IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING

In most people's minds (including mine), this album defines the moment the genre was born. Taking a leaf out of 1-2-3, stealing a sidelong glance at Yes, a group of consummate musicians brought together a stunning new sound that was as stately as it was powerful, as melodic as it rocked, and put together an album that still sounds fresh today. To hear these pieces performed live was even more memorable than the record, as i can testify. Much is made of Fripp and Lake, quite rightly, but the other band members were equally important. The sound of that sax in the high octave parts of 21st century made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, the drums rattled through your brain like chattering machine guns.

A wonderful debut, sadly a band at its peak and zenith, imploding almost as it began, that truism somehow making it even more clear that this was the real deal.