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Red is probably the most over-rated number from Crimson and the fact that the title track is the most often covered Crimson tunes only confirms this to me - it is one of the simplest one also. As the previouis album line-up had been reduced from a quintet to a quartet, David Cross also had left reducing Crimson down to a trio, by this album, pushing Fripp to think about his "small mobile units" concept ramblings about his group.

As stated before Red is a very popular tracks both among fans and other groups , and although I loved it back then, I now have grown a bit tired of it since I heard it too many times. Providence is unfortunately similar to Moonchild in its free jazz noodlings but Moonchild at least had some evident structure in its start. Fallen Angel is excellent and one of my favorite of Crimson all tracks but the real treat here is the Crimson Finale that even Fripp thought it would be the apropriate swansong for KC, Starless. This number brings you back to ITCOTCK with McDonald, to Lizard and Island with Collins and to Aspic with Cross. A fitting adieu and a masterful closing of the loop! Too bad the guys playing on it did not know (except for Fripp that is)that this would be the final track of KC for a while!!

That track closed every night at the only bar I ever really hung around as it was the only prog cafe to my knowledge and a fitting goodbye to every one of the buddies and the excellent night spend there. Patrick Joly, this review and Lark's Tongue review are dedicated to you!!!

This one is much more heavy than all other King Crimson albums. And the songs are fantastic, best quality prog. Red and One more Red Nightmare shows all the power of Fripp´s Guitar. Starless is marvellous, one of the best songs I´ve ever heard. Is such a pity that they split and returned only six years later, without the magnific power trio Fripp, Wetton, Bruford.

My favourite " CRIMSON album", an excellent piece of intelligent music for all seasons, whose moods will be partially emulated by the superband "UK"... "Red" (the title track) is exceptional. "Starless" instead is probably the best track of the album, a stunning mini-suite, characterized by the crepuscular vocal interpretation by John WETTON, but also an incredible final instrumental excursion by BRUFORD and FRIPP. Thanks to a memorable crescendo!! Despite of being more accessible, in comparison for example to "Lark's Tongue in Aspic", this album is always stunning, even when WETTON leads the band to some more melodic fields of exploration (the most accessible song "One more Red Nightmare" is a remarkable example).

Highly recommended!!

A surrealistic & distorted atmosphere prevails along this album. There's a lot of original ideas here... each track is different from an other. The title track delivers a straight progressive instrumental improvisation built around a reccurent theme lead by Fripp very personnal guitar playing. The second track is a more melodic rock structured song, sustained by well found sax & guitar arrengements. "Providence" is near to contemporary and dodecaphonic music with a nice 'Zappa' flavour. Finally, "Starless" which closes the album is a nostalgic tune with an intense sax solo part. This album hasen't aged and is a good start for beginners.

I do not like when FRIPP sounds his rhythmic guitar like that! It's almost grunge: listen to "Red". Awful! He should have put some cleanness in his sound! IMO FRIPP always had some problems with his rhythmic sound.

"Falling Angel" is decent, despite they have made better smooth songs. "One More Red Nightmare" is totally awful! WETTON sings really bad on it! Even his bass is grunge! The violin on "Providence" is particularly irritating! "Starless" is probably the best one: more conventional CRIMSON stuff full of relaxing mellotron and the usual FRIPP's tender and melancholic high note guitar sound.

Ancestor of the grunge, it's one of their worst albums. I cannot listen to it entirely!

Less is more on "Red", where the trio of BRUFORD, FRIPP and WETTON execute lucid arrangements of top-shelf material. The opening title track picks up where "Fracture" left off, an angular, instrumentally daunting composition that presages the style expounded on in 1981's "Discipline". "Fallen Angel" and "One More Red Nightmare" move with purpose, a pair of songs that rank with CRIMSON's best. On side two, violinst DAVID CROSS and a handful of ex-Crimsonites are re-admitted to the fold for the experimental art jazz of "Providence" and the brilliant song, "Starless." This last track reveals a restraint not found in the band's earlier work -- from FRIPP's deceptively simple guitar solo to BRUFORD's studied manipulation of percussion, "Starless" proves the pinky of God is more powerful than the hands of man.

Not everyone is enamored of "Red" - one critic called the final track "listless" -- but for those that have been watching Crimson closely to this point, it's a near-final step in evolution.

Wow, KING CRIMSON really knows how to open an album! The first thundering notes of "Red" put it right alongside "Lark's Tounges" (any part) and "Fracture" as a classic KC style sonic blast. The song, and the album overall, is a bit more focused than previous efforts; having pared down the lineup and the chaos a little works well for a closing statement to this version of the band. "Fallen Angel" is a lovely melodic composition, in the same realm as "The Night Watch" or "Book of Saturdays"; the refrain wears on me just a little but I'm always transfixed by Fripp's beautiful, restrained lead playing on this one. "One More Red Nightmare" is less appealing to me, but like "Providence" contains some memorable instrumental moments among the improvisation- largely from the guest players, who sound unexpectedly at home in the mix (Mel Collins...do I have to tell anyone where else to find him?). This pair of songs is where I sometimes lose a little bit of interest, though, as they do not rise to the standards of the rest of "Red". Forget about the complaints, though, because the album climaxes in "Starless", arguably one of the band's finest works; from an instantly lovely melancholy opening to the minimalist and funky/noisy sections (elements of the "Discipline" era can be heard in their prototypical form) and finally to a short but stirring conclusion, the band and guest musicians are nothing less than magnificent. It is simultaneously the culmination of everything the band has done before and also notably unique among the band's songs. If only the recording quality were a little better...but if you like "Starless and Bible Black" as much as I do, you'll find "Red" full of wonderful moments, a few surprises, and maybe the best KING CRIMSON song ever recorded.

Crimson or red?

I've never really got past "In the court of the Crimson King" with King Crimson. After that, they moved more and more towards jazz, with increasingly less rock in evidence. "Red" redresses the balance slightly, and thus I found it more enjoyable than most of their output.

John Wetton's influence both in terms of songwriting and performance enhanced the finished product considerably. With only five tracks in total, they are inevitably pretty long, with "Starless" being the longest at 12 minutes. It's probably also the best track, with the mellotron sound which made their first album so distinctive much in evidence. This gives the track a welcome retro feel. The jazz influence is however still very much there, with improvised sax and guitar rather outstaying their welcome.

The other tracks range from the more rock based "Red" and "One more red nightmare" to the softer "Fallen apart" and the rather uninspired "Providence".

Overall, the rock aspects of the album are reasonably enjoyable, but personally, I'm left cold by the improvisational and jazz inspired parts.

A very strong album and while more simplified in parts RED has the distinction of also probably being the most popular KC album. Well that's what most people tend to suggest! The title track for me and ' providence' the most likely gems on an excellent release. 30 Years young or old depending on how you want to look at it :-)

Red. It is a very good album. The band really puts forth great music. Fripp is insane with some of the songs, but it all comes out good. Red is an incredible song, as are the next two. Then Providence comes along. A very pecular song. But, that is why it is great. It is one of the strangest arrangments i have ever heard, but it comes off beautifly, and one the first improv since their previous album. The final song is one of the best pieces of music in all of progressive rock, nay, all of music. Starless is a masterpiece...the slow build, the great bass and drum work, the quiet starkness of the beginning, and then...everything explodes. Literally. Frantic. Exciting. Exhilerating. The entire band lets the music soar off their instruments. A climax like this one has never again been replicated.

All in all, this may not be thier best album, but it's very good. It is essential for the mere fact that it contains Starless, a song every proghead needs to hear. A great example of progressive rock. 4.5 stars. Highly Recommended.

The colour red conjures up images of angst, aggression, anger. Looking at the back cover of this album and seeing a gauge where the needle is in the red, I was sure I knew where King Crimson were going and I was certainly infatuated by the tone of this monstrous album. Stripped of the overindulgence of earlier albums Red is a raw and bruising album that takes it's cue from Larks Tongues In Aspic and it's followup, Starless And Bible Black but it moves ahead of those two and seeks out a darker and more undertone identity moved through swathes of distortion and hypnotic repetitive riffing, but that is not just the story. Red has the ability to turn on and turn up and pull back on the power where necessary and no more so than on the standout 12 minute plus opus "Starless" which starts of with a layer of mellotron augmented with some sympathetic guitar before the mood turns and brutality returns. John Wetton's raw voice brings a realism to the music and though "Starless" is a song of epic proportions there is no large scenes of pomposity that graced and flooded earlier King Crimson songs, and certainly no medieval grace that tarnished others. Everything is saturated and built with layers of intense distortion which makes Wetton's bass sound quite menacing along side Fripp's guitar but rather than thrash out big loud riffs much of the material on Red is well composed and each section is coherent and tautly conceived, Bill Brufords's drumming and timing is as potent as ever adding his own texture to the music. Listen to the very moment that the opening song "Red" starts. The big crashing chord starts on a half beat sounds almost discordant, yet harmonious, and gives the listener the direct intention for the rest of the album. Red is King Crimson stripped down to three piece and playing with dark brooding music with splashes of wood wind that actually drive that menacing feeling where the opposite might would have been assumed. It's a well crafted piece of music, heavy complex, stinging and sympathetic. Essential.

I have heard a lot of anticipation about this album but didn't know what to expect after i finally got it. Obviously the line-up has changed quite a bit, with only Robert Fripp surviving from the original line up of the debut album which completely blew me away. It is a shame to say goodbye to David Cross but i think King Crimson proved they could manage brilliantly as a three piece.

Bill Bruford gives an immense performance on the drums throughout the whole album, whether its him whacking away on the powerful intro track or his quiter drumming to fit in with the mellower sections of the album. It really looks like he has settled in well after leaving YES, and he managed to record on masterpiece albums with 2 of the biggest prog bands ever.

This album opens with the title track, "Red". This is a powerful and menacing instrumental. I cant get over how lush their style of playing and their distortion is. I think this sound has had a strong influence on bands to follow. I also saw a strong grunge sound with Robert Fripps guitar on this album, so i am guessing they inspired bands like Pixies and Pearl Jam. This opening instrumental really grabs the attention of the listener. I guess it does show some similarities to the opening track on their debut, "21st Century Schizoid Man" as it uses distortion to its advantage. This is one of the main influences to set King Crimson aside from other prog bands of the time. The use of saxophones and violins also made them stand out and they used these features to their maximum ability on this album.

"Fallen Angel" is an excellent piece. The vocals just blew me away. I love the way the mellow opening with the lush acoustic picking (it sounds like it anway) comes in after the opening verse (around 50 secs i think). This progresses beautifully into that lush distortion and the mixture of this, the vocals and sax absolutely blows me away. This is one of the albums most incredible music and is probably my favourite track on the album.

"One More Red Nightmare" is a close contender and another excellent piece.Again there is a perfect blend of the three main members and the additional saxaphones, oboes and so forth. This song tries to expand that sound furthur and it works wonderfully. One of the most emotional parts on this song, and the whole album is when the distortion comes in at 2:05ish and is followed by a lovely drum rumble by Bill.

"Providence is one of the most progressive pieces on the album and rather experimental. It kind of reminds me of the last 9 odd minutes of "moonchild" which was track 4 on "In the Court of the Crimson King". The distorted guitar is less apparent hear but there are some interesting experimental effects used and the additional musicians really get to show off their stuff here. It is a beautiful piece and very good to listen to.

"Starless" is a dark, expansive piece that closes the album, i found this piece to be excellently arranged. I am not sure if it is a continuation of the last album or anything but i love the way the lyrics link to their previous effort, "Starless and Bible Black". This piece is the most progressive on the album, which makes it rather captivating. It kind of sums up by combining all the different sounds and moods on the album and is a real wonder.

Red offers immense musician work, vocals, lyrics, production and arrangement. This album sounds a lot more stripped down and simplistically arranged than their monster debut but it has just as much depth, which makes it so special. Red is a defining album of King Crimson as well as progressive rock and an essential purchase for any rock collection as there is a little something for everyone on this album.

Of all three masterpieces that King Crimson recorded during the brief Wetton-era, this is my favourite one. Following in the same harsh road of its predecessor "Starless and Bible Black", "Red", while not portraying the massive sophistication of "Larks' Tongues", nevertheless manages to enhance the red hot energy that the band already mastered, taking it up to a higher level of excitement and compositional inventiveness than the band had ever known before: and of course, the level was kept evenly according to high standards from day one (that is, the release of "In the Court of the Crimson King"). It may sound a bit ironic since the group's line-up was reduced to a trio format in these "Red" days, but yes, KC found its way to retain their frontal rocking power and make it stronger while decreasing in size. The opening title track is a lesson in hard rocking and clever dissonances, taught through a strategy of inventive chord progressions, effective interplaying, and a fluid connection between the reiterated main motif and the sinister intersection. This same harsh approach can also be found in many passages included in the remaining repertoire, but the track 'Red' is the most emblematic of the album's overall direction. 'Fallen Angel' combines the clever hard rock ordainment with beautiful acoustic guitar based sections for the verses: there is a notable contrast between the controlled textures played by the mellotron, oboe and lead guitar during the verses and the freer lines played by the cornet during the choruses, which establish a frontal counterpoint to Fripp's minimalistic riffs. Things again get harder, and also a bit jazzier, in 'One More Red Nightmare': once again, a wind instrument - this time, a tenor sax - serves as an accomplished guest in charge of adding fuel to the fire of rock'n'roll during the subtly complex instrumental passages. 'Providence' is basically a reminder of the "Starless and Bible Black" days. A testament of Cross' input to the band during this era, the 'Providence' jamming is initially led by him on violin until Fripp assumes the leading role, a status that eventually both will share during the last portion; the rhythm duet plays beautifully, paying close attention to what is demanded from them and how it is demanded. It's really amazing how this improv stuff can sound so ordained in a way. But the breathtaking gem is yet to come, and that is the closure 'Starless', arguably the best KC song ever. This song starts as a typically Crimsonian ballad, with a mellotron that leads the way by displaying haunting harmonic layers and a slow tempo delivered with absolute distinction by Wetton and Bruford: the guitar leads serve as a counterpoint to the mellotron, while the soprano sax flies as a counterpoint to Wetton's sung lines. No other melody could fit better the lyrics, which compellingly portray the absolute darkness of the inner self in contrast to the shades of light exposed in the outside world during the last minutes of twilight. After this enormously beautiful passage, here comes the most famous minimalistic guitar solo in prog history: Fripp's one color musical picture is ornamented by Wetton's wicked bass and Bruford's percussive implements, until the drums join in for the explosive partial climax that soon leads to a fiery jam. After the alternate solos on sax and guitar during the jam, the initial motif is reprised for the definitive climax. So captivating and so disturbing at the same time. a perfect ending for one of those KC perfect masterpieces --- 5 stars!!

