KING CRIMSON
The King holds Court like never before: Fripp and co’s prog foundation stone in all its 26-disc glory, right down to the last “ssshhhhh”.
Words: Chris Roberts Illustration: Kevin February
What a curious, fascinating Frankenstein’s monster King Crimson’s 1969 debut album was and still is. Divided between outrageously experimental twists of sound and structure, and wispy, willowy ballads; it was technically all but impossible to record at the time, a circumstance that resulted in distortion and the loss of some high frequencies, (a quirk which in turn has ever since prompted various “realignments” and “corrections”). It was an album that spiralled as far out as any 60s music, while providing a prescient glimpse of both the excesses and exuberance of the early 70s. It’s the landmark that both Genesis and Yes have cited as greatly influential, and inarguably one of the foundation stones of progressive rock.