RED

Red is a fine album, a bit silly to call it their very best, but still, a nice way to mark the end of the first period of King Crimson. David Cross, having parted with the band a few months before (Or was he sacked? In King Crimson i'm not sure there's a difference) the albums making had reduced the group to a compact three piece, with some musicians from previous Crimson incarnations guesting on saxophone, violin etc. The album is slightly less 'Progressive' than other King Crimson albums, nothing new or stunningly original is tried here, and the album does have one very weak link 'Providence', an uninteresting and slightly boring 'jam' that fast outstays its welcome, the song does pick up towards the end thanks to Brufords nice drum work but it does show that King Crimson were always better at improvising and jamming live, see the album beforehand 'Starless and Bible Black'. So what is then that makes this album such a fan favourite?

Well, the album opens with a punchy call to arms, the title track 'Red', a gloomy piece led by Fripp's powerful guitar and some excellent backing in the rhythm department from Bruford and Wetton, the track remains one of the bands most acclaimed instrumentals, and what's more, you don't have to be a 'progressive' rock fan to enjoy this, six minutes of raw, edgey guitar riffs, stunning drumming and ominous sounding basslines, I doubt it would sound out of place on any heavy metal radio station. 'Fallen Angel' follows and begins in a lighter, more melodic mood. Here Wetton's vocals remain the highpoint for me, and as he sings 'Westside skyline crying, Fallen Angel dying, risk a life, to make a dime' I become lost in the mood, Wetton's vocals really sound so bluesy in these lines, even nostalgic, there is a lot of magic here. However, Fripp's edgey guitar sneaks back in after a couple of minutes and the song turns into another rockier number, and still very enjoyable, with some nice oboe work (or is it a cornet?) also. 'One More Red Nightmare' is another fantastic track, some might be surprised to hear hand clapping and an almost dancable rythm to the verses, but for me, it was a nice surprise. Here Bruford sounds like he learned a couple of things from Jamie Muir as he hits very strange sounding objects that give the track a nice edge, a complete gem. The real stunner of the album though is the closing track, 'Starless', harking back to what had come before and a great listen over twelve minutes. The song begins in a gentle, sombre mood. Fripp using the mellotron to add some beauty to the song, and there is a sense of sorrow in the air as it plays. The track goes through a guitar led build up and a wonderful saxophone solo from Mcdonald (Who would have became a full time member once again had Fripp not split the band up) kicks off a stunning rocky workout that could only be King Crimson, perfect.

Red is a great album but not without it's flaws and King Crimson were capable of much more creative and wonderful things. If you like this then you should get the album that I consider to be King Crimson's finest moment and a true masterpiece 'Larks Tongues in Aspic'.