Discipline

King Crimson

1981

3.22

Rating

Votes

26%

34%

27%

11%

Distribution

Genres: Rock Styles: Prog Rock

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Album Summary

Discipline is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson, released by E.G. Records in the United Kingdom on 2 October 1981. Warner Bros. Records released the album in the United States the same month. This album was King Crimson's first following a seven-year hiatus; only co-founder and guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Bill Bruford remained from previous incarnations of the band. They were joined by two American musicians: vocalist, guitarist and frontman Adrian Belew, previously a member of Frank Zappa and David Bowie's backing bands and a touring member of Talking Heads, and bassist, Chapman Stick player, and backing vocalist Tony Levin, a session musician Fripp had met while both were working with Peter Gabriel. The album introduced a new sound for the band, influenced by new wave, post-punk, minimalism and Indonesian gamelan music, while retaining an experimental character, helping lay the groundwork for what would eventually become known as post-progressive rock. Music publications have described Discipline as having elements of art rock, progressive rock, new wave, and dance-rock.

Reviews

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Length: All Short Long

Mar 04 2026 Author

I'm a bit surprised this album wasn't on the original list. I've always liked King Crimson, though I consider myself a casual fan. In the Court of the Crimson King is the only album I've listened to enough to be really familiar with, others I've listened to maybe once or twice. It's interesting that they're such a progressive rock icon, yet this album has a lot of shades of Talking Heads, which I think of as fairly opposite to progressive rock. Whatever, it's a great album. 5 stars.

Feb 28 2026 Author

Talking heads but different

Feb 24 2026 Author

King Crimson goes new wave

Feb 26 2026 Author

Discipline is a classic prog-rock album by the 1980s version of King Crimson. So that's an album with Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp, two of the most inventive guitar players ever. This makes the album sometimes a bit experimental and complicated, but never too much.

Apr 10 2026 Author

Obvious Talking Heads comparisons incoming, but to call it a rip-off would be a heavy disservice to this amazing album. So much blood and sweat goes into almost every inch of this record, and the David Byrne esque vocal style only accents the amazing guitar work and demented funk that this album exudes. Listen to that vile anger on Indiscipline, or the sweet melodic guitar work on Matte kudasai. The new wave helped this album stand on its own, but to just call this "King Crimson goes new wave" does such a disservice to this album that I truly wish everyone could listen to this with a fresh pair of ears and hear all the nuances allowing this album to be light years ahead and all its own. Even if Adrian Belew does do a sick David Byrne impression.

Apr 11 2026 Author

10/10 one of my favorite king crimson albums, and they are one of my favorite prog rock bands, so this is a very easy 10/10 for me tho I will say, this album is fucking BANANAS in the context of the band, the fact that this album was made straight after Red I can’t tell you how musically jarring it is to listen to the majestic beauty of Starless, immediately followed by the wonderfully jerky Elephant Talk

Feb 26 2026 Author

I've always liked King Crimson, but realized hearing this that I'm a lot more familiar with the late 60s/70s stuff. But I liked where this went- it still had that math art intricacy, but the new member additions brought more new wave and avant garde adjacent elements reminiscent of artists like Eno, Gabriel, and Laurie Anderson. I liked the signing here too - not necessarily better than the older stuff, but differently.

Mar 13 2026 Author

Very interesting differences from the other King Crimson albums on the list… a real 80s sound that feels musically along the lines of 80s Peter Gabriel a bit.

Mar 17 2026 Author

Much better than I anticipated! Not really all that proggy..definitely funky. Really can hear the AB influence come through, and also helped me understand his impact on so many Talking Heads albums as well. 4/5

Apr 16 2026 Author

There are songs on this record that I love - the guitar interplay on Frame By Frame is incredible - but it always struck me as a little reactionary and indebted to what was going on in New York in the late 70’s/early 80’s. There is a definite Talking Heads vibe going on a few of the songs, which make sense given Adrian Belew’s involvement with them on Remain in Light a year earlier, but feels odd for a band that had previously been pretty steadfast in charting their own course.

