innan det faller av lite sen. Ändå en solklar trea!

Älskar kaosig saxofon!

Trodde verkligen att det här skulle vara bättre. Vilken otrolig inledning men sen så blev det ju tyvärr till stora delar otroligt trist och lökigt på ett sätt bara tråkig proggrock kan bli.

Det är ju tufft att följa upp öppningen som är 6/5 men är ändå imponerad från start till mål. Finns också nåt kaxigt inatt riva av den jäveln direkt och sen ba ta ner det. Bara lyssnat en gång på hela albumet sen innan och det växte denna gång.

Lyckas vara både svårgenomträngligt och lättillgängligt på samma gång. Det är så jag vill ha min prog. Alla andra flöjter tittar avundsjukt på tvärflöjten. Först och bäst. En solklar 5a jag inte kommer revidera.

Fripp-tripp! Undrar om han hade västen på sig redan då.

Robert Fripp är tillbaka! Med en friggin vengeance m8. Här sätts strukturen för hur en progglåt ska vara och som den sätts.

wow!! jag har aldrig lyssnat, blev helt tagen av detta Verk. oväntad femma för mig, som med jorge ben bor. jag lyssnar ju aldrig på funky samba eller progg! älskar det här projektet!! så kul att läsa allas recensioner också!

Kan man ge nen femma på potential? Nä kanske inte. Kommer återkomma och kanske höja denna

96/100. The sound on this record is incredible and it’s honestly wild to think this came out in the late 60s. It’s one of the best art rock albums of all time, and easily one of the greatest debut records, full stop. The atmosphere, the ambition, the sheer confidence of it all still holds up today.

Brain Candy classic

9/10

I feel like such a pretentious fuck for loving king crimson as much as I do. But I do. They’re a phenomenal band that make phenomenal music, still it’s kinda worse than the last album I listened to from them

This was a very interesting listen. A lot of it was solid rock, but it was kind of all over the place -and some songs had weird, unpleasant noises (likely intentional based on the song title, but still not enjoyable). I'm not really sure why everyone seems so obsessed with this album - it's not bad, but certainly not 5 stars.

yes

Jazzy-prog came moving in to odd time signitures at the tail-end of the 60s. It's by turns, mellow, angry, rifftastic, OTT and everything in between This album is a classic for a reason - and not just the album cover. Best Tracks: 21st Century Schizoid Man; I Talk to the Wind; The Court of the Crimson King

I’d give it 4.5 stars, because „Moonchild” goes on for WAAAY too long. Apart from this, a perfect album.

Album 19 Top 3 favorites off the album: The Court of the Crimson King, Moonchild, I Talk To The Wind I'm feeling uninspired today, so another uncharacteristically short one. This was a good album. I like the blend of jazz and rock and such, and liked the variety in instrumental breaks. I think most tracks were the appropriate length, though a few came close to feeling almost excessively long (looking at you, Moonchild). Despite that, I found myself enjoying all the ground covered in those longer tracks. Overall, a good listen, and one I might occasionally come back to.

7/10

Wow what an incredible piece of music. It's been year since I heard the titular track (on radio, shortened), but listening it and taking it in the context of this LP is quiet the experience. With 5 tracks only, this behemoth of Prog Rock is an unforgettable ride. Pretty insane talent on display, instrument wise but lyrically and in the composition too. Almost 60 years old but the music feels ahead of its time, and pretty relevant in what is has to say. I'll spin this one for a very very long time.

Супер класика, буквально минулого року переслуховував. Дуже красива музика

Легенда (хоча не мій улюблений альбом крімзон)

I liked 21st Century Schizoid Man, The court of the crimson king and Epitaph

Not my cup of tea

wow!! the opening track was so freaking insane and i fully understand the way in which i it was influential for its genre!!!

A grand, epic statement that birthed prog rock and remains one of its most esoteric and greatest totems. The tracks here evoke moods, whether it be the fear of "21st Century Schizoid Man" or the resignation of "Epitaph". I like prog as a genre, so this was always going to be a hit with me. But it truly is an excellent album, with an iconic cover and songs to boot. If nothing else, "21st Century Schizoid Man" is a Certified Banger, so listen to that at least once. Not all of the list's albums are essential, but this is, especially for prog heads. If you hate this, you probably just don't like prog rock as a genre as this is pure prog brilliance.