[I dedicate this review to my beloved "Starless" friend Beatriz]

I got this one along with "Starless and Bible Black" and gave it several listens over a few weeks. My impression of it was that this one was less good than others I had heard from King Crimson at that time, though not exactly "lost". However, while exploring other artist of more experimental approach, this one came closer to me as the time vent by, though I still didn't find it so appealing to me as "Starless & Bible Black" and their fabulous debut album, but it's really good indeed. It can be compared to "Starless & Bible Black" and "Lark's Tongues In Aspic" since it has the same style to it, only a bit more dense. It has a dark mood and Fripp's riffs are sometimes pretty heavy and sharp and most material here is great though a bit uneven. Many people consider this as their best, I'll not go that far but it really is a four star rating worthy and I highly recommend it in overall.

In some ways better than "Larks..." and "Starless..." in other not. While "Red" in not as complex and hasn´t got that many solos as "Larks..." and "Starless..." it is in some ays a better , because the whole album creates a special mood like the first albums ("In the court...", "Lizard", "Islands"). All the songs are fantastic , but I specially don´t like the saz parts in "One more red nightmare"...I find them a litle bit too long. "Red" (the song) is the best track, with al least 3 very distortionated guitars and good drums by mr. Bruford. Almoust perfect...almoust

This is easily one of my favorite albums of all time. It was metal before metal existed. King Crimson was always known for releasing albums that never sounded the same. This album sounds very different from the first album, this album is very different from Discipline. Anyway, this album is the culmination of all the hard work from Guitar Maestro Robert Fripp, bassist John Wetton, and drummer extraordinaire Bill Bruford.

The opening track is a killer instrumental with some very powerful guitar riffs from Fripp, an enjoyable bass line from Wetton, and a killer drum track from Bruford. This like most instrumentals has its ups and its downs, its loud moments, and its softer moments. I remember listening to it for the first time and thinking that this was the best thing I've heard in a while. The next song "Fallen Angel" has some very strong guitar from Fripp, some enjoyable violins from David Cross, and an all around good performance from the rhythym section. Going from quiet gentle guitar to a crunchy distorted sound, the song pulls it's weight around. The next track, "One More Red Nightmare" has some of the best drumming from Bruford ever heard of record. Each fill is precise and is incredible every time you listen to it. A very enjoyable bass line and riff are encased in this excellent song. After that, the second instrumental "Providence" comes through the speakers. Most consider this just to be album filler, but I really enjoy the gradual intensity, starting out quiet and slowly picking up pace. The final song "Starless" is considered to be the gem of the album. With some emotional guitar and mellotron from Fripp, some great drumming from Bruford, and a great vocal performance from Wetton, this song carries its weight. Starting out as a vocal track, the song quickly turns into an instrumental jam, comprising of the final 5 or 6 minutes.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable album. No progressive rock fan should be without it. This gets my highest recommendation.

When I first heard Krimson, I didn't like them. They were too trippy, no structure, nothing. How wrong I was, for sure. King Crimson has since become my second favorite band of all time. Their songs are daring, fun, trippy, and heavy and sometimes very mellow. This album ahs everything. The dominating opening riff in Red gets your attention right away...then they hook you with crazy drum fills. The next song, Fallen Angel, is a great ballad that really builds to something awesome. It starts off with some cool, evil sounding harmonies, then goes into a mellow section with some great lyrics. Great song, although not overly memorable. It does meander a bit in the beginning, but then begins to kick ass.

One More Red Nightmare is probably my favorite song. It features the best drumming...ever. Period. The chorus is marvelous with clapping and all and great singing. The solo sections are also a great listen. Providence is a strange one, with about half of it leaving you going...WTF? But then it picks up halfway through with some crazy soloes and musicianship. It's an alright song, but it kinda brings this album down.

Starless is an awesome closer. It starts out fairly mellow with catchy singing that's very beautiful. It builds a ton throughout the song and makes for a great listen. At some points it feels experimental, others psychadelic, and others symphony. There's really no hard rock in this one unlike Red and One More Red Nightmare. This song has EVERYTHING you could ever want in a song. Perfection.

This...is a must-have. Buy it.

A wonderful, dark artifact immortalizing the magic which KING CRIMSON managed to conjure at the early 70's. This album succeeds conjure that even better than their classic "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" album, as it has much stronger material on it, even some live improvisation from the concert stage where this band truly hit their top note! Before this album's studio takes were recorded, the band had started to disintegrate as DAVID CROSS has quitted from the group. He is still present at the mysterious and nightmarish improvisation "Providence". Many dislike this blow, but I think it's very good, not as constructive as the jams from 1973, but it sounds more like a modern classical music played with rock instruments. The opening title track "Red" is also a classic, as it is so pure, constructed force of sound. Next two composed pieces "Fallen Angel" and "One More Red Nightmare" are then artistic and jazzy hard rock tunes, which never got to be played on the stage as Fripp quitted the band before touring. The final track "Starless" was a familiar number to the audiences of their earlier concerts, and it's recorded here with slightly fixed lyrics and MEL COLLIN's saxophones. If you like this album, I recommend seriously to get some of their live albums from the 1973-1974 period!

I respect Fripp and all he has done for progressive music, but I have never been a fan of King Crimson. 'Red' however is a fine prog rock album, with emphasis on the ROCK. From the chaotic and exhilerating instrumental title track that opens the album, to Wettons grungy vocals on 'Fallen Angel' you can hear why Kurt Cobain thought this to be the best album ever recorded.

The line up at this stage was just a trio; Fripp, Wetton and Bruford (and a few guests of course) and its works perfectly. 'One more Red Nightmare' is a classic, with funny lyrics about Wettons apparent fear of flying, and some excellent funky drumming from Bruford. 'Starless' is what I would call a 'Mellotron' classic, slow, moody almost sinister but with an undercurrent of beauty, thanks mainly to Fripps slow melodic guitar part.

A good album to coax newcomers to prog into the genre! Unlike alot of KC's work, this album is quite direct and listernable. The indulgence and, what I regard as the lack of direction, of 'In the Wake of Posseidon' and 'Larks...' is not really in evidence here. A good solid rock album, with prog sensitivity.

An album half the normal price but worth at least twice of it.

Too good to be true?

Well, in my case, regarding this album, that is what actually happens. I bought the CD brand new at a big record store in Jakarta for an improbable price (only five bucks!) and yet, as I already knew from my past collection of cassettes version, the music it kept inside is of high praise effort.

This album features five incredibly solid songs that can be described as a last-gasp effort of a band in its death throes (Robert Fripp, its founder, disbanded this version of King Crimson after recording this album). This fact alone makes it impressive. Few bands, as far as I know, could have produce an album as good as this when they were in the path to be buried.

We can only guess what factors contributed to that particular achievement. Probably, among others, it was the fact that, beside the core members of the band, Fripp also successfully assembled those from the group's past -- Mel Collins, Ian McDonald and Marc Charig. Why? Because their performances put colorfully surprising sounds into the overall heavy and noisy (Metal? Grunge? Whatever you name it) materials played by Fripp, John Wetton and Bill Bruford.

The name King Crimson and the "legion" of musicians involved supposedly speak for itself. However, if they are not enough, there is of course another better way to for you to check out: try the first track "Red" (you can download it here for free), which is pretty much sum up the whole of the album. For devoted fans, surely there is no other way than go to the record store and buy the CD.

This album is easily King Crimson at their best I believe (I do not own the majority of their albums). Still, I am confident that this band had not achieved better music than here. This is probably their heaviest album.

Red 5/10 : This is an instrumental song that is very good in moments. The problem is that the guitar sound is not my taste, some riffs are not that good, and it overstays its welcome.

Fallen Angel 9/10 : Now, this is what a song should be like!! This is King Crimson at their very best, creating a piece of art that contrasts heaviness with tranquility. The heavy spiraling guitar riff is mesmerizing, and the drumming here is something to pay attention to.

One More Red Nightmare 6/10 : This is a good long King Crimson track with a good rhythm section.

Providence 4.5/10 : This is like Moonchild, but somewhat better and less messy. It is basically a jam.

Starless 10/10 : Ok, it is strange not to call this a work of art. Starting as a mellotron drenched ballad ... it is unexpected that it will change into one of the wildest, most creative, and scariest instrumental breaks ever put on record. It has a bass line and a rhythm section following what I think is a time signature of 13/8, and a 'two-note' guitar solo... yes! two notes! (G and F#). As crazy as it sounds, it actually works and Bill Brufford played some of the best percussion ever. The ending of the song is the band going berserk on a breathtaking loud jam.

In conclusion, I have to say that this is King Crimson's overall best album, even if it has spotty songs like Providence, and Red.

My Grade : B-

Now this is what I really like! At this time King Crimson had slimmed down to a three peice with Robert Fripp(guitars, keyboards etc),John Wetton (bass and vocals) and Bill Bruford (drums).Now I've never been the greatest Bruford fan and tend to think him a little overrated but his drumming here is fantastc.All three peice bands need a great drummer and in fact the ablity to hold your own in a three peice line up is the measure of a great player IMO (think Carl Palmer,Neil Peart,Phil Collins(late seventies post Hackett)) and you get my drift).Bruford plays with superb control and is very heavy.He drives this album mostly.The exception is the song 'Fallen Angel' which for me is one the most beautifull songs ever written.There is also the more experimental 'Providence' which I like.But prog wise the other tracks are exceptional and on their own warrant giving this album 5 stars.Strange to think that Fripp almost gave it all up after this! Easily in the top ten best prog albums.A must have for any serious prog lover.

I'm not lying when I say that "Red" by King Crimson is my all time favorite album of any genre. This piece was originally intended to be the final King Crimson album, and what a finale it would have been. Hard, emotional, almost grunge like even. The simple black cover, with the trio (Fripp, Bruford, Wetton) and a speedometer on the back seems to fit the album perfectly. These songs are essentially the last words of the Bruford- Wetton era Crimson and a testament to everything the band had achieved before this release. I warn however, do not purchase this album expecting what you heard on "In The Court Of The Crimson King", because it is completely different. Try to accept that a band can change styles to avoid stagnation, and why would you buy something new if you wanted it to be exactly the same as something else?

What happens if you take King Crimson and put them on the streets for a year? You get "Red". The songs are much more rhythm based than they ever have before, and have a much more violent and angry tone to them. The drumming and bass together are viscous enough to break your nose, and Fripp plays appropriate riff like guitar to go along for the most part. There is of course still the horn sections, mellotron, violin and a couple of other instruments so as to retain the "symphonic" rock feel. Crimson proves they can rock as hard as any mid seventies metal band, and still retain a respectable level of writing and fusion on this one.

The level Muscianmanship on this album is excellent, and easily puts Bill Bruford into the contenders for best rock drummers of all time. The lyrics are all powerful and fit perfectly with the music and Wetton's style of singing. The most astounding part of the album though is that it manages to break the barrier that makes prog unacceptable with normal music fans. Its catchy, its concise, its easy to swallow, and it is instantly memorable (all with the exception of "Providence"). All that and it still manages to be full out progressive rock.

There are a few problems with the editing, sometimes its hard to make out some of the drumming intricacies. Other times the vocals don't sound 100% clear. Generally though its well done.

All of the songs but "Providence" are exceptionally strong. "Red" opens the album with a bang, with some impressive trio oriented patterns. Sets the mood for the rest of the album perfectly. "Fallen Angel" begins comparatively gentle, and becomes heart wrenching as Wetton cries "Fallen Angel" while what's probably my favorite guitar riff of all time plays and the horns come in, culminating into a scream to the heavens for revenge. "One More Red Nightmare" gains points for the only prog song I can think of effectively using clapping as part of the percussion. Its upbeat, and has a great chorus. Sounding nothing like King Crimson ever has. "Starless" is the best song on the album, and is an alternate to an older King Crimson track. Its more similar to old Crimson, yet at the same time translates to the style of this album flawlessly. Has incredible buildup, and one of the most impressive instrumental rock sections of all time. The different movements of this song mold together seamlessly, and is the best possible way to send off the band. "Providence" is weak in comparison to the rest of the album, and it reminds me very much of the King Crimson song "Moonchild". It begins with a jam like section, with some interesting violin and comes into a beat nearing the end that's quite good. Unfortunately it doesn't hold together all that well as a song, and is mostly used as a buffer to let one relax before starless.

