King Crimson - 1993 "The First Three"

The First Three: In the Court of the Crimson King / In the Wake of Poseidon / Lizard Box set, Limited Edition. Collectors' Edition. 3 Limited Edition Picture Discs in standard jewel CD cases housed in cardboard flip-top box. This compilation ℗ & © 1993 Virgin / EG Records.
First Three album for sale by King Crimson was released on the Caroline label. THE FIRST THREE box set includes the first three King Crimson releases: COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING (1969), WAKE OF POSEIDON (1970), and LIZARD (1971). First Three CD music is a 3-disc set with 18 songs.

Caroline combined King Crimson's first three albums -- In the Court of Crimson King, In the Wake of Poseidon, and Lizard -- in one slip-cased box set in 1994. First Three songs For any fan who had yet to replace their vinyl with CDs, this is an ideal purchase, but collectors who already own the discs may want to think about this set twice, since it contains no bonus tracks or new packaging. First Three albums.

1969 "In the Court of the Crimson King"

In The Court Of The Crimson King (subtitled An Observation by King Crimson) is the debut studio album by the British rock group King Crimson, released on 10 October 1969. The album reached number five on the British charts, and is certified gold in the United States, where it reached #28 on the Billboard 200.
The album is generally viewed as one of the first works to truly embody the progressive rock genre, where King Crimson largely departed from the blues influences that rock music had been founded upon and mixed together jazz and classical symphonic elements. In his 1997 book Rocking the Classics, critic and musicologist Edward Macan notes that In the Court of the Crimson King "may be the most influential progressive rock album ever released". The Who's Pete Townshend was quoted as calling the album "an uncanny masterpiece". In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came fourth in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums". The album was named as one of Classic Rock magazine's "50 Albums That Built Prog Rock".
The album was remastered and re-released on vinyl and CD several times during the 1980s and 1990s. All of these versions were based on tape copies that were several generations removed from the originals. The original first-generation stereo master tapes were thought to be lost, but were finally located in a storage vault in 2003. This led to a much improved remastered CD version (see below), released in 2004.
Once again, in time for the album's 40th anniversary, the album was re-released both on vinyl and CD with newly cut masters approved by Robert Fripp. The CD/DVD set includes a stereo and 5.1 mix done by Steven Wilson, as well as the original mix.

The group's definitive album, and one of the most daring debut albums ever recorded by anybody. At the time, it blew all of the progressive/psychedelic competition (the Moody Blues, the Nice, etc.) out of the running, although it was almost too good for the band's own good -- it took King Crimson nearly four years to come up with a record as strong or concise. Ian McDonald's Mellotron is the dominant instrument, along with his saxes and Fripp's guitar, making this a somewhat different-sounding record from everything else they ever did. And even though that Mellotron sound is muted and toned down compared to their concert work of the era (e.g., Epitaph), it is still fierce and overpowering, on an album highlighted by strong songwriting (most of it filled with dark and doom-laden visions), the strongest singing of Greg Lake's entire career, and Fripp's guitar playing that strangely mixed elegant classical, Hendrix-like rock explosions, and jazz noodling. Lineup changes commenced immediately upon the album's release, and Fripp would ultimately be the only survivor on later King Crimson records.

Tracks Listing

1. 21st Century Schizoid Man (7:20) including
- a. Mirrors
2. I Talk To The Wind (6:05)
3. Epitaph (8:47) including
- a. March For No Reason
- b. Tomorrow And Tomorrow
4. Moonchild (12:11) including
- a. The Dream
- b. The Illusion
5. The Court Of The Crimson King (9:22) including
- a. The Return Of The Fire Witch
- b. The Dance Of The Puppets

Total Time: 43:45

Line-up / Musicians

- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Greg Lake / bass guitar, lead vocals
- Ian McDonald / reeds, woodwind, vibes, keyboards, mellotron, vocals
- Michael Giles / drums, percussion, vocals
- Peter Sinfield / words and illumination


1970 "In The Wake Of Poseidon"

In the Wake of Poseidon is the second studio album by the progressive rock group King Crimson. The album was recorded during instability in the band, with several personnel changes, but repeats the style of their first album, In the Court of the Crimson King. Also like their first album, the mood of this album often changes from serene to chaotic.

King Crimson opened 1970 scarcely in existence as a band, having lost two key members (Ian McDonald and Michael Giles), with a third (Greg Lake) about to leave. Their second album -- largely composed of Robert Fripp's songwriting and material salvaged from their stage repertory ("Pictures of a City" and "The Devil's Triangle") -- is actually better produced and better sounding than their first. Surprisingly, Fripp's guitar is not the dominant instrument here: The Mellotron, taken over by Fripp after McDonald's departure -- and played even better than before -- still remains the band's signature. The record doesn't tread enough new ground to precisely rival In the Court of the Crimson King. Fripp, however, has made an impressive show of transmuting material that worked on stage ("Mars" aka "The Devil's Triangle") into viable studio creations, and "Cadence and Cascade" may be the prettiest song the group ever cut. "The Devil's Triangle," which is essentially an unauthorized adaptation of "Mars, Bringer of War" from Gustav Holst's The Planets, was later used in an eerie Bermuda Triangle documentary of the same name. [In March of 2000, Caroline and Virgin released a 24-bit digitally remastered job that puts the two Mellotrons, Michael Giles' drums, Peter Giles' bass, and even Fripp's acoustic guitar and Keith Tippett's acoustic piano practically in the lap of the listener.]

Tracks Listing

1. Peace - A Beginning (0:49)
2. Pictures Of A City(including 42nd At Treadmill) (8:03)
3. Cadence And Cascade (4:27)
4. In The Wake Of Poseidon (incl. Libra's Theme) (7:56)
5. Peace - A Theme (1:15)
6. Cat Food (4:54)
7. The Devil's Triangle (11:39)
- a. Merday Morn
- b. Hand Of Sceiron
- c. Garden Of Worm
8. Peace - An End (1:53)

Total Time: 40:56

Line-up / Musicians

- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, devices
- Greg Lake / vocals
- Michael Giles / drums
- Peter Giles / bass
- Keith Tippett / piano
- Mel Collins / saxes, flute
- Gordon Haskell / vocals on 'Cadence And Cascade'
- Peter Sinfield / words


1970 "Lizard"

Lizard is the third studio album by the British band King Crimson. It was the second recorded by a transitional line-up of the group that never had the opportunity to perform live, following In the Wake of Poseidon. This is the only album by the band to feature bassist and vocalist Gordon Haskell, apart from his appearance on the song "Cadence and Cascade" from the previous album, and drummer Andy McCulloch as official members of the band.

Lizard is very consciously jazz-oriented -- the influence of Miles Davis (particularly Sketches of Spain) being especially prominent -- and very progressive, even compared with the two preceding albums. The pieces are longer and have extensive developmental sections, reminiscent of classical music, and the lyrics are more ornate, while the subject matter is more exotic and rarified -- epic, Ragnarok-like battles between good and evil that run cyclically. The doom-laden mood of the first two albums is just as strong, except that the music is prettier; the only thing missing is a sense of humor. Jon Anderson of Yes guests on one key number, "Prince Rupert Awakes" (which vocalist/bassist Gordon Haskell never completed), and the album is stronger for his presence. At the time of its release, some critics praised Lizard for finally breaking with the formula and structure that shaped the two preceding albums, but overall it's an acquired taste.

