Print Page | Close Window

King Crimson "Red"

Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=104810
Printed Date: March 11 2025 at 11:55
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: King Crimson "Red"
Posted By: cstack3
Subject: King Crimson "Red"
Date Posted: November 13 2015 at 14:47
This article showed up online:

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-red/" rel="nofollow - http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-red/

Although I do enjoy "Red," I don't consider it to be my favorite of the LTIA era KC albums.  I thought that LTIA was the superior LP of the three, but I'm sure this is controversial. 

Interesting that Bob deliberately "held Crimson back" from commercial success!!  What was he thinking??

Thoughts?



Replies:
Posted By: KingCrInuYasha
Date Posted: November 13 2015 at 15:00
I've noticed that about Fripp. To an extent, he reminds me a bit of Syd Barrett with his own unease when it came to commercial success.

-------------
He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball!


Posted By: AZF
Date Posted: November 13 2015 at 16:06
Well I think it's because Kurt Cobain said it was one of his favourite albums that's got a lot of attention.
"Red" is very, very good. But I've always preferred LTIA any day. 
I used to have a friend who loved ITCOTCK, and yeah that's impressive, but LTIA light years futher!


Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: November 13 2015 at 16:11
Definitely LTIA over Red, but Red still a top notch album.
I thought the 80's era achieved commercial success, especially with Sleepless. I don't think Fripp minded at that stage.


Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: November 13 2015 at 17:56
It's funny that Fripp held Crimson back, and then went and collaborated with none other than Daryl Hall, who was in the beginning stages of the mega-stardom he'd achieve as half of Hall & Oates.

-------------
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay


Posted By: KingCrInuYasha
Date Posted: November 13 2015 at 18:01
And around that same time, he played on David Bowie's "Heroes", which hit #3 on the UK charts and guest starred on "Fade Away And Radiate" by Blondie, whose parent album, Parallel Lines, topped the charts in the UK and hit #3 in the US.

-------------
He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball!


Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: November 13 2015 at 19:23
Fripp had bills to pay too.......


Posted By: TheLionOfPrague
Date Posted: November 13 2015 at 20:50
I like it far more than LTIA. It's my favorite after ITCOTCK, (slightly below it).

-------------
I shook my head and smiled a whisper knowing all about the place


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: November 13 2015 at 22:14
Thanks!  I run hot & cold on the LP "Red"....

The title song is a personal favorite, it isn't very hard to play on bass nor electric guitar, so I've worked it into my jamming repertoire over the years.  Much fun! 

"Fallen Angel" isn't a favorite of mine, I like all the songs on LTIA and SABB more than that track.  However, the instrumentals are very good!  I also run hot & cold on "One More Red Nightmare," but I am a huge Wetton fan, so his playing & vocals always appeal to me. 

As far as Bob's personal opposition to popularity....that's a head-scratcher, since I always thought he wanted to reach for the brass ring!   I just assumed that he never hit upon the formula that could get him there....he certainly came close, with Bowie, Gabriel, Blondie etc.  This article was the first I've ever read that it was a deliberate strategy of his.  

Here's my chum John Goodsall playing a nice cover of "Red":








Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: November 13 2015 at 23:28
Very good album. Still not my favourite from them (I still like the debut best). I'm not sure about which I like better, Red or Larks Tongues... I think Larks has an overall more special sound, I guess in great part thanks to Muir. Still, I enjoy more time of music on Red.


Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 01:54
I do prefer Starless and Bible Black over Larks' Tongues In Aspic  and Red.


Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 09:18
Red is ok for me, but just ok.
         I prefer their first three albums over anything that came after them, with my all time fave of theirs being In The Wake Of Poseidon. Don't know LTIA very well, though.


Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 09:49
LTIA is bolder but Red has more emotional resonance.  For that reason, I lean towards Red.  All the experimentation on LTIA/SABB crystallised into the finest set of SONGS on a KC album since ITCOTCK.


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 10:17
Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:

It's funny that Fripp held Crimson back, and then went and collaborated with none other than Daryl Hall, who was in the beginning stages of the mega-stardom he'd achieve as half of Hall & Oates.

This is some of what Bob said in the article:

“I think John Wetton felt the group was poised for — I have to use the words ‘big time,'” McDonald said in Romano’s book. “He felt the group was, for the first time, on the verge of being widely known.” 

But the iconoclastic Fripp, in that talk with Best, admitted that he’d wasn’t envisioning any such thing. “I never let King Crimson fall into the success trap,” he said. “Several times, we went very close to having a gigantic commercial success. I have always instinctively tried to avoid this success.”

