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.

Brian Eno's Top 20 Albums

image from salon.com

Happy birthday, Brian Eno! Born Brian Peter George Eno on May 15, 1948, this English musician has made a name for himself as a record producer, composer, singer, and one of the principal innovators of ambient music. In celebration of his birthday, the DMDB offers up the top 20 albums of Eno’s career. The majority of the albums on this list feature Eno as a producer. Albums on which he was a performer are noted with an asterisk (*). It should also be pointed out that the top 18 albums on this list are in the DMDB’s Top 1000 Albums of All Time and the top three albums also make the DMDB’s Top 100 Albums of All Time list.

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The Top 20 Brian Eno Albums

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1. U2…The Joshua Tree (1987)
2. U2…Achtung Baby (1991)
3. Talking Heads…Remain in Light (1980)
4. Roxy Music…For Your Pleasure (1973) *
5. U2…The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
6. U2…All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
7. Coldplay…Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)
8. Talking Heads…Fear of Music (1979)
9. Brian Eno…Another Green World (1975) *
10. David Byrne/Brian Eno…My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981) *

11. Roxy Music…Roxy Music (1972) *
12. Talking Heads…More Songs about Buildings and Food (1978)
13. Brian Eno…Here Come the Warm Jets (1974) *
14. U2…No Line on the Horizon (2009)
15. Devo…Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo (1978)
16. U2…Zooropa (1993)
17. Roxy Music…Stranded (1973) *
18. Brian Eno…Before and After Science (1977) *
19. Coldplay…Mylo Xyloto (2011)
20. David Bowie…Outside (1995)

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Resources and Related Links:

• Brian Eno’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry
• David Bowie’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry
• David Byrne’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry
• Coldplay’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry
• Devo’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry
• Roxy Music’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry
• Talking Heads’ DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry
• U2’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry

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David Bowie Scary Monsters album released

Scary Monsters David Bowie

Released: September 12, 1980 Peak: 12 US, 12 UK, 9 CN, 15 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.3 UK, 4.5 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. It’s No Game, Pt. 1 [4:20] Up the Hill Backwards [3:15] (3/28/81, 39 CL, 13 CO, 32 UK) Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) [5:12] (1/2/81, 34 CL, 9 CO, 20 UK) Ashes to Ashes [4:25] (8/1/80, 79 CB, 4 CL, 2 CO, 1 UK, 3 AU) Fashion [4:49] (10/24/80, 70 US, 79 CB, 79 HR, 12 CL, 5 CO, 5 UK, 27 AU) Teenage Wildlife [6:56] Scream Like a Baby [3:35] Kingdome Come (Verlaine) [3:45] Because You’re Young [4:54] It’s No Game, Pt. 2 [4:22] Songs written by David Bowie unless indicated otherwise. The Players: David Bowie (vocals, multiple instruments) Tony Visconti (producer, guitar, backing vocals) Carlos Alomar, Robert Fripp (guitar) George Murray (bass) Dennis Davis (drums) Chuck Hammer (guitar synthesizer) Roy Bittan (piano) Andy Clark (synthesizer) Pete Townshend (guitar on “Because You’re Young”) Lynn Maitland, Chris Porter (backing vocals) Total Running Time: 45:37