Tracks Listing

1. Cirkus(including Entry Of The Chameleons) (6:28)
2. Indoor Games (5:41)
3. Happy Family (4:16)
4. Lady Of The Dancing Water (2:44)
5. Lizard:
- a. Prince Rupert Awakes (4:36)
- b. Bolero - The Peacock's Tale (6:39)
- c. The Battle Of The Glass Tears (10:58)
- i) Dawn Song
- ii) Last Skirmish
- iii) Prince Rupert's Lament
- d. Big Top (1:13)

Total Time: 42:35

Line-up / Musicians

- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, electric keyboards & devices
- Mel Collins / flute & saxes
- Gordon Haskell / bass guitar & vocals
- Andy McCulloch / drums
- Peter Sinfield / words & pictures

WITH:
- Robin Miller / oboe & cor anglais
- Mark Charig / cornet
- Nick Evans / trombone
- Keith Tippet / piano & electric piano
- Jon Anderson of YES / vocals on "Prince Rupert Awakes"

King Crimson - 1974 [2006] "Red"

Red is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock group King Crimson, released in 1974 by Island Records in the United Kingdom and by Atlantic Records in the United States. It was their last studio recording of the 1970s and the last before the lead member Robert Fripp temporarily disbanded the group. Though their lowest-charting album at the time, spending only one week in the UK charts, Red has received critical acclaim.

Tours in 1974 had seen King Crimson's musical approach becoming louder and more brutal, an approach primarily driven by bass player John Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford (guitarist and group leader Robert Fripp once compared their powerful playing to "a flying brick wall"). This had the effect of drowning out the band's fourth member, violinist and occasional keyboard player David Cross, and led to tension within the band. Deemed not strong enough as a musical personality, Cross was ejected from King Crimson after the end of its tour in summer 1974, reducing the group to the trio of Fripp, Wetton and Bruford. Having already begun to record Red with Cross, King Crimson finished the album with the help of former band-members Ian McDonald and Mel Collins.

While musically similar to its predecessor Starless and Bible Black, Red was produced very differently from previous King Crimson albums. For instance, while the acoustic guitar features prominently in previous releases, on Red it is heard only for a few bars in "Fallen Angel". Also, unlike previous King Crimson albums, Red features extensive use of guitar overdubs. Later albums lacked acoustic guitar entirely and reverted to a minimum of overdubs (perhaps partly because every lineup of the band after this included two guitarists).

During the recording process, Fripp decided to take a "backseat" from the sessions' decision making. Although plans were considered to add McDonald to the lineup again for the next tour, Fripp abruptly disbanded King Crimson on 24 September 1974, and the album was released the following month with no accompanying tour.

The last hurrah of a group in its death throes, King Crimson's Red is perhaps the ill-fated 1972-74 lineup's masterpiece: a document of the band as they really were. Pressed for time and at the climax of growing tension amongst the members, Red is the flare of brilliance before collapsing into the void, a group that would not play together again for seven years and were forever changed.

The five-man arsenal that comprised the group heard on Larks' Tongues In Aspic had dwindled down to the core of vocalist/bassist John Wetton, drummer Bill Bruford, and lead guitarist/ringleader Robert Fripp - mad percussionist Jamie Muir had left after that album to join a Buddhist monastery, and strings virtuoso David Cross officially departed before the recording of the album but agreed to contribute what he could to the sessions. Stricken with five tunes to commit to tape and an entire LP to fill, the members of KC besieged alumni, old friends, and session musicians with requests of aid. Several excellent musicians make guest appearances on Red, although the lineup is not consistent: consequentially, the album has an unfinished, thrown-together feel. Still, this is the culmination of the first era of Crimson: well-written song structures, free jams, and instrumental virtuosity all play a role here.

Tracks Listing:

1. Red (6:20)
2. Fallen Angel (6:00)
3. One More Red Nightmare (7:04)
4. Providence (8:08) *
5. Starless (12:18)

Personnel:

Robert Fripp – guitar, mellotron
John Wetton – bass, vocals, lyrics on "One More Red Nightmare" and "Starless"
Bill Bruford – drums, percussion

Former King Crimson personnel:

David Cross – violin on "Providence”
Mel Collins – soprano saxophone on "Starless"
Ian McDonald – alto saxophone on "One More Red Nightmare" and "Starless"

Additional personnel:

Mark Charig – cornet on "Fallen Angel",
Robin Miller – oboe on "Fallen Angel"
Uncredited musician – cello on "Red"[15]
Uncredited musician – cello on "Starless"
Richard Palmer-James – lyrics on "Fallen Angel" and "Starless"

King Crimson - 1973 [1989] "Larks' Tongues In Aspic"

Larks' Tongues in Aspic is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock group King Crimson, released on 23 March 1973 through Island Records. This album is the debut of King Crimson's fifth incarnation, featuring original member and guitarist Robert Fripp and new members John Wetton (vocals, bass guitar), David Cross (violin, Mellotron), Jamie Muir (percussion), and Bill Bruford (drums). It is also a key album in the band's evolution, drawing on Eastern European classical music and European free improvisation as central influences.

At the end of the tour to promote King Crimson's previous album, Islands, Fripp had parted company with the three other members of the band (Mel Collins, Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace). The previous year had also seen the ousting of the band's lyricist and artistic co-director Peter Sinfield. In all cases, Fripp had cited a developing musical (and sometimes personal) incompatibility, and was now writing starker music drawing less on familiar American influences and more on influences such as Béla Bartók and free improvisation.

In order to pursue these new ideas, Fripp first recruited bass guitarist/singer John Wetton (a longstanding friend of the band who had lobbied to join at least once before but had become a member of Family in the meantime). The second recruit was Jamie Muir, an experimental free-improvising percussionist who had previously been performing in the Music Improvisation Company with Derek Bailey and Evan Parker, as well as in Sunship (with Alan Gowen and Allan Holdsworth) and Boris (with Don Weller and Jimmy Roche, both later of jazz-rock band Major Surgery).

On drums (and to be paired with Muir) Fripp recruited Yes drummer Bill Bruford. Another longstanding King Crimson admirer, Bruford felt that he had done all he could with Yes at that point, and was keen to leave the band before they embarked on their Close to the Edge tour, believing that the jazz- and experimentation-oriented King Crimson would be a more expansive outlet for his musical ideas. The final member of the new band was David Cross, a rock violinist and occasional keyboard player.

King Crimson reborn yet again -- the then-newly configured band makes its debut with a violin (courtesy of David Cross) sharing center stage with Robert Fripp's guitars and his Mellotron, which is pushed into the background. The music is the most experimental of Fripp's career up to this time -- though some of it actually dated (in embryonic form) back to the tail-end of the Boz Burrell-Ian Wallace-Mel Collins lineup. And John Wetton was the group's strongest singer/bassist since Greg Lake's departure three years earlier. What's more, this lineup quickly established itself as a powerful performing unit, working in a more purely experimental, less jazz-oriented vein than its immediate predecessor. "Outer Limits music" was how one reviewer referred to it, mixing Cross' demonic fiddling with shrieking electronics, Bill Bruford's astounding dexterity at the drum kit, Jamie Muir's melodic and usually understated percussion, Wetton's thundering yet melodic bass, and Fripp's guitar, which generated sounds ranging from traditional classical and soft pop-jazz licks to hair-curling electric flourishes.

