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I've just started to delve into King Crimson. Always had the Court of the Crimson King album which I liked but not enough to follow it up. However, I just picked up 'Red' and it is amazing. Are there any other people out there listening to this lot and what should I pick up next. I looked on their wiki page and it looked very confusing with sub-divisions, numerous live albums and various projects etc.

 

Thanks team.

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Me too.

 

I have never really listened to King Crimson. But - a while back I checked out some stuff on Youtube, and decided I would get these three at some point:

 

In the Court of The Crimson King, In the Wake of Poseidon, and Lizard.

 

That song Epitaph is pretty cool.

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If you like Red, get Lark's Tongues in Aspic and Starless and Bible Black next. All great albums, featuring the same core band that plays on Red, plus David Cross on violin and Jamie Muir on percussion (he only appears only on Lark's).

 

Any live album you can find by this lineup of King Crimson (Fripp, Wetton, Bruford, plus Cross or Muir) is going to be badass.

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Me too.

 

I have never really listened to King Crimson. But - a while back I checked out some stuff on Youtube, and decided I would get these three at some point:

 

In the Court of The Crimson King, In the Wake of Poseidon, and Lizard.

 

 

 

Get Lizard last of those three. I like that album, but it's probably the least King Crimson-y album in their discography. I'd get them in the order you listed (chronological). I'd maybe consider getting Islands before Lizard.

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Thanks.

 

The album cover art for In The Wake of Poseidon is pretty spooky.

 

Yeah, two spooky album covers in a row, then a major shift in album art and music with Lizard. "Cat Food" from Poseidon sort of foreshadows what the mid '70s (Red, Lark's, Starless) lineup would sound like. The '70s band played that one in concert regularly. Maybe the only song from that album that that lineup played in concert. Poseidon is probably a good one for fans of the '70s stuff to get after they have all the '70s albums.

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If you're really into the early 70's Crimson, you should look for a live box set called "The Great Deceiver." It's 4 discs of great stuff with a lot of improv. The reformulated Crimson that came out in '81 with Adrian Belew and Tony Levin released one of my favoriate albums of all time: "Discipline." Hard core fans have pissed and moaned about the Americans in the band, particularly Belew and his exuberant stage presence, but this is a must-have.

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If you like In The Court of the Crimson King a lot, I recommend this delightful proto-Crimson release by Giles, Giles and Fripp: http://en.wikipedia....iles_and_Fripp. Very fun early progressive rock. I often find myself humming Digging My Lawn when in a good mood.

 

--Mike

 

I have that. It's pretty bizarre. There's another Giles, Giles, Fripp release out there that I've been meaning to get, but haven't pulled the trigger on yet.

 

http://www.musicadvisor.biz/giles-giles-and-fripp-the-brondesbury-tapes-1968-review.htm

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  • 1 year later...

From Jambands.com:

 

 

Yesterday we reported that King Crimson had announced a reunion run at New York City’s Best Buy Theater for this September. Now, it appears that the legendary prog-rock outfit will be hitting the road for a 17-date reunion tour. The outing is set to kick off on September 9 with a two-night run in Albany, NY before the group makes a few more stops in the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast.

 

As previously reported, this version of King Crimson will feature Robert Fripp, Gavin Harrison, Bill Rieflin, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Mel Collins and Jakko Jakszy.

 

King Crimson Tour Dates

September 9 Albany, NY—The Egg
September 10 Albany, NY—The Egg
September 12 Philadelphia, PA—Kimmel Center
September 13 Philadelphia, PA—Kimmel Center
September 15 Boston, MA—Colonial Theatre
September 16 Boston, MA—Colonial Theatre
September 18 New York, NY—Best Buy Theater
September 19 New York, NY—Best Buy Theater
September 20 New York, NY—Best Buy Theater
September 23 Madison, WI—Barrymore Theatre
September 25 Chicago, IL—The Vic Theatre
September 26 Chicago, IL—The Vic Theatre
September 30 Los Angeles, CA—Orpheum Theatre
October 1 Los Angeles, CA—Orpheum Theatre
October 3 San Francisco, CA—Warfield Theater
October 4 San Francisco, CA—Warfield Theater
October 6 Seattle, WA—Moore Theatre

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I hardly ever listen to King Crimson ---- I can never get past the vocals --- but over the last few days I have been listening to Court and the Great Deceiver box set.

 

The music is great --- the vocals/lyrics not so much.

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I hardly ever listen to King Crimson ---- I can never get past the vocals --- but over the last few days I have been listening to Court and the Great Deceiver box set.

 

The music is great --- the vocals/lyrics not so much.

Which version of the band has a vocalist you don't like? I have always really enjoyed Greg Lake's contributions in the first incarnation of KC.