6/10

No soy fan de los sonidos de los 70, muy psicodélicos, pero este disco me hizo cambiar de opinión. Definitivamente un viaje que repetiría mil veces

21st Century Schizoid Man - 5/5 I Talk To the Wind - 4.5/5 Epitaph - 5/5 Moonchild - 4.5/5 The Court of the Crimson King - 5/5 What is must have been like in 1969 to turn this on and hear something completely radical to whatever was considered rock or pop at the time. Funnily enough I got into KC through their 80's trio of albums, so going back in time to see how they evolved is interesting. Easy 5/5. Overall: 5/5 Favorites: Yes

This may be sacrilegious but I really prefer 1980s King Crimson with Bill Buford, Adrian Belew, and Tony Levin. Obviously the title track and 21st Century Schizoid Man are classics but I really like Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair better than this album.

nunca lo habia escuchado por entero, solo canciones sueltas y es increíble este album

Un groupe de troubadours qui font du rock prog. C’est l’impression que j’ai eu tout le long. Comme des musiques de cirques mais sous un ton assez sombre et mystérieux. Ça sonne assez négatif dis comme ça mais j’ai pas passé un mauvais moment… c'était juste un peu long car prévisible et pas très innovant (pour l’époque sans doute). J’avais aussi une grande attente, notamment sur le premier morceau mais j’étais pas si emballé. Big up au chanteur qui est chaud et le traitement de sa voix est cool. Je garde Epitaph en tête.

Liked the opening track 21st century schizoid man immediately, and soon realised that this was not an album you can put on in the background, but demands to be listened to. My interest piqued and waned throughout, but definitely an album I’d want to spend more time with to appreciate more fully. I’d expect to skip to the end of moonchild more often than not though. 3 for now.

Pretentious. Sounds like spinal tap.

Utterly phenomenal. Set Mellotrons to kill. This gave birth to a whole genre, none of which came close to emulating the scope of this album. Even the (lengthy) duff track doesn't detract from the tour de force that is side one.

This is a masterpiece.

Prog sucks!!

This isn’t my cup of tea, but I can’t say I’ve listened to anything else quite like it before

Some bits were a little too weird, but mostly awesome

music blend

veramente assurdo, decisamente originale. poche parole e tanta musica. influenze jazz. esperienza da fare, anche se non sono canzoni che ascolterei tutti i giorni

I think this is the best album ever made 1/1001

Great, heavy prog, good songwriting regardless.

interesting sounds & managed to keep my interest. sounds like more fun to play than it is to listen to and some of the songs go on forever for no good reason

saatana kuin pitkiä biisejä. Biisit on elokuvamusiikkimaisia mielikuvan maalaajia, oikein hyvin uppoaa tällaiseenkin paskiaiseen mitä minä olen.

Fuck yes

21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

This is a really good album. Its got some moments which feel self indulgent and tedious(most notably the hammy jammy section of the opening track and whatever was happening at the end of Moonchild), but the powerful moments make up for it IMO. Especially I Talk To The Wind (one of the best songs ever maybe) and the closing track's epic washes of mellotron and vocals. I'm pretty averse to prog but I think this album does a good job not fully succumbing to the genre's penchant for melodrama and nerdy wankery. Lyrically it can get a bit bardy at some sections but it's still relatable and poetic. The vocals are good. Good album

Epitaph 10/10 Court of the crimson king 10/10

Didn't fully click...yet

Not just a record, it's a revelation.

It's a great feeling when a band you've tried to listen to for years just clicks. What an album.

Love

Like the music by the song an are very long. instrumental is great.

Kul att jag kände igen öppningslåten från att Kanye West samplat den till power!

Epitaph y Moonchild fueron mis favoritas. Me parece un poco divertido el switch entre 21st Century Schizoid Man y I talk to the wind. Me gusto bastante este álbum, aunque para escucharlo tendría que estar en un mood bastante específico

Heard about the album before, but never listened to it. Finally got to hear it, and it was amazing

חריף

Some decent tracks but equally some absolute mental stuff!

After the generally 'meh' feeling inspired by previous albums in the 1001 albums book, this one blasted through my ears and made me feel a thousand things. Firstly, I felt a little bit of awe. I never realised that genres could fuse together so... majestically. I didn't quite know what to make of the first track apart from "woah". Then I Talk To The Wind came on and calmed it all down. The flute (was it a flute?) and then the brass (was it brass? I wish I actually knew something about music!) were mind-blowing. Epitaph is a bit more meh, and the reason this album is getting 4.5 stars. Moonchild feels a little like a lost out-take from an early Pink Floyd album, but I guess that's the genre. I know this is going to sound w***ily pretentious, but I... like it? The Court of The Crimson King feels faux grand with a merry go round interlude before the drums kick in. It sounds like a prog rock version of the Pentiment soundtrack (again, sorry to all music-knowers out there. This comparison is a bit meh). Will listen to the whole album again tomorrow because I need to meditate a little more on it.

Unsure about the first song. I appreciate it and think it's super cool, but it's not something I'd listen to it repeatedly. The rest of the album however is fantastic.

Album 1/1001. Listened 1/6/2026. A little too stoner rock for me. 3/5 on a good day.