With his third lineup in four years, King Crimson guitar maestro Robert Fripp finally tapped back into a musical energy as powerful and groundbreaking as that of his 1969 debut In the Court of the Crimson King. The group's fifth album was a masterful mélange of painstaking composition and wild experimentation, as if Fripp were depicting a madman struck with glimmers of melancholy clarity. In the end, it's difficult to tell which passages were happy accidents and which were carefully constructed; and it's even harder to determine which are more impactful, as clattering trays, chiming bells, twittering birds, understated voices and clown-toy laughter intertwine with tinny, static-filled guitar, epileptic beats and violin lines that range from gorgeous to harrowing.

King Crimson‘s fifth album, Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, is a pinnacle of progressive rock, even though its music is nearly unclassifiable. More than 40 years after its release, it remains a genre unto itself — a mishmash of heavy and soothing, beautiful and unsettling, experimental and melodic.
Larks’ Tongues in Aspic is King Crimson’s second classic album. With 1969’s groundbreaking In the Court of the Crimson King, the band basically invented progressive rock entirely, utilizing bandleader Robert Fripp’s epic approach to song construction, which layered aggressive fretwork with propulsive rhythms, jazzy woodwinds and the most iconic Mellotron sound ever laid to tape.
But just as soon as King Crimson birthed an exciting new musical movement, they retreated to the shadows. The band’s following trio of albums (1970’s In the Wake of Poseidon, 1970’s Lizard and Islands in 1971) were scattered with brilliance, but mostly just . . . scattered, with Fripp unable to maintain a consistent lineup of players from one release to another (or even track to track).
That pattern ended in 1972, when Fripp started recruiting a brand new lineup — one designed for an edgier, more unpredictable style of playing. He brought in two new drummers, designed to represent polar opposite ends of the percussive spectrum: Jamie Muir — an explosive percussionist with an unconventional approach and wild stage presence — and Bill Bruford, who’d already established his jazzy, inventive approach to drumming as a member of Yes. On top of that double-percussion foundation, Fripp added violinist David Cross and bassist and singer John Wetton.
That quintet lineup quickly earned rave reviews for their highly improvised live shows. In the liner notes to the 2012 Larks’ Tongues in Aspic reissue, Wetton reflected on the intensity of those early performances. “A lot of the time,” he said, “the audience couldn’t really tell the difference between what was formal and what wasn’t because the improvising was of a fairly high standard. It was almost telepathic at times.”

Tracks Listing:

1. Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part One (13:36)
2. Book Of Saturdays (2:49)
3. Exiles (7:40)
4. Easy Money (7:54)
5. The Talking Drum (7:26)
6. Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part Two (7:12)

Total Time: 46:37

Line-up / Musicians:

- Robert Fripp / guitar, Mellotron, electronic devices
- David Cross / violin, viola, Mellotron, electric piano, flute (3)
- John Wetton / bass, piano (3), vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion
- Jamie Muir / percussion, drums

King Crimson - 1981 [1989] "Discipline"

Discipline is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 22 September 1981 by E.G. Records in the United Kingdom and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. This album was King Crimson's first album following a seven-year hiatus. Only founder Robert Fripp and later addition Bill Bruford remained from previous incarnations. The rest of the band was Adrian Belew (guitar, lead vocals) and Tony Levin (bass guitar, Chapman Stick, backing vocals). The album resulted in a more updated 1980s new wave-oriented sound.

After seven years away from the public King Crimson returned in 1981 with a brand-new incarnation. Joining Robert Fripp and Bill Bruford are ex-Zappa/Bowie guitarist, Adrian Belew and ace session and Peter Gabriel bassist, Tony Levin. Incorporating sounds reminiscent of the resonant chimes of ancient gamelan music and the sleek, clear lines of modern minimalism,this Anglo-American combination forged a startlingly different musical vocabulary. Frame By Frame, Thela Hun Ginjeet and the album’s title track in particular, showcase Belew and Fripp’s dovetailing guitar parts and Levin and Bruford’s cyclical grooves, forming a mesmeric sound unlike anything heard before on any previous King Crimson albums. The shimmering, hypnotic textures of The Sheltering Sky and savagely raucous Indiscipline provide aleatoric counterweights to the album’s tightly-controlled complexity.

Discipline reached number 41 in the UK Albums Chart and received mixed to positive reviews. John Piccarella's review in Rolling Stone praised the talent and artistry of the four musicians of King Crimson, particularly Belew and Fripp's "visionary approach to guitar playing", but criticized the "arty content" of the album itself, concluding "Here's hoping that, unlike every other King Crimson lineup, this band of virtuosos stays together long enough to transform all of their experiments into innovations." Robert Christgau described the album as "not bad--the Heads meet the League of Gentlemen.

When King Crimson leader Robert Fripp decided to assemble a new version of the band in the early '80s, prog rock fans rejoiced, and most new wave fans frowned. But after hearing this new unit's first release, 1981's Discipline, all the elements that made other arty new wave rockers (i.e., Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, the Police, etc.) successful were evident. Combining the futuristic guitar of Adrian Belew with the textured guitar of Fripp doesn't sound like it would work on paper, but the pairing of these two originals worked out magically. Rounding out the quartet was bass wizard Tony Levin and ex-Yes drummer Bill Bruford. Belew's vocals fit the music perfectly, sounding like David Byrne at his most paranoid at times (the funk track "Thela Hun Ginjeet"). Some other highlights include Tony Levin's "stick" (a strange bass-like instrument)-driven opener "Elephant Talk," the atmospheric "The Sheltering Sky," and the heavy rocker "Indiscipline." Many Crimson fans consider this album one of their best, right up there with In the Court of the Crimson King. It's easy to understand why after you hear the inspired performances by this hungry new version of the band.

"Matte Kudasai" (Japanese: 待って下さい) literally means "please wait". The original release of Discipline featured only one version of "Matte Kudasai", with a guitar part by Robert Fripp that was removed from the track on a subsequent release of the album. The latest versions of the album to be released contains both versions of the song – track 3, "Matte Kudasai", without Robert Fripp's original guitar part; and track 8, "Matte Kudasai (alternative version)", with the guitar part included.

The lyrics of "Indiscipline" were based on a letter written to Adrian Belew by his then-wife Margaret, concerning a sculpture that she had made.

"Thela Hun Ginjeet" is an anagram of "heat in the jungle". When it was first performed live, some of its lyrics were improvised around an illicit recording made by Robert Fripp of his neighbours having a vicious argument when he was living in New York; this recording is featured on the track "NY3" on Fripp's solo album Exposure.[citation needed] While the track was being recorded for the Discipline album, Adrian Belew, walking around Notting Hill Gate in London with a tape recorder looking for inspiration, was harassed first by a gang and then by the police. On returning to the studio, he gave a distraught account to his bandmates of what had just happened to him. This account was recorded by Fripp, without Belew's knowledge, as well and is featured on the Discipline version of the track (as well as almost all live versions), in place of those earlier lyrics that were based on Fripp's New York recording.

