Today in Music (1969): King Crimson released In the Court of the Crimson King

In the Court of the Crimson King King Crimson

Released: October 10, 1969 Peak: 28 US, 5 UK, 27 CN, 7 AU Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.1 UK, 0.93 world (includes US and UK) Genre: progressive rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts. 21st Century Schizoid Man ( Fripp, McDonald, Lake, Giles, Sinfield) [7:24] (7 CL) I Talk to the Wind (McDonald, Sinfield) [6:05] Epitaph (Fripp, McDonald, Lake, Giles, Sinfield) [8:47] (40 CL) a. March for No Reason b. Tomorrow and Tomorrow Moonchild (Fripp, McDonald, Lake, Giles, Sinfield) [12:13] a. The Dream b. The Illusion The Court of the Crimson King (McDonald, Sinfield) [9:25] (1/31/70, 80 BB, 8 CL) a. The Return of the Fire Witch b. The Dance of the Puppets Total Running Time: 43:54 The Players: Robert Fripp (guitar, production) Ian McDonald (sax, flute, clarinet, vibraphone, harpsichord, et al) Greg Lake (vocals, bass) Michael Giles (drums, percussion, backing vocals) Peter Sinfield (lyrics, production)

Rating: 4.204 out of 5.00 (average of 36 ratings) Quotable: “If progressive rock as a discrete genre can be said to have a starting point, In the Court of the Crimson King is probably it.” – Paul Stump, History of Progressive Rock Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