This album is truly worthy of a 5 star rating, if you like any music at all you'll find at least one thing you like on it. I can honestly say its the most essential piece of music in my collection, and would be the first thing to save in a fire after living creatures.

Not perfect - but almost there - this CRIMSONian masterpiece was meant to be their last album (being "Starless" their to be final epic), but FRIPP changed his mind and returned to action on the 80's on a series of several weaker albums that honestly don't make justice to their golden 60's and 70's times, with huge influence from Adrian Belew (who was a member of a band called TALKING HEADS, which influenced a lot to the new KC sound...in a not so good way i could say).

Ok, returning to Red, i have to admit that this album took me by surprise because i was never friendly to heavy music, and this is perhaps their most violent work, with several strong guitar riffs and noisier parts that differ a lot from the mellower songs from LTIA, for example, like "Exiles" or their whole romantic era from the debut to Islands - being Lizard not so mellow and a bit heavy but not so much as this one. The title track is a clear example of this. From the opening riffs to the middle eerie section reaching several guitar horizons that don't get annyoing and in fact they bring some catchy "futuristic" sounds or something along those lines all i have to say is that i love the song. Then we are led to a mellow "Fallen Angel" which becomes a bit violent on the ending to maintain the album's true soul. See the difference? Each KING CRIMSON album sounds very different from each other, just like PINK FLOYD's ones. This may be due to the constant line-up changes of course, but if FRIPP was / is the mastermind all i have to admit is that the guy is a genius for sustaining such a project as KC during more than 30 years and still making great music, not being locked to an alienated formula as some prog bands so "umprogressively" did (like YES, always sounding the same on each album...). Those two first songs showed the very different pace of style again made by Fripp and his mates, and it only gets confirmed on the third track, "One More Red Nightmare", containing both a catchy melody and also some awful vocals by WETTON, though they aren't important, since the melody makes the song very superior (what a great drummer Bill is! And what great arrangements - vocal + sax and some "claps", truly addictive music!). From the first three numbers this one is the best , but their magnum-opus from the Wetton era called "Starless" will come soon making this sound very inferior. Yes, after "Providence", an experimental track that works perfectly where "Moonchild" failed, we are led to the amazing beauty of "Starless" with a passionate guitar playing by Fripp and some amazing vocals by Wetton (i wish that he sang well like that on the other songs) driven by a mellotron. Touchy music. After the vocals the music starts getting heavier again gradually rising the tone until it reaches a climax making an amazing outro jamming guitar and sax in a dramatic and beautiful ending which is pure magic, and then the album ends.

This in my opinion is where KING CRIMSON stops being interesting for me in terms of full albums. I enjoy some stuff from the following eras but none of them match the amazeness contained in this first decade of career. From 1980 on i think i'd only like a "best of" with songs like "Elephant Talk" or "Sleepless" but nothing that would be for the faint of the heart as this initial years were.

Essential prog, as most of the preceeding albums by the kings.

Now, although I give this the same rating as Larks' and Lizard, Red is undoubtedly better than those two. However, I cannot give this masterpiece status: that is reserved for the incredibly select few, and this album lacks something to fill it out all the way. Fantastic album, though. Definitely worth your money if you are a prog fan.

On Red, King Crimson was narrowed down to 3 people, their core from the 73-74 period. Wetton's vocals are great here, especially on Fallen Angel and Starless, and Fripp's guitar is the same menacing work it always has been. Bruford proves that he could be the most intelligent and creative drum player ever. This tight pack of 3 delivers a fantastic album from beginning to, well, almost.

Red: Legendary instrumental track by King Crimson. For pretty good reason, too. That thick bombastic riff is terrific, although I can't help but feel that it becomes slightly repetitive. Maybe over 6 minutes was a bit long for this song, but it is great nonetheless.

Fallen Angel: As Red dies down, one of KC's loveliest songs comes on. As I said, Wetton's vocals are very strong here. I find that he shines best on the slower-type songs. Exiles is a good example if this too. Fallen Angel is a fantastic composition, but not yet the best on the album.

One More Red Nightmare: Another strong song on this album. There is one part that absolutely MUST be noted: BRUFORD'S DRUM FILLS ARE INCREDIBLE. That has to be noted. It proves how strong he was. Like Red, it gets a little repetitive, but not so much to complain about.

Providence: Hehe. Yup. King Crimson always has a song like this. They certainly were experimental, and this here proves it. I mean, it is good, but it can't measure up to other songs around it. And then...

Starless: Is it KC's best song? Boy, tough question, but the question might very well be yes. I mean, the emotion is pounded out here, and the chills set in every time. And, when it can get no better, it enters the ending instrumental section, and it multiplies even further. The horn work is phenomenal. The theme in this song is beyond chilling. You should know this song, period.

Definitely a fantastic album, but not like their debut. Give it a listen if you fancy the prog genre. 4/5 stars.

A monumental album that blends the best of both worlds - the romantic grandiosity of King Crimson's Mellotron-soaked first, historic line-up, and the jagged, improvisational feel of the Wetton-Bruford-Cross era - "Red" is an undisputed masterpiece. Easier on the ear than its dark, brooding predecessor, "Starless and Bible Black", it showcases the individual abilities of the musicians involved while at the same time emphasising the seamless results of their teamwork.

The title-track opens the album in true KC style with one of the greatest instrumentals of all time, in which Fripp's strident guitar is pushed aggressively to the fore on Bruford and Wetton's pulsating rythmic background. "Fallen Angels" starts in a rather low-key mood, making immediately clear that Wetton has taken gigantic steps forward as a lead singer; then climaxes with a jazzy, horn-filled section. Wetton's vast improvement as a vocalist also comes across in "One More Red Nightmare" , an out-and- out rocker that he carries off with panache. The instrumental, heavily improvisational "Providence" is the only track here that could be termed as filler - or at least part of it could. It's undeniably a bit too long, and its unstructured, loose feel clashes with the rest of this superbly constructed album.

"Red" ends with the bang which is "Starless", 12 minutes of pure prog heaven, one of those tracks which deservedly top many people's all-time favourites lists. Introduced by wistful Mellotron strains, it sees Wetton's best-ever Lake impersonation (and I mean it as a compliment), followed by a tense, almost menacing mid-section which culminates in a reprise of the main theme, a heady, majestic blend of horns, Mellotron and violin. Utterly fantastic.

KC split after this album, only to reform seven years later with a new line-up and the excellent "Discipline". It is rare for a band to end its career with such an unadulterated display of greatness, but KC have always proved the exception to any rule.

The V.U. meter's in the red, ya know.

To me, any project including Bill Bruford is a seal of instant quality. Could this guy be involved with an half-assed record, knowing his sense of judgment and his tendency to 'rule' in studio? Sure, ego trips made a ton of genius band go berserk, but bizarrely, this works well!

Bruford's drum signature is as big as Moon, Collins or Peart, and frankly his work is nothing short of perfect on Red. Bruford is precise, furiously fast and logical so the timing and the gap fillings are well supported. The drums are a huge part (perhaps the biggest) of the success of Red, thanks to him. Fripp is there to conduct (I suppose) and his playing is easy to follow. I do appreciate Wetton's voice although it's not as pushed as Asia. His bass lines needs a good listen to analyse, and I'm planning to invest more time on that later. I never thought of it, but this could be the birth of heavy metal as we know it. But this is a primitive form of metal, waging more on tension (mellotron, single note guitar and saxophone) than brutal force. Somebody told me this was cacophonic at times and hard to follow. Man, maybe I'm a better listener than I thought or this is much easier material to handle than I heard!

And what's with the Ankedoten gang claiming their allegeance to this album. Did their identity is only based on Providence (which in my case, did not gave me a hard time to tame) ?

In a way I'm kind of a wee bit disappointed, expecting more heavier, distorded and chaotic material. Oh well, I'm growing more and more a fan of the Crimson King these days. What an amazing band, despite the constant changes!

What can i say about King Crimson? One of the best bands of progressive rock ever! Despite line-up changes, inner problems between Mr. Fripp against another member, different ideas, nowadays King Crimson is still alive, and making excellent music.

Redis an album from 1974, what a great year in prog scene, the line up here is Robert Fripp, Wetton ,Bruford as members of KC, with Mel Collins on sax and David Cross on violins, this is another transition era, before Red, there are 2 beautiful albums, Starless and Bible Black and that masterpiece called Lark`s Tongues in Aspic, so after both albums, whan can we expect?, of course another masterpiece, and with Red, they gave us what we wanted, A Masterpiece!.

The opening self titled track "Red", wow, that incredible and powerful song, i really love it because it is really powerful, guitar is incredible, excellent Mr. Fripp as always, another thing, if you have any doubt about Wetton`s bass playing, believ me, he is great , bass sound can be maybe crude, but its perfect here, what a musicians, the quality of this music is simply awesome, Red is an instrumental song it is the perfect song to open a perfect album. "Fallen Angel" : What a great song, here we can listen for the first time Wetton`s voice andof course Mel Collin`s exquisite sax, it makes an special sound that i cant really describe, i dont knoe if this is symphonic, or jazzy influenced, why not avant - garde, but what im sure is that is a superb sound. "One More Red Nightmare" is my less favorite, not as strong as Red for example, with nice bass lines , great drums, Bruford work is great here, always with his particular style of drumming, and the song with some good changes. "Providence" is maybe the strangest song here, is probably the most special and difficult song to appreciate, at the beggining it sounds like an improvisation, maybe it was , (turn off the lights and close your eyes, this song makes you shake ) its a bit dark but its amazing, David Cross with his beautiful violin sound makes it great . And to finish a great album, "Starless", the great and Beautiful Starless, this is my favorite King Crimson song it is simply awesome, first of all, mellotron intro its marvelous, i cant move while i listen to it, then the guitar with the most excellent sound, the first part is beautiful , mellotron, voice, guitar and a necessary and beautiful saxophone, next a soft moment, and suddenly a perfect harmony between bass , sax, violin, drums and guitar playing amazingly until the end.

So whats next?, if you havent heard Red yet, run to a store or buy it online, its necessary, great album, absolutely recommended. Of Course im going to give it 5 stars.

This album was special for me because by the time it was released it became rarities at my country for one reason: it's difficult to get the cassette while I could not afford to buy an LP. What happened then I was having my blank cassette recorded with this album from an LP collection of my friend in Bandung. By then it was already 1980. But it's okay, at least I got the full set in my cassette. Couple of years later I upgraded to CD format.

As far as John Wetton concerns, this was his last album with King Crimson. The band entered the Olympic Studios in Barnes to record the eighth King Crimson album. Some industry critics reckoned that this was going to be the heaviest Crimson album todate. Wetton had been thinking about asking Crimson founder Ian McDonald to do some playing.

The opening track, "Red" is quite interesting stuff. I can hear clearly the influence of the band's later work. Key characteristic of the track is Bruford's powerful drumming that drives the whole song forward. Of course, Fripp's guitar work is as usual . stunning! "Fallen Angel" is very memorable to me as it was one of radio hits in Bandung at typical rock programs by Radio Bonkenk (now defunct). It's basically a ballad but it moves forward into a bit of complex pieces with excellent brass tones that remind me to "Lizard" album. "One More Red Nightmare" is a cheerful track with blistering Fripp's guitar work augmented with clapping hands. It's so dynamic and energetic. There are some nice trilling sax notes during the interlude part..

"Providence" is an ambient style with David Cross' violin puts angular notes, combined with Fripp's guitar. Each instrument makes an entrance to the music in a seemingly unrelated fashion and it goes into a jazzy style. Fripp and Wetton collaboratively make their efforts with their respective instruments. Excellent track.

"Starless" is the legendary track that has characterized the music of early King Crimson. It has a gentle mellotron work that provides a foundation over which melodic guitar notes are entering the music in a smooth way. Nice voice of Wetton comes in, accompanied by soprano sax. This is a great track! It's definitely a dark song, despite Wetton's melancholic vocal delivery. This has become one of my King Crimson's favorite tracks.

Despite not so good sonic quality of the record, this is an excellent album of the early King Crimson sound. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

This was the first "goodbye-album" for King Crimson. Robert Fripp decided to leave fans with one of the most memorable instrumental tracks ever. The self-titled opener is what any musician and songwriter wish to compose, one day. A strong effort, well performed, with stunning dark passages and with that famous crescendo! Visionary rock from the genious of the band's mastermind.

I see many people sayying this is the best Crimson's album after their miliar stone of the '69. The first side is the best, indeed! I cannot judge the second at the same level, though. The main problem with it is the second part of both Providence and Starless. Too much noises. In my honest opinion, these two songs (excellent by the way) lack in coherence.

And that is the problem with the rating. Five stars are not assured, even if the opus almost reaches the goal. "One More Red Nightmare" is my most favourite sung-track from Red. The dark guitar riff is its precious trademark.

David Cross left the band after their last tour, previous to the recording of this album, but he appears as guest in this album in some parts. So, the band`s last line-up of the seventies was a trio, Bruford-Fripp-Wetton (drums-guitar-bass) augmented by some guest musicians. It is maybe the "heaviest" album released by this band in the seventies, and it is maybe the best from their 1972-74 period.

"Red" is a heavy instrumental piece played by the trio, with several guitars and very good drums by Bruford.

"Fallen Angel" is less heavy than the previous song, but it is also good.

"One More Red Nightmare" is another heavy song, composed by Fripp and Wetton, and it has interesting bass, drums and percussion.

"Providence" is a song which sounds improvised, not very interesting for me.