Kocham ten album od dawna! Pierwsze wydawnictwo Króla, które miałem okazję usłyszeć i do dzisiaj jest moim ulubionym. Nie jestem może zbyt odkrywczy w tym stwierdzeniu. Niemniej jest to ten album, który łączy popularność i wartość artystyczną. Arcydzieło muzyki. Uważam, że każdy, kto interesuje się muzyką powinien poznać ten krążek!

Awesome. Have it

Kanye Power! But too jazzy

Maybe not king but a prince at least?

Meh

Interesting album, filled with long tracks. Plays out like a soundtrack to a movie. Highlights: “21st Centruy Schizoid Man”

O que não falar de In the Court of the Crimson King?Uma combinação estonteante de jazz, rock, música clássica e sinfonia. A sua quintessência transcende, sua música que me é tão familiar e que mesmo ao tratar efeitos devastadores da alienação e guerra me conforta. Moonchild sempre será a música que a pequena massiu ouvia para ser, simplesmente existir, como a pequena criatura derivada da lua.

Already listened, and what an album this is. Easily one of my favourite albums of all time, some of the best sounds I've heard on an album from around this time, I think this album is perfect, deserving of a 10/10.

it's super long for only having 8 songs. it's definitely an album that's perfect for background noise when you're working or cleaning. it's nothing too crazy but also sounds good to the ears. overall i'd give it a 7.9/10.

Not my vibe honestly some tracks sound funky but its nothing i would listen to on a regular basis

Very beautiful to listen to. I had no idea Kanye West sampled ‘21st century schizoid man’ for his song ‘power’. Some songs did feel a bit too long, because of the fact that there isn’t much versatility in jazzy instrumentals nearing the end of certain songs. Other than that, so damn good!!

LOVE LOVE LOVEEE the instrumentals !! Exactly my taste to the T

This album is 3 years younger than me. In my teens some friends liked stuff like this - maybe this. Hated it then. Hate it now. Would give it no stars if I could

No. 67 10/10 didn't expect it to be that good.

Best!

A Czech friend made me discover this 29y ago, and it is still very good, there is so much happening in this music, it transports you places. I absolutely loved it! But, its not as good as I remembered it was. Hence, 4*.

The songs were long but I loved the flute sounds

A couple of decent songs but not my type of music

i feel like this is more of a 3.5 cause when it’s good it’s great and when it’s not, it’s just pots and pans banging around

Ovo je u mojoj kući nešto ko Biblija

10/10 didn't expect it to be that good

Honestly, I thought I'd like this more. Didn't dislike it by any means, but it was a bit of a let down. I actually think I've probably listened to it before over the years but just forgot, and that probably tells you all you need to know.

i love prog rock incredible intros

This is one of those albums I see all the time in people's collections, but I'd never listened to it myself until now. I definitely get the hype. That was a phenomenal record. Epitaph in particular felt transcendent

an eclectic mix of genres,i can see why its such a highly regarded album in the industry,felt sometimes more like a studio session than an album however. 3.5 stars.

Experimental,

King Crimson's debut changed rock music in the late 60's and into the 70's by essentially bringing Progressive Rock to the forefront. Longer songs with complex structures, highly technical instrumental passages, obscure lyrical themes, and an approach to composition more akin to jazz or classical music. This was, of course, not an accessible form of music to get into, especially for the musicians. The barrier to entry was simply too high. So it's not surprising there was a revolt against it in the middle of the decade which gave way to Punk Rock. Despite the dominance of the genre for half a decade, not many bands ever reached the heights of this album, even King Crimson themselves. The variety of songs here is remarkable, especially considering there is only five of them. The two mellotron epics of "Epitaph" and the title track ground the album and present the mood and structure that most Prog-rockers would attempt in the years to come, while the folk-y "I Talk to the Wind" is more like a send off to the music of the prior decade. Then there are the jazz-rock tracks. I can only imagine how radical and abrasive "21st Century Schizoid Man" sounded to audiences at the time as its uneven rhythms still sound daring and experimental. And the improvisational section on "Moonchild" wouldn't sound out of place in a full-on Jazz Fusion record. Truly a perfect record and a must listen to everyone interested in the art form, even without being a rock music fan. Key tracks: 21st Century Schizoid Man I Talk to the Wind Epitaph Moonchild In the Court of the Crimson King (yes, every track.)

It was great to hear the Kanye sample but then there’s still 66 minutes left. Not a fan of the long songs, especially Moonchild, which is pretty much silent for the last half. High 2

Still don’t care about prog

Fun and somehow always finds a way to surprise you. Fantastic album.

Brilliant album Varied and interesting Listened to years ago but happy it was included in the list

10/10 album cover. Album is an all time classic, although I think I enjoyed Lark's Tongue in Aspic more. King Crimson are incredible!

i liked it a lot but wouldn't listen again

Overall Rating - 4.60/5 (9.20/10). Great album. No notes.