"The Sheltering Sky" is named after and partially inspired by the 1949 novel of the same name by Paul Bowles. Bowles is often associated with the Beat generation, which would be an inspiration for King Crimson's subsequent studio album Beat.

Later versions of Discipline featured this design by Steve Ball.
Live versions of "Elephant Talk", "Indiscipline", and "Thela Hun Ginjeet" included partial vocal improvisation during spoken-word parts. One such example can be found in the 13 August 1982 performance, which, as of 12 August 2014, was still available for download in both MP3 and FLAC formats from DGM.

The back cover features the statement, "Discipline is never an end in itself, only a means to an end". King Crimson purchased the rights to use a variation on a copyrighted Celtic knot design by George Bain on the LP cover. In later releases, it was replaced by a knotwork designed by Steve Ball on commission from Robert Fripp. Ball's design is also used as the logo of Discipline Global Mobile, the music label founded by Fripp, which has become the label for King Crimson, Fripp, and associated artists.

Track listing:

1. Elephant Talk 4:42
2. Frame By Frame 5:08
3. Matte Kudasai 3:45
4. Indiscipline 4:31
5. Thela Hun Ginjeet 6:25
6. The Sheltering Sky 8:22
7. Discipline 5:02

Personnel:

Adrian Belew – electric guitar, lead vocals (1-5)
Robert Fripp – electric guitar, devices (Frippertronics)
Tony Levin – Chapman Stick (1-2, 4, 6-7), backing vocals (2, 5), bass (3, 5)
Bill Bruford – drums (1-5, 7), slit drum (6-7)

Various Artists - 1996 "Sometimes God Hides" Young Persons Guide To Discipline Vol. I

On Aug. 9, 1996 I seen King Crimson (Double Trio) at the H.O.R.D.E. Fest with other bands including, Lenny Kravitz, Blues Traveler, Rusted Root..etc.. Wearing my Larks Tongues In Aspic T-Shirt some young gentleman approached me asking if I liked King Crimson, I said of course! and he handed me a post card, told me fill it out and they would send me a sampler CD, I did and a few weeks later I recieved this in the mail.

Sometimes God Hides is a musical stew made up of guitar-laden progressive and jazz-rock tracks, mainly from King Crimson and their solo members. With the likes of Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp leading the way, this sampler from the DGM label offers a kaleidoscopic journey through the amazing guitar craft of these talented musicians, along with some excitingly vivid excursions from Trey Gunn and the California Guitar Trio and a peculiar mix of new age and ambient from the Europa String Choir. Subtitled "The Young Persons' Guide to Discipline," these 23 tracks open up a whole new world of guitar and string manipulation, fusing familiar techniques with aberrant rhythms, electronic pastiches, and appealing yet incongruous string arrangements. Cuts such as Belew's "Burned By the Fire We Make" and King Crimson's "Red" (from an official bootleg album out of Argentina) tread on cordial rock ground but are still entertaining while, at the other end of the spectrum, tracks like Peter Hammill's haunting a cappella entitled "A Better Time" and "Voices of Ancient Children" from Los Gauchos Alemanes swoop and soar with a blend of new age mystery and modernized ambience. While the focal point of most of the songs is the guitar, the surrounding atmosphere of trancelike keyboard runs and unique string applications creates a multi-dimensional effect throughout each track. Moody and eccentric, this sampler makes for a truly peculiar instrumental journey. 

This CD is a VERY GOOD sampler of the various artists signed to Discipline Global Mobile (Robert Fripp's label). It features 23 long clips of the music by those artists, and focuses mainly (as should be expected) on Fripp's bands and offshoots.
The "flow" of the album is very good, and actually works as an album, even if it is only a sampler.
The thing about King Crimson's/Robert Fripp's music is that after you discover it, and begin digging for the music that's "near" to it (band member's solo careers, Fripp's other bands), you find a LOT of great music. This CD is a great way of having a general view of all that music.

An excellent overview of music available on Robert Fripp's "Discipline Global Mobile" label. If you've already expanded your mind with King Crimson, this may blow your mind.

Track listing / Personnel:
  
01. Cage - King Crimson
02. Red - King Crimson
03. Burned By The Fire We Make - Adrian Belew
04. Sleepwalk - California Guitar Trio
05. Mingled Roots - Tony Levin
06. Midnight Blue - Robert Fripp
07. Hope - Robert Fripp String Quintet
08. THRaKaTTaK I - King Crimson
09. Radiophonic II - Robert Fripp
10. Voices Of Ancient Children - Los Gauchos Alemanes
11. A Better Time (Acapella) - Peter Hammill
12. 2006 - Robert Fripp
13. Train To Lamy Suite - California Guitar Trio
14. The Last Three Minutes - Ten Seconds
15. The Third Star - Trey Gunn
16. Sermon On The Mount - Europa String Choir
17. Be Longing - Gitbox
18. Scanning II - Robert Fripp
19. Inductive Resonance - League of Gentlemen
20. Real Life - Trey Gunn
21. A Connecticut Yankee In The Court Of King Arthur - Robert Fripp & The League Of Crafty Guitarists
22. Epitaph - King Crimson
23. Sometimes God Hides - Robert Fripp

King Crimson - 1975 [1990] "A Young Person's Guide To King Crimson"

A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson is a 2-LP compilation album by the band King Crimson, released in 1976. At the time the band had split. The track selection was by Robert Fripp.

Its name is most likely derived either from the famous orchestral work The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra from composer Benjamin Britten or the 1960s television series Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, created by conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein.
The gatefold-sleeve featured, as the front and back cover, artwork by Scottish artist Fergus Hall. Included as part of the package was a booklet, replete with photographs, and detailing gig history and notable events: this was compiled by Robert Fripp from his own archive.
To date, its sole CD release has been in Japan, in 1990. This 2-CD set, which faithfully duplicated the vinyl running-order, included a reproduction of the booklet, scaled-down. Playing times are approximately 40 minutes long for CD1, and 35 minutes for CD2.

For almost two decades before King Crimson's catalog became a minefield of odd retrospectives, live oddities, and archival treasure troves, A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson was the only worthwhile retrospective the band had ever had -- or seemed likely to receive. Originally released in 1976 following the band's apparently irrevocable split of the year before, this Robert Fripp-compiled double album rounded up an excellent, if somewhat idiosyncratic, survey of the group's seven years together, its contents ranging from the unimpeachable classics to unimaginable rarities -- the pre-Crimson demo of "I Talk to the Wind" was a collector's dream at the time, while the presence of "Groon" took the heat off anyone who missed out on its sole previous appearance, as the B-side of 1970's "Cat Food" single. Of the other tracks, three-fifths of the debut album included the anthemic poles of "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "Epitaph," and served to remind just how powerful In the Court of the Crimson King was on release, while more recent highlights included both "Red" and "Starless" from the band's final album (Red), Starless and Bible Black's eternally atmospheric "The Night Watch," and, as if to prove that the band's sense of humor was never far from the surface, the ribald saga of "Ladies of the Road." A vast booklet of facts and figures, again compiled by Fripp and drawing from his own squirrel-like horde of King Crimson memorabilia, rounded off the package. It's a sign of just how well conceived this collection was that, no matter how many more so-called "best-ofs" the band has endured, A Young Person's Guide remains the definitive study of the original King Crimson.

