ISLANDS

One more shot from an ever changing King Crimson line-up, before Robert Fripp finally decided to blow the whole thing up, and start from scratch.

It was far from the end for KC, but maybe the reason the quality of music on their first four albums never seemed have much consistency, is due to the ever-changing lineup. Although Fripp did the majority of the writing, it was never the same band twice. If you don't know what tools you're working with, it's hard to build with them.

That being said, there wasn't a bad apple in the bunch. Islands, like its predecessors, is full of great music, but it doesn't always use that music to its full potential. "Formentera Lady" is a fine example of this, as it moves seamlessly from atmospheric string piece to jazz-influenced jam. But the ending tediously drags out, before eventually segueing into "Sailor's Tale". The second track is one of the most cohesive on the album. It flails around wildly, but through each loud and quiet section, it never ceases to entertain. "The Letters" and "Ladies of the Road" bounce up and down in intensity as well, but by the end of these two tracks, this standard formula for Islands becomes tiresome.

"Prelude: Song of the Gulls" switches things up at this point. It begins quiet?and stays quiet. Somehow, it really works though. This is what makes Islands stand out. "Prelude" and the title track, are really beautiful songs. King Crimson? Beautiful? Fripp shows us an emotionally touching side that we haven't seen to this point. It was as if he knew this would be the end of an era (in particular the working partnership with Peter Sinfield), and was playing the swansong.

Islands is not the best Crimson album so far, but it makes for an (almost) ideal ending. One that would be very difficult to follow up?