An important part of a very important band, and I don’t mean ELP. If you listen to Giles, Giles, and Fripp or McDonald’s solo work, it is possible that Lake contributed a power and hardness to Crimson King, that is, taught Fripp to rock? The live recordings of that band are amazing, but you had to be then to know how revolutionary they were.
Coincidentally last night I found my lost DVD-Audio disc from the 40th anniversary Deluxe Edition of Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson) and as I was putting it away, I was thinking of how this now obscure recording can still be in my estimation one of the greats, and one of the most influential recordings in popular music. But how come King Crimson isn’t a name very many people recognize anymore? Of course Court comes from the original King Crimson lineup, and Greg Lake made it very special. The top class musicianship remained after he left, but Lake provided the passion that brought the mainstream to it. Then he left, but brought most of the same passion to Emerson Lake & Palmer, whose eponymous album is another of my very favorites, and helped make that group become and remain more well known.
But I should note, and not unlike later King Crimson, that Court is not for everyone, it’s a screamer as you can tell from the cover. But the sound is finally up to the music in the Deluxe Edition.
The version NooC posted is gloriously surreal. Anderson and Lake (+Florian Opahle, from Ian’s non-Tull solo band and David Arch) performing in a church at what appears to be a service after being introduced by a Cof E vicar in full high church vestments.
I am genuinely curious why you think _Court_ is “now obscure.” It’s true that progressive rock in general isn’t as popular as it once was, but, among people who listen to classic rock, the album still seems widely known. It’s often regarded as the album that started the genre. When I was introduced to prog in high school (early 90’s), _Court_ was one of the first albums I was told to buy.
I also notice Rolling Stone (iirc a fairly anti-prog publication) has _Court_ as the second-greatest prog album of all time on their list:
{ 7 comments }
No One of Consequence 12.08.16 at 4:26 pm
Damn. That piece is beautiful, and I had not ever heard it before now. A related more recent video has Ian Anderson on flute:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6-PAKOt7sM
2016, you officially are the crappiest year in recent memory. We’ll all be glad to see the backside of you.
RIP Mr. Lake. Thank you for the music.
– NOoC
bob mcmanus 12.08.16 at 4:39 pm
An important part of a very important band, and I don’t mean ELP. If you listen to Giles, Giles, and Fripp or McDonald’s solo work, it is possible that Lake contributed a power and hardness to Crimson King, that is, taught Fripp to rock? The live recordings of that band are amazing, but you had to be then to know how revolutionary they were.
Charles Peterson 12.08.16 at 5:20 pm
Coincidentally last night I found my lost DVD-Audio disc from the 40th anniversary Deluxe Edition of Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson) and as I was putting it away, I was thinking of how this now obscure recording can still be in my estimation one of the greats, and one of the most influential recordings in popular music. But how come King Crimson isn’t a name very many people recognize anymore? Of course Court comes from the original King Crimson lineup, and Greg Lake made it very special. The top class musicianship remained after he left, but Lake provided the passion that brought the mainstream to it. Then he left, but brought most of the same passion to Emerson Lake & Palmer, whose eponymous album is another of my very favorites, and helped make that group become and remain more well known.
But I should note, and not unlike later King Crimson, that Court is not for everyone, it’s a screamer as you can tell from the cover. But the sound is finally up to the music in the Deluxe Edition.
TheSophist 12.08.16 at 10:31 pm
The version NooC posted is gloriously surreal. Anderson and Lake (+Florian Opahle, from Ian’s non-Tull solo band and David Arch) performing in a church at what appears to be a service after being introduced by a Cof E vicar in full high church vestments.
Thanks so much for this.
Slanted Answer 12.08.16 at 10:40 pm
Charles Peterson,
I am genuinely curious why you think _Court_ is “now obscure.” It’s true that progressive rock in general isn’t as popular as it once was, but, among people who listen to classic rock, the album still seems widely known. It’s often regarded as the album that started the genre. When I was introduced to prog in high school (early 90’s), _Court_ was one of the first albums I was told to buy.
I also notice Rolling Stone (iirc a fairly anti-prog publication) has _Court_ as the second-greatest prog album of all time on their list:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-greatest-prog-rock-albums-of-all-time-20150617/king-crimson-in-the-court-of-the-crimson-king-1969-20150617
I agree it is a bit of an acquired taste, but I find it much more listenable than their post-Lark’s albums.
That is too bad about Greg Lake.
RichardM 12.08.16 at 10:50 pm
On coincidences, read this last night:
http://www.tor.com/2016/10/31/excerpts-the-lost-child-of-lychford-paul-cornell/
David Smith 12.09.16 at 12:46 am
He took that guitar bit from Prokoviev.
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