"A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson is a very good compilation, containing a wide variety of tracks from 1968-1974. One will notice that it was compiled by Fripp himself in 1976 and, yes, both Schizoid Man and any representation of the Lizard album are missing, at least sonically. The inclusion of a rare and rough (although sprightly) Giles Dyble Giles Fripp version of I Talk to the Wind from 1968 AND the accompanying scrap-booklet, however, are the best features of this release. They alone are worth the hiked up price at most used record stores. The insert contains a list of every gig KC performed from 1969-1974 with the omission of the surprise Wolverhampton gig of 1971, and a ton of pictures, many of which haven't seen the light of day anywhere else since then. There are rare photographs of the 69 incarnation on stage and in transit during tours, some capturing the brief 1970 incarnation with Haskell, Tippett and McCulloch, many from the 71-72 line-up at Hyde Park, and some really neat pictures of Jamie Muir and his battery of instruments on stage with the band dressed in his animal skins circa late 1972. Plus, the album cover is really spacey!"

 This is a great collection and contains most of the band's best music. The material was recorded between 1969 and 1974. There are 15 tracks and it lasts 74 minutes. In my opinion, the band recorded two classic albums: "In the Court of Crimson King" (1969) and "Red" (1974). This record also includes the best tracks from the band's five other studio albums.

The original version of the band included Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake and Mike Giles. Jimi Hendrix saw them play at the Marquee Club In London and declared them the best band in the world. Their debut in 1969, In the Court of the Crimson King, was probably the first progressive rock album. The band set a benchmark for rock that has rarely been surpassed, combining high standards of musicianship with an urge to experiment.

Ian McDonald wrote a lot of the music on the band's first album including the songs "In the Court of Crimson King" and "I Talk to the Wind." McDonald and Giles left the band after the first US tour unable to deal with the pressures of sudden fame. Greg Lake left in 1970 to join ELP because he thought the band would not be the same without McDonald & Giles.

Musicians needed serious chops to play Crimson's music and Fripp became a demanding bandleader. Fripp is one of rock's finest guitarists and not many players can live up to his standards. After the break-up of the first band, line-ups changed frequently. Fripp remains something of an enigma. During the 1970s he seemed to fall-out with many of his former band mates. McDonald was due to rejoin in 1974, but Fripp decided to take a break from the music business in order to enter a spiritual retreat in his native Dorset. This ended the band's first era of existence. Crimson returned in 1981 with a new line-up. For me, the later versions of Crimson were a disappointment. The musicians were good, but the music was less interesting.

I have always loved the version of "I Talk to the Wind" on this album, although it sounds like a demo. It was recorded at a flat in 93A Brondesbury Road in London. It features Judy Dyble on lead vocals. Dyble was a founder member of Fairport Convention and Fripp's landlady in the early 1970s. The musicians include Fripp, Mike Giles, Peter Giles and MacDonald. This is my favourite version of the song.

Everything is brilliant. There are several great tracks which feature the violin playing of David Cross. He added another dimension to the music, but he only managed to stay for two and a half albums.

The original vinyl release came with a booklet which told the history of the band through album reviews and interviews with former band members in the music press. It is a fascinating read, mainly because it is so honest. It documents the tensions within the band. It was edited by the then "Bob" Fripp, who mysteriously chose to not reveal his side of the story.

Tracks Listing

Disc 1
1. Epitaph (8:52)
2. Cadence and cascade (3:36)
3. Ladies of the road (5:27)
4. I talk to the wind (3:15)
5. Red (6:18)
6. Starless (12:17)

Disc 2
1. The night watch (4:38)
2. Book of Saturday (2:52)
3. Peace - A theme (1:14)
4. Cat food (2:43)
5. Groon (3:30)
6. Coda from Larks' Tongues in aspic part one (2:09)
7. Moonchild (2:24)
8. Trio (5:38)
9. In the court of the Crimson King (9:21)

Total Time: 74:14

Line-up / Musicians

- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion (5, 6, 7, 12 & 14)
- Boz Burrell / bass, vocals (3)
- Mel Collins / saxes, flute (2, 3 & 6)
- David Cross / violin (7, 8 & 14) viola & voice (12)
- Judy Dyble / vocals (4)
- Robert Fripp / guitars, mellotron, devices (all)
- Michael Giles / drums, percussion, backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 10, 11, 13 & 15)
- Peter Giles / bass (4, 10 & 11)
- Gordon Haskell / vocals (2)
- Greg Lake / bass, vocals (1, 10, 13 & 15)
- Ian McDonald / woodwinds, reeds, keyboards, mellotron, vocals (1, 4, 6, 13 & 15)
- Robin Miller / oboe (6)
- Jamie Muir / percussion, voice (12)
- Peter Sinfield / words (1, 2 & 15)
- Keith Tippett / piano (2 & 10)
- Ian Wallace / drums (3)
- John Wetton / bass, vocals (5, 6, 7, 8, 12 & 14)

King Crimson - 1975 [1990] "A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson"

A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson is a 2-LP compilation album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released in 1976. At the time of release, the band had been disbanded for nearly two years. Guitarist Robert Fripp selected the tracks for inclusion.

Its name is most likely derived either from the famous orchestral work The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by composer Benjamin Britten or the 1960s television series Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, created by conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein.

The gatefold sleeve featured artwork by Scottish artist Fergus Hall, with the front cover being The Landscape Player and the back cover being Earth. Included as part of the package was a booklet, replete with photographs, and detailing gig history and notable events; this was compiled by Robert Fripp from his own archive. The only studio album not represented is Lizard (1970).

To date, its sole CD release has been in Japan, in 1990. This 2-CD set, which faithfully duplicated the vinyl running order, included a reproduction of the booklet, scaled-down. Playing times are approximately 40 minutes long for CD1 and 35 minutes for CD2.

For almost two decades before King Crimson's catalog became a minefield of odd retrospectives, live oddities, and archival treasure troves, A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson was the only worthwhile retrospective the band had ever had -- or seemed likely to receive. Originally released in 1976 following the band's apparently irrevocable split of the year before, this Robert Fripp-compiled double album rounded up an excellent, if somewhat idiosyncratic, survey of the group's seven years together, its contents ranging from the unimpeachable classics to unimaginable rarities -- the pre-Crimson demo of "I Talk to the Wind" was a collector's dream at the time, while the presence of "Groon" took the heat off anyone who missed out on its sole previous appearance, as the B-side of 1970's "Cat Food" single. Of the other tracks, three-fifths of the debut album included the anthemic poles of "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "Epitaph," and served to remind just how powerful In the Court of the Crimson King was on release, while more recent highlights included both "Red" and "Starless" from the band's final album (Red), Starless and Bible Black's eternally atmospheric "The Night Watch," and, as if to prove that the band's sense of humor was never far from the surface, the ribald saga of "Ladies of the Road." A vast booklet of facts and figures, again compiled by Fripp and drawing from his own squirrel-like horde of King Crimson memorabilia, rounded off the package. It's a sign of just how well conceived this collection was that, no matter how many more so-called "best-ofs" the band has endured, A Young Person's Guide remains the definitive study of the original King Crimson.

