The Cavern
Rock & Words
KING CRIMSON
“The wall on which the prophets wrote
Is cracking at the seams.
Upon the instruments of death
The sunlight brightly gleams.”
“C”
Main Decade: 70’s
Main Eras:
Progressive (1968-???)
Key Members:
Robert Fripp
Key Songs:
The Court Of The Crimson King, 21st Century Schizoid Man, Fallen Angel, Elephant Talk, I Talk To The Wind, Red, Epitaph, In The Wake Of Poseidon, Discipline, Cirkus, Starless, Pictures of a City, The Devil's Triangle, Prelude: Song Of The Gulls, Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part Two, Cat Food, Exiles, Matte Kudasai
Delving into the history of King Crimson is like entering a labyrinth with no exit, since following all the lineup changes is more confusing than tracing the genealogies in One Hundred Years of Solitude. In 1967, brothers Michael and Peter Giles decided to form a band. They were a drummer and a bassist, respectively, and they placed an ad looking for a keyboardist who could also sing. A young Robert Fripp showed up, who wasn't a keyboardist, but a guitarist, and he couldn't sing at all. But they eventually accepted him and formed the trio Giles, Giles and Fripp. This would lead to constant jokes, and even 30 years later, since none of the Gileses were in the band and Fripp was the only link or common denominator in the history of King Crimson, he would insist on asking the Gileses if they had accepted him. "Let's not rush things, let's not make any compromises," Michael Giles would joke.
As a trio, they recorded one album, *The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp*, released in 1968, a very wacky record of light, fun Britpop with a peculiar sense of humor. The album had a style practically the opposite of the solemnity and melancholy of *In the Court of the Crimson King*, which bordered on medieval pessimism. This G, G & F album truly gave no hint of what was to come a year later. The fact is, the trio's album flopped miserably, and Keith Moon even panned it in a review for a magazine.
Far from being discouraged, the trio decided they didn't have enough of a lineup. So they recruited Ian McDonald, a multi-instrumentalist who played keyboards, Mellotron, flutes, saxophone, guitar, vibraphone, and basically anything he could get his hands on. He would later become the founder of Foreigner. Ian brought along a friend, Peter Sinfield, who couldn't play an instrument even if his life depended on it, but was a good lyricist. Thus, Seinfeld was a fundamental part of Crimson during its early days without knowing or needing to play any instrument, and he's even credited as a band member, which I believe was unprecedented at the time. One of the first lyrics Peter and McDonald wrote was for the song "The Court of the Crimson King." Meanwhile, Fripp wanted to distance himself from the lighter sounds more closely associated with Britpop, like those of the Kinks, to focus on more universal sounds inspired by jazz and its free-flowing style. He had recently seen a band at the Marquee that had impressed him with its free jazz, called Clouds. Another band that influenced Robert was the Moody Blues, with their baroque and orchestral sounds. Peter Giles, on the other hand, wanted to continue making more pop-oriented music, so Robert brought in a friend, a bassist and singer named Greg Lake, to replace either Peter or himself. Finally, Peter himself stepped aside, claiming it was a political move by Fripp, a stab in the back, and so on, but he would later claim that he was disillusioned after the failure of their album as a trio and that was why he left. Greg Lake then joined as bassist and lead vocalist. And surprise, surprise, we have the first King Crimson lineup in October '68, which took its name from that first composition by McDonald and Sinfield, with "Crimson King" referring to the devil.
The band's new members completely reshaped their sound, propelling King Crimson into the stratosphere. Ian McDonald, a superb keyboardist, mastered virtually everything he played. His keyboard, Mellotron, and wind instrument arrangements are the soul of the songs, giving them depth and a colossal yet delicate feel. He's responsible for the album's medieval and desolate atmosphere. Greg Lake brought not only his mastery of the bass and his impressive arrangements, but also his expressive voice, which conveys powerful emotions. His theatrical voice truly suits the grandeur of King Crimson's first two albums. Frankly, I prefer his sound on this album to any ELP record. Peter Seinfeld, for his part, brought a wealth of fantastical imagery, complete with Tolkien-esque scenes, which meshed perfectly with the otherworldly musical atmospheres. He would later contribute to the production of Roxy Music. Fripp remains a great guitarist, always experimental, a colossal force, capable of great riffs and solos, while Michael Giles is a superb drummer, adding his military background to the mix with martial rhythms when he's not playing fabulous rolls or solos with a jazzy influence.