Read More:  http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-red/?trackback=tsmclip" rel="nofollow - 41 Years Ago: King Crimson Implode With 'Red''s Arrival  | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-red/?trackback=tsmclip


Posted By: Replayer
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 12:05
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:

It's funny that Fripp held Crimson back, and then went and collaborated with none other than Daryl Hall, who was in the beginning stages of the mega-stardom he'd achieve as half of Hall & Oates.

This is some of what Bob said in the article:

“I think John Wetton felt the group was poised for — I have to use the words ‘big time,'” McDonald said in Romano’s book. “He felt the group was, for the first time, on the verge of being widely known.” 

But the iconoclastic Fripp, in that talk with Best, admitted that he’d wasn’t envisioning any such thing. “I never let King Crimson fall into the success trap,” he said. “Several times, we went very close to having a gigantic commercial success. I have always instinctively tried to avoid this success.”

Read More:  http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-red/?trackback=tsmclip" rel="nofollow - 41 Years Ago: King Crimson Implode With 'Red''s Arrival  | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-red/?trackback=tsmclip

This brought to mind a quote from Frank Herbert's Dune: "And always, he fought the temptation to choose a clear, safe course, warning 'That path leads ever down into stagnation' "


Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 17:49
Interesting......I gotta go with Red.....while LTIA and SABB are very good the song Starless from Red is better than anything on those two albums imho.....
and KC is my favorite prog band btw....not that that matters.
Wink


-------------
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin


Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 18:26
Posiedon all the way. Red and Larks are a bit hit and miss for me. Wetton bores me a bit

-------------
All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock.


Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 19:30
Oh awwww I love Starless so much and that song alone carries the whole album, Red is a great album.


Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 20:25
Originally posted by Kati Kati wrote:

Oh awwww I love Starless so much and that song alone carries the whole album, Red is a great album.
 
Es lo mejor!! Clap


-------------
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay


Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 20:54
I like both LTIA and SaBB better than Red. I like Lizard and Discipline better than Red too.


Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 21:23
Just read the article. I agree with Fripp. Fripp considered a moment of genius when he came up with the LTIA line up. Perhaps he felt a sense of loss when that line up began evaporating with the loss of Muir and then Cross? Anyway, I always felt first a loss of intricacy and texture after LTIA. Then it seems like there is a loss of improvisation and quirkiness in Red (except for Providence, great piece there). Cross had complained about trying to compete with the wall of sound from Wetton and Bruford. Maybe Fripp felt sympathetic. I don't know, just throwing all that out there. Since when does a Prog fan give a hoot about what Kurt Cobain thought.


Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 21:30
Originally posted by rogerthat rogerthat wrote:

LTIA is bolder but Red has more emotional resonance.  For that reason, I lean towards Red.  All the experimentation on LTIA/SABB crystallised into the finest set of SONGS on a KC album since ITCOTCK.


I'm not sure I would agree that Red has more emotional resonance. It has Starless, of course, but all the other songs don't seem quiet as emotional. LTIA has Exiles, which I find very emotional as well... perhaps even more than starless... and the rest of the album isn't very emotional either... so I guess I would consider them rather similar in the emotion department.


Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 21:32
Fallen Angel is very emotional too.  IMO more so than Exiles because the former is more focused.  Of course it's just my opinion and it's very difficult to have a discussion about emotional resonance, lol. 


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 21:43
Originally posted by HackettFan HackettFan wrote:

Just read the article. I agree with Fripp. Fripp considered a moment of genius when he came up with the LTIA line up. Perhaps he felt a sense of loss when that line up began evaporating with the loss of Muir and then Cross? Anyway, I always felt first a loss of intricacy and texture after LTIA. Then it seems like there is a loss of improvisation and quirkiness in Red (except for Providence, great piece there). Cross had complained about trying to compete with the wall of sound from Wetton and Bruford. Maybe Fripp felt sympathetic. I don't know, just throwing all that out there. Since when does a Prog fan give a hoot about what Kurt Cobain thought.

I met Fripp when he toured US record stores on his "Drive to 1981" tour, and he spoke about why he decided to break King Crimson up.  Someone in the crowd asked him about it, and he told us that he was rattled by the sight of police armed with machine guns at a gig in Italy, and he felt that society was beginning to spiral out of control.  He was also emphatic that the "old" ways of doing things, including rock bands and record companies, were passe, and that the "small, mobile, highly intelligent unit" would prevail.  

Given the events in Paris this week, we have to pause and wonder.... 
 




Posted By: The Sloth
Date Posted: November 14 2015 at 23:31
Red is the best King Crimson album.


Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: November 15 2015 at 12:53
Originally posted by dr prog dr prog wrote:

Posiedon all the way. Red and Larks are a bit hit and miss for me. Wetton bores me a bit
 
Let's explore that......Wetton is a better bass player than Lake imho and sings almost as well for the most part.
So exactly how does Wetton bore you or did you mean to say the music of his tenure with KC bores you?
 
Wink


-------------
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin


Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: November 15 2015 at 19:08
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by HackettFan HackettFan wrote:

Just read the article. I agree with Fripp. Fripp considered a moment of genius when he came up with the LTIA line up. Perhaps he felt a sense of loss when that line up began evaporating with the loss of Muir and then Cross? Anyway, I always felt first a loss of intricacy and texture after LTIA. Then it seems like there is a loss of improvisation and quirkiness in Red (except for Providence, great piece there). Cross had complained about trying to compete with the wall of sound from Wetton and Bruford. Maybe Fripp felt sympathetic. I don't know, just throwing all that out there. Since when does a Prog fan give a hoot about what Kurt Cobain thought.

I met Fripp when he toured US record stores on his "Drive to 1981" tour, and he spoke about why he decided to break King Crimson up.  Someone in the crowd asked him about it, and he told us that he was rattled by the sight of police armed with machine guns at a gig in Italy, and he felt that society was beginning to spiral out of control.  He was also emphatic that the "old" ways of doing things, including rock bands and record companies, were passe, and that the "small, mobile, highly intelligent unit" would prevail.  

Given the events in Paris this week, we have to pause and wonder.... 
 


Indeed. 'Dinosaurs' he referred to them as. He certainly followed the small independent mobile intelligent unit approach. In his solo and collaborative work to follow. I remember an interview in which Fripp criticized the business model of trying to hit it big. He pointed out that an independent self-produced album selling a modest 100,000 copies could amount to a small fortune. Of course he was a little premature in his prediction. There were plenty of arena acts throughout the 80s, including the reformed Crimson.




Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: November 15 2015 at 20:26
Originally posted by HackettFan HackettFan wrote:

Indeed. 'Dinosaurs' he referred to them as. He certainly followed the small independent mobile intelligent unit approach. In his solo and collaborative work to follow. I remember an interview in which Fripp criticized the business model of trying to hit it big. He pointed out that an independent self-produced album selling a modest 100,000 copies could amount to a small fortune. Of course he was a little premature in his prediction. There were plenty of arena acts throughout the 80s, including the reformed Crimson.

 Thanks!  RF told our little record-shop audience that he could make more money selling LPs out of the back of a truck than working with a record label!  

Personally, I don't think so.  Record companies bring vast networks and marketing resources, so you can sell your LP simultaneously in UK, USA, Japan etc.  Try to do THAT with a truck, Bob!  

Meeting Bob was quite remarkable....after he played his Frippertronics performance, he excused himself to go "wash his hands" (I think he used the loo!), and when he was gone, virtually EVERYONE in the store got up and left!!  I hung out, and soon Bob walked out of the back room, big grin and hand outstretched, asking me "...did you like it?"  

Uh, yeah!!  Nothing like meeting your hero!! Clap



Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: November 15 2015 at 22:54
Originally posted by rogerthat rogerthat wrote:

Fallen Angel is very emotional too.  IMO more so than Exiles because the former is more focused.  Of course it's just my opinion and it's very difficult to have a discussion about emotional resonance, lol. 


Once again, I may need to listen to it again, but my impression is that Fallen Angel may be more emotional on the lyrics department... yet the music is rather mechanical (on this one and on One More Red Nightmare). On Exiles it is the music that does the trick for me. Still, no song like Epitaph for the emotion department within the King Crimson discography... actually also within prog, and even rock in general.


Posted By: sublime220
Date Posted: November 16 2015 at 09:24
Red is their best for me by far. And it's not because it just has 'Starless'. I find LTIA Pt. I to be on the same level as it. Larks always seemed inconsistent to me (I just do not see the appeal in 'Exiles') and ITCOTCK has been overplayed by me so much that I've lost interest. 

-------------
There is no dark side in the moon, really... Matter of fact, it's all dark...


Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: November 16 2015 at 15:04
Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

Originally posted by dr prog dr prog wrote:

Posiedon all the way. Red and Larks are a bit hit and miss for me. Wetton bores me a bit
 
Let's explore that......Wetton is a better bass player than Lake imho and sings almost as well for the most part.
So exactly how does Wetton bore you or did you mean to say the music of his tenure with KC bores you?
 
