Kig Crimson - Islands

"Islands" is an acquired taste, but a taste well worth the acquiring!

Hangedman wrote: NetsNJFan wrote: Zargus wrote: K.C. just culdent do a bad album its just that easy. ummmm Lark's Tongues in Aspic Starless and Bible Black Discipline Beat Three of a Perfect Pair Thrak Construction of Light all are pretty bad  your kidding right, oh wait nevermind if you dont like it it makes it bad... sorry I forgot your opinion is the only valid one. I would have let it go if you had only added imo to it. (honestly I think anyone saying Discipline is bad is just plain ignorance, but hey, you know its all to do with taste... at least you dont think power to believe is bad, its practically a masterpeice, but so is discipline). But yeah, Islands is my second favourite Crimson album, it doesnt hold together as well as Lizard but there is that "charm" spoken of earlier. the album is infectuos.

Lizard is great.   Anyway, I like how since you are a KC fan, Zargus saying KC can't make a bad album is 'ok' but me saying they ahve bad albums is wrong.  Im stating an opinion I thought that was understood, next time i'll add IMO if you get that bothered about it.

NetsNJFan wrote: Zargus wrote: K.C. just culdent do a bad album its just that easy. ummmm Lark's Tongues in Aspic Starless and Bible Black Discipline Beat Three of a Perfect Pair Thrak Construction of Light all are pretty bad

 your kidding right, oh wait nevermind if you dont like it it makes it bad... sorry I forgot your opinion is the only valid one. I would have let it go if you had only added imo to it. (honestly I think anyone saying Discipline is bad is just plain ignorance, but hey, you know its all to do with taste... at least you dont think power to believe is bad, its practically a masterpeice, but so is discipline).

But yeah, Islands is my second favourite Crimson album, it doesnt hold together as well as Lizard but there is that "charm" spoken of earlier. the album is infectuos.

I've heard of King Crimson..but KIG Crimson is new to me

Yes its very underrated, i dont realy know why, its so beautiful i think and very atmospheric. It must be that most people and critics thinks its boring or to weird maby, but i think its one of Crimsons many great album, actuly i was a afraid of the album becaus i hade never heard much good about it yust bad revievs and i was afraid it whuld be yust as bad as everyone said, but when i finely bought it the first lisen i yust loved it, K.C. yust culdent do a bad album its yust that easy.

BELVA wrote: I like the album. It's probably the most delicate thing KC made... and it has that mediterranean touch that lacked in any other crimson album. I really don't think you can actually hear they are falling apart.... thaye are just experimenting some other roads. Best songs: Formentera Lady, Sailor's Tale, Islands. Yep, Song of the gulls is a little overrated, you'd better listen to classical, but that's a nice try anyway.................

Taken individually, each song on the album is good, very good, imo (with the exception of Song of the Gulls, which I agree is overrated and is substandard orchestral music).

Fripp's demonic guitar solo on "Sailor's Tale" is something I never get tired of hearing. And overall I like the lyrics of all the songs and think they are some of Sinfield's best work.

The only drawback to the album is that it doesn't really ever find it's groove, it's center. It meanders around and then just peters out. "Ladies of the Road" is actually the most cohesive song on the album, but a song that only celebrates stripping down groupie girls is not really a strong centerpiece, regardless of how much we as listners wish we had had the experience.

I give the album 3.5 stars. It's good, essential King Crimson, but not essential prog rock.

'Charm' is a good word.

It doesn't have that immediate magnetism most other KC albums have, but it is somehow ambiental enough to make you listen to it.

Formentera Lady, Islands, and Sailor's tale are all great songs when you feel like listening to mellow, slow and moody things.

A great album when the time is right...

Edited by Keke

sigod wrote: I didn't like it at first but there is some 'charm' in it. A very transitional album with some hidden gems.

I concur 100 %! It is uneven when seen in a global perspective, but individually speaking, there are very good pieces in it, sometimes comprising excellent passages. The namesake closing track is plain beautiful, 'Ladies of the Road' is catchy and effective, 'The Letters' is astoundingly dramatic. Yet, it doesn't work as ccohesively as the previous three albums. Burrell's has the right voice for this material, but as a bassist his contributions are somewhat futile. Wallace is an excellent drummer, but he clearly doesn't belong in KC. Collins goes too far with his then bluesy interests - I enjoy his inputs for "Lizard" much more... and listen to his efforts in the song 'Starless', that's how he was supposed to play like as a KC member!! The live stuff by this line-up was quite explosive, but indeed, it was clear for everyone to see that something was being broken in the band's core.

Thank God that a few months later Muir, Wetton, Bruford and Cross came along to reinstate the quitaessential Crimsonian prog sound.

Regards.

 

I quite like Islands, and have done so since the 70s.

You have to have room for beauty in your art & life to really appreciate it.

I think it's one of KC's more under rated albums - rather atypical but better than it's generally given credit for. When I had a vinyl copy I only ever listened to side 1, and occasionally 'Ladies of The Road' (though that song's charm wore of