In The Court Of The Crimson King – KING CRIMSON***

21st Century Schizoid Man/I Talk To The Wind/Epitaph/Moonchild/The Court Of The Crimson King

In The Court Of The Crimson King, the debut album from the progressive rock group King Crimson, includes some inspired moments but also parts that are terminally boring. (US:28 UK:5)

“The pieces on the album cover a broad spectrum of styles, moods, tempi and dynamics ranging from all out rave-ups to delicate passages comprised of just flute and soft cymbal work. The opening track 21st Century Schizoid Man features blistering riffs played in unison by several musicians and at breakneck speeds. In stark contrast to this all out assault is the quiet and contemplative piece I Talk To The Wind. Epitaph is my favourite track and features, in all its glory and splendour, the mellotron with string setting. Moonchild is an odd piece that is more of a sound collage than anything else, with a very experimental and 'free-form' instrumental passage that features various percussion instruments and delicate guitar parts where the noodling gives way to sections of near silence. The opening flourish of the closing track The Court Of The Crimson King features a ton of mellotron with some great ensemble work and is pretty haunting.”

“Hearing it in it's entirety for the first time is a strange experience and once you tell yourself 'this is intentionally ponderous' it gets a lot better. The dragging end of Moonchild is especially irritating - but when The Court Of The Crimson King kicks in any doubt is swept away utterly.”

“The opener, 21st Century Schizoid Man, is a classic, the horns and the guitars in perfect harmony, the distorted vocals intertwined with the plodding rhythm. However, the album takes a quick drop in quality on Epitaph. Although it presents itself as an emotional song, it just sounds incredibly dated, not to mention tedious and needlessly repetitive. As Moonchild began, I thought that it would increase in quality but for ten minutes I listened to the most boring free-jazz I have ever heard. This is a prime example of a record that does not hold up. It may have been interesting and experimental in its day, but now it simply sounds dated, weighted down with tedium.”

“This album is everything a rock album should aspire to be and more - with complex and meticulously crafted songs that challenge the listener; it borrows several elements from classical music, while maintaining the swift catchiness of rock.”