IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING

Many say this started it all. Obviously it was one of the first prog album, and probably the most important, and King Crimson's most prolific, but didn't single handedly come up with this genre. The Nice, along with many proto-prog bands had been developing the genre for some time before this album. However, many bands (namely Genesis and Yes) who started their careers before this album changed their musical direction to prog after this was released.

Something about this album is wholly balanced. It is truly among the very few albums to be, in a very literal and profound sense, perfect, but in another way, very flawed. I often skip Moonchild, but regardless, that imperfection makes up the overall perfection of the finished project. Moonchild is present to show that King Crimson is not afraid to experiment. It's sort of a theoretical song. In theory, it should be fantastic, the idea is genius to disregard the rules of music, and experiment, and that's great. The song isn't practically; it isn't overly enjoyable. The writing of the rest of the album is magnificently inspired. Most collections can't truly be dubbed a 'prog' collection until this album is in it. I only wish it were a longer album, and Moonchild was much shorter.