"Starless" is a very good song, a sad song in parts, a heavy song in other parts, with saxes and mellotron. it sounds like King Crimson`s "Swan Song", a "Farewell song", like the band knew that it was their last album. Ian McDonald appears playing saxes, with Mel Collins too, two former members of the band as guests. It is curious that this song is only called "Starless" because the lyrics say in some parts "Starless and Bible Black", which is the title of an instrumental piece released in the "Starless and Bible Black" album! Wettn also performed a brief version of this song during ASIA`s 1990-1991 reunion tour, and he maybe also has played this song in his concerts as a soloist.

It seems that Bruford and Wetton were expecting to go on tour after the recording of this album, but Fripp said that the band was finished.

Apart from the "USA" live album released in 1975, I consider this album as being the last very good album from this band. The music of the next line-ups of this band, with Adrian Belew, was not as interesting for me than the music they recorded between 1969 and 1974.

This record has been reviewed a great deal already, so I probably can't say what hasn't already been said. Instead I'll reinforce. If you only get one King Crimson album, you should strongly consider making it this one. This is the record that has it all, a true prog rock essential. From the thick and heavy guitars in 'Red', to the dissonant ambience of 'Providence', the perfect one note solo in 'Starless', to the mournful chourus of 'Fallen Angel'. King Crimson continues to evolve their sound and progress and break genre, all the while staying true to their mission of making great progressive music. This album should be a mainstay for all fans of progressive music, whether you are into symphonic, metal, experimental or otherwise, this record has influenced them all.

My personal favorite from the Crimson King. From beginning to end. Their heaviest, most concise output from the 70's. Very avant-guarde for the era, very dark. It's as if Lark's Tongues and Starless were only preparing the ground for this one (I still love both, but they seemed to be made more of improvisation sessions rather than writing sessions). Fans of Voivod will discover one of Piggy's greatest influences in Robert Fripp, especially on this album.

Bill Bruford is equal to his formidable self as always, creative and tight. Wetton's bass playing on this album is my favorite from him (though his playing on U.K's two albums are not far behind) and I also enjoy his singing (not always on pitch, but intense) and Fripp's work is amazing, both on guitars and mellotrons. Every guest musician is used wisely also.

I love every song, album closer "Starless" in particular (my favorite KC song, period). From the gentle mellotron intro to the climactic finale which gives me goose bumps EVERY TIME I hear it. A good album closer, and a fitting ending, if KC had not rebanded in the 80's.

Five stars.

Cheers to all !

The thing I find most impressive about "Red" is that it was made while King Crimson was on the verge of separation. Violinist David Cross walked out half way through the making of "Red", though he left a very noticeable impression in the music. King Crimson was reduced to three members, Fripp, Wetton and Bruford, who did a remarkable thing creating this album.

"Red" is quite a dark album and the overall mood of it is sullen and pessimistic, but at the same time it isn't. The music alternates between the two moods; "Fallen Angel" is good example of this. Fallen Angel may seem like a dark song, but if you figure out the lyrics, then you will see how it makes sense. "Red" is also a bit heavier than most other King Crimson albums and the title song, "Red" is quite a heavy number. It consists of a relatively simple theme which is repeated several times in higher positions. There is a violin interlude before the main theme starts again.

David Cross really left an impression in "Providence", the opening two minutes is basically a violin solo. The song then gradually breaks out into chaotic music which rises and subsides throughout the song. "Another Red Nightmare" follows a similar path to "Red", but it also has vocals on it. Most of the song is again instrumental. The closing track is quite possibly the best song King Crimson ever wrote. "Starless" is a beautiful twelve minute progressive wonder, whose second section is a large crescendo before a fantastic finish. Personally I enjoy the first four minutes of the song a lot, this section is made exceptionally good by the wind instruments. David Cross, again left his mark in this song.

1.Red (3/5) 2.Fallen Angel (3/5) 3.Another Red Nightmare (3/5) 4.Providence (3/5) 5.Starless (5/5) Total = 17 divided by 5 (number of songs) = 3.4 = 4 stars Good, but non-essential

"Red" is a very solid effort and it goes to show that bands under pressure can sometimes produce good works. I recommend "Red" to basically all prog fans, though I think it lacks creativity to be a masterpiece.

Classic Crimson.

Arguably their best release, King Crimson's Red is a polished effort that is signified with class and grace. The album opens with a bang, with sonic tension that KC had become the masters of. This is my favorite work from Wetton, who's playing really shines through here. Significantly less rocking here in favor of a more artistry is change for the better, however, we still have some fairly heavy and intense moments, especially the end of Starless and much of the title track Red.

The track that really bothers me here is Providence, which is similar to a worse version of Moonchild. The free rolling nothingness brings no satisfaction to me, and I can't help but skip to the last and significantly better final track.

Starless can only be described as "majestic like" with moving passages and a lusious middle section. This is my favorite Crimson song, the most polished and a great culmination of their overall effort. A jazzy feel, with wild saxes towards the end sets up for the chaotic closing. A superb effort. The last real great Crimson album.

Red was the last Crimson album of the 70s, and was intended to be the final KC album period. Thus, Robert Fripp went to great lengths to craft a fitting swan song. The result was one of KC's greatest works. Red marks the first time the King travelled with so few minstrels: David's departure reduced Crimso to a trio. However, each member works overtime to fill the gaps. The album also is perhaps the heaviest in Fripp's discography. The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal dubbed Red the greatest heavy metal album made by a non heavy metal band. The album seems to be founded upon the tritone, which had been successfully resurrected by Sabbath's Tony Iommi.

The title track opens with a very Sabbath like tempo and a profound heaviness. It is one of Fripp's best instrumentals (IMO trailing only behind Larks' Tongue).

"Fallen Angel" features great vocals by Wetton and is a beautiful track that balances the heaviness of the opener. Very effective use of horns.

"One More Red Nightmare" has an addictive percussion pattern with a great riff. This is the most accessible song on the album, but even that is too weird for most.

"Providence" is a misstep. The in-studio improv tends to drag in some sections. It is still a decent track and worth a listen, but the versions of Great Deceiver are better in my opinion.

The album closes with the mighty "Starless". John Wetton is usually ignored for his bass skill since he was replaced by the greatest prog bassist ever, Tony Levin. However, this track should disprove any opinion that he is lacking. His vocals are powerful as well. This is on of KC's finest tracks, and it was a fitting send-off

Red is probably KC's third best album after the debut and Larks' Tongue. Providence's meandering jams prevent it from being a five star album, but it comes oh so close.

Grade: B+

"Red" is generally considered a masterpiece and I would hardly make a case for the opposite. However, if I compare it to a previous masterpiece of the same line-up ("Larks Tongues in Aspic", in case you wonder), I find this slightly less interesting. It may be due to overall, too dark and metallic sound on this album, which is sometimes raw as a bloddy steak. That's fine, but I would prefer slightly "well-done" meal in order to digest it. Be sure, I am talking about finesse things, while "Starless" and "Fallen Angel" would alone deserve 4,5 stars. This is an excellent album and in view of it being the last studio effort of the classic CRIMSON can only add more value. But, as I said, I will not rate it "masterpice" only because a general sensation of its production and sound.

I love how heavy this record is.I'm a huge fan of their "Power To Believe" album too,but what is special about this record is the liberal use of mellotron.And being a big fan of ANEKDOTEN i can hear that they were influenced big time from this record,especially when listening to the song "Starless". "Red" is one of the best instrumentals i have ever heard.Over 6 minutes of bliss!Fripp is nothing short of incredible,but check out Bruford,simply amazing!I read where Bruford said he left YES because he felt he had learned all he was going to learn from being in that band.And he jumped ship to KING CRIMSON in part to learn from the genius percussionist Mr.Muir,who stayed with the band for "Larks' Tongues In Aspic" only.Bruford seems like a much better drummer at this point in his career,much better then i thought he was anyway."Fallen Angel" is where we get to hear Wetton for the first time on this album.I really enjoy his singing,and maybe it's just me,but he always seems so happy in all the pictures i see of him with KING CRIMSON,like he's died and gone to heaven or something.Some wonderful mellotron,flute and sax in this one.The song gets more intense at the 3 minute mark."One More Red Nightmare" opens with heavy guitar and bass.Nice.And check out the drumming!Sax 3 minutes in,followed by some more great drumming.The long sax solo is incredible."Providence" is an improvised jam that works for me.Opening with violin,we start to hear KING CRIMSON's experimental side,as we hear various sounds like flute,violin,guitar etc. slice through the soundscape.The drums and guitar start to take over,and it ends wonderfully.Nice bass solo from Wetton as well."Starless" could be the best track i've ever heard!Opening with light drums and mellotron,it sounds so beautiful.Sax and violin come in,and i love the way the guitar and soundscape builds until Fripp is on fire.There is another great sax solo after 9 minutes,as the mellotron from the beginning comes back, but only it's all more powerful than before.What an ending! Another masterpiece from Fripp and company,and "Red" just might be their best.

The KC before their split. Shall I get another feeling about this album ? If I except "ITCOTKK" and "ITWOTP", I have never been really enthusiastic with their work to say the least.

The title track is a good number : very scary like KC could be (sounds pretty much similar to "Fracture"). Strong guitar for this hypnotic number. The whole band is very strong, and at least I can find a structure to this song. One of the best KC song ever. I must say that the next track, "Fallen Angel" is also very pleasant. Very nice vocals, and again the symphonic side of the band is explorated here, which is fine as far as I am concerned. These two tracks bring me back years ago, I must say. What a good surprise !

I wouldn't joke too much with the following "One More Red Nightmare". Not that it is a bad track; no on the contrary : this is another decent number. The little brother of the opening track "Red" and therefore maybe a bit useless. Same scary and repetitive mood. But, hey ! I far much prefer to hear these type of songs than the usual jazzy and improv stuff which KC produced too often for my ears. Great sax in the finale. Another good song (three in a row) !

In comparison by most KC album, this one is easier for the casual fan (who I am). Some purists might argue that this is not KC at their best, but my opinion differs sustantially. This album is close to be their best one, only surpassed by "ITCOTCK" to be honest. Just a shame that a track like "Providence" took its place here. It is almost eight minutes of boredom and completely useless. Fortunately, it will be the only song of this caliber here. Dull, dull, dull.

The closing number is probably one of their most symphonic and beautiful number. On par with "Epitaph", "ITCOTCK" and "ITWOTP". By chance, it is also the longest composition. The mellotron is just sublime. It is a shivery track. Full of emotion and beauty. What a great track, my friends!

This is one of the good reasons to keep on listening different KC albums, sometimes with lots of difficulty. But my patience has been rewarded and this track only should please any music lover.

The melody is just fantastic. The sax is great and Wetton is very good (both on the vocals and on the bass). The middle part is a bit weaker (for about two minutes) but this is definitevely one of their best number ever (at least on my scale). The finale brings me really close to paradise (well, I guess this is paradise...).

Four stars.

THE CROWNING KCRIMSON PINNACLE.

What is there to add that haven't been written before? not much, i am afraid! We have on the cover just 3 members left of this line -up. A grinning J.Wetton and 2 serious looking Bill Bruford and Robert Fripp. But David Cross is still credited with '' thanks to'' . Also guess who is back? Not only the brilliant IAN MCDONALD is back to the nest ,but his successor , the great MEL COLLINS is present as well. How can you have CRIMSON betterthan that?

I am not here to detail the songs of this album; you know them by heart and most of you love them to death. From the metal symphonic of ''RED'' to the Crimson anthem ''STARLESS'' we're going from wonder to wonder. There are no simple songs; just listen to FALLEN ANGEL or ONE MORE RED NIGHTMARE, the musicianship of all the players is incredible, original, creative. (listen to Bruford on ONE MORE RED NIGHTMARE) .Fripp is absolutely top form and what else to say about J. Wetton.

I know, I know! there is also PROVIDENCE! It won't be definitely part of any ''Best OF'' album. But Crimson has always been on the inpredictable side. You wouldn't expect anything else from them. If PROVIDENCE is not on par with the rest of the album, this is still listenable starting slowly with Cross Violin and buiding up with a mean Wetton bass and the entrance of Bruford and Fripp. Just listening to it, now!! not bad.

I was very, very diasappointed back then when i heard that Fripp was closing the shop. Bruford and Wetton were eager to keep going and wanted I McDonald to stay in the band. But Fripp decided otherwise. God knows what would have this line-up brought us. We'll never know. R. Fripp will reform K. Crimson 7 years later for new adventures ( but not too pleasant to my ears)

If i have to go on exile on a desert island with only one CD to take with me, it will be this one! So i can only give 5 stars to the greatest prog CD IMO.

I think this is the best album that Crimson have created by far. It is consistently dotted with melodious licks - vocally and instrumentally - that are extremely satisfying to a prog rock ear. Furthermore, the musicianship is good: from the unique technique of Fripp's guitar playing to the technically perfect drumming of Bruford to the thick, solid bass of Wetton. The simple - yet astounding - arrangements, marvelous musicianship and great melody lines make this album a must have on any self respecting prog fan's shelf.

The opening song has the word PROG written all over it, with shifting 4/4, 7/4 time signatures and its "loop" song format, this is by far the best instrumental that Crimson have ever come out with (Level Five from "The Power to Believe" album is questionable). Gaps between riffs leave Bruford space for some elaborate drum fills whilst Fripp's snappy riffs and Wetton's bass lines keep the song steadily intact. This may not be the strongest song from the album, but it is a cracking opener and portrays the heavy atmosphere of the rest of the disc perfectly.