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Though I only went through the set once, I am a bigger fan of the Deceiver box set, which consists of 73-74 shows (which is without Lake) then the Court record, which has Lake.

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Yeah, not having Belew in the lineup is a bit weird.  He was the longest serving member after Fripp.   I wonder how this will affect Fripp's playing.  When I saw them on the Thrak and Construction of Light tours, Fripp was doing a lot of heavily processed soundscape type of playing, while Belew played more traditional electric guiar.  I'd love it if Fripp would go back to his '70s (or even '80s) playing style.  Maybe having Mel Collins back in the group is a sign that he will do that.

 

Who is going to sing?

 

How does Pat Mastellotto manage to stay employed as a drummer in a prog band? 

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I do wonder who will sing.  This might just be an experimental projekt type tour where they test new material and then play their classic instrumentals like Red and Larks II.  I would miss hearing stuff from the Belew era.  I really liked the last album Power to Believe.

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If you're really into the early 70's Crimson, you should look for a live box set called "The Great Deceiver." It's 4 discs of great stuff with a lot of improv. The reformulated Crimson that came out in '81 with Adrian Belew and Tony Levin released one of my favoriate albums of all time: "Discipline." Hard core fans have pissed and moaned about the Americans in the band, particularly Belew and his exuberant stage presence, but this is a must-have.

I own many many box sets, and I can state without reservation that "The Great Deceiver" is one of the very best. That shit is frighteningly powerful.

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From Jambands.com:

Shooting for the opening night at the Egg and hoping to hit one or two in the city.  My 19 year old daughter had always wanted to see them (alas, she's a Belew fan so it will be a very different experience) so I'll probably take her.  This will be very different gig - three drummers, Mel Collins on horns again and Jakko Jakszyk on the other guitar (and the always awesome Tony Levin).  Jakko  has worked with Fripp for a while and has worked with Mel Colllins so those guys have some history.  Jakko sings, too, so I assume he'll take over any lead vocals.  I can't really see them doing any of the Belew material, but who knows.  I'm quite dissappointed Belew won't be along on this trip, but he dealt with it quite graciously.  Apparently, the drummers will be "the front line."  Besides a stylistic thing this also gives Fripp more to hide behind.  On the last set of shows at the Nokia in Times Square Fripp was in front but hding behind his rack of effects.  A brilliant but strange bugger.  My daughter and I met Andy Summers at a show he did at Yale with a student orchestra and the head of the classical guitar department and asked him if he'd ever work with Fripp again.  His quick and startling response: "Oh no!  He's an odd little man."   Frankly, I'm surprised he's doing this.  He's sworn to be retired as a touring musician for years now.  But we're happy he is!

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Jakko sings, too, so I assume he'll take over any lead vocals.  I can't really see them doing any of the Belew material, but who knows. 

I have no idea what Jakko's voice sounds like, but the songs Belew sings have been the vast majority of their live repertoire for 2/3 of their career.  They've played virtually nothing in concert that predates Discipline since DIscipline came out (Of the three shows I've seen, they did Red at all three, Larks Tongue pt. 2 twice, and The Talking Drum once).  So, if the'ye not going to be playing the Belew sung songs, they'll either have to look very far into the past, which could be seriously badass, or play all new material (plus, perhaps, the instrumental pieces from the Belew years.) 

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Jakko, Fripp and Collins have released at least one KC Projekct disc, The Scarcity of Miracles, and have worked up other stuff.  The few comments I've read said they were rehearsing some early 70's stuff (Starless and Bible Black, a personal favorite).  Hard to say what they will do, but I would guess there will be a fair amount of instrumental music.  I just have a hard time with Jakko singing Belew's songs - a personal bias I know.

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i would be happy w/ all pre-Belew material.

I'd travel to see that.  As it is, I might not even go if they play their normal Atlanta venue which is as easy walk from my house.

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i don't see Atlanta on the tour date list (but Albany gets two shows...huh):

 

King Crimson -- 2014 Tour Dates
Tue 9 Sep Albany, NY The Egg
Wed 10 Sep Albany, NY The Egg
Fri 12 Sep Philadelphia, PA Verizon Hall
Sat 13 Sep Philadelphia, PA Verizon Hall
Mon 15 Sep Boston, MA Colonial Theatre
Tue 16 Sep Boston, MA Colonial Theatre
Thu 18 Sep New York, NY Best Buy
Fri 19 Sep New York, NY Best Buy
Sat 20 Sep New York, NY Best Buy
Tue 23 Sep Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
Thu 25 Sep Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre
Fri 26 Sep Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre
Tue 30 Sep Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
Wed 01 Oct Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
Fri 03 Oct San Francisco, CA The Warfield
Sat 04 Oct San Francisco, CA The Warfield
Mon 06 Oct Seattle, WA Moore Theater

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