Track listing:

CD 1

Epitaph (8:52)

March For No Reason

Tomorrow And Tomorrow

Cadence & Cascade 3:36

Ladies Of The Road 5:27

I Talk To The Wind (Previously Unreleased Version) 3:15

Red 6:18

Starless 12:17

CD 2

The Night Watch 4:38

Book Of Saturday 2:52

Peace - A Theme 1:14

Cat Food 2:43

Groon 3:30

Coda From Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Part I 2:09

Moonchild (2:24)

The Dream

The Illusion

Trio 5:36

In The Court Of The Crimson King (9:21)

The Return Of The Fire Witch

The Dance Of The Puppets

Personnel:

- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion (5, 6, 7, 12 & 14)

- Boz Burrell / bass, vocals (3)

- Mel Collins / saxes, flute (2, 3 & 6)

- David Cross / violin (7, 8 & 14) viola & voice (12)

- Judy Dyble / vocals (4)

- Robert Fripp / guitars, mellotron, devices (all)

- Michael Giles / drums, percussion, backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 10, 11, 13 & 15)

- Peter Giles / bass (4, 10 & 11)

- Gordon Haskell / vocals (2)

- Greg Lake / bass, vocals (1, 10, 13 & 15)

- Ian McDonald / woodwinds, reeds, keyboards, mellotron, vocals (1, 4, 6, 13 & 15)

- Robin Miller / oboe (6)

- Jamie Muir / percussion, voice (12)

- Peter Sinfield / words (1, 2 & 15)

- Keith Tippett / piano (2 & 10)

- Ian Wallace / drums (3)

- John Wetton / bass, vocals (5, 6, 7, 8, 12 & 14)

King Crimson - 1999 "The ProjeKcts" [4 CD Box]

The ProjeKcts is a 1999 box set of four live albums recorded between 1997 and 1999 by four side projects of the band King Crimson, known as ProjeKcts. From 1997 to 1999, King Crimson "fraKctalised" (forked) into four successive side projects, dubbed ProjeKct One, Two, Three and Four. The box set consists of a live album from each of them.

The ProjeKcts are a succession of spin-off projects associated with the band King Crimson.

The ProjeKcts were most active from 1997 to 1999, but have performed intermittently since. These earlier ProjeKcts, up to ProjeKct Six in 2006, were devoted to instrumental and heavily improvised music. All of them included King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, who described their purpose as being "research and development" for King Crimson. Two later spin-off projects were of a different nature, but both involving former King Crimson members.

The ProjeKcts were/are devised as 'research units' to find possible futures for the fuller Crimson line-up. This box comprises the four live discs and kicks off with Jazz Café (KC have an amazing ability to play the most unlikely places). Head banging improv of the first track (all of which have numerate titles eg. 4 i ii) sees Fripp in inspired frenzy mode. The fifth though recalls a tranquility similar to the better tuneful soundscapes and the First Day period with David Sylvian. ProjeKct 2's mania has Adrian Belew trying out drums whilst Fripp and Gunn handle fretwork. The final here is a warts and all account of the battle between band and photographer (Fripp hates being photographed on stage - unless invited). Band wins thus making a 3-4 minute piece eleven! West Coast is also invigorating; if you liked Fripp and Mastelotto's Sabre Dance from DGM's overview Sometimes God Hides, chances are you'll love this as it expands upon the zonked out dance and trippy Frippy grooves and scapes respectively. Aided by Gunn and Tony Levin, this is almost the line-up that now makes up the actual KC.

At the Albert Hall in 1995, prog-rock perennials King Crimson radiated a kind of smug ignorance, a confidence in the indisputable relevance of their new material that might have crumbled had they a keener ear on the experimental sounds of the underground. But Dorset guitar guru Robert Fripp smelt the rot and addressed the problem. Crimson fragmented into smaller, more manageable R&D units known as "projekcts", touring small clubs incognito, and improvising their way towards the next level.

The hefty Projekcts 4-CD box set has been edited down from hundreds of hours of tapes to showcase the best of Crimson's four current subdivisions. Projekct One is pretty much what you'd expect, Fripp and Trey Gunn's guitars carving corrosive noise or icy ambience around bassist Tony Levin and drummer Bill Bruford, while Projekct Two sees Fripp and Gunn struggling to forge something solid around Adrian Belew's rather flimsy drums.

But on the third and fourth CDs two different fractals succeed in creating something shocking, revolutionary and utterly contemporary. Pat Mastelotto triggers rhythm samples and drum programmes of such power and velocity that Fripp, Gunn and Levin have to raise their game, tossing echoes of the finest moments of their back catalogue into a harsh dystopian soundscape. This earth-shattering music sounds like it should have emerged from beneath the hoods of young, shaven-headed techno types, rather than from the gnarly fingers of men entering their fifties. Against the odds, Fripp has re-invented his band once more, in a way that shames all other 1970s survivors. Posters for the current Yes reunion tour, for example, boast the desperate headline No Boundaries. What can the poor fools possibly mean? King Crimson, on the other hand, would be worthy of the hyperbole.

This is almost too massive to review. When an established band breaks new ground and produces a work of such experimental energy, of sheer genius, it is difficult to describe the importance that such a work can provide to its fans and the public. I can conceive of the effort it cost these musicians, and the abilities which enabled them to give substance to a creation of the Mind. Yet the interpretation of all this can only be admired by us as a creation of inspired muses. This isn't for everyone, but I recommend "The ProjeKcts" for would-be musicians and lovers of music.

FraKctalisation (1997–1999)

ProjeKct One (1997)

(Robert Fripp - Guitar, Trey Gunn - Warr Guitar, Tony Levin - Bass, Bill Bruford - Drums)

ProjeKct One began as a suggestion by Bruford to Robert Fripp that they do some improvisational shows together. Fripp suggested adding Gunn, while Bruford suggested adding Tony Levin — four of the six members of King Crimson were now involved.

Fripp then developed the idea of "fraKctals": multiple different subsets of the band working separately as a way of developing new material for King Crimson, the band having been at something of a compositional impasse.

ProjeKct One performed four consecutive shows at the Jazz Cafe from 1 through 4 December 1997. All four concerts have been made available for download through DGMLive.

Track listing:

Disc 1: (1997 concerts) ProjeKct One - Live At The Jazz Café

1. "4 i 1" 6:11
2. "4 ii 1" 3:29
3. "1 ii 2" 4:27
4. "4 ii 4" 7:58
5. "2 ii 3" 4:27
6. "3 i 2" 8:14
7. "3 ii 2" 6:32
8. "2 ii 4" 4:27
9. "4 i 3" 4:32

Total length: 50:17

Personnel:

- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar
- Tony Levin / basses, Stick, synth


ProjeKct Two (1997–1998)

(Fripp, Gunn, Adrian Belew - V-Drums)

While ProjeKct One was the first of the sub-groups planned, ProjeKct Two actually convened and recorded first. It featured Fripp, Gunn and Adrian Belew on drums rather than guitar (his usual instrument with King Crimson). This configuration was unplanned, but when the group gathered at Belew's home studio to record, he had recently taken possession of the V-drums and Fripp was keen to experiment with their use. The group enjoyed the results enough that it was decided to keep this configuration for the whole course of the project.

