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King Crimson

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If there was any band leader who defined playing rock music by his own rules, Robert Fripp would be that front man and his band King Crimson would be his catalyst to spearhead the progressive rock movement into the 1970’s and beyond. This bands lifespan covers for nearly five decades, and endless genres of music through several incarnations of rotating band members.

Formed in 1968 from the ashes of Giles, Giles and Fripp, both drummer Michael Giles and guitarist Robert Fripp sought woodwind player Ian McDonald, lyricist Peter Sinfield and bassist and vocalist Greg Lake. Drawing influences from psychedelic rock, freeform jazz, and Classical composers such as Gustav Holst and Bela Bartok, the band recorded their debut album “In the Court of the Crimson King,” which was regarded by The Who guitarist Pete Townsend as ‘an uncanny masterpiece.’ The band received their break after playing a free concert in Hyde Park in New York where they opened for The Rolling Stones and stunned the audience with their song “21st Century Schizoid Man,” thus hammering the final nail in the coffin for the Summer of Love. Before recording “In the Wake of Poseidon” Ian McDonald quit, and future ELP front man Greg Lake and Michael Giles followed suit after the sessions were complete. Mel Collins, Gordon Haskell and Andy McCulloch joined shortly afterward, and recorded on the album “Lizard.” Unsatisfied with the lack of input for the band, Haskell and McCulloch quit and were replaced by Ian Wallace and future Bad Company bassist Boz Burrell. This line-up would record the album “Islands” as well as King Crimson’s first live album “Earthbound.” Fripp sought a new line-up that was capable of performing new material in mind, beginning with drummer Jamie Muir and former Yes drummer Bill Bruford. To complete the line-up Fripp sought violinist David Cross and future U.K. and Asia front man John Wetton, to which they recorded “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic.” Muir left the band to join a Tibetan monastery, and the remaining members recorded “Starless and Bible Black.” Shortly afterward David Cross left and the band recorded “Red,” which would in time become a major influence to Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain. In 1974, Fripp disbanded King Crimson and their second live album “USA” was released.

Since the break-up of King Crimson in 1974 Robert Fripp was involved in sessions with high profile solo artists such as David Bowie and Peter Gabriel, and in 1981 met up with touring member of Talking Heads Adrian Belew at a Steve Reich concert. After re-recruiting Bill Bruford, auditions were set for a bass player which included the suggestion of jazz bassist Jeff Berlin, and eventually Tony Levin of Peter Gabriel’s backup band was selected. Originally entitled Discipline, the band eventually settled on reviving the name King Crimson with a new sound influenced by 80’s new wave, Gamelan, and modern contemporary composers such as Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Terry Riley. This short-lived but unchanged line-up recorded three albums: “Discipline,” “Beat,” and “Three of a Perfect Pair.” In 1984, Fripp declared King Crimson non-existent once again.

In 1994 Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew crossed paths and talked about reforming King Crimson, which they did once again with Tony Levin and Bill Bruford and drew musical influences from heavy metal and the grunge movement of the 90’s. The band experimented with a double trio line-up and drummer Pat Mastelotto as well as bassist Trey Gunn were recruited, and the six-piece band recorded THRAK in 1995. Tony Levin and Bill Bruford left the band and the four-piece continued in a double duet format and recorded “the construKction of light” and “The Power to Believe,” which around the time landed them an opening slot for progressive metal band Tool. Instead of breaking up King Crimson altogether once again, Fripp scattered band members into several groups called ProjeKcts in order to allow band members to create music with the intention of searching for a potential new direction for King Crimson.

In 2007, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto gathered together along with Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison for a 40th anniversary tour in 2009. Unfortunately scheduling conflicts discontinued any plans for additional shows that year and King Crimson went back on hiatus.

In 2012, Robert Fripp announced his retirement from professional music altogether after several disagreements with Universal Music Group but would retract the statement after settlements were made. In 2013, Fripp reformed King Crimson with Mel Collins, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, and Gavin Harrison. New to the line-up was ProjeKcts alumni Jakko Jakszyc on lead vocals and guitar, and former REM and Ministry drummer Bill Reiflin on keyboards. Drummer Jeremy Stacey would eventually be added for a double quartet, and the band continues to perform to this day.

I first heard about King Crimson after watching a few live videos of the 80’s line-up, as well as the final line-up from the 70’s. Their music is so dissonant, yet so enjoyable to listen to, and their use of free improvisation in live performances made for unique musical experiences that couldn’t be found on their studio albums. I knew from listening to the band that Robert Fripp defied any rules and regulations by the record company about their music. I bought all of their early albums, plus their live albums featuring the line-up with violinist David Cross. I still have yet to collect the rest of their catalog. I saw King Crimson in concert for their 2017 tour as an eight-piece double quartet, and was blown away by the level of musicianship. If anybody is looking for a rock band that truly plays the game of music by their own rules, then check out King Crimson. You’re welcome.