I've loved this one forever. It's one of a kind though, the band changed drastically over the years following guitarist Robert Fripp's crazy experiment directions, most of which I also love, but they never repeated the take of this first album that pretty much launched prog rock.

Kind of all over the place Why was it so quiet sometimes? 21st century schizoid sounds a bit like a chase scene in pink panther at some points or something so that was fun

A very solid album

Bangin, love everything about this, wish this had more recognition than the song that sampled 21st century schizoid man... Was looking forward to this one popping up. Love how theres a bit of everything on this one, from more fast paced sections, to slower rythyms, to creative experimentation. 9/10

Everything about this album-- the cover art, the pioneering use of classical instrumentation, the all time great songs like "21st Century Scizoid Man" and the title track--make this a no doubt 5 star. Sure, they get a little Spinal Tap at times such as in the middle of "Moonchild" with its free jazz interlude. But, damn, the tightness of the playing and the epic scope while also including the quieter, intimate songs like "I Talk to the Wind" and "Epitaph"...what an amazing album. The lyrics are thought provoking and profound as well.

Absolutely batshit in the best way. There's no better way to open an album than with 21st Century Schizoid Man. With that percussion and those vocals, theres an argument to be made that this one is the first 'heavy metal' song. And at the tail end of the 60s, they perfected that bardic psych folk sound that so many groups were lamely attempting, while also just fucking with the listening audience with the jazz noodling and classical flourishes. Court of the Crimson King ties it all together to conclude, bringing it back sonically closer to the opener. Proggy perfection from King Crimson

Muziek als expressie. Dissonantie. Ongebruikelijke complexe (minder dansbare) structuren. Beetje hypno.

Goeie vibe wel! Epitaph was mn favo

The generator had a proggy classic Monday in mind for me and I'm pleased with it's decision. The ambient, empty ass middle section of Moonchild was probably my personal highlight, but the whole thing lived up to its rep.

not my vibe. reminded me of Pink Floyd? hated looking at the album artwork when listening to it in my car hahaha

It's not unlistenable but it's not good either.

Awful. Despite the cover.

The instrumentals are pretty good. Some of the songs sound like the soundtrack to a detective movie.

First album that I have generated ever hope it’s good

One of my favorite albums of the '60s!

Never heard of this band or album. Apparently it's one of the first true progressive rock albums. At times, it was very appealing. But there's a bit too much experimentation and empty air for my tastes. It was at times a 4/5, but drops down to a 3/5 for those weird moments between rock.

Very good, reminds me a lot of Pink Floyd which is one of my favorite artists

Listened and loved before, didn't listen for a long time. Not perfect but still great. Favorite track: Epitaph.

A fabulous concept albume further enhanced by the astounding artwork by Barry Godber. The artwork was universally adopted and must have sold many copies of the album by those mesmerised by its power.

Очень долгие песни, но для меня это с непривычки. Понравилась moonchild. пока писала week 3 the artictic way понравилось слушать. прикольно! иногда буду слушать

I quite like this one, most the songs are so good, only thing im so-so about it the lengths cause why are all (like 90%) of the songs 10-12 mins long? holy moly

I haven’t heard any songs from this band, but I have seen the album cover a lot. 21st century schiztoid man - holy moley what a strong start, ok this is great, I love the drums and clarinet (I think 🤷‍♀️) and all of the switches in the song, I thought it drag because of how long it is, but it didn’t at all I talk to the wind - rlly like the vocals and the tone, very soft and pleasant, ok flute solo, ok bass solo, this is just a really nice listen 😛, ok flute solo part 2 Epitaph - nice soft start ish, looove the build with the drums and vocals, ok yearning, YES CRESCENDO, lowkey getting medieval now 👑, the clarinets are back, love the drum fills near the end, this is so good what the heck Moon child - oh my 12mins long, the soft start is nice, now they’re smashing their instruments randomly for a while, ok it’s not bad, but I feel it’s not as good as the other songs so far 🤷‍♀️ The court of the crimson king - this feels so grand (like a king🤴, a crimson king if you will🤴), THE FLUTE IS BACK, why did it go into an adventure time beat, ok we’re so back OVERALL: ok woah, this is album is rlly rlly good, I was worried that the songs being 7 to 12 mins long would drag on, but I didn’t have that issue at all. Except for moonchild, which got a lil experimental and just wasn’t my fave, all of the songs are sooooo good, and I understand why this album is so influential. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

yeah, classicy classic for drinking beer and pretending to be smarter than you actually are 4.5

- LOVE THIS ALBUM - so beautiful - truly takes u along a journey

Creative, sophisticated in its way, the epitome of prog rock but less melodic and compelling than some other exemplars of the genre

'cause I'm a 21st Century Digital Boy...no, wait, what? Amazing.