A Pinnacle of Prog King Crimson’s debut album has been called “the first true progressive rock album.” WK “Although the Moody Blues, Procol Harum, and Jethro Tull predated King Crimson in the use of classical instruments in a rock setting, King Crimson…went beyond the use of classical instruments to generate rock with sophisticated classical ideas.” CS In his History of Progressive Rock, Paul Stump says “if progressive rock as a discrete genre can be said to have a starting point, In the Court of the Crimson King is probably it.” WK Musicologist Edward Macan says it “may be the most influential progressive rock album ever released.” WK PopMatters’ Sean Murphy calls it “The Rosetta Stone, and still the purest and most perfect expression of the progressive rock aesthetic.” WK Classic Rock’s Alexander Milas called it the album which “blew the doors of musical convention and cemented these quintessentially British innovators’ place in rock history for all time.” WK The album had “a significant influence on the heavy metal and progressive rock to come.” CS The Who’s Pete Townshed called the album “an uncanny masterpiece.” WK On the Dave’s Music Database list of top progressive rock albums, it ranks #2, only behind Yes’ Close to the Edge. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked it as the #2 progressive rock album behind Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Criticism of Prog Rock In 1969, Rolling Stone’s John Mothland foreshadowed “the criticism that would haunt the entire genre of progressive rock through the 1970s” CSM when he wrote that “King Crimons will probably be condemned by some for pompousness…but that criticism isn’t really valid. They have combined aspects of many musical forms to create a surreal work of force and originality.” CS While the genre certainly has detractors, “that doesn't mean the album itself isn't still a cool, innovative piece of work.” PK The album “effectively decimates the argument that progressive rock of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s was little more than the babbling technical feats of overamped nerds.” TM It offers “greatly nuanced music in a genre where nuance is often in short supply.” TM The Music This is “a stunning debut that functioned as a cohesive unit rather than a mere collection of songs.” CS The music is “stylistically diverse and rhythmically complex.” WK “The band’s adventurous spirit would not only bring a new attention to the incorporation of jazz and classical elements in rock, but would challenge rock’s basic structure as a blues-based art form.” CS PopMatters’ Sean Murphy said it is “ahead of its time as well as…out of time.” WK “King Crimson projected a darker and edgier brand of post-psychedelic rock. Likewise, they were inherently intelligent – a sort of thinking man’s Pink Floyd.” AM “A must-own for fans of Pink Floyd, Yes (who were never this good), and early Genesis.” PK The Players > Over the years, players came and went in King Crimson but “left-field guitar hero Robert Fripp” RD remained a constant. He “immediately join[ed] the ranks of pop music’s genius innovators.” RS His “guitar work fuses “elegant classical, Hendrix-like rock explosions, and jazz noodling.” WK He “orchestrated lush compositions that advanced a moody, postpsychedelic agenda.” CS The band’s debut, though, is “more of a team effort.” PK It was the only one to feature this lineup, but it “remains their best known work.” RD It features “classically-influenced ensemble playing and nice vocals by Greg Lake,” PK who would go on to be a founder of another hugely-celebrated progressive-rock group, Emerson, Lake, & Palmer. Multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald played “a wide variety of instrumental not traditionally found in a rock band (including mellotron, vibes, woodwinds, reeds, and keyboards.” CS His “mellotron is said to be the ‘dominant’ instrument on the album.” WK Like Lake, McDonald would also be the founder of another iconic rock band – Foreigner. The Artwork Barry Gobder, who was a computer programmer friend of Sinfield’s, painted the memorable design for the album cover, using his own face as the model. He was only 24 years old when he died from a heart attack in February 1970, shortly after the album’s release. It was his only painting. Robert Fripp owns the original. WK The Songs Here are thoughts on the individual songs from the album. “21st Century Schizoid Man” On “the heavy, guitar-driven 21st Century Schizoid Man,” PK “Fripp demonstrates his innate aptitude for contrasts and the value of silence within a performance.” AM He offers “improvisation that makes most rock guitar solos sound like nursery rhymes.” TM <[> The song’s “gargantuan main riff, squalling sax, and apocalyptic visions” RD “is nothing short of the aural antecedent to what would become the entire heavy alternative/grunge sound.” AM Indeed, Time Out’s Manish Agarwal called it “perhaps the first alternative anthem.” WK “The rest of the disc is artier, with emphasis on acoustic guitars, keyboards, and the occasional woodwind instrument.” PK “I Talk to the Wind” “Juxtaposed with that electric intensity is the ethereal noir ballad I Talk to the Wind. The delicate vocal harmonies and McDonald’s achingly poignant flute solo and melodic counterpoint remain unmatched on an emotive level. The surreal and opaque lyrics are likewise an insight to Peter Sinfield’s masterful wordplay, which graced their next three releases.” AM The song was originally written for the King Crimson predecessor group Giles, Giles, and Fripp. WK Lyricist Peter Sinfield says it was influenced by Joni Mitchell and is the favorite lyric he ever wrote. WK “Epitaph” Epitaph is “a beautifully resigned ballad that finds Lake’s plaintive voice supported by a rich array of textures” RD and “powerful sonic imagery…The haunting Mellotron wails, and Fripp’s acoustic – as well as electric – guitar counterpoints give the introduction an almost sacred feel, adding measurably to the overall sinister mood. Giles’ percussion work provides a pungent kick during the kettle drum intro and to the aggressive palpitation-inducing rhythm in the chorus.” AM “Moonchild” Agarwal called Moonchild “a spooly pastoral love song.” WK It is “creepy, bordering on uncomfortable. The melody is agile and ageless, while the instrumentation wafts like the wind through bare trees.” AM “An extended improvisation…dissolves into a non-structured section of free jazz” AM “that…explore[s] spacy open vistas.” TM “The Court of the Crimson King” The title track is “another beautifully bombastic song.” AM It “is said to invoke a ‘medieval’ atmosphere and contains what has been characterized as ‘folky arabesques, bombastic drum rolls, and baroque flute.” WK “The foreboding featured in Sinfield’s lyrics is instrumentally matched by the contrasting verbosity in the chorus and the delicate nature of the verses and concluding solos.” AM He and McDonald originally wrote it as more of a country and western song for their earlier group The Creation. WK

Reviews: AM AllMusic.com review by Lindsay Planer RD Robert Dimery (2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Quintet Publishing Limited: New York, NY. Page 185. PK Pop Kulcher/Marc Fagel Greatest Rock & Roll Albums of All Time TM Tom Moon (2008). 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Workman Publishing Company, Inc.: New York, NY. Pages 424-5. CS Chris Smith (2009). 101 Albums That Changed Popular Music. Oxford University Press. Pages 71-3. WK Wikipedia Related DMDB Links: First posted 5/17/2011; last updated 6/17/2025.