Top 5 King Crimson Songs

 

 

Following on from the success of the Top 5 Pink Floyd songs poll (in which "Echoes" is currently leading), it's time to determine the Top 5 songs of all time by King Crimson. Simply list your Top 5 King Crimson songs in order of preference below and then I'll assign points to your listings as follows:-

 

1st song - 6 points 

2nd song - 4 points

3rd song - 3 points

4th song - 2 points

5th song - 1 point

 

Here are my Top 5 King Crimson songs to kick off with:-

 

1. Epitaph (6 points)

2. The Court of the Crimson King (4 points)

3. In the Wake of Poseidon (3 points)

4. I Talk to the Wind (2 points)

5. Starless (1 point)

 

Thanks to everyone who took part in my previous Pink Floyd songs poll.

2. The court of the Crimson King

3. Indiscipline

4. Sailors tale

5. LTIA Pt2

At least you get to choose five songs in this poll instead of just choosing one song in a regular poll.

On the mood of the day:

1 Industry

2 Thela Hun Ginjeet

3 Starless

4 The Sheltering Sky

5 Sleepless

Now that's difficult. King Crimson's legacy is, in my opinion, less concentrated than in the case of Yes or VDGG (where most of the greatness comes from ~20 compositions) and less homogenous than Jethro, ELP, Gentle Giant or Genesis. There is a lot of ground to cover... Maybe I'll just focus on my "taste" and make things easier for me.

Perhaps my favorite "brutish" piece of original King Crimson. Very dense rhythm section, thumping bass, inventive drumming, screaming guitars, slightly apocalyptic feel. But the most intriguing thing is the leading role of saxophone, so adventurous, ballsy, almost flamboyant; always liked McDonald/Collins contributions so I'm delighted it made a huge comeback on this last "classic" album.

There are at least three songs on this LP worth of highest praise, but this time I decided to go with "popular" pick because Islands beauty is undeniable. Slow buildup with lots of ambience and intimacy highlights a different side of King Crimson, sometimes accused of mechanic approach and cold calculation in their songwriting. Is it the first post-rock song? Anyways, Pete Sinfield has done an incredible job with the lyrics imo, and it's only fitting that heartbreaking sounds of trumpet dominate. Tasteful use of mellotron, somber vocals, low profile drumming - everyone knows his place and sets the scene for a session player! I love that maturity. On a sidenote: I think Steven Wilson anniversary remasters are inferior to the original, compare both versions of the solo and tell me what you think.

The four piece lineup reached its zenith in this hellish, high octane, inconceivable masterpiece. Everyone plays to the best of his talents, the flow is incredibly good and Robert Fripp proves he's up there with the best, at least in 1974. Even today, with all developments of mathcore, technical thrash, John Zorns, Guthrie Govans and Hamasyans, Fracture succeeds in eye-melting and face-ripping competitions. The darker side of King Crimson.

Small rant: I had enjoyed the sophomore album much more until I read dozens of derogatory reviews on this site and other corners of the web. I can't say it didn't influence my opinion to small extent; it's only natural that you start investigating and nit-picking when your views don't align with community's consensus. ITWOP isn't as focused and cutthroat as the debut, but between Pictures of a City, Cadence and Cascade and title track you'll find lots of quality melodies. We also get Cat Food and The Devil's Triangle in place of Moonchild - it can't be a bad thing. With that said, there is hardly anyone who doesn't appreciate the centerpiece, In the Wake of Poseidon itself. Archetypal imagery, swaths of apocalyptic mellotron, prime Greg Lake on display... one of the most creative acoustic guitar licks of Robert Fripp... and those absolutely groovy-but-meditative Michael Giles drum fills, I'm in love with his work here. Put all pieces together, add one of the most dramatic codas in all of prog and that winter flute straight from Icewind Dale series (PC game), and what you get is a masterpiece. Very potent imagery, a true sonic painting, it always takes me places.

Okay, this is the Lizard lineup in its most free-form yet concise moment. I want to pay my tribute here to the weirdest - and least explored - King Crimson album, the one treated by Haskell and Fripp as if it never happened. I know the side long epic (my original pick) will gather more votes, but Happy Family's brevity and effectiveness are mind-boggling. Hopefully it's the last time I change my mind!

1- Epitaph

2- Lizard

3- Starless

4- Exiles

5- Indoor Games

Bubbling under:

Cat Food, Cirkus, Talking Drum, Court, Happy Family

 

1. Starless (43 points)

2. 21st Century Schizoid Man (16 points)

3. Larks' Tongues in Aspic 2 (15 points)

3. The Court of the Crimson King (15 points)

4. Epitaph (14 points)

5. In the Wake of Poseidon (12 points)