You have to Really listen to King Crimson

A heads up to a lot of people I've met and talked to...King Crimson is an acquired taste, almost as much as the ever bizarre gentle giant. I'm big into the Yes stuff and the less dark areas....listening to KC should not be something done on an ipod between classes. Light a candle, darken the room and put on say, Lizard, and listen to the whole think...when you do this, you realize that without King Crimson, there would have been a giant hole in the music industry for years to come...you would never realize how influential they really are until you listen, observe the date of the recording, and continue to listen to other bands. 

WalterDigsTunes wrote: Oh, pshaw... any time is a GREAT time for the Crimson King.

Exactly.... but it is always a good idea to have some Crimson time!

King Crimson is not an acquired taste, and the only acquired taste close to Gentle Giant is their second.

Blowin Free wrote: King Crimson is not an acquired taste, and the only acquired taste close to Gentle Giant is their second.

Slartibartfast wrote: And all of these years I've been listening to Crimson with the speakers turned off.  Who knew?  Hey what do you know, I was watching this last night:

That, along with Weather Report's Live at Montreaux, is probably my favorite DVD. Awesome stuff.

Henry Plainview LTIA is great, particularly pt 1, but the rest of the album annoys me. The double trio is where Crimson gets really good for me, although Lizard is also good (Fripp was smart enough to get actual jazz musicians for his jazz experiment, which is something that many bands sadly overlook), .[/QUOTE wrote: I would have enjoyed seeing a tour for the Lizard album. However, it wouldn't have been complete without the horn section. X-Soft Machine members etc.   Septober Energy by Centipede had the Lizard sound. Many X-Crimson members scattered over the re

I would have enjoyed seeing a tour for the Lizard album. However, it wouldn't have been complete without the horn section. X-Soft Machine members etc.

Ouch.  That noise is some of the most beautiful music I've heard

The ultra heavy, jazzy, discordant bit 

uduwudu wrote: How is Gentle Giant bizarre? I mean within context Giant have all the virtues (and more just watch that live DVD) of any good (and they are a GREAT) prog outfit. Some people think Thrakattak is weird (even Mr Belew on the Absent Lovers album calls KC improvs weird (but affectionately so.) It's not weird at all. Just not mainstream. Actually KC make superb mainstream songs - not often but their talents encompass a great deal of achievement. Unless weird is good... it is! Neurotica!

But it's so simple to explain why fans of pop music consider the Giant's music bizzare when understanding what derives from people of this nature. Tri-Tones are often used in Gentle Giant's music and King Crimson's as well. Tri-Tones are often heard by the mass in a film score for a horror film which is for example, a box office smash. As a rule this is when most people hear their usage. Most people don't give the horror soundtrack their full attention however, if the Tri-Tones are used in a scene that keeps people on the edge of their seats, then that mode has served it's full intent and purpose, as it has artistically colored the acting scene with it's own fashionable horror. When the average listener hears Gentle Giant at a friend's house, their impression and reaction is quite the same as it was during the exposure they had to a horror film score. Many people who are fans of pop music have stated this to me first hand........"This sounds strange like horror movie music"! Why would you listen to this?.......People of this nature seem to except strange sounding modes at the movies. As long as it fits into the film or scene concept, they seem to except the music complimenting the film but, they are alien to prog rock bands utilizing these modes in rock song composition. That's the experience I have always had with mainstream society. 

TODDLER wrote: uduwudu wrote: How is Gentle Giant bizarre? I mean within context Giant have all the virtues (and more just watch that live DVD) of any good (and they are a GREAT) prog outfit. Some people think Thrakattak is weird (even Mr Belew on the Absent Lovers album calls KC improvs weird (but affectionately so.) It's not weird at all. Just not mainstream. Actually KC make superb mainstream songs - not often but their talents encompass a great deal of achievement. Unless weird is good... it is! Neurotica! But it's so simple to explain why fans of pop music consider the Giant's music bizzare when understanding what derives from people of this nature. Tri-Tones are often used in Gentle Giant's music and King Crimson's as well. Tri-Tones are often heard by the mass in a film score for a horror film which is for example, a box office smash. As a rule this is when most people hear their usage. Most people don't give the horror soundtrack their full attention however, if the Tri-Tones are used in a scene that keeps people on the edge of their seats, then that mode has served it's full intent and purpose, as it has artistically colored the acting scene with it's own fashionable horror. When the average listener hears Gentle Giant at a friend's house, their impression and reaction is quite the same as it was during the exposure they had to a horror film score. Many people who are fans of pop music have stated this to me first hand........"This sounds strange like horror movie music"! Why would you listen to this?.......People of this nature seem to except strange sounding modes at the movies. As long as it fits into the film or scene concept, they seem to except the music complimenting the film but, they are alien to prog rock bands utilizing these modes in rock song composition. That's the experience I have always had with mainstream society.

Oh yes. I ran into just this thing when hip hop fans heard Art Zoyd. Frankly I see no problem with horror film music per se. I think it's the reactonary-ism that pervades most popular music. And Crimson have got to play some of the more unsettling music. I doubt the majority of people want to hear unsettling music - they mighht have enough upsets in their daily life without their entertainment getting in on the act.

This is fine by me, freedom of choice etc. of course when this music is derided by the pop fan, well then a little guidance may help. No conversion to the prog cause but no alienation from it either.

You are so right about the movie parallel. I've just been reading about this same experience but from a film composer's view point. It seems everyone's a King Leopold (too many notes in this") to the minority Mozart prog fan ("there's exactly the right amount.")

The imagery (mental movie?) one gets from progressive or any art music creates such a (usually) negative impact on those unused to it. Might be a bit much for an untutored palate. It took me a while to get to grips with much prog rock. I know one perserveres and reaps the rewards though.

Of course in the instant gratification society this is ever so unfashionable and unfathomable.

plus ca change