IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING

If you're planning on getting an album by King Crimson, please make sure that it is "In the court of the crimson king". I promise you (even though I haven't heard all that much from the band), that it's probably the best material they ever wrote.

The songs, with great musical variations - from heavy & complicated "21st Cenutry Schizoid man" to the more mainstream, easy listened title song "In the court of the crimson king", still bind together pefectly into a masterpiece. And if you imagine this album as a piece of a lovely cake, the lyrics are just that puts much more colour to everything - in fact, the lyrics are really good! King Crimson had, just like Procol Harum, a band member who wrote the lyrics - Peter Sinfield. Sinfields lyrics are sometimes about absolutly nothing (still great though), or if they're about something it's often difficult to figure out what. And sometimes, the lyrics turn out to be simple beautiful poems like "Moonchild". The two, still unmentioned songs "I talk to the wind" and the emotional "Epitaph", both of them with rather metaphoric lyrics, give Greg Lake a chance to show what a great vocalist he really is.

The reason why King Crimson never succeded as well as with "In the court of the crimson king" is a question that is hard to answer. But I believe that since King Crimson changed band members all the time (often from one album to another) there was never really a structur. Keyboardist Ian McDonald departed from the band already after this album and bassist and lead vocalist Greg Lake departured after their second album. Drummer Michael Giles was also replaced after a few years by Bill Bruford form Yes (excellent drummer indeed!!!). The only remaining original band member is guitarist Robert Fripp, who also could be considered as the band leader. Even though he orginized new band members, the first line up from 1969 could never be replaced.

Anyhow, I really recomend this album to all who like progressive rock - and even those who would like to discover something new! Enjoy!