Loved it. Can't believe I didn't know about this, it's the blueprint for so many things I love. Long live all flute music.

la primera que conocí fue 21st Century Schizoid Man xq venía en el guitar hero 5 (y qué pedo de rola, imagínate empezar con eso tu discografía, más cuando el resto del disco no suena así), pero me acuerdo mucho la primera vez que oí el title track, el papá de un amigo de la secu que era prog head me preguntó si la conocía y la puso y a la fecha cuando la escucho pienso en la impresión que me causó. así se ha de sentir flotar alv

I dunno, I just have a hard time getting into a lot of prog rock.

nossa, muito bom. Psychedelic rock é certeiro. The Court Of Crimson King, termina o álbum muito bem. Mas desde 21st Century Schizoid Man o álbum manda muito. Com certeza vou ouvir mais.

talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique.........

Jazz, rock, and classical music fused into something wholly unlike the components it was derived from. Does it always work? No... not always. But when it does, it’s brilliant. Robert Fripp would continue pushing those boundaries for a very long time. It’s not my favorite King Crimson album, but its place on the list makes perfect sense.

Never listened to this whole record. Much more jazz than I was expecting.

Some truly crazy prog rock.

Ah, the album Reddit keeps telling me I need to own on vinyl. No, no I do not need to own this. 21st Century Schizoid man was okay, but the rest of the album is not for me.

Fun album musically, but does not give the listener nearly enough to chew on to justify such a long tracklist. Album is bloated beyond belief, and holds bland instrumentation throughout

One of my all time faves

i love this album epitach is one of my all time favorite songs.

Wahnsinn, wie gut das gealtert ist. Meisterwerk und seiner Zeit weit voraus.

Not too bad just not my style personally. The songs are very long too, had me waiting for something that didn’t come.

King Crimson is the SHIT

i like it. as much as it was a really old album, the beats of the songs gave me an old cartoony vibe idk why and some songs we honestly good. this an album i would listen to like once in a while tho to.

real immersive soundscape, just not my thing

Album No. 0101 on my list. I was actually looking forward to this album very much. „In The Court Of The Crimson King“ is one of these albums that you see everywhere on lists of the best/greatest/most important albums of all time. Yet, I’ve never listened to it before. The album is a progressive rock album indeed. Complex, extensive songs, Jazz and orchestral influences, you name it. It just seems though that I don’t really find a connection to the music, unfortunately. I’ve listened to it twice now, but I think I don’t really get the album. Don’t get me wrong, I think this is good music, and I understand that on an intellectual level. But I just don’t have any emotional connection I think. Again, this is unfortunate because I get why this album is considered to be so influential. Maybe it’s just the length of the songs. Sometimes I just had to wait too long for something exciting to happen… If my Gen Y monkey brain is responsible, I’m sorry. I’ll add “21st Century Schizoid Man”, and “The Court Of The Crimson King” to my playlist. 3/5 stars.

Too fucking long, there's a good argument to be made to just get to the fucking point. It did sound great, but when it goes on and on and on, it is hard to love it.

Ah, screaming man. You see this in every vinyl collection. It's grand and ambitious, but it's not consistently engaging enough for a 5. Epitaph is definitely a top 3 KC song though. Their heavier and more experimental expression through 1972-74 overshadows the years prior by a long shot. Best song: Epitaph Worst song: Moonchild Cover check: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Para escuchar de fondo está bien, hay algún rato que me he quedado un poco ??? porque son solo sonidos extraños pero por lo demás me ha gustado. ¡La de I talk to the wind me ha gustado bastante!

Absolutely amazing! I loved all the songs but personally love I talk to the wind! This album so is underrated!! The instrumentals are insane

It gets kinda boring

King Crimson. 'Nuff said. Add it to your playlists.

Cool to see the sample of Power by Kanye West

Excellent album. I have heard it several times before but this time I feel like I really gave it a chance and it finally clicked for me. There is a lot going on with the music, many different instruments are used to create a really interesting maybe a little whimsical at times work. It feels really cohesive too with the songs leading nicely from one to another even though all the songs have a unique vibe to them. This would be something I will put on at home when I have time to chill out and listen to a record.

not my personal taste,dull white people music

1. 21st Century Schizoid Man (Including "Mirrors") - 6/10 2. I Talk to the Wind - 6/10 3. Epitaph (Including "March for No Reason" and "Tomorrow and Tomorrow") - 6/10 4. Moonchild (Including "The Dream" and "The Illusion") - 3/10 5. The Court of the Crimson King (Including "The Return of the Fire Witch" and "The Dance of the Puppets") - 6/10 don't get the hype

I'm trying to get past the "Schizoid Man" lyrics and just appreciate the instrumentals of the first song because the big band feeling is impressive, but as the album kept going the more I didnt like it.

What a wild ride. So weird, yet still approachable. Jazz elements...pop...rock...psychedelic. Big energy

Thanks for enticing me to revisit this - it's worse than I remember. I think she was as a redhead.....