The tracks "Fallen Angel" and "One More Red Nightmare" are my personal favourites, and could easily pass as regular rock tracks from the 70s. Fallen Angel is a nice ballad with flowing melodies and not a bad idea in sight; it even leaves the prog trend and actually has lyrics that mean something! This not only could appeal to most prog fans but even a few mainstream music fans as well. One More Red Nightmare is a heavy jazzesque number with Fripp's guitar powering the most of the song and a very good sax solo within the outro section. Bruford's drumming, once again is also to be noted for.

The penultimate track - Providence - is probably the weakest track of them all, with absolutely no melody, no structure and no appealing qualities whatsoever. It was blatantly created merely to fill up space on the album, and in my opinion should have been replaced with another decent song to match up to the master levels of the rest of the album. However, the final and best song on the album - Starless - is an absolute masterpiece of prog rock and is highly underrated amongst musicians. The opening 4-5 minutes is an excellent piece of work with a catchy, mysterious melody and some beautifully simple guitaring from Fripp. The build up, by far, is the best part of the song and should be respected and looked up to by all prog musicians nowadays. Some may criticize that Fripp's one note solos are extremely tedious, however, if you are paying attention to the theme of the song, then you would realise that the quite, atmospheric minimalism is the whole idea, and it begins to pick up considerably when the drums kick in. Finally, to finish the song and the album, there is the huge, heavy, jazzy, proggy, complex movement that everyone anticipate at the end of the song, and is filled in with a 13/8 time signature and a kickass sax solo from Mel Collins on Soprano. A true gem to finish off an album.

All in all, I am giving this album a 5/5 not because of the album in general, but because of the high and supreme quality of the good stuff within the album (all bar Providence) and is a vital album in prog rock history.

The least jazzy, and the nearest to rock, of all KING CRIMSON'S early albums, 'Red' is a triumphant conclusion to KC mark 1.

Carrying on in the tradition of insipid KING CRIMSON vocalists, JOHN WETTON nearly spoils the show again. But there are very few vocals on this album, fortunately. 'Red' is mainly a vehicle for FRIPP and BRUFORD to lay out their 1974 vision of where rock might go next - a vision not picked up for 15 years, until it was incorporated into Seattle's grunge sound. 'Red', 'One More Red Nightmare' and 'Starless' are outstanding (almost) instrumental excursions deep into a dark and distorted universe, the door to which was prised open five years earler by '21st Century Schizoid Man.'

The excursion starts right from the first note. Unlike the experimental 'Lark's Tongue in Aspic', 'Red' slams you with a full-body press. 'Red' is simple (for KING CRIMSON anyway) raw power, but no less effective for that. 'Fallen Angel' is relatively anonymous, and 'Providence' is the obligatory experimental noodling track. Compartmentalising the music like this helps the new listener assimilate the album more easily, meaning that 'Red' is possibly the most accessible KING CRIMSON album, but in the end it is the first KC album listeners usually tire of.

I like this album much more than 'In The Court of the Crimson King', but for the purposes of this review I will not rate it as highly. By now the progressive rock beast had become a lumbering dinosaur, and the small punky mammals were assembling to take the behemoth's place. KING CRIMSON'S 'Red' did nothing but accelerate the process. Though the music is better, there is no compelling reason to recommend this album as deserving of a place in everyone's music collection.

The next time we see KING CRIMSON is in the tame Jurassic Park of the early 1980s, a resurrected dinosaur that would better have been left to rot.

Probably, the best KC album. Dark, intense, heavy, melancholic, groovy, eclectic, progressive after all! Recommended for beginners as well – you won’t find here anything shocking on side A, “Fallen Angel” is even a bit poppy, while “Red” is another public’s favourite preserved till our times in KC live repertoire. “Providence” fits well here, IMHO, much more than “Moonchild” in ITCOTCK. Closing “Starless” epic is a Mesiterwerk of 69-74 Crimso, the most appropriate song to finish with…and I guess they were aware of this too. At least, Bobby was ;).

King Crimson goes heavy, and I like it! A year ago this would have been a masterpiece in my book, but my prog pallette has expanded, and parts of this album have not aged as well as others to my ears.

Red. Some absolutely gruesome (in a good way) bass and guitar tones here. In the right mood, these distortions can be just what I need, though be careful how often you listen to this, because it can grow old quickly with overplay. Played in the dark, especially while alone or driving at night, this one can be spooky and frightening, especially the creepy middle section.

Fallen Angel, One More Red Nightmare. Heavy, grungy and jazzy, these songs are a strange brew of more distorted guitar and bass, rather catchy melodies, with some banging and clanging of "devices" to keep you awake. Solid tunes that can get a bit stale over time, and little virtuosic playing to keep your attention, though they do contain a unique array of drones and tones.

Providence. More Crimson improv--either you like it or you don't. I usually resist the urge to skip it, thinking I'll eventually "get it", but I'm still waiting on that revelation.

Starless. If you like prog, you NEED this song. A haunting mellotron intro kicks things off with Wetton's best vocals. Then things drop into plodding 13/4 time. Don't be fooled: as opposed to many epics that slow down, this song is definitely going somewhere. I can't get enough of Wetton's distorted bass here, and all the instruments build in intensity. This is one unstoppable freight train once it gets rolling, and double-time jam is simply amazing every time. Of course, once the mellotron sweeps in for the ending refrain, your mind has been blown and face has been melted by the sheer prog insanity. I'm quite confident that I will NEVER get enough of this song.

Great album if you're in an angry mood, and Starless is breathtaking any time and worth the purchase by itself. Unfortunately one song cannot make a masterpiece album, but Crimson are certainly to be commended for this effort.

A welcome increase in the band's intensity and dark inklings, creating one of the most memorable KC albums with stellar performances from every member. Fripp cranks out especially savage guitar shrieks and intricate solos, Wetton's bass dances in a dark miasma of thundering intensity and Bruford's busy drumming is in peak form. Incorporation of woodwinds and mellotron is smartly done as well. Easily a highlight in the group's career and a great starting place for fans interested in learning more about classic Crimson (I recommend working backwards from here).

Red is one of King Crimson's heaviest albums and also one of their best although it does have some fairly major flaws.

The instrumentation on this album is superb, Bill Bruford puts in one of the best performances of his illustrious career on this album with some very interesting heavy, technical and jazzy drumming, Fripp is up to his old tricks with his distinctive guitar technique and John Wetton on bass holds it all together with some fat grooves.

Red is a fantastic opening track, very heavy, excellent riffs and the band just gels together really well easily one of the best tracks on the album. Fallen angel is quite a mellow song, fairly poppy, not bad although nothing really worth writing home about. The band then ventures once again into heavy territory with the appropriately named One more red nightmare and it is easily the best song on the album, Bruford is in blistering form, there are some excellent riffs going on here and some great severely flanged clap sounds before it all descends into a slow groovy jam with some weird and wonderful wah action from Fripp, the highlight of the album.

As i mentioned earlier this album has some major flaws, the main one being the song providence, nothing much goes on here, nothing at all really it's a waste of 8 or so minutes, this is one thing I really dislike about King Crimson, these long avant-garde songs (like moonchild on ITCOTCK) where nothing really happens, it just seems a waste of time, 5 minutes worth of Providence is practically silence and then it eventuates in nothing but a mindless disjointed mess at the end where everyone pretty much does what they like.

The album is the finished off with starless which starts off as a melancholy song with that famous mellotron sound in the intro, it's very reminiscent of earlier works I quite like the main song part of Starless which goes for around 4 minutes before another 4 minutes of building before the song launches into a high speed jazz groove to finish the album in spectacular style, a very well written song.

Overall this a good album it has some fantastic songs and is well worth listening to for any prog fan, it's just there are a few weak points that hold it back and one or 2 songs that you might want to skip.

Red is the final studio album from this incarnation of KC. What's unique about Red is that final albums are usually throwaways, meant to meet some contractual requirement. But in Red we have yet another five star KC release. They seem to have put their all into this one. There are some longer cuts -- Red and Providence -- similar to those found on the previous album, but here they are more fully developed and seem to have more purpose -- the overall composition and playing is superior. Another Red Nightmare and Fallen Angel fulfil the usual rock and ballad tendencies. I don't mean to elide over these songs; they are all of usual KC quality. However, there's the one song that stands out, which is fittingly the final one:

Starless.

The best song KC has recorded, before or since. Fripp felt this was the end of KC, and wrote a stirring Epitaph, play on words obviously intended. Think about it:

Q: What is starless (and Bible black)? A: Death. Q: What supposedly happens as you die? A: Your life flashes before you in a matter of minutes (it takes about 12:18, apparently (at least on my edition).

The song starts out at a dirge-like pace and tone, completely drenched in Mellotron and Fripp's guitars, all with a ambiance that is a throwback to the first album. We haven't heard this since those first few albums; we seem to be reliving something here. Then in the second verse we get a little saxophone thrown in. Haven't heard much sax since the early era either; we seem to be reliving something here. KC's life is sonically flashing before our eyes (ears). The song wends its way to Fripp's initial solo, which resembles nothing so much as the repetitive pealing of church bells, announcing the funeral, or perhaps memorializing the passing, of KC. This then evolves into a virtual reiteration of the innovations unvealed on 21st Century Schizoid Man. The pace of the song suddenly picks up, the jazz influence exerts itself in blaring saxes and guitar riffs. It's a completely self-contained alternate realization of the first song on the first KC album. KC is reliving it's life, just prior to death, which comes, sadly -- for who wants to lose an old friend -- with the final fade out. I cannot think of any other way to interpret this song, or to explain the impact it has on me. Wetton and Bruford are summoned to evoke 6-7 years of KC history, and both deliver impeccable performances, with Wetton's vocals and bass driving the song and Bruford completely unleashed to play what he will. Both deliver standout performances. Mel Collins sounds like he never left the band. The lyrics are self-explanatory in this context.

With hindsight, we know that Fripp believes in reincarnation, at least of KC. But at the time, this was KC's farewell, and it is for an opportunity to spend an hour or two of our existences with music such as presented on Red that we listen to progressive rock at all.

For my first KC review around here, I chose this record because it happens to be one of my all times favorite albums. I discovered "Red" a long ago within my inner progressive pursuit, I would say I first put hands on it maybe ten or twelve years ago and I must say it blew my mind right away. Although it wasn't my very first encounter with the band commanded by eternal Robert FRIPP, it seemed quite different to me from the previously heard. Off the get-go, one of the most revealing things on the record that catched my eye, was the featuring line-up. And indeed I wasn't impressed in vain.

Title song is as harsh as soft on the ears. It breaks out of this strident guitar that announces the scent of a solid rock song. But as the passage flows, the ambiance turns kind of mysterious and creepy thanks to the low spoken voice of this eloquent cello which captures the scene in a morbid, acid way. The song retakes from where it was left behind and carries on through pure rhythmic music just to the point where it crashes irremediably marvelous onto this unexpected ending. Great parte prima.

Next song on the road to earthly holiness would be "Fallen Angel". I could even say I fell in love with it out of the first spin on my old, dusty turntable. The canvas depicted in here blends perfectly along the leading sounds coming out of the sax and the upbeat drums played modestly by Master Bill BRUFORD. I think of this wonderful piece of music as one of those smooth danceable ballads rarely found within the depths of Prog Rock. The track distills heavenly rich, relaxing all your senses into unconsciousness and further on. It really gives me the spiritual creeps.

If it wasn't enough, the album increases its perfection as it moves on to following episode. "One More Red Nightmare" is in my humble opinion, the suitable pretext to Mr. BRUFORD to show what he's got under his sleeve. The execution of that drum kit appears to be somehow hidden behind an unspoken genius. I picture this track as this kind of enticing, seductive scene were the instruments meet face to face with the leading drums and cymbals, unable to do nothing but to surrender to the spell of the mystic rhythm.

"Providence". It is indeed providential. An almost mute violin held in hand by David CROSS starts to clear the air into this anguishing mood that slowly invites the rest of the instruments to this melodic soirée. The unease display of virtuosity gathers in expectation just to leave the listener floating around his self-created thoughts, wondering if there will ever be a finishing line drawn between unrevealed feelings and apparent reality.

The best come right at the ending for those who can wait. The perfect epilog to a marvelously crafted masterpiece. "Starless", briefly detailed, is entirely from beginning to end, a post-modernist waltz exquisitely arranged and executed. The lyrics intertwine smoothly with the instrumentation in this sort of musical conspiracy that's given to birth once in a lifetime. The ravishing melodic composure is unrepeatable and perpetual. It manages to shake you off any unpleasant feeling juts to find yourself wandering around your very insides up to the tip of your fingers reaching for a dreamlike state of mind. Many times, I've found myself spending entire evenings spinning this track back and forth just to untangle my head off the rest of the thoughts swirling inside me to stretch my mind and to quench my thirst of complete relaxation. A real Progressive Rock cornerstone that would never stop twanging off through your ears, straight to your skin.

Any respectable collection should proudly display this album. Top class compliments to KING CRIMSON and top ratings for "Red" that has shown for over thirty years, nothing but constant amazement. No less.

Being my first whole album exposure to King Crimson, Red feels very dark and atmospheric. The music is far from minimalistic, but it has a pleasant stripped-down take on the music. As if it was played in a vacuum. Every note truly pierces the listeners ears, making it really hard to lose attention. It's also one of many few albums in which the saxophones are one-hundred percent enjoyable.

