https://download.yousendit.com/T1VsM25ITkFCSWRjR0E9PQKanye dropped multiple King Crimson samples from "21st Century Schizoid Man" in his pre-album pseudo single "Power" so I thought it would be cool to do a Crimson mix. This time I will just do the tracks I think will be most interesting to Wharf Cats. The first 3 incarnations of King Crimson, stretching from 1969 - 1984 are represented here. I would go no further than 1984 if this stuff sounds interesting and you want to hear more.
This band never fit in and never sounded anything like their contemporaries. My uncle saw them open for Three Dog Night in 1970 which i still find amazing. They invented the "progressive rock movement" with their first record and then retreated into completely uncommercial progressive jazz territory for 3 records. These records contain the most prog-thematic Tolkeinry, and thus I kept them out for the most part.
Prog Metal, Progressive Hardcore, Math Rock.... and many more genres lean heavily on Crimson's last 1970's output. Listen to Don Cab or Battles for some good examples. Crimson's last 1970's album, "Red" has aged the best in my eyes. The cold, repetitive and dissonant riffing on this album's hard tracks can be heard all over the place these days. Bill Bruford's drumming is savage, not frilly or proggy. This album almost sounds "industrial" to me.
Robert Fripp is a guitarist like no other. A technical master who bypassed any sort of blues foundation in his playing. The fastest player I have ever seen live. The range of his tones are crazy too, sometimes varying wildly within songs.
It is interesting to hear some of his choices as a studio musician on records by Bowie and Brian Eno and compare them to his work within his own unit. The crunchy hum of his playing on "Another Green World" sits in a very different context as one of 3 or 4 guitar layers in "Fallen Angel," for example. Many will point to the solo in Eno's "St. Elmo's Fire" as their favorite piece of his playing. I favor his work as a hired gun too, but I love the intro riff in "Great Deceiver" and would place it as my favorite Crimson moment...
I included a few cuts from the 1980's version of King Crimson - some of the best technical players ever to have been in a band together. I have over-listened to their 80's records so it was tricky to pick these cuts. It was these records that I got into first in the late 80's, but now i favor "Red" and "Starless..." and think they hold up the best.
1 The Great Deceiver from Starless and Bible Black
2 Groon from In the Wake of Poseidon
3 Discipline from Discipline
4 Cat Food [Single Version] from In the Wake of Poseidon
5 Larks' Tongues In Aspic: Part Two from Larks Tongues in Aspect
6 Fallen Angel from Red
7 Red from Red
8 Frame By Frame from Discipline
9 Neurotica from Beat
10 Three Of A Perfect Pair from Three of a perfect Pair
11 The Sheltering Sky from Discipline
12 21st Century Schizoid Man from In the Court of the Crimson King
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