I've seen this album on many top 10 lists and have given it a chance before. I didn't before reviewing but gotta say I don't particularly get their hype, not bad but again not a fav.

Wow awesome these guys made a song based off the Kanye’s Power riff

Skjønner ikke helt jeg.

Listening to this immediately after Supertramp, I am reminded what this prog rock moment in history was truly capable of producing. This album opens with an absolutely devastating face-melter (astutely sampled by another album on this list) and continues to employ baroque pop, jazz-inflected winds and percussion, and indecipherable lyrics in effective and surprising ways. I mean, who builds an entire riff out of harmonics? A rock opera with a vibraphone battle? Listening to this album you feel in one moment as if you’re climbing the Misty Mountains and in the next like you’re descending a spacecraft onto an abandoned exoplanet. Who needs TV when you got an LP?

I had limited knowledge of King Crimson. One of my favorite albums is Days Of Future Passed by the Moody Blues. I'm listening to this album and hearing all the similarities and sure enough, the albums share a producer. Anyway, there's a bias warning right there. Prog. Rock is a genre that you either love or hate. It tells a story through both word and sound, envelops the listener to a fantasy land. Albums like "In The Court Of The Crimson King" take the listener somewhere else and then gently guide them back to the couch, or the car, or the office, or wherever they decided to take in this work. I've always enjoyed art that delivers these results. Perhaps it's my own deep desire for escape? That's a conversation for a therapist...not the reviews section on a niche website... In sum, this was my first time listening to this album in full and I went somewhere. I can't tell you where. It was misty and unclear yet I felt strong and determined to discover the land. Just as it all began to make sense the flutes began to play and I felt something outside of myself saying "No, not yet" as I was slowly, softly brought back to reality. I know I can always go back, but like the addict that always chases the first high will I always chase the journey that was had on my first listen....

idk man. i will probably not listen to this ever again for me it’s too much experimental

This is my first album on this website! I am enticed by its absolutely phenomenal instrumental tones from its drums to guitars. The Vocal range is just downright phenomenal. I couldn’t recommend it enough and a great start to 1001 albums Each track has its own individual and unique atmosphere that creates such a brilliant array talents from each part. I listened all the way through without shuffle and each track led seamlessly into the other.

Brilliant, essential prog rock album.

PEAK!!!!!!!!!

talk to the wind epitaph the court of the crimson king

I feel like I should be traveling through the woods in Game of Thrones while on mushrooms when listening to this.

The album has a really good sound, needs to be listened to at a decent volume to really get into it

War ganz okay aber wird nix sein was ich öfter hören werde.

Really enjoyed this. Thought it was a good mix of interesting, intense, drama, and weirdness.

It was my first time listening this album despite being familiar with iconic cover art. I preferred the more intense parts of the songs. When I listen to albums like this one I wonder how it would be to listen it in the year it was released. First thing is that we are now more or less culturally biased to appreciate music like this. Second thing is that we know how music genres changed. Experiments from 60's are not that innovative to us because we know theirs offspring.

Kind of cool and I can see how this impacted a lot of music after. I'm not sure I'll go back to this but if you're really into prog rock I can see how you'd like this. 3/5

It's a big Proggy boy. Everyone knows the art. I had never listened to the entire thing before, even though I like Proggy boys. Some parts are too faffy and it lacks the emotional connection of Pink Floyd's best work, but it's good.