The five songs (a total of 40 minutes) are all good in their own way, although Starless must be considered the true masterpiece here. The strings (guess it's mellotron) and saxophones in the beginning, accompanied by Wetton's vocals and bass takes this song up to ethereal levels before leaving room for the rough bass sounds (reminds me of Entwistle) and spooky guitar that transports us to the finale of from time to time jazzy improv (that's how it feels). Great tune!

Providende has some serious problems to recover after the way too long 'intro' filled with squeaky violin noise, and Red, although I loved it the first times, grows repetitive with time.

One thing that baffles me when listening to Red is its heaviness, and it's not heavy as in 'heavy metal', for those of you who might interpret it that way. No, its heaviness lies both in the instrumentation and in the deeply emotional maelstrom the albums develops into. It's hard not to be affected by its starkness and I always feel vaguely apathetic (in a good way...) when the last tone fades out.

Even if this isn't your music, you should at least try it once only for the experience.

//Linus

Red is King Crimson´s seventh album and the last one of the second era in their discography. The band is cut down to a trio of Robert Fripp, John Wetton and Bill Bruford but with the assistance of Mark Charig, Mel collins, David Cross, Ian McDonald and Robin Miller on winds and strings. This might be my favorite King Crimson album. I have made some harsh reviews of Larks´ Tongues in Aspic and particularly of Starless and Bible Black as I felt there were way too much instrumental avant garde noodling instead of structured songs and with Red it seems like King Crimson have listened to my criticism ( for the most part anyway).

The album consists of five songs and three of them are nearly masterpieces, one is very good and one is unfortunately useless to me.

Red, One More Red Nightmare and Starless are some of the best songs in King Crimson´s discography and well worth your money. Fallen Angel is a pretty good song too while I can´t stand Providence that sounds like the jam like songs on Starless and Bible Black. I´m sorry but to me it´s a waste of 8 precious minutes of my life.

The musicianship is astonishing on Red. It´s like they knew this would be their last album together, because every last juice is pressed out of those instruments. They play like their lives depended on it. It´s so enjoyable to be witness to. This is one of the best perfomances on any prog rock album I have heard so far.

The production is really impressive too. It´s clearly the best production on any King Crimson album up until then. It´s dark but still every instrument is clearly heard in the mix. Even John Wetton´s voice is better than on most of the albums he appears on and that´s a positive thing coming from my mouth as I´m not a big John Wetton fan. I´m of course only talking about his vocals here as his bass playing is of high quality.

This is a very good album even though it has flaws like Providence. It deserves 4 stars in my book. It´s no doubt one of the most groundbreaking prog rock releases ever and highly recommedable even though I wouldn´t call it a masterpiece.

Red Alert

It's quite well known that over the years King Crimson has produced music that has been ahead of it's time. Indeed, the band gets credited for inventing genres decades away from when they started. The band has been influential to countless artists thanks to how fresh edgy their music has always been.

Of course, the band itself has also shifted and evolved. For the first decade of their existence no two albums had the same line up of musicians attending, with only Robert Fripp remaining by the time the band reached it's fourth album. Musically as well, by the time 1974 rolled around the band had shifted dramatically from the jazz-hard rock prog they started playing on albums like In The Court Of The Crimson King and In The Wake Of Poseidon. Since their reincarnation that started with Larks Tongues In Aspic the band had moved onto a much more ''improvisational'' approach, their albums ripe with long, drawn out instrumental bouts of musical wizardry which was somewhat abused by the following album Starless And Bible Black.

History lesson aside, Red is the end of this era of the band, after this album the band wouldn't release another album until 1981's Discipline. What this album represents is Crimson's creative zenith from that time. Somewhat unlike previous albums in that this one houses much less instrumental tracks than it's older brothers, this one finds Crimson hitting a niche. While Starless. felt loose and flexible, Red feels very tight in structure.

Still with a few instrumental tracks (something Krimson always excelled at), tracks like the explosive opener Red and the mellow yet intensely dramatic Providence provide the feeling that links this album to their last couple, with excellent musicianship close in tow.

The rest of the songs are somewhat different than the Crimson most people remember. The melancholic Fallen Angel shows that Wetton actually has a lot of emotion behind his voice while the beatarific One More Red Nightmare shows a heavy and rockish side of the band not seen since Cat Food (although much better played and less radio-friendly sounding than that song). Starless has to be the album's standout however, as a song that is seemingly brethren to Moonchild with it's opening emotional vocals leading into the long and drawn out jam session (this one noisier than the very very quiet Moonchild).

Likely the heaviest album by Crimson to this point in their career and one of the best, this one is recommended to all, especially those who like a little bombastic power behind their music. Being such a monumental landmark of an album that has many modern artists claiming influence by it (and for good reason) it would be hard to give this one any less than 5 stars. Not Crimson's easiest album to get into by any means, but certainly the best since their debut.

Review 29, Red, King Crimson, 1974

StarStarStarStar

Three features mark this album very prominently. First, Fripp's decided to be 'more of a guitarist' for the album, and thus contributes some shrieking and powerful work, even if the smaller line-up gives him less opportunities to strut his stuff in solos. Second, the trio have some difficulties in handling a rich sound without occasionally repeating themselves, and guest musicians are a limited help. Finally, it's consistently pretty heavy, for a Crimson record, which may be more pleasing to some than to others. Personally, I really like the album, but it simply never reaches (even on Starless) any of the glorious heights of Larks' or Fracture. Providence, Starless and One More Red Nightmare are great tracks, but the opener and Fallen Angel drag a little. It comes highly recommended, but is by no means the high point of Crimson.

Red launches off the album in classic style, with a screaming Fripp guitar and rolling percussion from Bruford. Fripp begins the song with his continued riff, while Wetton changes what the bass is doing often and without much notice. Bruford contributes with an excellent, varied drum part (of course), and the warping nature of all three musicians is consistently interesting. After an unusual slower break, with just as much edge as the main song, the riff kicks in again. The problem with this song is not the composition or the playing, which is top notch throughout, but the feel, which is simply as if you are listening to the same thing constantly, and the lack of any imagery associated with the song. As much as I intellectually reason that I'm not, it feels as if I am simply hearing the same idea for 6:20. I think the sheer musicality of the piece just makes it difficult for me to connect.

Fallen Angel is another similar dose of music. I like just about all of the components, but the end result doesn't actually affect me that much. From the throbbing, thick guitar and mellotron of the opening, Fripp's acoustic and a characteristic soft Bruford-Wetton rhythm section spring out, foreshadowing a later line of the chorus. John Wetton's excellent vocal carries the song neatly, with the acoustic supplementing the ideas. A rather noisy burst, particularly from Bruford, gives way to the chorus-line (a rather awkward 'Faaaaalleen Aaaaaangeel'), and an interesting oboe-cornet duo. The core trio dominate the song again until the return of the vocals with electrics and oboe instead dominating it. Fripp does a good job of mocking a sax. Again, all the components are here, even if I'm not a great fan of fades or that tiresome chorus-line, but the emotional resonance is lacking.

One More Red Nightmare is where the album really takes off for me, with its slightly more upbeat tune and political sarcasm. A saxophone shows up for the extended instrumental break, which is dominated by Bruford's rolling percussion and Fripp's combination of 3-second solos and rhythmic playing. Very nicely done, because as well as being great music in and of itself, it contributes to the militaristic, yet sarcastic atmosphere of the song and leads up very neatly to the return of the vocals. An obscenely thick bass sound hums throughout the remainder of the song, while the sax, probably McDonald, continues to throw out a stream of notes. Very abruptly, it simply stops. Great, high energy Crimson, with matching lyrics.

Providence is another of the extended Crimson jams that you might well find on Starless And Bible Black. Fortunately, it's more of the Fracture kind, with a steadily increasing power and violin and thick, very powerful playing from Wetton and Fripp combined with occasional atmospheric touches from Bruford. For the first five or so minutes, it's constantly almost spinning out of control, yet constantly being reigned in. Cross provides an unusually anarchic lead-in to the monstrous main theme, with Wetton then standing out in the improvisation with several improvised solos while Fripp and Bruford hold the piece down. Rolling Bruford percussion leads up to a couple of lightning-fast Fripp solos, which in turn lead to a chaotic cooperation from everyone, which in turn leads back to Cross. Everything flows perfectly, with duets, solos and group moments combining effortlessly. An absolutely superb piece of work, improvisational or not, even if it may take some time to grow.

Starless is the album's obvious choice, with its combination of a very nice, intensely melodic opening, with humming mellotron, a high emotional guitar part, a deeply moving vocal from Wetton (with accompanying, excellent, if very dark lyrics from Richard Palmer-James), and a softer rhythm section that moves the song and holds up a basic, gentle feel at the same time. Saxophones (and David Cross, on violin, though he's somewhat quietened by the mix) glide along with the verses, combining in perfectly.

After the third verse, almost five minutes into the song, the extended jamming session begins, with the shrieking violin from Cross reaching an emotional height not yet handled by the album. The clopping and tingling percussion and cymbals from Bruford are superbly timed and handled, while Fripp pulls off some surprisingly convincing two-note solos. Wetton's overwhelming bass continues hold up the basic framework of the piece together. After this slow escalation has reached a steady climax, a punchy, almost-electronic bass-guitar duo leads us back to a much faster section with a fast, spinning sax, which eventually echoes the vocal melody before leading us back to another brief fast-paced monster jam, with some brilliant playing from Fripp and Wetton, shrieking out of control, as well as some very neat foreshadowing. The overwhelming bass part moves on powerfully to a final conclusion, with the saxophone slowly leading us to a humming close.

Not an easy album to describe, because it just isn't. The sounds and combination are sometimes difficult to recognise, and the music is top notch throughout. The only way this fails to grip as fully as possibly is emotionally and experimentally, with Fallen Angel and Red not conveying really any imagery at all. Pleasant to listen to, but not nearly as enjoyable as Larks' or Starless And Bible Black, and not as interesting to me, either. It is, however, essential for any collection, and I'm sure there are many who consider this a full-fledged masterpiece.

Rating: Four Stars

Favourite Track: Providence

Edit: well, down to three. It's all in the general cuts and the so forth. Yes, well, I haven't listened to this once in a long time, relative to the huge number of plays Starless and Larks' have got... I suppose that's because I feel they have something more to offer me... this doesn't really do that, though it is a good album.

The Sinking of the Tritonic - Captain Scuttles the Ship

As far as I can tell, this was the last 70's King Crimson album released before Fripp disbanded the entity to allow him more time for 'head shopping' at Mystical Apocalyptic Visions R'Us (G. I. Gurdjieff - prop).

'Red' - The tritone (augmented 4th) interval has been exploited by many rock musicians over the years and is particularly beloved of the cartoon subversives who currently inhabit the metal domain. However, when used with originality, there are great examples of it's disorienting frisson on 'Symptom of the Universe' by Black Sabbath, 'YYZ' by Rush, 'Purple Haze' by Hendrix & 'Black Sabbath' by erm...Black Sabbath.

Unlike Tony Iommi however, Fripp & Co are not remotely stirred by the boyish blasphemies of those utilizing the 'diabolus in musica' as outlawed by the church music authorities in medieval times. There is a leanness and acuity in 'Red' that seems to be borne of a new found economy in much of Fripp's writing. Everything is very concisely structured and the innate extemporizing instincts are tightly reined in, which gives this track a brooding malevolent power that you feel if completely unleashed, would probably vaporise pets anywhere within the vicinity of a home entertainment system. The first hint of the metallic slant that would be further explored on their later output eg 'Thrak' - 'Power to Believe' etc

'Fallen Angel' - Not more references to the horny goateed one lads ? (tsk...) Another moving vocal performance from the infallible Wetton in a song that exploits more traditional harmonic structures to marvelous effect. It's amazing how Crimson can inhabit territory that is not a million miles away from say, Rush, and make the latter sound like field mice still stinging from their first shave. The middle section where Fripp and Wetton duet on a tightly woven instrumental passage is unnervingly beautiful with exemplary balance between the electric band and the various horns that weave their way throughout the song. In many ways perhaps this is what 'Lizard' side two was SUPPOSED to sound like ?

- Switchblade stings in one tenth of a moment, Better get back to the car -

PS Note to Peter Gabriel - When writing from the perspective of a Puerto Rican street punk from New York, it is not mandatory to affect a laughable American accent to approach authenticity. (see The Lamb Gives Up the Ghost on Broadway)

'One More Red Nightmare' - I am always struck by Bruford's percussion arsenal on this track as it seems he has taken a leaf (or in this case, a very heavy piece of sheet metal) out of Jamie Muir's book and employed same to mesmerizing effect. The drumming on this record is incredible and if any proof were needed as to how innovative and 'musical' a player Bill is, just point the doubters towards any track on this album. Like many Crim tracks from around this period, it veers off after the song section into what on first listen, appears a completely unrelated area, but somehow they conspire to make these devious tangents all reach a satisfying destination in the end. Uncanny. Trivia Fans - the only brilliant song I can think of that features handclaps.

'Providence' - Oh lordy...having recently lauded the lads to the heavens for their inspired improvs on 'Starless & Bible Black' it is with a heavy heart that I have to say this is the one wet eggy fart in the lovely shiny red space suit. There MUST have been scores of alternative improvisations they could have used surely ? As ever the playing and dynamics are faultless but it's an unstructured mess. The furious filling of air pockets by oxygen thieves. Like 'Moonchild' I am sure if you had been there, you would have exhaled softly and muttered 'incredible' with a far away look in your eye, (before promptly exiting the studio via an upstairs window on hearing the playback).