Wink
 
Apart from the slower tracks, his voice and compositions bore me in his crimson albums. Nightwatch, Saturday and Exiles are the highlights of those 3 albums imo. Red and Larks are cool too though. The rest is ok. Even Starless after it's nice instrumental intro doesn't do much to me. At least on Poseidon we have gems in posiedon, pictures, cadence and catfood. Better vocals and music to me. More jazzed up melodies. The Wetton albums are more rock based


-------------
All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock.


Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: November 16 2015 at 18:27
Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:

Originally posted by rogerthat rogerthat wrote:

Fallen Angel is very emotional too.  IMO more so than Exiles because the former is more focused.  Of course it's just my opinion and it's very difficult to have a discussion about emotional resonance, lol. 


Once again, I may need to listen to it again, but my impression is that Fallen Angel may be more emotional on the lyrics department... yet the music is rather mechanical (on this one and on One More Red Nightmare). On Exiles it is the music that does the trick for me. Still, no song like Epitaph for the emotion department within the King Crimson discography... actually also within prog, and even rock in general.

Wow, guess you react badly to heavy music!  Fallen Angel has amazing textures all throughout and a short but aching Fripp solo.  Nightmare gets even better with McDonald's saxophone solo as well as outro.  They both have a rawness that Epitaph doesn't even come close to, being so mannered and symmetrical.  Wetton's singing is pretty mechanical compared to Lake, that I give, which is one of the reasons why I've never understood the Wetton hype (vocals wise, fantastic bassist).


Posted By: poeghost
Date Posted: November 16 2015 at 19:12
It's interesting that Red was one of Kurt Cobain's favorites, as I thought Red had a 90s alternative grunge sound. That was surprising to me coming from a 70s band. Out of all the Crimson albums I've heard so far, I like Red the least. I don't have a favorite yet. Still have to listen to more of their albums.


Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: November 16 2015 at 20:33
Originally posted by rogerthat rogerthat wrote:

Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:

Originally posted by rogerthat rogerthat wrote:

Fallen Angel is very emotional too.  IMO more so than Exiles because the former is more focused.  Of course it's just my opinion and it's very difficult to have a discussion about emotional resonance, lol. 


Once again, I may need to listen to it again, but my impression is that Fallen Angel may be more emotional on the lyrics department... yet the music is rather mechanical (on this one and on One More Red Nightmare). On Exiles it is the music that does the trick for me. Still, no song like Epitaph for the emotion department within the King Crimson discography... actually also within prog, and even rock in general.


Wow, guess you react badly to heavy music!  Fallen Angel has amazing textures all throughout and a short but aching Fripp solo.  Nightmare gets even better with McDonald's saxophone solo as well as outro.  They both have a rawness that Epitaph doesn't even come close to, being so mannered and symmetrical.  Wetton's singing is pretty mechanical compared to Lake, that I give, which is one of the reasons why I've never understood the Wetton hype (vocals wise, fantastic bassist).


On the contrary, I rather like Heavy music (and Heavy Metal) a lot... well, up to a certain point, it's got to have melodies I like, and grunting will put me off most of the times). And I'm not saying I don't like Fallen Angel and One more Red Nightmare, it's just that I don't feel they are very emotional in the music department (and, indeed, they were the songs that took me the most time to apreciate on the album - apart from Providence which I still don't like -, but I do like them).

And about Wetton, indeed I have never really liked his singing, and in King Crimson (and UK) it's taken me a lot of time to get used to his voice, and I still like the music despite his singing (I do love his bass playing, though). On Asia, somehow his singing doesn't bother me, except live, where he seems to have some trouble singing as pleasantly. And still, somehow when he has sung Lake's stuff, I find I enjoy his singing very much (as well as when he sings Genesis stuff with Hackett). So, I don't know, I guess it depends on the songs and on the period of his life the recordings were done... and perhaps on whether he had some studio help or not.


Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: November 17 2015 at 05:29
Originally posted by poeghost poeghost wrote:

It's interesting that Red was one of Kurt Cobain's favorites, as I thought Red had a 90s alternative grunge sound. That was surprising to me coming from a 70s band. Out of all the Crimson albums I've heard so far, I like Red the least. I don't have a favorite yet. Still have to listen to more of their albums.


I think it's more the post-rock movement that Red is a precursor to, as filtered through Slint. The combination of minimalistic and austere instrumentation with an epic dramatic tone can be traced back to that album, as well as the entire slow-burn tension-and-release composition style.


-------------
"The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook


Posted By: Skalla-Grim
Date Posted: November 17 2015 at 06:24
Originally posted by poeghost poeghost wrote:

It's interesting that Red was one of Kurt Cobain's favorites, as I thought Red had a 90s alternative grunge sound.


That was one of my first thoughts too, when I listened to it. One could easily imagine "Red" (the first track) on a Soundgarden album, for example.