The band began playing live in April 1969 and made a tremendous impact on the London music scene, clearly challenging the blues-based compositions that dominated the sound of the time. Instead, they presented more daring, jazz-influenced sounds, classical sounds, and medieval influences. Mick Jagger heard them and was so impressed that he offered them a spot on the bill for the Rolling Stones' first concert in England in two years, at Hyde Park on July 5th, before 650,000 people. Between the Stones' lack of form after so much time away from the stage, the shock of Brian Jones' death two days prior, and Mick Taylor's nervousness—he was performing with the Rolling Stones at that concert—the Stones gave one of their worst performances ever, and the spotlight fell on this unknown band with its unusual sound, King Crimson. The legendary Hyde Park concert would open the door for Crimson to successfully release their debut album three months later.
Before the year was out, and with the album climbing the charts, Michael Giles and Ian McDonald left the group, beginning the tremendous turnover of musicians that has characterized King Crimson.
Robert Fripp, Greg Lake, and Peter Sinfeld continued with the project and released their second album, *In the Wake of Poseidon*, in 1970. To complete it, they brought in Mel Collins and Peter Giles, a former founding member and brother of the recently departed Mike. Greg Lake was the next to leave. He had been offered the chance to form a supergroup with Carl Palmer and Keith Emerson (and Jimi Hendrix; it was originally going to be called HELP, but Jimi died before the project materialized), and given Fripp's dictatorial nature, he preferred to take a chance on the new group. Gordon Haskell joined as vocalist for the third album, *Lizard*, and Andty McCulloch played drums. Jon Anderson of Yes sang on one of the tracks. Both new members left the band after the recording of *Lizard*, leaving them once again without a bassist/vocalist or a drummer. Thus, Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace joined to fill their respective positions. Boz didn't even know how to play bass, but they still recorded *Islands* in 1971.
Later, Sinfield left the band in 1972, and after the *Earthbound* tour, Collins, Burrell, and Wallace quit. Fripp was on the verge of giving up, but he restarted the recruitment process for a new King Crimson, with Jamie Muir on percussion, John Wetton on bass and vocals, Bill Brufford (formerly of Yes) on drums, and David Cross on violin and viola. With this lineup, they recorded *Larks' Tongues in Aspic* and, a year later, *Starless and Bible Black*. It was the first King Crimson lineup to remain intact for two albums!
David Cross was the first to jump ship just before the start of the sessions for *Red*, which included a host of new musicians and the horn sections that Fripp added. No tour was undertaken for *Red*. Fripp became involved with mystical books, fell into a depression, and disbanded the group in 1975.
In 1981, Fripp and Brufford began planning a project that would be called Discipline. They brought in Tony Levin, a bassist who had already played with Peter Gabriel and the recently murdered John Lennon. For the first time, Fripp didn't insist on the bassist singing. This time, he added guitarist and vocalist Adrian Belew. A second guitar in the group would redefine and enhance Crimson's sound. After finishing the recording of the album, Fripp decided that it would retain the title Discipline, but that the band would maintain the essence of King Crimson, so he revived his old band. They would continue recording albums, rotating personnel and changing their sound almost every album. In 1984 they would separate again for another 10 years, until 1994, with THRAK's standing out in this new stage.
In 2003, the band took a long hiatus, and Robert Fripp even stated that he was no longer interested in reviving the project, without officially disbanding it (which wouldn't have mattered anyway; Crimson's breakups can never be considered serious anymore). Currently, there are rumors that they are recording an album called *A Scarcity of Miracles*.
King Crimson is a great band. The problem with them is that the immense turnover of members makes people take them less seriously, considering them more of a musical workshop than a band. But they have undoubtedly been one of the cornerstones of progressive rock, "training" many of the figures who would later stand out in other groups. These same changes prevented the band from developing its own sound, as they were always evolving and incorporating the influences of new members, moving from medieval rock to influences more inclined towards metal, art rock, jazz, new wave, electronic trends, and so on. The only constant in King Crimson is change… But that doesn't detract from the fact that they have great albums, very well-crafted, with amazing textural interplay, a lot of experimentation, always seeking to innovate in their search for sound. In short, a great band, unfortunately much undervalued by us mere mortals, although perhaps it is one of the greatest cult bands among specialized musicians, those who know how to understand and marvel at experimentation, the interplay of different scales, the invention of sounds and instruments, the way the guitars intertwine, the pentatonic scales, and all that escapes our understanding with a simple ear, without a more complex musical education.
With you, the metamorphic and seductive King Crimson!!!
By Corvan
Aug/19/2011