'Starless' - Given that it's a mighty crowded area, this is shoving its way to the front of the queue as best Crimson track EVER. Fripp's fondant guitar lead on the opening is so beautiful it audibly aches. The 'song' section is the finest melodic construction in the Crim catalogue and manifests a finely honed refinement of what 'Epitaph' and 'In the Wake of Poseidon' etc only hinted at.

- Sundown dazzling day, Gold through my eyes, But my eyes turned within, Only see, Starless and bible black -

The slow building crescendo section that follows features our old buddy the tritone in Wetton's pensive bassline over which Fripp contents himself with a skeletal 'one note ostinato' that is transposed accordingly to suit the harmonic progression in an edgy an increasingly spooky transition. As far as controlled dynamics, pace, texture and suspense are concerned, this should be compulsory listening to the prog/math metal wannabes who fashion light and shade out of 'fast very loud' and 'faster louder still.' What follows is a passage in what sounds like double time using the same (or very similar) musical material with the addition of jazzy flourishes from sax, trumpet and flute. This culminates in the denouement of the piece where the whole band embark on a majestic reprise of the main theme to a very satisfying conclusion. The band delay slightly their rejoinder to telling effect here, and the resultant weight and 'oomph' of the result is a climax of indefatigable beauty. (oooh you naughty man)

Were it not for the freeform widdley chops wank lapse represented by 'Providence' this would have been a 5 star effort. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a very fine album by a band at one of their many creative peaks during a 40 year roller coaster career.

I have never hidden that KING CRIMSON, specially after "Larks Togues in Aspic" is not my cup of tea, I like experimentation as any Progressive Rock fan (If not, I would be listening Rap), but always believed that Fripp and Co. went too far in some occasions.

Albums as Thrak sound to me as if a group of workers from a moving company were throwing the instruments to the floor, but at the same time I can't stop recognizing the genius behind this cacophony, mainly in albums like "Red" which have a solid melodic structure and learned (not without effort) to enjoy.

Some people ask me: Why review an album from a band that you don't like? The answer is simple, only being free from the heavy burden of being a fan, a reviewer can give a totally impartial opinion, I try to do this with bands as GENESIS or ANGLAGARD, but you never leave the subjective component behind, so in the case of KING CRIMSON is easier, because I respect them, but I'm not remotely a fan.

The album starts with the title song "Red", after a short distorted intro, the warm and familiar voice of John Wetton receives the listener friendlier than usual, no elaborate arrangements or complex structures, just John's voice, Fripps extraordinaire guitar work and Bill drums with the guest creating a Jazzy background. Of course we would be talking about a different band if the song didn't got more elaborate as it advances, but this time I find coherence and logic, special mention for Bill Bruford's work in the drums, is simply outstanding. Sometimes less complexity is better and this is one of this cases, love this track from start to end.

"Fallen Angel" continues in the jazzy vein of the previous track, but this time Ian Mc' Donald's subtle sax adds extra beauty, while Fripp creates a solid sonic wall and John Wetton delights with a fantastic bass performance. It's interesting to see how the song goes in crescendo but in a determined point always gives a step back and starts all over again, magnificent work.

Having a strong case of aerophobia, "One More Red Nightmare" has a special meaning for me, Robert Fripp has to be a genius to musically demonstrate exactly what I feel when I climb to a plane, the conflictive sound with distorted vocals describes perfectly the terror I feel.

I believe that if an artist must be judged for something, is for his ability to transmit what he's playing, and "One More Red Nightmare" does it perfectly. The haunting and repetitive guitar section is simply breathtaking, leaves me extenuated each time I listen it as if I was leaving a plane.

And the lyrics are just perfect, I heard myself repeating similar words hundreds oof times at 10,000 feet, only a person who feels what they play and say can appreciate how accurate this track is. Call me masochist.maybe I am, but I love this song.

"Providence" is one of those tracks that make me dislike most KING CRIMSON, maybe I'm too close minded for this kind of experimentation, I don't know, but I always believed a song needs a melodic structure, some coherence and logic, for me "Providence" is just a collection of random sounds that say nothing, sorry, but I can't deal with this.

Now we go to the opposite side of the musical spectrum, from cacophony without sense (for me), to one of the most beautiful melodies in Progressive Rock history, so sweet and nostalgic that is hard to believe KING CRIMSON is responsible for such a masterpiece.

Doesn't matter the difficulty to catalogue it in any known genre, being that we have a lot of Jazz, elements of the Power Ballad, radical changes, aggressive guitar and bass collision with the most melancholic keys and winds and Bill Bruford keeping a low profile and allowing Fripp and Wetton to be the stars, everything conspires to make of "Starless" the best KING CRIMSON song ever (IMO of course).

Before "Providence" I was ready to rate "Red" with five stars, but after the same song my personal rating went down to three, only "Starless" is able to rise it to four solid stars.

(Starless and 4.5)

Okay, serious time. There are some bands that have an album that really define art in rock at the time. Tull did it in 1972; Pink Floyd in 1979. King Crimson revolutionized the concept of art in rock in 1969, and again in 1973, and then fully cemented that revolution in 1975. To strike with lightning once is hard enough, and most bands can't even try. To strike with lightning more than once is...almost impossible.

Simply put, Red is an amazing album. It's not perfect; it's probably not as good as Larks Tongues, lacking the earlier album's consistency. However, it holds just as well written material, and perhaps hits even harder (made all the more impressive considering that Fripp and the gang had just ridden off the heels of the scattered, confusing, and thoroughly unsatisfying Starless and Bible Black, which I've largely erased from my memory).

We open with the title track, something which you might not even associate with Crimso. "Red" is a fully instrumental riff-fest, almost Sabbath-esque in its slow, crushing heaviness. However, Sabbath was never this complex, deep, or COLD. In fact, "Red" stands as one of the coldest tunes I've ever heard, especially when the cellos pick up towards the center.

Even better is "Fallen Angel," a gorgeous, gorgeous ballad with a wonderful, hard-hitting melody that hits all the harder when it picks up in heaviness. Wait a second...gorgeous ballad...heavy? Fear not! "Angel" is one of those rare, rare occasions when something is both beautiful AND rocks. And it really does, when the complex-as-get- out/layered-to-death instrumental section takes over in all its blazing glory, and not a SHRED of emotion is sacrificed. Pretty much perfect.

"One More Red Nightmare" closes the first side with another brutally evil riff, wonderful percussion and fantastic lyrics about a plane trip gone wrong. But then, it all speeds up, and turns into a great excuse for some good old fashioned saxophone jamming. Ha! When's the last time you heard a sax on a Crimso record, eh? Too long, right?

However, just in case you forgot that this was King Crimson, we have to have at least ONE lousy improv ala Starless and Bible Black. "Providence" is the tune that keeps the album from ever getting higher than a solid 4.5. Now, I dig improv as much as the next guy, but only when it's attached to an actual melody. You can get largely the same effect by watching somebody scratching a bird cage with a coat hanger for eight minutes, only "Providence" is slightly less interesting; the only part that sounds halfway decent is the end when Bruford kicks in, but by then, it's all over.

Luckily, we close with "Starless," which has nothing to do with Bible Black. Well, except the lyrics. It opens as a beautiful mellotron drenched sax ballad, with one of Wetton's finest vocal performances. Then, it quietly shifts to a fascinating build, where you have the choice to focus on Fripp's ever angering guitar riff, Wetton's ever changing bass melody, or Bruford's ever weirdening drum effects. In the end, all the tension is released in a heart pounding sax solo, where the original tune is replayed with EVERYONE busting their guts out, and never once losing sight of the tune's beauty. Basically, a prog rock orgasm. Hmm...rocking but beautiful? Isn't that the second time I've said that this album? The last time that happened was Thick as a Brick...

Like I said, Red's not perfect, but a landmark nonetheless. And I DO have trouble choosing a favorite song; I'm pretty sure the best is "Fallen Angel," but "Starless" is just so damn strong! Oh well. Emotions will certainly run high spinning this record. It IS possible to overrated it, but only a fool would deny the overall importance of the album.

Half the reason it's so good, and I think this is vital, is the fact that it was the last King Crimson album. It's sort of like The Doors' L.A. Woman, another amazing swan song. The core trio is in top form here: Fripp is as impressive as ever, Wetton sings like his life depends on every line, and this might be THE Bruford album; and, realizing that no one, let alone themselves, cares, the band pulls out all stops: art metal rockers and jazz ballads, whistling up session players and old friends for guest spots. I mean, even "Providence," as dull as it is, is part of the formula, and Red wouldn't be Red without it.

Love it or hate it, Red is an important part of prog rock history (and music history in general; it invented grunge, didn't it? And I HATE grunge, but I LOVE this. Go figure). The fact that it's also a really, really good album chock full of amazing songs...is like a wonderful side effect.

Though King Crimson made some terrific albums before and after, I wholeheartedly believe that this is the band's strongest release, the apex of their progressive discography.

The energy, the aggression, the creativity, the talent, the unique blend of melody and dissonance, the haunting soundscapes--all are here, and all are at their best here. Robert Fripp is at his ultimate best playing the guitar, from deadly riffs to power drill solos to gentle melodies to wild improvisations. John Wetton's voice not only sounds wonderful here, but it fits the music exactly like it should. Bill Bruford drums like an absolutely madman when he should, and I can't think of any drummer who grooves and slams as tastefully as he does here. A few spots from guest musicians rounds out the sound, blessing the fans of King Crimson with a wonderfully well rounded album full of inspiring melodies, explosive musical action, and what I believe is the best song the band ever wrote.

The first side opens with the title track, an aggressive (some would even say it's the first progressive metal song ever recorded) instrumental with darkly distorted guitars and wonderful harmonies. The drums fairly annihilate standards of rhythm, though not always in a manner as obvious as it would seem they should. As much as I love this track, it's very easily summed up and hard to keep talking about.

Fallen Angel sounds at first like it might be one of those standard King Crimson ballad bits, but that would be a grave error. What we have here is, after a fair bit of wonderful vocal extravagance from Wetton (and yes, he sounds absolutely amazing here), a heavy middle section. In this section comes Fripp on the guitar, rocking the power drill and absolutely tearing up his guitar in pursuit of what may be the most impressive solo in his career. It wraps up nicely with the vocals carrying out the melody, sounding so melancholic and haunting yet not depressive at all.

One More Red Nightmare draws a lot of flak from people, though I can't see why. What we have is an interestingly laid out riff that gives Bruford massive amounts of room to groove. Give it a high-energy verse with a catchy melody and (gasp!) handclaps, and you've got an exciting tune that even someone not so into progressive music can sit down and enjoy as a quality song. The saxophone here lays down some wonderful counterpoint and syncopation as it concludes the song with an extended solo section. Very much a fun, rocking song.

The weakest track on the album is the experimental and slightly noodly sounscape Providence, which, I think, when compared with the other same sorts of songs by the band, is second only to The Devil's Triangle in terms of compositional structure and overall effectiveness. It builds with some spectacular bass by Wetton (and I mean spectacular), grinding to a very awesome conclusive climax, preparing the listener in the only way possible for the album closer.

Starless wraps up Red quite effectively. I do consider this to be the best song the band ever wrote. The first four minutes are a gentle sort of throwback to earlier Crimson spacey tunes, with the mellotron backing John Wetton's strongest vocal performance that I have ever come across. After the third chorus, however, the song switches into a minimalist soundscape. Bruford then takes over, with the guitar and bass locked in a groove, and he kicks some serious funk into the song for a good length. It all comes to a head with some interesting delay effects on the guitar and an absolutely sick bass riff that would make just about anyone who tries to write parts for that instrument jealous. It is a song that must be heard, and it must be heard multiple times.

This is, in my opinion, the strongest album that King Crimson every wrote, as well as being powerfully accessible. People who are not very familiar with the band can dive right in and enjoy the first half of the LP for sure, and the second half eventually. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys progressive music that isn't just the standard sorts like Yes and Genesis. King Crimson were still the prog rebels in this era (in truth, they are now, still), and this aggressive album does dramatic and powerful things with music without being too pretentious or painfully indigestible.

Yeah. As highly recommended as I know how. Probably the best-constructed album of the 70s.

This is it! The pinnacle of all King Crimson's career, the probable pinnacle of progressive rock, the last chapter of King Crimson as we knew it and an undeniable piece of art of a splitting-up band

Being the last King Crimson release during the 70's, and only being released one month after Robert Fripp disbanded a band that is a fundamental pillar of progressive rock as we knew in the past, today and probably in the future for generations to come, Red is the ultimate proof of Fripp's and Crimson's brilliance in almost every aspect, as far as progressive rock goes. Uniting the band's traditional innovation, experimentation, jazzy improvisation, music writing skills and musicianship, Red took both King Crimson's albums from 73 and 74 and upgraded them to a never seen before display of recorded jam sessions, with unmatched professionalism.

However, Red was only able to be so good because the band got smaller, their songs became less unnecessarily complex and more focused. Actually, that is exactly the greatest flaw of Lark's Tongues and Starless and Bible Black: they lacked FOCUS. Wile both albums were great, its excesses compromised their final objective, which was to deliver great music, because, lets face it, without focus music is nothing but random notes being played, something that can be seen a lot in Starless and sometimes in Lark's Tongues. So when King Crimson made their music more focused they were able to surpass all albums they did before, because in Red all notes played and all drums or percussion hit are meaningful.

A lot of that band focus in Red may be due to the leading role that Robert Fripp's guitars have. I mean, here the guitars have the highlights in almost every music instead of that answering-questioning game between the guitars and saxes / violins or between the saxes and the violins or between any other instrument. Here, the music is pretty much straightforward, having the guitars in the main or leading role and all other instruments are supporting the guitar, though it may not look like so sometimes.

