IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING

This is as "essential" as prog albums get. In most people's minds (including mine), this is the very first prog album, and it is a damn good one. Greg Lake is, in my opinion, the best King Crimson vocalist ever. Robert Fripp is phenomenal in Schizoid Man, though not as phenomenal as he will be in future albums. The production is very good for a 30+ year old album. However, with all that said, if this album were to be released today, it would only get a 4-star rating (Moonchild and I Talk to the Wind aren't as extraordinary as the rest). But this album did create the prog-rock genre, so it gets 5 stars.