USA

If I had to choose a single King Crimson record this will be my pick. I had to live with that when young. In 1975, in Mexico these were the "famous" imports, they were not sold in the every corner store, and if so you had to pay (still do) big money to get one. But lucky me!, I found this one in one mexican supermarket US made. More expensive than normal commercial Mex- made records, but what the hell!

I wanted to know what the big fuzz was all about this Prog/Rock group, (like the rest of the world, I suppose.) So condition also sets criteria.

This live set was released when the name King Crimson was already a well respected outfit in the halls of excellence, among non-maistream rock music followers and musicians. The best thing is also that it is a clever "greatest hits" record in disguise. Covering the highlights of the adventures of the King's first steps, spiced with the "live" imprint of what many consider the best Crimson re-incarnation.

The first time I heard "21st, Century Schizoid Man" it was live. So it was not Greg Lake's voice but John Wetton's. It was my first introduction to whom, I years later still consider one of the motor geniuses among the great composers Prog has to offer: Mr, Robert Fripp, mastermind, soul and never self-proclaimed King of the Crimsons, no matter which re-incarnation you choose. So my next logical stop was Fripp & Eno's "No-Pussyfooting" and the first studio KC album. Great choices. Knowledge is power, so they say. Therefore, if you consider 5 stars too high, you had to be there to understand... I by the way was there! Lucky Bastard !!

*****5 PA stars.