And that is exact reason why i love Red so much. That is why Red, alongside with Gentle Giant's In a Glass House, is my favorite progressive rock album of all time: it's simple, straightforward, spontaneous, innovative, traditional (because it still bares the traditional King Crimson style), focused, beautiful and sounds forever fresh and edgy. Also, the songs are all great, almost reaching perfection, showing that the band was able to deliver a wondrous musical experience throughout the album with great constancy and balance (though with the help of some invited musicians), what some other traditional bands lack in their albums released at the same year as Red. The instrumental work is also amazing, much like in other King Crimson albums. As a side note, i would like to sign Bill Bruford's exceptional drum work, as always.

Grade and Final Thoughts

Well, i don't think that there is another way to express why i appreciate and love this album so much. i mean, the songs just can't get much better that this, the instrumental work is fantastic, the album has a big number of exceptional qualities and, to top it all, is the last Crimson document in the 70's, closing the initial part of their careers the best way the possibly could with a studio album. I seriously cannot understands how can someone rate this below 5 stars or, even worse, below 4 stars.

King Crimson - 'Red' 5 stars

The ultimate jam record.

This album is pretty much a set of jams in my mind. In that case, this is the best collection of jams I have ever heard. A good amount of this was recorded live, so that contributes extra to that true jamming feel. The songs are extremely tight, and have some fantastic vocal and bass work by John Wetton.

This album featured plenty of guitar overdubs, which was virtually impossible to deal without since King Crimson's sound has always been so big, and there were only three members here. An important adds on was Mel Collin's who contributes his best work in the closing epic 'Starless'. Wetton's sound on this album is probably my favorite bass work of any musician. There has never been a louder and heavier bass in a mix before, and I find it to be incredible. The end of 'Providence' in particular, brings the instrument into its height.

'Starless' has to go down as the best Crimson track hands down. From the somber beginning and slow rhythm section, leads to one of the biggest build-ups. Haunting, yet beautiful, it finally goes into a jam where Mel Collins illuminates his signature sax style like never before. Wetton's heavy bass with Bruford providing back-up brings this behemoth to its end.

Any fan of music in general can find promise in this record. I would even call this album to be Crimson's most accessible due to it just having lots of rock elements, but turned the volume and virtiousticity up about twenty notches.

It took some guts to try another KC album after the huge disappointment of Lark's Tongue for me. But after hearing the streamsong Red that was still on our site a while ago and reading some comments that Red was something totally different where the overall sound and style is concerned I gave this one a try at last.

I always liked Red, a song that is about the opposite of the dull and a-melodic Lark's Tongue songs. Red is fierce, kind of hard rock you might say, great song. So that's at least a good opener bringing me in a more positive mood than the predecessor. Next song, Fallen Angel, is more of a regular song, in between the two mentioned styles. Nice track but nothing great. One more Red Nightmare is again more in the style of the opener, albeit less rough and more melodic even. Good track. With Providence alas we go back to Lark's style or even worse. This is the kind of experimental music I detest, it's wasted on me completely. Still slightly better than the average Lark's Tongue standard. The album closes with Starless, a famous song but new to me. I can't say I missed out on something outstanding or magnum opus like all those years but I don't think everybody will agree with me. It's a good epical song no doubt but better epics have been written in those days and then this is only a bit of a pale one.

All in all Red is a lot better than Lark's Tongue to me but that is not a surprise really. Anybody who knows my taste knows that the more energetic stuff has my preference. And that is what is present on this album. A well deserved 3 stars this time.

This album ranks among my favorite King Crimson albums. The title track, which stands with my favorite instrumentals, is powerful and exhibits exceptional musicianship right off the bat. Overall the album is extremely good, but one lengthy track really fouls the whole affair.

"Red" The title track is one of the greatest progressive rock instrumentals ever written, better than either part of "Larks' Tongues in Aspic," and "The Devil's Triangle." The main sections are genius, and rank among King Crimson's best. Bruford's drumming here is phenomenal. The music features the perfect blend of dynamics, managing to work together the loud, cacophonic interplay of instruments and quieter, more refined moments. It is harsh, grating, and explosive- everything one would expect from the perfect King Crimson instrumental.

"Fallen Angel" Opening with a synthesizer and stringed instruments, this had been my favorite on the album for a long time. Wetton's voice is most pleasant here, as is Fripp's guitar. The dynamic horn and static electric guitar work against each other in such a way that the end result is very satisfying. The music transitions from calm to harsh and many places in between.

"One More Red Nightmare" This song has a menacing introduction but groovy verses. It has a similar sound to the title track, and a great guitar part that gets smothered by hand claps (even the drumming and bass playing get drowned out a bit). An alto saxophone solo occurs during this section, as well as in the end. The cheesy hand clapping almost ruins this song, though.

"Providence" It seems King Crimson can't put out an album without messing around. Why it has to be the second longest track on the album is beyond me, but it is. David Cross's violin very beautifully begins this eerie piece of nonsense. It is a tad more coherent than "Moonchild" from the debut album, but that is saying very little. The band jams a bit towards end, with Wetton's distorted bass, Cross' violin, Fripp's guitar, and Bruford keeping beat, but it's not a pleasant track to listen to in my opinion.

"Starless" The title of this one comes from the previous album. It hearkens back to several other King Crimson songs, having Mellotron, saxophone, and a verse-chorus structure. Fripp satisfies himself with a mere two notes during the rather lengthy section in 13/8, during which Wetton employs a distorted bass and Bruford builds the rhythm with creative drumming. An amazing saxophone takes over with impressive drumming thereafter, also reprising part of the vocal melody. While not my favorite King Crimson track, this one does deliver.

This record is not meant to be understood. This record understood not meant to be. This understood record is meant to not be understood. Understood. Record. This is. Understood record. This record. This record can be played loud. It can be a scary record, That`s why the record`s cover is black and not Red. I think they should have called this record Black and the record before it Starless And Bible Red. My favourite song from this record is Providence. It was recored in Providence Rhode Island in a live concert. It has the audience sounds removed so it sounds like it was carefully recorded in the studio. Because the band didn`t have enough songs. Crank this to not eleven. Crank it to twenty-one. If this record doesn`t blow your pets mind away nothing will. One of my budgies had to undergo extensive therapy after he heard this record for the first time. as a prog reviewer I give this recording 5 stars.

Mean, portentous, dark, brooding, verging on schizoid, insane, outrageous, completely inspiring and modern after nearly 35 years of presence. There are few recordings before and ever since that thrusts a listener beyond the pale, throttling wildly into the deepest sonic chasms. "Red" is an iconic slab of progressive rock concrete, with a trio of destructive power mongers in Bill Bruford, John Wetton and Robert Fripp. Their pedigree needs not to be even broached, as it has now entered legend. I have surreptitiously played this album to uninitiated youngsters convinced that Metallica were the prophets of hard edged rock music and their collective jaws are still lying in some drool-drenched puddle somewhere. This is a black and red experience, the rage from the buzz saw guitar is ominous, the grimy bass pummeling with brutish abandon while Bruford bashes boldly. "Red" conjures images of bleeding violence, slashing with crazed fury and eruptive decadence, an outright musical lesson to all fret aces, bass babies and drummer boys. The volcanic brew verges on tectonic fractures, profoundly harsh and disturbing. "Fallen Angel" is a much needed respite from the preceding turbulence with some soft reeds, acoustic guitar and a wispy Wetton vocal , all held together by a hardwood staircase guitar riff that uses the feral sax as a railing and some inventive BB percussive drumming that keeps the premise intricate and bizarre. "One More Red Nightmare" I guess says it all in the title, a simply amazing ICBM prog workout that has hissing gases spewing from the boosters, BB plowing manically in polyphonic glee, cymbals splashing wildly, while Fripp and Wetton keep it all focused on the ground zero target. A bestial slice of ultra-modern progressive rock that deserves an even wider audience of admirers, the main riff is unrelenting in its sonic carnage. (I had the kids gaping on this one!). Red marked the end of a career for this devastating crew, surely one of the top line-ups anywhere, issuing three bona fide jewels that still stand the test of time. Again, breathing space is needed after such an onslaught, "Providence" gladly obliging with David Cross shining on violin, sinuously carving gentle pools of cat gut frenzy, disjointed and oblique at first until the hyper-trebly bass cattily establishes its torture. King Crimson at its most experimental (or just plain mental!), Fripp scratching and clawing his black and venerable Gibson Les Paul giving the green light for some serious jamming and colossal interplay between the lads (I just follow the growling bass, lest I get too lost in maelstrom). A classic piece of genius, though not exactly easy listening or romantic candle light music (darn I should try it next time, see if I can get slapped earlier!). The closer is arguably KC's finest moment (with Epitaph), a brooding epic loaded to the gills in phosphorescent melancholia, a scintillating opus that has all the needed atmospherics, with massive torrents of mellotron and a whimsically despondent saxophone wailing away the pain of the universe as expressed by Wetton's lush voice. The instrumental section is utterly preposterous, Fripp's jangling guitar keeps things emotional and intense, Wetton's subtle bass foraging a path into the sonic forests where Bruford drops assorted percussive acorns. When the binary beat kicks in, the rapture is complete. Hectic, paranoid, manic, disturbing, chaotic and magnificent. The sax solo is one for the ages and the crashing exit that recalls the main theme, mellotron ablaze and smoking. A monument of perfection for the ages. 5 Cigarettes, Ice Cream and Portraits of the Virgin Mary.

Red was not my favorite KC album, and still I heard it till it wore out. My cousine gave me as a birthday gift when I was 15 and she didn´t like it at all, which was predicable. But I loved it! It had a bitter/sweet taste for me because by the time i got it I knew that the great King Crimson was no more. And at 15 you think they´d be gone forever (and, in a way, they were). But the music inside was marvelous. Probably the `heaviest´ KC album till then, it proved the magic between Fripp´s awesome and original guitar technique, Bill Brufford´s ingenious drumming and the down to earth bass and vocals of John Wetton. David Cross had left the band during those sessions but his violin playing is very present here.

And It is only ironic that this final work had the presence of such legendary bandmates of the past as guests: from the initial period we have founder member Ian Mcdonald, from their jazz period of Lizzard comes Marc Charing and from the chaotic Islands, Robin Miller. All to give their farwell to the Crimson King (no hard feeling!). The music inside is very inspired and powerful, with the title track becoming one ofo the most well know nCrimson tracks, even if it is totally instrumental and a bit too heavy for their style. Fallen Angel is one of their most poignant numbers and One More Red Nightmare is a personal favorite of mine. Second side was not really my fave at the time but now with the CD edition I can see they as good as the others.

While I still think that Lark´s Tongues In Aspic is their best of that period, Red is an excellent work that any prog lover should have. A strong album that closes one of the many phases of one of the most important prog bands of all times. RAting: soemthing between 4 and 4,5 stars. Highly recommended.

With Red comes an end to Crimson's most highly valued period for many fans. And it's sure a fine way to exit.

I must be one of the few who never cared much for the two preceding releases with Wetton. Those albums always sounded detached and disinterested to me. Even though I devour every live album from those years, the studio albums didn't do it for me. No so with this one. It is sharp, vigorous and uncompromising. And those songs, so dark and heavy, even though the distortion knob is hardly on.

The debut excluded, KC never needed a wall of sound to make their point. Red is the ultimate exercise in stripping down progressive rock to its bare essence. And such a dry sound can only be pulled off by the best possible musicians. Indeed, for me a true virtuoso knows when less is more, when silence works better then plastering every whole, when his instrument should lead and when he should step down. A good musician will try to overwhelm you with his skills, a great one has the self-aware confidence to just give you that one progression that is genius and throw away everything else.

Only at the very very end they let go of their restraint and conclude with an ecstatic finale soaked in mellotron. It's one of the last great moments of the instrument and the end of an epoch. At least till a bunch of nerdy Swedes hit upon one in an antique store in the early 90ties and decided to form a band. But that's another story.

In the Court of the Crimson King was a key album in the birth of prog and could boast an impressive offspring consisting of ELP, Yes, Genesis and VDGG. In 1974 most of those bands were past their prime but not King Crimson. They simply produced their second crucial prog masterpiece and ignited a next generation of progressive rock bands. Its repercussions in rock music are still felt today.

King Crimson at its best!!!

I'm listening to the seventh studio album by King Crimson - Red - with great pleasure. I truly believe this album is band's best one. It contains a lot of special ideas. If we back in 1974 it's we won't listen to any metal music, because it still doesn't exist in it's real term of the genre; but this album is direct predecessor to the metal music, combined with intelligent jazz rock fusion and some other totally unknow elements for the commercial market, which seems great in my opinion. This magic number - 7th album is the answer this time. The 7th album = the best album. The experimentation with the sound is very well balanced and measured, without needless and strange sounds like in other King Crimson's albums. The line-up is... historic in my opinion - Robert Fripp, John Wetton and Bill Bruford with some exceptional session musicians. All songs are interesting, memorable, catchy and well-structured.

All around the album you can feel the dark mood and the low-pitched tunes of the guitars. Everything on the album reveal a dark and grief picture of human consciousness. The variety of the instruments is remarkable.

Flaws (reasons) for not giving 5 stars rating (despite Red is very close to 5 stars rating):

1. The presence of solid number of repetitions.

2. The presence of scraping sound.

3. Unpolished sound.

Final rating: circa 4,25 stars, but surely over 4!