Note: This is the line-up from 1981-84

Members(from left to right):
Tony Levin – Bass, Chapman Stick (1981-84, 1994-98, 2003-Present)
Bill Bruford – Acoustic and Electronic Drums, Percussion (1972-74, 1981-84, 1994-97)
Adrian Belew – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Electronic Percussion, Lyrics, Occasional Drums (1981-84, 1994-2008)
Robert Fripp – Guitar, Mellotron, Keyboards, Frippertronics, Soundscapes (1968-74, 1981-84, 1994-Present)

Other members:
Greg Lake – Lead Vocals, Bass Guitar (1968-70)
Michael Giles – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals (1968-69)
Ian McDonald – Mellotron, Flute, Saxophone, Keyboards, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Vibraphone, Backing Vocals (1968-69)
Peter Sinfield - Lyrics, VCS3 Synthesizer, Keyboards, Illumination, Artwork, Production (1968-71)
Gordon Haskell – Lead Vocals, Bass Guitar (1970)
Andy McCulloch – Drums (1970)
Mel Collins – Saxophone, Flute, Mellotron, Backing Vocals (1970-72, 1974, 2013-Present)
Boz Burrell – Lead Vocals, Bass Guitar, Choreography (1971-72)
Ian Wallace – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals (1971-72)
John Wetton – Lead Vocals, Bass Guitar (1972-74)
Jamie Muir – Custom, Percussion, Drums, Trombone (1972-73)
David Cross – Violin, Viola, Flute, Mellotron, Electric Piano (1972-74)
Trey Gunn – Bass, Chapman Stick, Warr Guitar, Backing Vocals (1994-2003)
Pat Mastelotto – Acoustic and Electronic Drums, Percussion (1994-Present)
Gavin Harrison – Drums (2007-Present)
Jakko Jakszyk – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Flute (2013-Present)
Bill Reiflin – Keyboards, Synthesizer, Mellotron, Backing Vocals, Drums, Percussion (2013-2020)
Jeremy Stacey – Drums, Keyboards, Backing Vocals (2016-Present)

RIP:
Boz Burrell (1946-2006)
Ian Wallace (1946-2007)
Greg Lake (1947-2016)
John Wetton (1949-2017)
Bill Reiflin (1960-2020)
Gordon Haskell (1946-2020)


Studio albums:

In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)

In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)

Lizard (1970)

Islands (1971)

Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (1973)

Starless and Bible Black (1974)

Red (1974)

Discipline (1981)

Beat (1982)

Three of a Perfect Pair (1984)

THRAK (1995)

the construKction of light (2000)

The Power to Believe (2003)


Live Albums:

Earthbound (1972)

USA (1975)

The Great Deceiver (1992)

B’Boom: Live in Argentina (1995)

Thrakattack (1996)

Epitaph (1997)

The Night Watch (1997)

Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal (1998)

Live in Mexico City (1999)

The ProjeKcts (1999)

Heavy ConstruKction (2000)

Vroom Vroom (2001)

Ladies of the Road (2002)

EleKtrik: Live in Japan (2003)

Live at the Orpheum (2015)

Live in Toronto (2015)

Radical Action to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind (2016)


Not listed: 46 live albums from the King Crimson Collector’s Club, and 5 volumes of the Collectable King Crimson


Live videos:

The Noise: Frejus (1982) – Re-released on the 2004 DVD “Neal and Jack and Me”

Three of a Perfect Pair: Live in Japan (1984) – Re-released on the 2004 DVD “Neal and Jack and Me”

Live in Japan (1996) – Re-released on the 1999 DVD “Deja Vrooom”

Eyes Wide Open (2003)

Live in Argentina, 1994 (2012)


Extended Plays:

Vrooom (1994)

Level Five (2001)

Happy with What You Have to be Happy With (2002)

Heroes – Live in Europe, 2016 (2017)


Compilations:

A Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson (1976)

The Compact King Crimson (1986)

Heartbeat: The Abbreviated King Crimson (1991)

Frame By Frame: The Essential King Crimson (1991)

Sleepless: The Concise King Crimson (1993)

Cirkus: A Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson Live (1999)

The Deception of a Thrush: A Beginners’ Guide to the ProjeKcts (1999)

The Power To Believe Tour Box (2003)

The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume One – 1969-1974 (2004)

The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume Two – 1981-2003 (2005)

The Condensed 21st Century Guide to King Crimson (2006)

40th Anniversary Tour Box (2008)

The Elements of King Crimson 2014 (2014)

The Elements of King Crimson 2015 (2015)

The Elements of King Crimson 2016 (2016)

The Elements of King Crimson 2017 (2017)


Shout-outs to JackHammer86 for the artwork inspiration, and gen8 for Anime Face Maker 2.
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AlberichPotter's avatar
Comprehensive history of the band, even if it is lifted straight from the Bruce Eder biography on AllMusic.com without giving credit!Rage