They released the studio album Space Groove in 1998. Additionally, they performed thirty-five concerts between February and July 1998. As of 2 May 2011, twenty-six of these shows have been made available for download through DGMLive.

Track listing:

Disc 2: (1998 concerts) ProjeKct Two - Live Groove

01. "Sus-tayn-Z" 8:05
02. "Heavy ConstruKction" 5:11
03. "The Deception Of The Thrush" 7:33
04. "X-chayn-jiZ" 6:01
05. "Light ConstruKction" 5:17
06. "Vector Shift to Planet Detroit" 3:41
07. "Contrary ConstruKction" 4:55
08. "Live Groove" 10:50
09. "Vector Shift to Planet Belewbeloid" 1:24
10. "21st Century Schizoid Man" 11:52

Total length: 1:04:49

Personnel:

- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Adrian Belew / V-drums
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar, talker


ProjeKct Three (1999, 2003)

(Fripp, Gunn, Pat Mastelotto - drums).

ProjeKct Three (P3) performed five shows from 21 March through 25 March 1999 in Texas. In May 2014 all five shows were made available for download from DGMLive.

On 3 March 2003, P3 performed instead of King Crimson at the Birchmere in the Washington, DC, area, as Adrian Belew was taken ill that night. Following their impromptu performance, the three band members interacted with the audience in the form of a question and answer session. This is the only other full concert appearance of P3 other than the tour of Texas in March 1999. The performance is available on CD (ProjeKct Three – Live in Alexandria, VA, 2003 ), however, the Q&A session on the CD is incomplete. The complete Q&A is available separately as a download at the DGMLive web site.

Track listing:

Disc 3: (1999 concerts) ProjeKct Three - Masque

01. "Masque 1" 5:40
02. "Masque 2" 3:13
03. "Masque 3" 6:17
04. "Masque 4" 3:10
05. "Masque 5" 3:19
06. "Masque 6" 0:45
07. "Masque 7" 3:21
08. "Masque 8" 4:26
09. "Masque 9" 2:40
10. "Masque 10" 6:11
11. "Masque 11" 6:24
12. "Masque 12" 3:51
13. "Masque 13" 5:08

Total length: 54:25

Personnel:

- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar, talker
- Pat Mastelotto / electronic traps and buttons


ProjeKct Four (1998)

(Fripp, Gunn, Levin, Mastelotto)

ProjeKct Four performed a seven-show tour of the United States from 23 October – 2 November 1998. These shows consisted of improvised material, as well as expanded upon material developed by earlier ProjeKcts.

All seven of these shows have been made available for download through DGMLive

Track listing:

Disc 4: (1998 concerts) ProjeKct Four - West Coast Live

01. "Ghost (Part 1)" 9:14
02. "Ghost (Part 1)" 4:07
03. "Ghost (Part 1)" 5:55
04. "Ghost (Part 1)" 5:06
05. "Deception of the Thrush" 7:12
06. "Hindu Fizz" 4:46
07. "ProjeKction" 5:29
08. "Ghost (Part 2)" 1:39
09. "Ghost (Part 2)" 2:43
10. "Ghost (Part 2)" 3:53
11. "Ghost (Part 2)" 1:48
12. "Ghost (Part 2)" 4:57

Total length: 56:49

Personnel:

- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar, talker
- Tony Levin / basses, Stick
- Pat Mastelotto / electronic traps and buttons

King Crimson - 1971 [1989] "Islands"

Islands is the fourth studio album by King Crimson, released December 1971. Islands would be the last King Crimson studio album before the group's trilogy of Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red. It's also the last to feature the lyrics of Peter Sinfield.

The harmonic basis for the tune "The Letters" is derived from the Giles, Giles and Fripp song "Why Don't You Just Drop In," available on The Brondesbury Tapes compilation. The bridge section is also taken from the King Crimson version of the song, performed by the original line-up, titled simply "Drop In" and later released on the live-album Epitaph. The original basis for the song "Prelude: Song of the Gulls" is derived from the Giles, Giles and Fripp song "Suite No. 1". The first vinyl release of the album features a hidden track. At the end of side two there is a recording of studio chatter followed by Fripp saying, among other things, "...What we're going to do, umm... do it twice more, once with the oboe, once without it, and then... we finish." This was included on the initial CD release but was accidentally left off the first pressings of the 1989 Definitive Edition CD remaster. It was restored on all subsequent reissues.

The original United Kingdom and European cover depicts the Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius and displays neither the name of the band nor the title. The original United States and Canadian album cover (as released by Atlantic Records) was a Peter Sinfield painting of off-white with coloured "islands". This was used as an internal gatefold sleeve in the UK. When the King Crimson catalogue was re-issued by EG, they standardised on the "Trifid Nebula" cover world-wide.

I really enjoy this 1971 release by King Crimson in spite of the fact that it is neither as wildly virtuosic nor heavy as the first album and the trio of brilliant albums released during 1973-1974. In contrast, Islands is largely quiet and brooding, with dark, low tones played on reed, brass, and string instruments, woodwinds, along with moody mellotron pads here and there. With respect to the new band members, bassist Boz Burrell's lack of familiarity with the electric bass and his admittedly simplistic approach to the instrument might not have worked in any other setting but works well in this stripped down context. Fortunately, his lack of playing ability is more than compensated for by his great vocal abilities, superior acoustic bassist Harry Miller (his bowed and plucked parts are featured on the first piece), and superb drumming by Ian Wallace. Fripp of course is excellent as both a composer/arranger and guitarist, although his guitar playing is not featured prominently on this album - in fact, with the exception of a single, frenzied guitar solo on Sailor's Tale, the electric guitar is pretty much absent. Keboardist extraordinaire Keith Tippett is another person that I wish there was more of on this album. The pieces including Formentara Lady/Sailor's Tale, The Letters, and Islands are more or less similarly sullen, quiet, and acoustic, while the classically influenced instrumental Song of the Gulls is hauntingly beautiful and features a wonderful string arrangement written by Robert Fripp. In stark contrast to these five pieces is Ladies of the Road, which is a brash and vulgar song (with Beatle-esque undertones) that pays homage to groupies and is not terribly good, although Mel Collins sax solo is perfectly "brash and vulgar". Although this album may not be a fan favorite and the lineup was pretty awful live (listen to Earthbound for proof), I find great pleasure in the overall darkness and gloom of the recording. Although King Crimson would go on to greater things following this album, I consider this an excellent addition to any King Crimson collection.

When I first listened to 'Letters', back in 1971, I found myself shaking afterwards! When I listen to this song today, it has the same effect on me as back then! Nothing has changed, because this incredible album was eons ahead of its time, to begin with. It's no wonder that many Crimson fans do not place this gem where it belongs: It's too personal, too esoteric, perhaps fully accessible only to the "initiates" (let us not forget that Robert Fripp is a very spiritual person and a serious student/teacher of meditation. In fact, in his guitar school, meditation is an integral part of the student's training). This album certainly contains the best elements of King Crimson's music. The heavy (Sailor's Tale), the lyrical (Formentera Lady, Islands), the classical (Prelude..), the jazzy (Letters, Sailor's Tale), and the pop/humorous (Ladies of the Road). But most important, behind the real beauty of the music, comes a message of despair and agony: The cry of the contemporary man who tries to escape the crashing loneliness of this age. The need of us humans to escape our plightful, lonely "island" state of existence and merge into a collective consciousness (..Islands join hands 'neath heaven sea). Together with 'Red', this is not only my favourite Crimson album, but one of my five favourite albums ever!

