McDonald and Giles

Perfectly cromulent, but for me personally sort of forgettable

Some pretty noises, but nothing groundbreaking

Favourite songs: Tomorrow's People - The Children of Today, Flight of the Ibis, The Workshop

Least favourite songs: Birdman: The Inventor's Dream

3/5

Didn't think much of it.

I love King Crimson so I'm surprised I've never listened to this actually. It's very good. You can definitely hear the similarities to Court, although it's mostly a bit lighter and more upbeat which honestly is a nice contrast.

Hey, this was pretty good! Much calmer than King Crimson, obviously, but also tonally kinda similar? It's like two sides of the same coin, in a way. Anyway, I would've loved to get Discipline or Red on the user list, but this is a great album in its own right.

I had never listened to McDonald and Giles before and only while listening found out they were two of the original members of King Crimson. But this really wasn’t like King Crimson’s darker, heavier sound: this was a melodic, very British record. It feels almost like an alternate history for Crimson, the path they might have taken had McDonald and Giles stayed and been given more room to shape the music by Fripp.

Ian McDonald’s multi-instrumental talents are everywhere: flute, saxophone, clarinet, and more. Michael Giles’ drumming is wonderfully fluid and jazzy, and Peter Giles’ bass playing is full of character. Together they make a rhythm section that’s smooth and playful, reminding me more of Caravan, early Soft Machine, or early Genesis than of Crimson’s brooding sound.

The album’s warm, Beatles-esque vibe is both its biggest charm and, at times, its weakness. It makes the music approachable, but can feel a little lightweight. You can hear that McDonald and Giles couldn’t quite find this groove within King Crimson: this is lighter, jazzier, and more pastoral than Fripp’s vision ever allowed.

I’m glad to have listened to it and grateful to the submitter for putting it on this list.

Prog folk, with clear classical influences as well. A lovely collection of music, well written and performed, but lacking a little bit of heart/soul/emotional intensity that would have taken it to full marks. A great suggestion, which I would probably never otherwise have heard.

Didn't recognize the people on the cover or their names, but the vibe of the album cover had me bracing for like a simon & garfunkel sound. But no! It's a couple of King Crimson members doing a quick side thing! Good stuff.

Really enjoyed some of this album, but it also got a bit tedious for my taste. Glad I listened but wouldn’t rush back.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda been on the list? May not be as influential as some of the prog that did make the cut, but certainly as enjoyable, if not more, to listen to. Love the sound separation and mixing. Each instrument is isolated clearly and the elements are well balanced. Would be a good record to test your audio setup.