Music Review by Bill Rendall

In the Court of the Crimson King

King Crimson's debut album is a seminal work in progressive rock. The album gets off to a stunning start with '21st Century Schizoid Man.' This song was ground breaking in its time and still has impact with its rapid staccato rhythm, heavy guitar from Robert Fripp and screeching saxes from Ian McDonald. It also features distorted vocals delivered by Greg Lake with plenty of venom.

The next song is a slow gentle ballad whimsically titled 'I Talk to the Trees.' In the context of the album it works effectively as a release from the all out assault of '21st Century Schizoid Man.'

The first side of the original vinyl album ends impressively with the majestic 'Epitaph.' This song opens portentously with drum rolls, cymbal swells and the orchestral string sound of the Mellotron. The sound may well be inspired by the Moody Blues but King Crimson add a darker edge with a funereal section featuring a slow drum beat and low woodwinds.

'Epitaph' serves as the band's epitaph for me. The first three songs on their debut album brilliantly cover everything wonderful about King Crimson and there is nowhere left to go but down.

The second side of In the Court of the Crimson King opens promisingly with another gentle ballad called 'Moonchild.' However, the song segues into avant-garde improvisation which stretches way beyond my boredom threshold.

The Mellotron is cranked up again for the title track, which is a great song but also wears out its welcome. There is no doubt where the song should end because there is a massive final chord with a fade extended to the maximum, much like the end of 'A Day in the Life' by the Beatles. This is followed by a bit of doodling around and a reprise which leaves me with a nagging feeling that the band had run out of fresh material.

Pete Sinfield is credited specifically as the lyricist. The song lyrics range from heavy and portentous to light and whimsical. Notably absent from the lyrical content is love or romance. Most prog rock fans are males. Some would say geeky males.

After their debut album King Crimson became a revolving door for musicians. Robert Fripp was the only constant member. McDonald departed claiming he didn't like the direction the band was moving in. He later appeared in the band Foreigner.

In the middle of recording the second King Crimson album, In the Wake of Poseidon, Lake was lured away to form Emerson Lake and Palmer. This was a great shame. The subsequent procession of singers that went through King Crimson spoilt any continuity in the band's sound and none of them sounded as good as Lake.

In the early eighties King Crimson reformed after a hiatus. Fripp got some very talented musicians together and created some songs with a more commercial sound but major recognition continued to elude them.

I recommend In the Court of the Crimson King with some reservation. Much of it is brilliant but ultimately it leaves me longing for what could have been. The first side of the debut album is the highpoint of the band's career. The second side, and their subsequent output, sadly does not realise their early promise.

I recommend the compilation album The Concise King Crimson as a good attempt to summarise the band's diverse output onto one CD. This includes three songs from the debut album, albeit an abridged version of 'In the Court of the Crimson King' with an obvious excision of the middle section. The compilation is in chronological order which is a good thing considering the large variations in personnel and musical style.