Posted By: tamijo
Date Posted: November 17 2015 at 06:31
Originally posted by Replayer Replayer wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:

It's funny that Fripp held Crimson back, and then went and collaborated with none other than Daryl Hall, who was in the beginning stages of the mega-stardom he'd achieve as half of Hall & Oates.

This is some of what Bob said in the article:

“I think John Wetton felt the group was poised for — I have to use the words ‘big time,'” McDonald said in Romano’s book. “He felt the group was, for the first time, on the verge of being widely known.” 

But the iconoclastic Fripp, in that talk with Best, admitted that he’d wasn’t envisioning any such thing. “I never let King Crimson fall into the success trap,” he said. “Several times, we went very close to having a gigantic commercial success. I have always instinctively tried to avoid this success.”

Read More:  http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-red/?trackback=tsmclip" rel="nofollow - 41 Years Ago: King Crimson Implode With 'Red''s Arrival  | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-red/?trackback=tsmclip

This brought to mind a quote from Frank Herbert's Dune: "And always, he fought the temptation to choose a clear, safe course, warning 'That path leads ever down into stagnation' "
 
HugSPOT ON


-------------
Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours


Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: November 17 2015 at 09:34
Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:

 
On the contrary, I rather like Heavy music (and Heavy Metal) a lot... well, up to a certain point, it's got to have melodies I like, and grunting will put me off most of the times). And I'm not saying I don't like Fallen Angel and One more Red Nightmare, it's just that I don't feel they are very emotional in the music department (and, indeed, they were the songs that took me the most time to apreciate on the album - apart from Providence which I still don't like -, but I do like them).

And about Wetton, indeed I have never really liked his singing, and in King Crimson (and UK) it's taken me a lot of time to get used to his voice, and I still like the music despite his singing (I do love his bass playing, though). On Asia, somehow his singing doesn't bother me, except live, where he seems to have some trouble singing as pleasantly. And still, somehow when he has sung Lake's stuff, I find I enjoy his singing very much (as well as when he sings Genesis stuff with Hackett). So, I don't know, I guess it depends on the songs and on the period of his life the recordings were done... and perhaps on whether he had some studio help or not.

Which is sort of the point; Red is a pretty damn abrasive album.  Would say more so than melodic prog metal/traditional heavy metal; it's more grungy instead and it's not surprising that Cobain cited it as an influence.  In metal, it's more doom/stoner that evoke a Red-like abrasiveness.  

Agreed about Wetton; I too prefer him with Asia.  I don't mind him with UK either.  But it doesn't work on KC.  Too loud and not dynamic enough for the nature of their music and not very aggressive either.


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: November 17 2015 at 10:51
OP here, thanks!  This is a great conversation about a pivotal album in the King Crimson canon.

Regarding Wetton's voice....I found the rawness of his vocals refreshing after the syrupy-sweet vocals of Greg Lake.  His voice has a husky, unpolished quality that I found very compatible with the LTIA material.  

This is a review of the KC Montreal show, which would have featured at one song from "Red" - 

http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/concert-review-king-crimson-surveys-its-realm-at-theatre-st-denis" rel="nofollow - http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/concert-review-king-crimson-surveys-its-realm-at-theatre-st-denis






Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: November 17 2015 at 11:38
I like Red - A LOT! Sure, LTIA was a brilliantly artistic album, but Red brought it back a notch without losing a crisp realization of how powerful the LTIA-era players were as a whole. Good thread, Maynard.

-------------
"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno


Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: November 17 2015 at 16:51
Originally posted by poeghost poeghost wrote:

It's interesting that Red was one of Kurt Cobain's favorites, as I thought Red had a 90s alternative grunge sound. That was surprising to me coming from a 70s band. Out of all the Crimson albums I've heard so far, I like Red the least. I don't have a favorite yet. Still have to listen to more of their albums.

Be it grunge or post rock, Red had something dirty and direct about it, some kind of opposition against all too polished pretentious music (while still being quite complex) that paved the way for an aesthetic that was still to develop. In this sense it was a truly progressive album, to the point of being up against how some people had come to understand "progressive" as some kind of rather conservative, clean and somewhat "remoted from real life" genre. (You find some of these elements also in some output of Peter Hammill/VDGG before the 80s.)

Thinking about this I realise that I hated King Crimson's Earthbound live LP so much that I sold it and never came back to it because of its diabolically ugly sound, but one could well think that this was a predecessor of this aesthetic. I remember having read a positive review about Earthbound from the time when it came out in Sounds and being totally bewildered by the fact that anybody could like this. I think now I'd understand better what this was about. Perhaps this was a very early punk record.


Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: November 17 2015 at 18:21
Couldn't have said it better.  And for those reasons, Red is the only one of their albums that speaks to me at an emotional level.  Just love the directness of the music; just leaps out of the speaker.  Discipline also leaps out of the speaker but by being very rhythmically pulsating.  Again, Fripp was very much in step with the times.


Posted By: Bitterblogger
Date Posted: November 22 2015 at 21:28
Its pull-no-punches overall bleakness was magnificently realized, but it lacks the change of mood in the other two, which have lighter moods to enjoy.
So I'll go with USA so I can get material from all threeBig smile


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: November 22 2015 at 21:48
I remember reading a review of "Red" at the time that said that the faces of Fripp, Wetton and Bruford on the album cover very accurately reflected the mood of their music on the album.  I've always thought that was a very accurate comment, you decide! 





Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: November 23 2015 at 11:14
If said mood reads "intense," then yes...accurate!

-------------
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay


Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: November 23 2015 at 22:09
Originally posted by Bitterblogger Bitterblogger wrote:


Its pull-no-punches overall bleakness was magnificently realized, but it lacks the change of mood in the other two, which have lighter moods to enjoy.
So I'll go with USA so I can get material from all threeBig smile


I have not got USA, but as I understand it, I prefer Collectible King Crimson Vol 1, which includes the same concert from USA, but without edits and overdubs (Eddie Jobson over David Cross, as far as I understand, on USA). Plus, it has another concert which contains my very favourite version of Starless.


Posted By: heartscore
Date Posted: November 29 2015 at 12:55
I love "Red", especially the title track and starless. There is just one thing, which beclouds this work: "The titletrack sounds very close to the music of the "Mahavishnu orchestra".


-------------
setting poems to progressive metal
https://heartscore.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - Listen to my music on bandcamp


Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: November 29 2015 at 13:50
The HE-double hockey sticks it does!

-------------
"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno


Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: November 29 2015 at 13:55
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

I remember reading a review of "Red" at the time that said that the faces of Fripp, Wetton and Bruford on the album cover very accurately reflected the mood of their music on the album.  I've always thought that was a very accurate comment, you decide! 

<div style="text-align: center;">


According to the literature in the 30th anniversary edition of Red, each of the three musicians were photographed separately and then the photos were combined for the resultant group shot. I'd say Wetton looks amused by the proceedings.

-------------
"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno


Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: November 29 2015 at 16:17
Originally posted by Rednight Rednight wrote:

The HE-double hockey sticks it does!
 
Yeah....I've heard people say that before but it's simply not the case. MO did use those ascending and descending fusion chords on several of their tracks from the first 2 albums but it's  different in style and far more fusiony than  the sequence used on Red by KC. I have no doubt that Fripp was familiar with McLaughlin being a well known guitarist but I doubt if they intended to mimic MO  on Red.


-------------
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin


Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: November 29 2015 at 17:13
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

This article showed up online:

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-red/" rel="nofollow - http://ultimateclassicrock.com/king-crimson-red/

Although I do enjoy "Red," I don't consider it to be my favorite of the LTIA era KC albums.  I thought that LTIA was the superior LP of the three, but I'm sure this is controversial. 

Interesting that Bob deliberately "held Crimson back" from commercial success!!  What was he thinking??

Thoughts?
I prefer LTiA as well. Red has its moments, like on "Starless" and "Red", but like Starless and Bible Black, which has "The Night Watch" (a personal favorite) and "Great Deceiver", it's not as complete as LTiA, to my ears anyway.


-------------
...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...


Posted By: hieronymous
Date Posted: November 30 2015 at 19:44
USA is probably my favorite album - I love the way the guitar and bass sound, and the energy of the performances. That's part of why LTiA isn't at the top, because I much prefer the USA version of "LTiA Part 2" both sound- and performance-wise. That being said, my favorite studio album is Red. As a bassist, I was definitely influenced by the distorted bass sounds of John Wetton and I feel that Red has the best mix of production/sound, songs, and performance. Love the title track, the multitracked bass solo in "Fallen Angel," and the climax in "Starless" gets me every time.

I'm not going to say one album is better than another - for instance, someone said they like Starless & Bible Black best, whereas I have never liked it, so different aspects of these albums touch us differently.

I will say, though, that I have probably over-listened this album over the years - probably first heard it in the late '80s? - so I don't listen to it much now, or much King Crimson in general.


Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: November 30 2015 at 22:05
Originally posted by hieronymous hieronymous wrote:


USA is probably my favorite album - I love the way the guitar
and bass sound, and the energy of the performances. That's part of why LTiA isn't at the top, because I much prefer the USA version of "LTiA Part 2" both sound- and performance-wise. That being said, my favorite studio album is Red. As a bassist, I was definitely influenced by the distorted bass sounds of John Wetton and I feel that Red
has the best mix of production/sound, songs, and performance. Love the
title track, the multitracked bass solo in "Fallen Angel," and the
climax in "Starless" gets me every time.

I'm not going to say one album is better than another - for instance, someone said they like Starless & Bible Black best, whereas I have never liked it, so different aspects of these albums touch us differently.

I
will say, though, that I have probably over-listened this album over
the years - probably first heard it in the late '80s? - so I don't
listen to it much now, or much King Crimson in general.


I don't have USA, but I do have Collectible King Crimson Vol 1, which features the same concert, but without overdubs nor edits. And Larks Toungues in particular I like better on the original album. Songs like Easy Money and Exiles do sound stronger on live versions, but LTiA pt 2 really misses Jamie Muir IMO. The percussions are just crazy with him.


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: November 30 2015 at 23:47
Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:


 And Larks Toungues in particular I like better on the original album. Songs like Easy Money and Exiles do sound stronger on live versions, but LTiA pt 2 really misses Jamie Muir IMO. The percussions are just crazy with him.

I agree!


Posted By: hieronymous
Date Posted: December 02 2015 at 20:22
Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:

I don't have USA, but I do have Collectible King Crimson Vol 1, which features the same concert, but without overdubs nor edits. And Larks Toungues in particular I like better on the original album. Songs like Easy Money and Exiles do sound stronger on live versions, but LTiA pt 2 really misses Jamie Muir IMO. The percussions are just crazy with him.


I can see that Re: Jamie Muir on the original. I think my identity as a bassist colors my feelings on the song. I believe that I have read that John Wetton was gradually developing his distorted bass sound - to me, the sound on USA is just perfect and then they carried it over onto Red.

If I ever end up diving back into LTiA (the album) the percussion angle is a good perspective to approach it from. Wasn't Jamie Muir involved in some stuff with Derek Bailey pre-Crimson? I used to be more up on this stuff...


Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: December 02 2015 at 22:10
I guess I would have to listen to them both again too, paying attention to the bass. When I knew about the format of one drummer and one percusionist, I thought it was unecessary, but then listening to King Crimson, I know they can really add to the music with this format (the double trio is another example of how great they can do such things). What do you think of 21st Century Schizoid Man played by the Wetton line-up? I think the version I like is also from USA (or Collectible King Crimson, as I know it). I think both Wetton and Bruford upgraded the song incredibly with their input, and love it so much more than the original (and the fact that I like it played with guitar more than with sax seals the deal for me).


Posted By: CapnBearbossa
Date Posted: August 25 2016 at 11:48
I can easily imagine why Fripp wanted to hold King Crimson from the brink of massive commercial success.
As with anything, success in small amounts is useful. It pays bills and enables you to pursue your craft further, so success in moderate measure is why KC is still around ....

But, more of a good thing isn't always better. A look at Fripp and his band shows the way they have always preferred to do things (and some including Robert himself would say this is what King Crimson "means") includes avant-garde exploration and improvisation. How many groups attain massive commercial success and still find the freedom to pursue their artistic craft with this kind of freedom?  I can't think of one.
After you've grappled with a ravenous critical press and huge fan-base pinning down who-you-are and what-you-do, you become labelled, codified, and then imprisoned by mass expectations.

That's the kind of thing I would always want to head off at the pass, were I in Fripp's position.



-------------
Will higher mighty force redeem
the one who dropped the moral compass,
failed to fulfill the dream?
-Ian Anderson


Posted By: Jeffro
Date Posted: August 25 2016 at 12:21
Originally posted by CapnBearbossa CapnBearbossa wrote:

 How many groups attain massive commercial success and still find the freedom to pursue their artistic craft with this kind of freedom?  I can't think of one.
After you've grappled with a ravenous critical press and huge fan-base pinning down who-you-are and what-you-do, you become labelled, codified, and then imprisoned by mass expectations.

I guess it depends on how you are defining massive commercial success. Rush is a band that attained a high level of commercial success with Moving Pictures and then turned around and went in another direction. Same thing with 2112. They've always done what they wanted to do, regardless of critical press and large fan base. 


Posted By: Mascodagama
Date Posted: August 25 2016 at 14:01
Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

Originally posted by poeghost poeghost wrote:

It's interesting that Red was one of Kurt Cobain's favorites, as I thought Red had a 90s alternative grunge sound. That was surprising to me coming from a 70s band. Out of all the Crimson albums I've heard so far, I like Red the least. I don't have a favorite yet. Still have to listen to more of their albums.

