ISLANDS

King Crimson's "Islands" was an album sandwiched in between "Lizard" and "Lark's Tongues In Aspic", both excellent examples of eclectic prog with the band at their best. "Islands" did not have that big an impact on me for some reason, and I think it is mainly down to the very ambient and dreamy atmosphere that pervades the album. It is so tranquil it could put one to sleep. There is little diversity and it is frustrating as the band meander and fiddle about lost in their own musical world. It has none of the dissonant atonal jazz spasms of previous albums, and even Fripp's guitar work is not outstanding or memorable.

King Crimson are always capable of incredible musicianship and there are passages of brilliance on the album as always but it is uneven, very inconsistent and some of the tracks are far too long and drawn out for their own good. The highlights are undoubtedly parts of 'Formentera Lady', 'Sailor's Tale' and 'Ladies of the Road', despite the bombastic approach to the lyrics, based on the exploits of the roadies. These tracks have wound up on compilations over the years and have rather catchy melodies and some very good musicianship.

Some of the lowlights for me are the forgettable 'The Letters', and the flute drenched dreamscapes of 'Prelude: Song Of The Gulls' which is pretty and sweet but after a few listens sounds more like a flute concerto at a recital and I have never been interested in this style. Likewise, the mini epic 'Islands' is very slow and meandering and did not jump out as a King Crimson classic. The band feel more restrained and have removed the heaviness of the sound to replace it with a very temperate tranquil atmosphere. It feels more like background music than essential prog. it was an endurance test to get through it and I could not wait till it was over. The tacked on musical rehearsal banter at the end though was quite amusing.

This was a disappointing album in every respect, and very forgettable by the Crims standards. I have every thing King Crimson recorded in the studio, and this is their lowest point. Certainly it is the least rewarding with tepid diluted soft music that never builds into anything dynamic or innovative. The music is well-played but it simply is not the wild erratic style that drew me to the band who can produce excellent musicality. 'Islands' has its fans of course but it does not hold a candle to their other masterpieces and newcomers to the group should try this only after hearing at least the first 3 albums. Nevertheless, due to the pleasant virtuoso musicianship, "Islands" still deserves at least 3 stars to be fair.