In The Court Of The Crimson King - King Crimson (1969)

(The Nines - looking for some rhyme or reason for what to pick next, i started with a 2019 record and then went back ten years each time.)

If there’s a King Crimson song everybody knows, it’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” (you know, the one Kanye sampled). This song is a banger, a straight 10 if ever there was one. It’s a mad statement that blends hard rock and jazz to great effect, like Charles Mingus leading a group that includes Led Zeppelin.

The rest of the album is much more subdued. Reading about early progressive rock will yield a lot of references to the Moody Blues, which I had no idea anyone considered prog (I only know their handful of “classic rock canon” songs). But it makes a lot of sense to listen to this album in the context of the Moody Blues rather than more grandiose art rock like Yes or Emerson Lake and Palmer. It’s very mellow and melodic, with lots of horns and winds.

Also, this bit from wikipedia: “The Speakeasy Club concert, which Sinfield describes as their second, was smashed up by members of The Pink Fairies Drinking Club.” England in 1969 must have been a wild place.

Tracks i liked

21st Century Schizoid Man - I mean, holy shit.

I Talk To The Wind - an utterly beautiful ballad that they didn’t seem to keep playing for whatever reason. The later versions of the band with Adrian Belew singing would have suited this song well.