King Crimson

Sound Chaser · #1 04-04-2006, 09:35 PM

Is it really possible for a band to be this good? I got In The Court, THRAK, Larks', Discipline, (in that order) and am now just listening to The Power To Believe. They're freaking incredible. They're so diverse, too. There's a song there for any mood, just in those five albums. Wetton is probably THE unsung bass master of the 70s. His playing is magnificent. Like most singers/bassists he has a great sense of melody in his basslines, and his tone is my favorite P-bass tone of all time. Also, Levin's and (mostly) Gunn's playing has caused me to start saving for a tap guitar (see my sig).

So, what's your opinion on this band?

superbassman2000 · #2 04-04-2006, 09:38 PM

Red is a good cd too

page · #3 04-04-2006, 09:57 PM

Since you dig Crimso , go check out the following :

Van der Graaf Generator
Amon Duul II
Faust
Comus
Art Bears
Magma
Wishbone Ash

Jay Terrien · #4 04-04-2006, 10:02 PM

+100

I have gone through a similar Warr Guitar debate.......

Tony Levin just stated today on a radio show in New York that he will be back playing bass with Crimson, whenever Fripp decides to get the troops back to record again.

JT

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sound Chaser

Is it really possible for a band to be this good? I got In The Court, THRAK, Larks', Discipline, (in that order) and am now just listening to The Power To Believe. They're freaking incredible. They're so diverse, too. There's a song there for any mood, just in those five albums. Wetton is probably THE unsung bass master of the 70s. His playing is magnificent. Like most singers/bassists he has a great sense of melody in his basslines, and his tone is my favorite P-bass tone of all time. Also, Levin's and (mostly) Gunn's playing has caused me to start saving for a tap guitar (see my sig).

So, what's your opinion on this band?

FaithNoMan · #5 04-04-2006, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sound Chaser

Wetton is probably THE unsung bass master of the 70s. His playing is magnificent. Like most singers/bassists he has a great sense of melody in his basslines, and his tone is my favorite P-bass tone of all time.

Wetton's P-bass tone truly rocks.

I especially like it in the song "Red"... it sounds like an angry Greek god!!(whatever they sound like???)

audiotom · #6 04-04-2006, 10:08 PM

immediately go out and buy Starless and BIble Black and Red

I've seen 80's and 90's and 00's crim each a few times
- oh my

konfishily · #7 04-04-2006, 10:18 PM

Another +1 for the Red cd.

Nobody's mentioned "in the wake of poseidon" yet. thats their second cd (i beleive). its a great cd, definately worth checking out.

Sound Chaser · #8 04-04-2006, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FaithNoMan

Wetton's P-bass tone truly rocks.

I especially like it in the song "Red"... it sounds like an angry Greek god!!(whatever they sound like???)

If you want, you can check out my band covering Red on our myspace (in my sig - it's a video).

Petary791 · #9 04-05-2006, 06:39 AM

Yeah, King Crimson is definitely one of the best bands ever.

For new King Crimson fans, I think the best way to start is by getting Red and Discipline. Red is their more darker straight forward rock sound, and Discipline (Tony Leivn era) is more fusiony.

And yes, John Wetton's P-bass tone is definitely one of the best ever. I heard he broke a lot of strings because of his heavy attack (kinda sounds like me.)

jerry · #10 04-05-2006, 07:05 AM

I'm a longtime fan of King Crimson, and I'm a HUGE fan of the Wetton era live stuff. The Great Deceiver box rules!!

Philbiker · #11 04-05-2006, 07:10 AM

If you think they're good on record you should see them live.

nad · #12 04-05-2006, 09:49 AM

There are a lot of albums in my collection I'd chuck before this one.

vlado · #13 04-05-2006, 10:25 AM

Good band, but a little too pretentious for my taste. Also like Emerson Lake and Palmer. Both have great, shining moments, which you´d hope will last forever, but they don´t. But that´s still enough to earn a lot of respect.
I like "Cadence and cascades" so much, it´s also becoming for me kind of like a way of recognizing musicians to play with, I play them that and watch the reaction and then decide. Not many songs are that good.

Philbiker · #14 04-05-2006, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vlado

Good band, but a little too pretentious for my taste.

The word "pretentious" is a bit of an understatement when discussing Robert Fripp. Have you read any of his many essays on the music business? Whether he's right or wrong, there can be no doubt as to how unbelievably impressed he is with himself.

**baba** · #15 04-05-2006, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philbiker

The word "pretentious" is a bit of an understatement when discussing Robert Fripp. Have you read any of his many essays on the music business? Whether he's right or wrong, there can be no doubt as to how unbelievably impressed he is with himself.

You got that right. He typically won't address the audience and just sit in the back in front of his rack while laying down soundscapes.
I had the rare treat of seeing him walk up front, center stage, mike in hand, and talk to the audience for a few minutes during a Projekct show. It was at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall and his sister lives in SF. Apparently he promised to talk if she showed up or something. He was clearly uncomfortable.

Fawkes007 · #16 04-05-2006, 01:28 PM

Have seen them three times...once with the Belew-Fripp-Levin-Bruford line up on the Three Of A Perfect Pair tour, once with the six man team, and once with the most recent line up with Trey Gunn. My fave? The quartet with Levin and Bruford. Man, were they awesome! If you have never seen Bill Bruford live, do so asap.

rulyøngo · #17 04-05-2006, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FaithNoMan

Wetton's P-bass tone truly rocks.

I especially like it in the song "Red"... it sounds like an angry Greek god!!(whatever they sound like???)

Check out his Angry Greek God sound on the latest release from the Collector's club: "Live In Heidelberg, March 29, 1974" The Red Lineup in all their live glory!!! Simply amazing!!!

derrenleepoole · #18 04-06-2006, 04:05 AM

There's an off shoot of Crimson called the Crimson Jazz Trio (now a quartet actually). It features the original Crimson drummer (Ian Wallace) and is fully endorsed by Fripp. It's really good to hear Crimson done in a jazz fashion. The playing is awesome and the album, Volume 1, is superb. Matte Kudasai is simply breathe taking, with Tim Landers taking the lead on bass, and man what a player. I strongly urge you to check it out. If Crimson is quite not your thing, you may dig it more as a jazz project instead.

speigel · #19 04-06-2006, 04:35 AM

Get 'USA'. One of the best live albums ever. John Wetton and Bill Bruford are absolutely astounding on it.

xush · #20 04-07-2006, 05:08 PM

we dig KC so much we're making all our gigs from now on 'smoke-free.'

very excited to hear that Tony's returning to the fold!