King Crimson: Best Of The Big Three.

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The Big Three.

Larks' Tongues In Aspic
2
17%
Starless & Bible Black.
2
17%
Red.
8
67%
 
Total votes: 12

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soundchaser
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Re: King Crimson: Best Of The Big Three.

Postby soundchaser » 27 Oct 2019, 08:09

Sneelock wrote:
Quaco wrote:This is a great example of changing tastes. Back "in the day" when I first heard these (circa 1978?), these three were not considered the obvious Big Three at all. Red was deleted in the US (had to seek it out on import, which I still have), and the other two weren't exactly considered all that brilliant either. I think Rolling Stone Record Guide (for what it's worth) gave them both three stars out of five. It was the debut that was considered The One, and it was vaguely downhill from there. Is this anybody else's memory too?


Similar but different. On Radio I agree. On LA FM in the seventies “In the Court of the Crimson King” was the one and only Crimson track that got “rotated” on L.A.Radio. You’d hear “Shchizoid Man” now and then but nothing like ITCOTCK. Local station KNAC played more prog than most before they went Metal. Still, you’d hear scattered tracks and mostly late at night.

Record collections were another matter. I’d flip through people’s stacks when i went to their houses and I’d often see “Poseidon” and “Lizard” when I did. “Islands” I only saw in used record stores. I saw KC on “Midnight Special” when “Larks Tongues..” was new and I thought they kicked ass.

A friend’s older brother was giving us a ride after school. “We just got the new King Crimson” they announced. “Is it good?” I asked from the back seat. My friend’s brother and the guy on the passenger seat both turned around and looked at me like I was some kind of idiot. “Uh, YEAH!” They said. that ride is when I heard side one for the first time.

the album was easy to find at the store - they were a “name” band. My Dad shot up off the sofa one day at the screeching end of “Taking Drum” and marched to the turntable. He yanked the tone arm of the record, threw the record across the room and told Me “don’t EVER play that shit in my house again!” Oddly enough I saw “Red” on his stack a couple of years later. In turns out a co-worker loaned it to him - it was his favorite record. I don’t think Dad ever listened to it but I did.

One day in 78 or 9 I saw stacks and stacks of “Red” on sale at “Pic & Save” so I’m sure it was deleted. Most things on sale at “Pic and Save” were.

I had a roommate who only listened to Zep & Crimson. Whenever he was home he was playing one or the other. This drove the girlfriends in the house crazy but it worked out well for me. I heard “red” everyday for at least three months and god damn did it grow on me.


Nice post. Gave me a chuckle.

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Re: King Crimson: Best Of The Big Three.

Postby soundchaser » 29 Oct 2019, 15:14

I surprised myself in this poll and voted for the album which I thought would be third on my list. Starless & Bible Black was the album I expected to vote for, as I have a personal attachment to it. Funnily enough, I bought this album on pay day from my first job. I was really excited to buy it, but was gutted when I got home and realised I’d lost my pay packet. And I was saving up for an engagement ring as well: Oops. But I digress.

I’ve listened again to all three albums and this is the order I’ve come up with:

Larks’ Tongues In Aspic.
Red.
Starless & Bible Black.

As I say, S&BB is the album I expected to vote for as most of the songs are quite brilliant, from the abrasive Great Deceiver, to the outright beauty of Lament, The Night Watch and Trio. But I’m not a big fan of improv without structure and there’s a bit too much of that on some of the other pieces and truly, Fracture saves side 2. It goes without saying that Red is a magnificent album, and it has Starless for crying out loud. How can it not win? Well, I hadn’t allowed for how strongly both parts of Larks’ Tongues In Aspic were going to grab me again. Astonishing music. Factor in Book of Saturday, plus Exiles and by a hair’s breadth, LTIA is the winner for me.
Last edited by soundchaser on 29 Oct 2019, 16:45, edited 1 time in total.

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C
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Re: King Crimson: Best Of The Big Three.

Postby C » 29 Oct 2019, 16:42

soundchaser wrote:Larks’ Tongues In Aspic.
Red.
Starless & Bible Black.
.


This is my order

Larks’ Tongues In Aspic.
Starless & Bible Black.
Red







.
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Re: King Crimson: Best Of The Big Three.

Postby bobzilla77 » 31 Oct 2019, 06:03

I voted Red, the most finely crafted of the trio, but almost immediately regretted it.

Larks Tongue is a fantastically radical statement, as far out as the debut but in a different direction. The Muir-Bruford pairing is really damn exciting to hear in full flight.

Which am I in the mood for, the wild one or the accomplished one?
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Re: King Crimson: Best Of The Big Three.

Postby Snarfyguy » 31 Oct 2019, 19:17

Quaco wrote:I think Red is absolutely the best, a perfect album, a great mix of excellent studio recording, great songs, great melodies, but still aggressive and weird. What a high point to go out on! But it's a bit sad they did, because they on such a roll and Ian McDonald was reputedly set to rejoin the band. (Instead we got Foreigner!)



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Re: King Crimson: Best Of The Big Three.

Postby pcqgod » 01 Nov 2019, 02:32

Red
Starless
Larks
Where would rock 'n' roll be without feedback?

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Re: King Crimson: Best Of The Big Three.

Postby Carlisle Wheeling » 04 Nov 2019, 23:29

I went for:

Starless
Red
Larks

They’re almost impossible to split but I prefer the Starless & Bible Black sleeve. Classy.


And one small point, the first three are my Big Three. The mellotrons!!


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