Rating: 4.081 out of 5.00 (average of 26 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: After David Bowie’s artistic, but less commercially-driven Berlin Trilogy (1977’s Low and Heroes and 1979’s Lodger), he “returned to relatively conventional rock & roll with Scary Monsters, an album that effectively acts as an encapsulation of all his ‘70s experiments.” AMG Despite the conscious move toward creating more accessible music, Bowie employed many of the same musicians he’d worked with over the last few years. That included his core group of guitarist Carlos Alomar, bassist George Murray, and drummer Dennis Davis who’d been with him since 1976’s Station to Station. Collaborator Brian Eno, who’d had a heavy influence on the ambient sound of the Berlin Trilogy, was out, but Bowie brought back Robert Fripp, the King Crimson guitarist who’d worked on Heroes. Pianist Roy Bittan, who’d played on Station to Station came back into the fold since he was recording Bruce Springsteen’s The River at the same time in the same studio. “Reworking glam rock themes with avant-garde synth flourishes, and reversing the process as well, Bowie creates dense but accessible music throughout Scary Monsters. Though it doesn’t have the vision of his other classic records, it wasn’t designed to break new ground…While the music isn't far removed from the post-punk of the early '80s, it does sound fresh, hip, and contemporary, which is something Bowie lost over the course of the ‘80s.” AMG The album opens with the sinister guitar loops of It’s No Game (No. 1), which also featured screaming vocals reminiscent of John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band. WK It features lyrics read by Japanese actress Michi Horita in a “macho samurai voice” which Bowie insisted on to “break down a particular type of sexist attitude about women.” WK The album ends with It’s No Game (No. 2). It has different lyrics than the album opener and is generally more mellow and meditative. Up the Hill Backwards focuses on the struggle one endures facing crisis. It includes a misquote of the self-help book I’m OK – You’re OK, which has been interpreted as a reference to Bowie’s divorce from his wife Angie. WK “Musically, it features unusual time signatures and a Bo Diddley-inspired beat.” WK The title cut grew out of a 1975 song “Running Scared” which Bowie had played for his friend Iggy Pop. The rhythm section was inspired by Joy Division; Davis’ drumming has been compared to their “She’s Lost Control” song. WK Scream Like a Baby also grew out of an earlier song – “I Am a Laser” from the early to mid-‘70s. The lyrics focused on the instability of political imprisonment while the music was of a contemporary new wave sound. WK The lead single, Ashes to Ashes, revisited the character of Major Tom who Bowie created in his breakthrough single, 1969’s “Space Oddity.” Now ten years older, Tom is described as a junkie – a parallel to Bowie’s struggles with addiction in the 1970s. As Bowie said, “You have to accommodate your pasts within your persona. You have to understand why you went through them. You cannot just ignore them.” WK The song, which hit #1 in the UK, was promoted with what was then the most expensive video ever made. WK Author Nicholas Pegg says the song kickstarted the New Romantic movement. WK Fashion was reminiscent of Bowie’s own “Golden Years” from 1975 because of its mix of reggae and funk. It grew out of Clark spoofing reggae on his synthesizers. Lyrics such as “we are the goon squad” and “turn to the left, turn to the right” provoked elements of fascism. It was the album’s second single and was supported by another well-received video. The refrain-free Teenage Wildlife was the longest song on Scary Monsters. It is structurally similar to “Heroes<” and has backing vocals reminiscent of the Ronettes. The lyrics have been interpreted as an attack on Bowie imitators such as Gary Numan or even a reflection on his younger self. WK Similarly, Bowie reflects on the younger generation and offers them advice in Because You’re Young, a song he dedicated to his son Duncan, then nine years old. The Who’s Pete Townshend served as a guest guitarist on the track. Kingdom Come was a cover of a Tom Verlaine song. He was invited to play with Bowie, but his part wasn’t used. There’s no certainty he was even recorded. Instead, Robert Fripp played the guitar parts. Music journalist Peter Doggett described the song’s arrangement as “an unhappy cross between Motown sound and the sterility of American AOR.” WK From a lyrical standpoint, the song expresses similar themes of “frustration, boredom and repetition” as found on other tracks of the album. WK Pegg described the album as “the triumphant culmination of Bowie’s steely art-rock phase and a crucial doorway into early 1980s British pop.” WK Bowie himself consider the album to be “the epitome of the new wave sound at the time.” WK All Music Guide’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine said it “was created as the culmination of Bowie’s experimental genre-shifting of the ‘70s. As a result, Scary Monsters is Bowie’s last great album.” AMG Notes: The 1992 Rykodisc reissue adds the 1979 recordings of “Space Oddity” and “Panic in Detroit” as well as the singles “Crystal Japan” and “Alabama Song.”

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for David Bowie AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine WK Wikipedia First posted 2/20/2008; last updated 8/1/2021.

   

David Bowie Heroes album released

Heroes David Bowie

Released: October 14, 1977 Peak: 35 US, 3 UK, 44 CN, 35 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.1 UK, 2.5 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Beauty and the Beast [3:32] (1/6/78, 39 CL, 14 CO, 39 UK) Joe the Lion [3:05] Heroes (Bowie/Eno) [6:07] (9/23/77, 1 CL, 1 CO, 24 UK, 11 AU) Sons of the Silent Age [3:15] Blackout [3:10] V-2 Schneider [3:10] Sense of Doubt [3:57] Moss Garden (Bowie/Eno) [5:03] Neuköln (Bowie/Eno) [4:34] The Secret Life of Arabia (Alomar/Bowie/Eno) [3:46] Songs written by David Bowie unless indicated otherwise. Total Running Time: 40:18 The Players: David Bowie (vocals, multiple instruments) Brian Eno (synthesizers, keyboards, guitar treatments) Carlos Alomar, Robert Fripp (guitar) Dennis Davis (percussion) George Murray (bass) Tony Visconti (percussion, backing vocals, producer) Antonia Maass (backing vocals)

