IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING

Some people don't seem to get that music generally goes through a process known as "development". In 1969, there was no existing category of "Progressive Rock". It had to be invented first. Thankfully, there was a handful of musicians who were daring and inventive enough to take the time and the enormous risks involved to do so. At the forefront of these innovators were Robert Fripp, Ian MacDonald, et al. These artists had a great influence on the musicians who would continue this line of development. The impact of this album is exemplified by the fact that Genesis had this album cover hanging on their studio wall at the time they recorded "Trespass", and then they went on to influence all of the later progressive music. While partly still in an experimental phase, all the elements are fully there in this album of what defines prog rock as we know it. But innovative artists are not thinking in such limiting categories, or else new things would never come into existence(for instance Miles Davis never called what he did jazz). Bill Bruford once said something to the effect of, "What is 'progressive music' anyway? If you're not progressing as a musician, you might as well hang it up!"