the path from Giles Giles & Fripp to In the Court

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As wonderful and full-of-tricks that the Giles Giles & Fripp album is (as well as its later period Brondesbury Tapes collection with Ian McDonald), I still remain astounded that this collection of musicians went from GG&F to the monster that is In the Court in just a few short months. Yes there is some bleed-over to Crimson in a chord progression or two, and occasionally an entire song. But even those few common moments don't come close to illustrating or even justifying such a transformation from point A to B.

Sid Smith's fine bio work seems to want to address such a sea change, but doesn't dwell much on what factors were actually behind such a remarkable quickly-paced metamorphosis. Was the addition of Sinfield and/or Lake really that galvanizing? A fueled Fripp and McDonald each trying to out-gun the other? Barry Godber's art? Better drugs? The escalating dysfunction of the parties at work? A second mellotron and louder amps? A noisy Pharoah Sanders album? Perhaps it's something you really can't put in words. Still, would love to hear some rumination from the PA faithful on the brief period of inspiration that yielded such a world-beating assembly of music that is In the Court of the Crimson King.

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Steven in Atlanta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: January 08 2008 Status: Offline Points: 57	Topic: the path from Giles Giles & Fripp to In the Court Posted: February 13 2013 at 10:29
	As wonderful and full-of-tricks that the Giles Giles & Fripp album is (as well as its later period Brondesbury Tapes collection with Ian McDonald), I still remain astounded that this collection of musicians went from GG&F to the monster that is In the Court in just a few short months. Yes there is some bleed-over to Crimson in a chord progression or two, and occasionally an entire song. But even those few common moments don't come close to illustrating or even justifying such a transformation from point A to B. Sid Smith's fine bio work seems to want to address such a sea change, but doesn't dwell much on what factors were actually behind such a remarkable quickly-paced metamorphosis. Was the addition of Sinfield and/or Lake really that galvanizing? A fueled Fripp and McDonald each trying to out-gun the other? Barry Godber's art? Better drugs? The escalating dysfunction of the parties at work? A second mellotron and louder amps? A noisy Pharoah Sanders album? Perhaps it's something you really can't put in words. Still, would love to hear some rumination from the PA faithful on the brief period of inspiration that yielded such a world-beating assembly of music that is In the Court of the Crimson King.

The Doctor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: June 23 2005 Location: The Tardis Status: Offline Points: 8543	Posted: February 13 2013 at 10:40
	I don't think there is much mystery there really. Consider the transition from From Genesis to Revelation to Trespass or from Time and a Word to The Yes Album. This one is even easier to understand considering the change in personnel, the ascendancy of Robert Fripp and Ian McDonald (over the Giles brothers) as primary composers and the addition of Sinfield on lyrics. GG&F was primarily Peter and Michael's band with Fripp as the third member who did a bit of writing. As he grew as a composer, he outgrew the band GG&F and Crimson was the natural progression of this.
	I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you?

zravkapt Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 12 2010 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 6446	Posted: February 13 2013 at 13:15
	McDonald is a big factor, as he wrote a large amount of the music on Itchcock. Lake came up with the riff for Schizoid Man and Sinfield wrote the pessimistic lyrics. You can hear a huge influence from The Moody Blues and Procol Harum on Itchcock (as well as Hendrix and Zappa on Schizoid Man). G,G & F was more 'happy' sounding (in a late '60s flower child way); it was a major flop and that probably resulted in the next album being so dark and negative sounding.
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