1. 21st Century Schizoid Man Kinda interesting almost silence at the beginning, I like the opening, ooh this is nice. Reminds me of like messier Cage the Elephant stuff. Dunno how I feel about the double time part, but the breakdown is really cool. Interesting squeally guitar part. I would like it, but it's almost a little too fast for the feel, just sounds a little rushed. I love the slower tempos a lot more. Very cool ending though, can't complain about the cacophony. 7.5/10 Mostly good, just a couple things that were a miss with me 2. I Talk To The Wind Don't know if the transition between the two songs is quite perfect, it feels like it could have been executed slightly differently, but still nice. But I like the this song, it's kind of floating, very contrasting to the 21st Century Schizoid Man. Beautiful double solo, very in-style and love the flute. Oooh the ending flute solo is absolutely peak. 7/10 I didn't have any above average feelings about this song, but it was still really beautiful and cool 3. Epitaph Okay I like the transition on this one, Epitaph is seeming really cool. This song is really soulful and I love it, nice and a little romantic while still being experimental and interesting. Love the little build in the middle of the song, gives a cool start to the change in it. I like the way it turns back to its original melody after the break, honestly this song is really cool. I like the drums near the end, seems fun for the drummer, maybe would like a slightly different tone on the kit, but eh. 8/10 Really cool song, soulful, love it's build, the middle section was a little less noticeable but still really cool 4. Moonchild Nice beginning to the song, very somber, I like it, tasteful. I really want this song to build like all get out. I like the time the King Crimson has taken with this song, it doesn't happen too fast, but there is always something that is happening, it's great. Love the random ride hits, they give the song a nice little bit of color, the slow guitar build is also great. Just beautiful. I try to like the random noise sections, but usually I just can't get behind them, they're too arrhythmical and just like some sort of noodling, with no clear purpose. Like the return to normalcy though, it's very refreshing actually, it's interesting how even though I don't like the arrhythmical stuff it still can add to the story of the song. 7.5/10 This song was really cool for the most part, it's just like the extremely progressive parts that get me, I'm never quite in the mental space to listen to stuff like that 5. The Court Of The Crimson King This is also a cool song, very good counter to the previous song, I like the feel too, dark, kind of feels medieval. The double(ish) time feel is much more applicable in this song, and I like it a lot more. Like the consistent use of flute throughout the album, makes the whole thing more cohesive. Honestly, I can see how all of these songs kind of go together, all the songs are very distinct but go together so well, in their own weird way, it's really cool. Pause, after that the little organ is kind of interesting, but I can kind of see how it fits? But I do like the little reprise after that, it's very triumphant. The little finish I feel was unnecessary, and a little random, but it does give a little bit of nice closure. 7.5/10 Really brought the whole album together and finished it strong, but I can't say that I was that extremely into the song, it was still great though I was honestly really scared that I wasn't going to like this album, but it surprised me and I thought it was great. The back half was definitely stronger to me than the front, but both were amazing. I liked the back half because it helped me see the picture of the whole album, and that was really cool to see. Overall the album wasn't revelatory to me, but that might just be the way I am. Solid 4/5, definitely a little more, but not quite perfect.

Standouts I Talk to the Wind In the Court of the Crimson King

Something a bit weird, a bit different. The track The Court of the Crimson King elevates this to a 5 though.

Enjoyed it way more than I expected! The fusion between jazz and rock was fenomenal

some parts i really liked but some parts i REALLY hated

'Politicians' funeral pyre / Innocents raped w/ napalm fire.' I know that it's branded as one of the first prog rock records, but lyrics like that remind me of what was to come w/ the political metal of Black Sabbath, e.g., 'Burning globe of obscene fire / Like electric funeral pyre.' Instrumentally, that first track also has the heaviness of metal, or, at the very least, hard rock. Yet, things regrettably soften as the album goes on, and that's coming from a member of not-crazy-about-metal-pack. It's soft b/c it's sentimental and nostalgic, corny and pretentious, no matter how compelling their anti-war sentiments were. The sole thinker in the band appears to be Michael Giles - I wonder how much I'd dig this release w/ just the drum parts. He's neat.

Didn't care for it.

A little too psychadellic and experimental for my taste, but some interesting playing.

It was fine but not really my type of music.

Listened on my laptop while reading/browsing Pinterest in the evening after a long-ish day of hanging out with Leo. This is one I've been putting off for ages, and have just gotten round to listening to thanks to this site. I'm enjoying it so far (about halfway through as I write this). Finished the album, loved it! Found the quieter pieces much more engaging than the noisier ones, but I guess that is just my taste.

historic for a reason ngl

Album: In the Court of the Crimson King Artist: King Crimson Rating: 56.8/100 Verdict: An iconic cornerstone of progressive rock that oscillates between heavy, timeless classics and wandering experimentation that sometimes misses the mark. Track-by-Track Analysis 1. 21st Century Schizoid Man Including Mirrors This opener defines the classic King Crimson sound. It is aggressive, precise, and undeniably heavy. It is impossible to listen to this without making the connection to modern hip-hop; the track was famously sampled in Kanye West's "Power," bridging the gap between 1969 prog and modern culture. Decades later, the song still hits like a classic—it hasn't lost any of its edge. 2. I Talk To The Wind Things start to get interesting here, shifting drastically from the opener's aggression to something much softer. The first half almost felt like a skip; it leans heavily into a Moody Blues or Yes aesthetic. It is surprising to hear this side of the band—while King Crimson is often associated with dark, sardonic, and complex sounds, the first half of this track sits firmly in the realm of Baroque Pop. 3. Epitaph Including March For No Reason And Tomorrow And Tomorrow This track carries a similar energy to "I Talk To The Wind," maintaining a more melodic and atmospheric approach. However, it feels heavier in spirit. Certain movements within the song evoke the doom-laden atmosphere of Black Sabbath, creating a moody bridge between the album's softer textures and its darker lyrical themes. 4. Moonchild This starts with a "jam band" energy, evoking the atmospheric tension of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter." However, the track loses its momentum about halfway through. Around the 5-minute mark, it devolves into random dissonant sounds that feel less like a composition and more like aimless wandering. For the casual listener, this becomes a definite skip. 5. The Court of the Crimson King After the dissonance of "Moonchild," this track is a relief—"finally music" again. It opens like an acoustic operatic ballad, returning to the grandiose structure that defines the album's best moments. It serves as a fitting, majestic closer that redeems the lull of the previous track.