Rating: 4.131 out of 5.00 (average of 22 ratings) Quotable: -- Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: 1977 was a busy year for David Bowie. Iggy Pop released his first solo album The Idiot, which was written and recorded with Bowie. He toured with Pop as his keyboardist and they went back into the studio to record Pop’s second solo album, Lust for Life. Bowie also released his own album, Low, at the onset of the year. Much of the same lineup returned for Heroes, including collaborator Brian Eno and producer Tony Visconti. For this album, Robert Fripp of King Crimson was added on guitar. He provided “a muscular foundation for the electronics, especially on the relatively conventional rock songs.” AMG Pitchfork’s Ryan Dombal praised Fripp as the standout on the record. WK Low, Heroes, and the next album, Lodger, are referred to as the Berlin Trilogy, but this was the only one of the three albums recorded entirely in Berlin. The studio, a former concert hall used as a ballroom by Gestapo officers during World War II, was located about 500 yards from the Berlin Wall. WK Essentially, the difference between Low and Heroes lies in the details, but the record is equally challenging and groundbreaking.” AMG It continued to expand on the experimental music such as art rock, electronica, and ambient music explored on Low. “Heroes develops and strengthens the sonic innovations David Bowie and Brian Eno explored on their first collaboration. The vocal songs are fuller, boasting harder rhythms and deeper layers of sound.” AMG “The instrumentals…are more detailed, this time showing a more explicit debt to German synth pop and European experimental rock.” AMG Heroes largely followed “the formula of Low's half-vocal/half-instrumental structure.” AMG On the previous album, Bowie penned more autobiographical lyrics; this time they were more oblique and evasive. WK Bowie improvised lyrics in the studio, a technique he’d seen Iggy Pop employ when they worked together. On the title cut, Bowie’s vocal ranges from “calm and playful to a near-scream.” WK “Fripp’s guitar feedback dominates throughout, while the bass pulsates and Eno sythesizers blends in the background.” WK Bowie said the song was about facing reality and acknowledging that the future didn’t belong to him, but everyone. WK Joe the Lion was a tribute to American artist Chris Burden, known for outlandish publicity stunts. WK V-2 Schneider was inspired and named after Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk, one of the band’s who’d been significantly influential in the Berlin Trilogy. Blackout referred to the 1977 blackout in New York City. Sons of the Silent Age was influenced by the works of Jacques Brel. WK The Secret Life of Arabia signalled what was to come with Lodger. WK The “dark and gloomy” WK instrumentals included Sense of Doubt, which repeated “a four-note piano motif against a set of synthesizers to paint an image of a barren landscape.” WK Moss Garden, which featured Bowie playing the Japanese instrument koto, “evoke[d] a sound resembling aeroplanes flying overhead.” WK Neuköln was named after a district in Berlin and “uses sound to capture the feeling of despair and desperation that the Turkish immigrants who lived there experienced.” WK Heroes was named Album of the Year by NME and Melody Maker. Zig Zag’s Kris Needs said it was “a strange, cold, sometimes impenetrable album, but Bowie makes all these unlikely ingredients work.” WK In Hit Parader, musician Patti Smith called it “a cryptic product of a higher order of intelligence.” WK Robert Christgau of The Village Voice considered the instrumentals to be little more than “interesting background.” WK Notes: The 1991 Rykodisc reissue includes the German version of “Heroes” and the song “Abdulmajid.”

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for David Bowie AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine WK Wikipedia First posted 2/20/2008; last updated 8/3/2021.

 

David Bowie released “Heroes” single

Heroes David Bowie

Writer(s): David Bowie, Brian Eno (see lyrics here) Released: September 23, 1977 First Charted: October 15, 1977 Peak: 1 CL, 1 CO, 12 UK, 11 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.6 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 207.91 video, 431.38 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The title cut for David Bowie’s twelfth studio album was written by him with Brian Eno and produced by Tony Visconti. The three famously worked together on what has been called the Berlin Trilogy – Bowie’s 1977 Low album, Heroes, and Lodger in 1979. The song only reached #24 in the United Kingdom (but recharted at #12 after his death) and didn’t chart at all in the United States, but it has become one of his signature songs. It is said to be his second most-covered song after “Rebel Rebel.” WK Bowie was inspired when he saw Visconti kissing backup singer Antonia Maass by the Berlin Wall as he looked out the window of the studio where they were recording. The song tells a tale of two lovers, one from East Berlin and the other from West Berlin, who met each day under a gun turret on the Berlin Wall. SF Vocally, Bowie starts out singing in “an almost conversation tone; by the end of the song he’s tuning in a performance that could almost be called operatic, yet still achingly, passionately human.” AMG “By the final verse, he has to shout just to be heard…creating a stark metaphor for the situation of Bowie’s doomed lovers.” WK The title is a reference to the 1975 song “Hero” by German krautrock band Neu! WK and the tempo was inspired by the Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man.” WK The song also features King Crimson’s guitarist Robert Fripp’s “exquisite work at once celebratory and an electric requiem.” AMG Bowie’s performance of the song at the German Reichstag in West Berlin on June 6, 1987 has been cited as a catalyst for the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall. WK Bowie called it one of the most emotional performances he’d ever done. He heard thousands of East Berliners singing and cheering from the other side of the wall. SF Bowie biographer David Buckley wrote that it “is perhaps pop’s definitive statement of the potential triumph of the human spirit over adversity.” WK All Music Guide’s Ned Raggett said it may be “Bowie’s finest individual song throughout his varied, fascinating career.” AMG Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for David Bowie AMG All Music Guide review by Ned Raggett SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 8/3/2021; last updated 7/13/2023.