Be it grunge or post rock, Red had something dirty and direct about it, some kind of opposition against all too polished pretentious music (while still being quite complex) that paved the way for an aesthetic that was still to develop. In this sense it was a truly progressive album, to the point of being up against how some people had come to understand "progressive" as some kind of rather conservative, clean and somewhat "remoted from real life" genre. (You find some of these elements also in some output of Peter Hammill/VDGG before the 80s.)

Very much agree. The trio versions of Red and Fallen Angel on the SW 40th reissue were gold to me: garage Crimson!  I've always had a problem with the mawkish lyrics (and Wetton's overwrought vocal performance) on Fallen Angel, so the instrumental version was a blessing.  The way I listen to the album on my computer is with the orginal FA switched out for the instrumental trio, and with the trio Red as a coda after Starless.  


Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: August 25 2016 at 14:24
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

I remember reading a review of "Red" at the time that said that the faces of Fripp, Wetton and Bruford on the album cover very accurately reflected the mood of their music on the album.  I've always thought that was a very accurate comment, you decide! 




Revisiting this thread I thought this was an interesting comment, but to me the artwork of taking the pic in shadows and black and white with Red in red does more to set the mood than their facial expressions which seem blank to me, except for Wetton who seems to be wanting to smile.


-------------
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin


Posted By: hellogoodbye
Date Posted: August 25 2016 at 15:10
I Love Red. It's the perfect conclusion to a chapter of KC life .  


Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: August 25 2016 at 16:39
Larks' Tongues In Aspic
Starless And Bible Black
Red

All three are perfect.


Posted By: Terrapin Station
Date Posted: August 25 2016 at 20:06
Red gets a 10/10 in my book.

There's only one Crimson album that doesn't get a 10/10 from me, though---the debut. I'd probably give the debut an 8/10.


Posted By: CapnBearbossa
Date Posted: August 26 2016 at 06:48
Originally posted by Jeffro Jeffro wrote:

Originally posted by CapnBearbossa CapnBearbossa wrote:

 How many groups attain massive commercial success and still find the freedom to pursue their artistic craft with this kind of freedom?  I can't think of one.
After you've grappled with a ravenous critical press and huge fan-base pinning down who-you-are and what-you-do, you become labelled, codified, and then imprisoned by mass expectations.


I guess it depends on how you are defining <i style="line-height: 18.2px;">massive <span style="line-height: 18.2px;">commercial success. Rush is a band that attained a high level of commercial success with Moving Pictures and then turned around and went in another direction. Same thing with 2112. They've always done what they wanted to do, regardless of critical press and large fan base. </span>


I'll give Rush the benefit of the doubt here because they are indeed   mega-rockstars and I see no sign of them being hemmed in by their popularity. But to paraphrase Bruford, you put on a King Crimson record when you want to see where music is going (which was true up until the mid 90s), and I dont see Rush as being that kind of prime mover. Not to slight them of course, they are brilliant and original in their way. But KC couldn't afford to enter that zone where the industry guides their actions. They would simply cease to be what they are.


-------------
Will higher mighty force redeem
the one who dropped the moral compass,
failed to fulfill the dream?
-Ian Anderson


Posted By: grantman
Date Posted: August 26 2016 at 08:58
It has starless, fallen angel Im just not sure about the title track, as long as there is a great singer (john wetton) the need for instrumental passages is just unnecessary red the track dazzled me at 14 now that im 52 it seems for me, at least a showcase for musicianship for the people involved ,not a complete throwaway in a modern setting like 2016 it could be edited down to 3 or 4 minutes .Anyone else feels this way ?   


Posted By: akaBona
Date Posted: August 26 2016 at 16:19
Originally posted by miamiscot miamiscot wrote:

Larks' Tongues In Aspic
Starless And Bible Black
Red

All three are perfect.


Exactly this!


Posted By: Scorpius
Date Posted: September 02 2016 at 16:09
I love Red, its got to be one of my favourites by KC. While, LTIA is badass and epic, I always found Red to be much more emotionally gripping. To me, Larks shows no emotion; it just blasts your balls into infinity for 50 minutes straight. Thats one of the main reasons I love Larks, but I like Red more because it goes to the same ball-blasting extent (try saying that 5 times fast), but it takes the time to express itself and lay down a cohesive concept. Dont get me wrong, Larks is great, and in my top 4 favorite KC albums, but compared to Red, I find it slightly weaker. Plus, I feel John Wettons vocals are a lot more developed on Red then Larks, and Starless is one of the best vocal performances ive ever heard.



Print Page | Close Window

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Copyright ©2001-2014 Web Wiz Ltd. - http://www.webwiz.co.uk