Too weird for me to listen to

Surprisingly really fucking good

21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN WAS SUCH A BANGER OMG and then after that it got a bit average for a while, and then there was a song that sounded like a primary school music project, and then the last song was a banger again but it went on for a million years and then right at the end they brought out the primary school kids to play some flutes just before the final chorus-y bit. AND THEN the song ends and you think it's all over and then someone's cat walks over the keyboard or something, like the musical equivalent of sdkghslrukhgkdfg. i mean what a journey. maybe 3.5????

no many can stay schizoid after listening to this album

Grooy grandpa rock complete with a lot of flute playing. Starts of strong with 21st Century Schizoid Man, but hits some rough patches by the time you get to Moonchild

Technically brilliant and way ahead of anything in its time. Very doomy in feel but with excellent production. A bit too noodly for me though. Favourite tracks are “Court of….” and “Schizoid”. 3.5 *

Pretty fun

Wicked album

Certainly did not knock my socks off but there was some really high quality jazz in here in between some sadly more mediocre songs. Favorites were A Man A City, The Court of the Crimson King, Epitaph, and 21st Century Schizoid Man

The album was fine to be honest I did not listen to the entire album

I don’t know how I’ve managed never to listen to this. It’s pretty good! I particularly like “Epitaph” and “The Court of the Crimson King.” The album’s not entirely my thing, mind you. There are some silly prog rock clichés, which help make even 44 minutes seem long. But the album is somehow both of its time and (sorta) avant-garde. Interesting. 3.5?

Eternally progressive.

Enjoyed this way more than I expected. I’d only ever heard the first track, and I’m glad I finally sat through the rest. Great background vibe album

Incredible record.

lovelovelovelovelove epitaph is the song of all time

old school

I get that this is a bastion of prog, however this isn't an exercise in recognizance. Hell, I haven't even listened to this before, and I appreciate prog. Ultimately, too much wankery for my liking. There's lots to like about this album, but it's too disjoint and fragmented to qualify as a must-hear experience.

326/1089 - When working with slower rhythms it's usually hard to keep interest. One way of doing this is changing things up very slightly from phrase to phrase (an extra cymbal hit here, remove or shorten a note here, add an instrument for a second, etc.). You can also play random shit on vibraphone, guitars and drums for 10 minutes and sound like every BMus Composition Senior recital piece too which isn't as enjoyable. In the Court of the Crimson King does both.

Kind of boring. I can see how it was once pretty progressive but by modern standards seems tame

You know, I'm disappointed in this. I had Larks' Tongues In Aspic a few weeks ago, and everything I read was that it was a difficult album for "new fans" but I loved it. So I was really quite excited when this album popped up, as this is supposed to be their magnum opus. It's...fine? It's a lot slower than I thought, and it doesn't sound as unique as I thought it would be. It sounds more like a bridge between hippie 60s rock and what they would ultimately become. That's fine, and I *do* think that a bridge album of sorts justifies a spot on this list, but it just didn't connect with me the way I had hoped it would.

All hail the prog progenitor. Ahead of its time and mostly enjoyable - it’s still recognizable as rock music, but I did get annoyed around the halfway point of “Moonchild” at what sounded like directionless noodling. A lot of compelling moments though.

Absolute banger

Pretty interesting. Worth listening to at least once.

This is definitely an album. A little frantic.

I know that I've heard tracks from "In The Court Of The Crimson King" before today, but I cannot put my finger on exactly when. Early prog-rock ... it's nice to listen to every once in a while.

Can see talent but not for me

Psychedelic rock

Solid 4, ahead of its time and dripping in proggy goodness.

Surprisingly recognisable

- In The Court of the Crimson King - I Talk To The Wind - Epitaph - 21st Century Schizoid Man - Moonchild

Ay that sample from the Kanye song. Interesting and unique. Would not relisten. Some very long songs.

Not a huuuge fan of King Crimson (a bit too experimental for me), but this album is a classic

I've heard this album off and on over the years and apart from '21st Century Schizoid Man', it kinda just washed over me. Can't say it's done much more this time round but 'Epitaph' was worth playing again. I mean it's a classic album but I prefer the later album, Lark's Tongue in Aspic. Mostly pleasant background music for me, this one.

60s jam band, a little dark and chaotic in a fun way. Doodlie jazz on longer songs.

Very technical first song and I can't believe everyone in the band memorized it. However, I'm not a big fan of the clarinet or whatever horns they're using. Also every song is way too busy and the way they use the violin just sucks. Most the of album is background music.

It’s a very interesting album, and I do mean that positively. To my taste it’s a bit meandering though, so not quite 5 stars.

Masterpiece, even if it's not easy to hear at times. "Epitaph" is one of the greatest songs ever written.