A 52 Week Autobiography Through Music – Week 30 – King Crimson
King Crimson is another band who's music is not so easy to pin down. The band has gone through several incarnations with Robert Fripp being the only member to be present in every form leading most to see him as the "leader' and musical director. However there have been some strong members in the band who did their own part to shape the sound of Crimson's music, notably the Lyricists and vocalists, Greg Lake, John Wetton, Adrien Belew and Most recently Jakko Jakszyk.
Here is a quote from Robert Fripp that I think is great and sums up nicely the way this band ebbs and flows.
"King Crimson is, as always, more a way of doing things. When there is nothing to be done, nothing is done: Crimson disappears. When there is music to be played, Crimson reappears. If all of life were this simple". Robert Fripp.
They Have a really great website with a trove of information, music, articles, photos and videos: https://www.dgmlive.com/king-crimson/kc-vii-radical
https://www.facebook.com/pg/kingcrimsonofficial/about/?ref=page_internal
I remember listening to certain KC tracks over and over with you… most notably Easy Money from Lark’s Tongues in Aspic… digging out every little Bruford “demon fill” for example. Hard-pressed to name a favorite album, I might choose any from Lark’s Tongues, Starless and Bible Black, Red, or Discipline. That’s why I love this band. I’m happy you chose to feature them!
Its been amazing listening to this music again after I while away from it. Discipline and Three of a Perfect Pair are my favorites I must say but I still love the mid 70’s stuff. I also just got Thrak which is very good. They are playing in England a few times in the fall sometime and I might try to get to one of those shows.
I always think of you as the King Crimson aficionado amount my friends.
Did I ever tell you the very first person I met in Japan was Tony Levin? I had just seen the KC “Double Trio” lineup in Denver a couple of days before moving to Tokyo. I was at Narita looking for the person who was supposed to be greeting me, and literally looming over the arrival hall full of Japanese people was that familiar bald pate. I went up to him and said “Mr. Tony Levin” and he turned to me, must’ve thought I was there to greet HIM. I told him I was a big fan, had just seen him In Denver, and thanked him for being excellent. He said thank you in a distracted sort of way, obviously looking for his contact, so I left him alone. Years later I’d see him perform again in Japan with Bruford (BLUE). What an excellent bass / stick player.
I don’t remember if you have seen the live show from the Discipline/ Three of’ period. Wasn’t it your video? I don’t think I have it.
Live at Frejus. I have a copy. One of my favorite versions of The Sheltering Sky. I might watch it this weekend, now that I’m thinking about it. Here it is on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64swVmq_XPk