RED

King Crimson did not take long to recover from the (mildly) disappointing "Starless and Bible Black" as their next album, Red, is one of their finest. Despite only being a three-piece, the Crim is rocking hard as ever in this masterpiece.

Red| 9.5/10 One of the finest album openers of all time. Seriously, this song is an amazing song on its own, let alone being surrounded by the amazing works of this album. The polyrhythms make it an interesting listen every time, no matter how much I listen to it.

Fallen Angel| 8.5/10 One of Wetton's finer moments as a vocalist (R.I.P). Also, one of Palmer-James' finer lyrical works. "Lifetimes spent on the streets of a city / Make us the people we are / Switchblade stings in one tenth of a moment / Better get back to the car". Definitely not normal "progressive rock" lyrics (sometimes its good to not hear about crimson kings or moonlit knights).

One More Red Nightmare| 9/10 Fripp's standard rock (with a Fripp twist) riff abilities are on full display, but what really does it for me is Bruford's drumming. It is tight, professional, and complex. Wetton's voice fits the lyrics and overall attitude of the song perfectly.

Providence| 7.5/10 The definite ugly duckling of the album. It has a pretty standard Crimson improv feel to it. Bruford's interaction between the hi-hat and the side stick present themselves very well here, and the song is pretty well put together for improvisation. If Crimson rep this song with Fracture, this album would be even more of a masterpiece than it is. (I know the time period is a bit off, but one can dream)

Starless| 10/10 Holy shit. At the time I am writing this, this is my favorite song of all time. I am happy to give this masterpiece a 10/10. Talk about a perfect demonstration of cohesiveness and structural brilliance. This song is a timeless masterpiece. i can not even begin to explain the emotions I go through when that ending sax solo begins. The lyrics are concise and effective. One of the few good prog "epics" that does not require fancy lyrics with weird phrasing.

Average: 8.9/10

Weighted Average: 9/10

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