Feb 23 2026 Author

Not their best by any means. Barely a 3.

Feb 24 2026 Author

A fun jam album I guess

Feb 28 2026 Author

Very prog-rocky indeed. Not particularly my taste, but kind of interesting

Mar 01 2026 Author

About as proggy and out there as you’d expect from Crimson, missing some of the raw energy that defined ‘Court’ but has its own kind of mellow weirdness to it. Does feel a bit piecemeal and lacking in full album-like cohesion but I still had a good time.

Mar 01 2026 Author

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Matte kudasai

Mar 02 2026 Author

3.5

Mar 05 2026 Author

Never realised King Crimson had an 80’s era. This is good and reminds me of talking heads, but I do prefer their earlier stuff.

Mar 08 2026 Author

Didn't need another mediocre prog rock album. Mixed with new wave elements you get this work that just falls flat. At least it is short. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

Mar 08 2026 Author

Creo que ya tenemos uno de ellos en la lista y es el que debería estar

Mar 10 2026 Author

Pretty sweet

Mar 12 2026 Author

Fun dip back to the late 70's No performance enhancing substance was consumed to increase enjoyment

Mar 13 2026 Author

I did not want to listen to this. I think the artwork on the previous album put me off. But I didn’t mind it. I could imagine sitting with a whiskey listening to this on vinyl back in the 80s. And I don’t even drink whiskey

Mar 18 2026 Author

I love King Crimson, but this was a weird one. I don't really like new wave, but this was really good for new wave? Hard to rate this one.

Mar 26 2026 Author

When your first reaction is "FFS, another King Crimson" - but then discover that there's only one in the user list... Upon listening to this - are King Crimson, a famous prog band, trying to do a very slightly proggy take on Talking Heads?

Mar 30 2026 Author

Fun and funky in an early 80's way. Pretty cool. A bit too noodly here and there.

Apr 13 2026 Author

I'm a sucker for prog shit. Except this is 80's prog, with even elements of funk coming through. The songs slide all over the place as the scales change continuously. It's quite an unsettling experience. Unsettling is good when it comes to music. You should never feel too comfortable.

Feb 23 2026 Author

I found Discipline to be the dullest King Crimson album we've had; the others had some decent highs sprinkled in all the crap proggy shit, this one was just boring. 2/5 and a low 2 at that.

Feb 27 2026 Author

Tycker det känns skevt att en person som bara har lyssnat på 71 album på ursprungslistan ska få nominera ett album. Även om personen är bidragsgivare. Känns som nomineringslistan riskerar att bli urvattnad. Beträffande den här plattan så når den inte några höjder i mitt tycke. Tycker det räcker med en platta med King Crimson. Detta är den tredje på listan.

Mar 01 2026 Author

Sometimes when you’re a prog rock band you’re gonna experiment with some sounds that don’t work. King Crimson which created one of the most influential albums ever try on Discipline with new wave sounds that will shape the 80s in a way that doesn’t mesh with their other musical abilities. This album was pretty cluttered and messy. Just felt like it was trying too hard to have a spark while rubbing two synthesizers together. It’s not terrible but it just doesn’t hit the mark. 5.7/10

Mar 13 2026 Author

Art rock, progressive rock, new wave, post-progressive, dance-rock. No me ha gustado. Un 2.

Mar 24 2026 Author

2.5

Mar 27 2026 Author

You know what? No. No, I'm not going to do it I don't care anymore I'm gonna say it. I WOYLD RATHER LISTEN TO POWER BY KANYE WEST THAN LISTEN TO ANY KING CRIMSON ALBUM. There. I said it 2

Apr 13 2026 Author

Odd mix of overblown proggy-ness and early 80s styling, with synths & fretless bass thrown in there seemingly at random. The 80s stuff was a nice nostalgia trip, but this was too indulgent to hold my attention for long. Better than I hoped, but as pompous as I expected in the main.