In the Court of the Crimson King

DOES EVERY ALBUM HAVE TO HAVE SUCH LONG SONGS! I DON'T HAVE THIS KIND OF ATTENTION SPAN! I HAVE A TODDLER!
Ok but I do remember Moonchild from when I was young and I thought I was so cool and ethereal listening to it. Definitely a save.

I think more bands need to have a whimsical improv section in the middle of their albums

Prog Rock just is not appealing to me. I don’t really have much more to say about it.

I wasn't expecting this album to be so good. Didn't really like moonchild much but that doesn't change my rating.

Better than colidplay

Little too artsy I think, I think for the time I can see why it was popular but I think it’s trying too hard? Some of the songs just don’t need to be that long. But I did really enjoy most of the songs until I felt like they started dragging so this could maybe grow on me as well. Do feel like I need to deduct and entire point for Moonchild unfortunately

3.5

Never listened to the screamy face man album (largely out of spite?), but this was pretty good. I liked the opener and closer's prog a lot, the middle was a bit slower than I'd like. Rounding up to 4

It has sparkly moments, and I do see it for most of it. It just so over hyped by a category of people, you know, the ones that fancy themselves music connoisseur, that would say this is the only music worth listening to, that it felt flat. I knew that album, I liked it more than I did the first few times I listened to it and some of it is brilliant, but some of it is also boring nothing burger adjacent, and I land in the middle. Good, important, should be here, but not as good as your uncle says

I first heard this album when I was 16 and immediately thought, "could I be a prog rock guy?" I quickly discovered most prog rock is pompous, nerdy, libertarian show-off nonsense designed to make listeners feel "smarter" than other rock fans. I absolutely despise 99% of prog rock albums but, somehow, I unabashedly love this album. Why? Maybe because KC recorded this album at the tail end of psychedelia and before prog rock had a chance to crystalize into a coherent set of conventions. This album has a distinct 60s feel to it (e.g. mellotron, acid rock guitar, Vietnam war critique lyrics) that quickly evaporated by their second album. It probably also matters that this album was the only one recorded with this lineup, which means it truly is 1 of 1 (and the drums play a HUGE stylistic role here). Despite the high-concept complexity and virtuosity on display here, there is nevertheless a "smallness" to this album -- it's five great pieces of experimental rock and it doesn't ever get over its skis. I will gladly defend this album, even (and especially) against its devotees -- I loved every moment of re-listening to this from beginning to end.

If ever there was an album that could be described as "awesome in parts" this is it.

The band is virtuosic tight, inventive and pretty much unlike anything else. Fripp's guitar playing is impeccable.

21st Century Schizoid Man is astonishing. Epitaph and the title track are equally brilliant.

But two problems exist.

One is the lyrics. The band had a member whose sole job was to write the words to the songs. And what a set of self consciousnessly arty, pretentious nonsense they are. YOU HAD ONE JOB!!! (Sinfield went on to write lyrics for Emerson Lake and Palmer and didn't get any better.)

And then there's the.band's fixation on pastoral, fey, mellotron love ins that, at the time, probably seemed like the music of tomorrow but now seem like unlistenable excess.

So 5/5 when they're good.

2/5 when they're being "artistes".

Легенда (хоча не мій улюблений альбом крімзон)

A grand, epic statement that birthed prog rock and remains one of its most esoteric and greatest totems. The tracks here evoke moods, whether it be the fear of "21st Century Schizoid Man" or the resignation of "Epitaph". I like prog as a genre, so this was always going to be a hit with me. But it truly is an excellent album, with an iconic cover and songs to boot. If nothing else, "21st Century Schizoid Man" is a Certified Banger, so listen to that at least once. Not all of the list's albums are essential, but this is, especially for prog heads. If you hate this, you probably just don't like prog rock as a genre as this is pure prog brilliance.

A Czech friend made me discover this 29y ago, and it is still very good, there is so much happening in this music, it transports you places. I absolutely loved it! But, its not as good as I remembered it was. Hence, 4*.

Ah, the album Reddit keeps telling me I need to own on vinyl.

No, no I do not need to own this. 21st Century Schizoid man was okay, but the rest of the album is not for me.

Something a bit weird, a bit different. The track The Court of the Crimson King elevates this to a 5 though.

Enjoyed it way more than I expected! The fusion between jazz and rock was fenomenal

some parts i really liked but some parts i REALLY hated

'Politicians' funeral pyre / Innocents raped w/ napalm fire.' I know that it's branded as one of the first prog rock records, but lyrics like that remind me of what was to come w/ the political metal of Black Sabbath, e.g., 'Burning globe of obscene fire / Like electric funeral pyre.' Instrumentally, that first track also has the heaviness of metal, or, at the very least, hard rock. Yet, things regrettably soften as the album goes on, and that's coming from a member of not-crazy-about-metal-pack. It's soft b/c it's sentimental and nostalgic, corny and pretentious, no matter how compelling their anti-war sentiments were. The sole thinker in the band appears to be Michael Giles - I wonder how much I'd dig this release w/ just the drum parts. He's neat.

historic for a reason ngl

no many can stay schizoid after listening to this album