Tracks Listing

1. Formentera Lady (10:14)
2. Sailor's Tale (7:21)
3. The Letters (4:26)
4. Ladies Of The Road (5:28)
5. Prelude: Song Of The Gulls (4:14)
6. Islands (11:51)

Total Time: 43:34

Line-up / Musicians

- Robert Fripp / guitar, Mellotron, Peter's Pedal Harmonium and sundry implements
- Mel Collins / flute, bass flute, saxes and vocals
- Boz Burrell / bass guitar, lead vocals and choreography
- Ian Wallace / drums, percussion and vocals
- Peter Sinfield / words, sounds and visions

WITH:
- Keith Tippet / piano
- Paulina Lucas / soprano
- Robin Miller / oboe
- Mark Charig / cornet
- Harry Miller / string bass

King Crimson - 2003 "The Power To Believe"

The Power to Believe is the thirteenth studio album by English band King Crimson, released in February 2003 by record label Sanctuary. It is a companion to the preceding mini-album Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With (2002).

Both Level Five and Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With acted as work-in-progress reveals for the album, which Fripp described as "the culmination of three years of Crimsonising". The album incorporated reworked and/or retitled versions of "Deception of the Thrush" ("The Power to Believe III") and four of the EP tracks, plus a 1997 Soundscape with added instrumentation and vocals ("The Power to Believe: Coda").

The Power to Believe (2003) marks the return of King Crimson for the group's first full-length studio release since ConstruKction of Light (2000). While it draws upon material featured on the live Level Five (2001) and studio Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With (2002) extended-play discs, there are also several new sonic sculptures included. Among them is the title track, which is divided into a series of central thematic motifs much in the same manner as the "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" movements had done in the past. This 21st century schizoid band ably bears the torch of its predecessors with the same ballsy aggression that has informed other seminal King Crimson works -- such as In the Court of the Crimson King (1969), Red (1974), and more recently THRAK (1995). This incarnation of the Mighty Krim includes the excessively talented quartet of Adrian Belew (guitar/vocals), Robert Fripp (guitar), Trey Gunn (Warr guitar/Warr fretless guitar), and Pat Mastelotto (percussion). Under the auspices of Machine -- whose notable productions include post-grunge and industrial medalists Pitchshifter and White Zombie -- the combo unleashes a torrent of alternating sonic belligerence ("Level Five") and inescapable beauty ("Eyes Wide Open"). These extremes are linked as well as juxtaposed by equally challenging soundscapes from Fripp on "The Facts of Life: Intro" as well as Belew's series of "The Power to Believe" haikus. The disc is fleshed out with some choice extended instrumentals such as "Elektrik" and "Dangerous Curves," boasting tricky time signatures that are indelibly linked to equally engaging melodies. Both "Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With" and "Facts of Life" stand out as the (dare say) perfect coalescence of Belew's uncanny Beatlesque lyrical sense with the sort of bare-knuckled, in your face aural attack that has defined King Crimson for over three decades. If the bandmembers' constant tone probing is an active search to find the unwitting consciousness of a decidedly younger, rowdier, and more demanding audience, their collective mission is most assuredly accomplished on The Power to Believe -- even more so than the tripped-out psychedelic prog rock behemoth from whence they initially emerged.

For all his scholarly quips and curmudgeonly demeanor, King Crimson founder and guitarist Robert Fripp has gone to great pains to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground. Unlike some of his first-generation progressive rock peers of the late 60s and early 70s, he never allowed his band to leap into the abyss of new age fantasy or wanky tech-pomp. At all points during Crimson's many-membered lifetime, Fripp has been the model of humble workmanship: You can usually count on him to 1) hate the music business, 2) refuse to rest on his laurels, and 3) practice his guitar. It makes sense that he wouldn't expect much pleasure from record sales or a cult of fans as obsessive as they come-- after all, it's the musician's job to strive for excellence in the face of commerce and compromise.

And it shouldn't bother him that during the course of his 35-year, single-minded crusade he's left himself on a desert island with only his comfortable legion of fans and bandmates to keep him company. It's been a few years since he was painting London red with Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel and David Bowie, and these days Fripp mostly celebrates advanced middle age with his wife, English garden and the latest version of his storied band. Sure, his records sound more than a little like shadows (albeit of the highest quality) of his classic past efforts, but it's not as if rock history is littered with grandfatherly figures re-inventing the wheel. "Hey man, lay off Fripp-- King Crimson is the best prog band ever!" I know it is, I do; I really wish I could get past the irony of a progressive rock band being unable to progress.

The Power to Believe is the band's 13th studio LP, and the third featuring the current lineup of Fripp, Adrian Belew, Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto. Last year, the buzz about this record was that it was going to be the result of Crimson's ear to xFC-metal, and having toured with Tool-- in fact, the working title was Nuovo Metal. Last year's Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With EP offered some preliminary tastes of this direction, as did the deluge of recent live releases, including 2001's Level Five, and the Projekcts albums. I'm happy to report that Power is much less awful than that EP, and more consistently interesting than the sprawling live CDs. That said, there is an omnipresent residue of stagnancy that has covered just about everything King Crimson have released since 1995's Thrak, and this record is no less stained.

Robert Fripp and the ever-changing lineup of King Crimson continue to fascinate and challenge with The Power to Believe. The album’s opener is an a cappella version of the title track sweetly delivered by Adrian Belew that’s reprised three times later: once with jangling Eastern percussion and a soaring guitar; once as a sci-fi extravaganza that harkens to Crimson's glorious past; and finally as an a cappella closer. In between lies the disciplined, varied, and often mind-blowing playing one expects from these accomplished musicians. "Facts of Life" is dirty prog blues, while "Dangerous Curves" is like a low-key "Kashmir" until it rises to a metallic crescendo. Then there's the sarcastic "Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With," which finds Belew berating younger outfits for their lack of artistic ambition.

"The only reward the musician receives is music: The privilege of standing in the presence of music when it leans over and takes unto its confidence. As it is for the audience. In this moment everything else is irrelevant and without power. For those in music, this is the moment when life becomes unreal."
                                                                                --Robert Fripp, 1992

Tracks Listing

1. The Power to Believe I: A Cappella (0:44)
2. Level Five (7:17)
3. Eyes Wide Open (4:08)
4. Elektrik (7:59)
5. Facts of Life: Intro (1:38)
6. Facts of Life (5:05)
7. The Power to Believe II (7:43)
8. Dangerous Curves (6:42)
9. Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With (3:17)
10. The Power to Believe III (4:09)
11. The Power to Believe IV: Coda (2:29)

Total Time: 51:11

Line-up / Musicians

- Adrian Belew / guitar, vocals
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / Warr fretted & fretless guitars
- Pat Mastelotto / drums & drum programming

With:
- Tim Faulkner / voice source (4)
- Bill Munyon / sound design (additional)