ISLANDS

As you may have gleaned reading other reviews, everyone seems to have a very personal reaction to KC's music and it's difficult to write a subjective review. Islands seems to be an album that has a very strong following among certain Crimheads, but for me, it doesn't stand comparison at all well next to some of their later work.

What this album does have that works are two ambituous, complex peices - "Sailor's Tale" is a long Fripp improvisation that sounds like a template for parts of "Cassandra Gemini" by The Mars Volta; and the title track "Islands", preceded by the orchestral "Song of the Gulls", carefully constructed pieces that bear repeated listening.

What I don't like about this album though ......is that in places it sounds all of its 35 years old; Boz Burrell's singing which is ill-suited to the material; and some truly dire lyrics from Pete Sinfield in "Formetera Lady" and especially "Ladies of the Road", the latter being the nearest to a joke track that Crimson have done..though I'm not sure they intended it to be.

Based on the ratings here it just scrapes 3 stars. But, it's a whole world away from the excellent "Lark's Tongues in Aspic" that was to follow.