King Crimson - Islands

Well, what do YOU think of it..?

It seems this album polarises opinion among KC fans, but I'm absolutely hooked on it. It was a slow grower. I first heard it about 5 yars agao, and only thought to give it another spin about 4 months ago. My initial reaction was one of indifference, but this album is a musical treasure. It may lack some of the raucus agression of Red and LTIA, although I think it's a little more accessable than 'In the wake..' (in my opinion anyway) and more enjoyable than 'Lizard'

How do people feel about this album?

Still one of my favorites. The first 4 K.C titles are my favorites and Islands is the most gentle of the 4. There are of course other prog releases revolving around the subject of Islands or the life one lives on an Island. To me personally this is the best of them all. Nothing surpasses it. I still enjoy relaxing on an island with headphones and the music of Islands taking me to the beyond and the ultimate.

Edited by TODDLER - December 03 2010 at 21:59

The Islands album definitely creeps up on ya over the years. And I'm presently quite consumed by it. Islands proves how you can do so much with just a little. In my opinion, latter-day Talk Talk got half their inspiration from this album - Formentera Lady and the title track in particular. I await with much anticipation the upcoming remaster of this baby!

This is funny, because I just bought Islands yesterday from Amazon... I don't really know what to expect.

I've heard a few samples from it, and I really liked them, so I may be pleasantly surprised.

Islands is their best, no question

ExittheLemming wrote: I love The Sailors Tale and Ladies of the Road but the remainder is just stoned hippy nonsense

Stoned hippy nonsense?

I've always seen Islands as prelude to Larks Tongues I'll often listen to them back to back. The Song Of The Gulls / Islands I've always loved. I just checked my AllMusic guide and the reviewer says it' was their absolute worst of the pre Larks/starless/Red era. Just one guy's opinion of course. Myself ,I can listen to the whole thing. Wallace, Burrell and Bozwell were becoming more interested in more traditional jazz, rock, R&B and pulled a mutiny on Fripp in early ,72 and joined Alex Korner in Snape. But we all know this was all for the good of the KC creature because look what came next..

Vibrationbaby wrote: thellama73 wrote: It's the only seventies KC album I don't have. I'm waiting for the remaster to come out before I get it. What do you mean? there are sevral. some even come with outakes and unreleased tracks from that line up. Check the DGM website or wikipedia.

I mean the new remaster with two discs, a dvd etc. Like they did with ITCOTCK, Lizard and Red. It's due in October.


Edited by thellama73 - September 10 2010 at 13:05

ptkc123 wrote: thellama73 wrote: Vibrationbaby wrote: thellama73 wrote: It's the only seventies KC album I don't have. I'm waiting for the remaster to come out before I get it. What do you mean? there are sevral. some even come with outakes and unreleased tracks from that line up. Check the DGM website or wikipedia. I mean the new remaster with two discs, a dvd etc. Like they did with ITCOTCK, Lizard and Red. It's due in October. The 30th Anniversary ones are pretty good, though. And a hell of a lot cheaper... but if you have the money...

*shrug* It's only an extra six or seven bucks. I can swing that.

It used to be my favorite King Crimson album and is still up there.  Along with Lizard it is some of the most unique music I've ever heard.  It's a very good example of being very dynamic and building up and releasing tension.

Ladies of the Road ..was like K.C. turns Plastic Ono Band. Boz's vocals on Formentera Lady sound very melodic and maybe more in the vain of Gentle Giant's vocalists when singing a ballad. The title track displays the same vocal style again and Boz proves to be a melodic Progressive rock vocalist. Just stay away from Earthbound for God's sake.