King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King (An Observation By King Crimson)

marcelrecords, Nov 23, 2007

After relistening to the predecessor band Giles, Giles & Fripp with its uneasy mixture of Bonzo Dog Band antics and finely honed 60s guitar pop, it is ever so enigmatic how this here album could have emerged from the ashes of that particular band. Court is one of very few genre-defining records. In fact the album sets standards for prog-rock that are not easy to equal, even less so to surpass. Issued in 1969 (!) in the UK, there is so much that is really new here that any concise listing (like this one) of those features must fail to do justice to the music. Extreme dynamic differences between blatantly loud and whisperingly quiet are introduced in rock for the first time here and to great effect. Technically the record is brilliantly played, but not one single time is this detrimental to the musics expressivity. Later prog bands often sinned against this. The guitar of Fripp is recognizable out of millions: an integration of dishearteningly fast and dissonant notes with passages suddenly long-sounding and fluent. Also the woodwinds are treated in a new way and establish a conglomerate of cold jazz (not cool!), avant-garde and organized chaos, as Fripp expresses himself. McDonald plays every note with feeling and confidence and also contributes the washes of mellotron that characterizes much of the sound. Lake sings sensitively and plays a fine and inventive bass-line, Giles is a drummer far above average in rock. The well-known opening blends hard-rock with lush mellotron and heavy woodwinds (really!) with a blazing guitar solo. Its unfriendly angularity and general threatening atmosphere notwithstanding it even seemed accessible enough to have been projected as a single (that never came out). Futuristic in its litteral meaning, this still sounds fresh and urgent in 2007. The contrast to the following I talk to the wind is stunning. Here is a peaceful oasis with a superb flute-part that soothes the soul and at the end blends into late-night jazz with excellent multi-part vocals. The long Epitaph starts deludingly placent, but soon turns out to be so only on the surface. Underneath an ominous menace is omnipresent. Knowledge is a deadly friend/ If no one sets the rules/ The fate of all mankind I see/ In the hands of fools. This textual example still rings true after almost 40 years. Side B starts with the picturesque Moonchild, a lesson in gossamer treatment of atmospheric elements. The second half almost comes to a complete standstill and trails off into near silence. The title track is a complex combination of all previous modules. Huge waves of mellotron, lyrical woodwinds, intimidating rhythms, unexpected compository built-ups with many layers and noble guitar-parts are just some of the feautures. The lyrics are cryptic, but very suggestive. This album may be considered as the flagship of early prog and still holds its ground as of today.

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