Recently I mentioned how I came across a compilation album that I've never listened to until recently. Listening to some of the tracks on there inspired me to find full albums by the artists. One of those albums is the debut album by King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King. I've seen this album around but thought that the band was probably some heavy metal band or just something I wasn't interested in. Then I found out that Robert Fripp was the guitarist... instantly I thought this would be a snooze fest. A long time ago I was given a record collection by my mother's boyfriend at the time and a couple of those albums were Fripp and Eno records. 'Nuff said right? I didn't need to hear another record of ambiance. Man, I was wrong.
21st Century Schizoid Man was a great start to this. I don't know if the Black Keys or the Dave Grohl ever listened to this album before making waves with their own albums, they probably didn't have to. The influence of this record on everything that has come after is obvious, and huge. I'm not sure when the first documented use of distorted vocals appears, I know that on a lot of the old folkways blues recordings those vocals were distorted just because of the nature of the field recording technology of the time and I know that 60s and 70s blues based bands tried to emulate that sound but the the case of 21st CSM this was used in a very different way, not to emulate or shock but to get across the nature of the song. Layered over the top is alto sax (soprano sax? I'd have to listen again) doubling all the lead guitar lines into a chaotic yet organized and expertly layered solo section going through a number of syncopated time changes that just grooves harder than anything in a straight 4/4 can. I would say that this is my favorite track on the album but then I kept listening.
Then came I Talk to the Wind. Ever listen to one of those tracks where, the lead vocals are definitely not performed by a technically accomplished vocalist but it pulls you in anyway (here I think Dylan, Waits, Young)? This is one of those. The voice is effective, the harmonies are out of tune for a split second before they come together, I thought I would hate it. I love it.
The last track on side one and side two SCREAMS of later Pink Floyd. Ever listen to much of Pink Floyd from their days in the late 60s? No, neither do I but I absolutely love their stuff from 1973 on. It's probably because they listened to this album, let it sink in and then got down to business releasing Dark Side of the Moon. When I listen to Epitaph by KC I can't help but think of Us and Them. The hugeness of the sound, the depth of the instrumentation, the melancholy of the lyrics and orchestration, theres a reason that this album is considered the birth of Prog Rock.
The second side of the album is much the same yet totally different. Moon Child is a giant acid/free jazz improv section with some great interplay between mallet percussion and guitar. Definitely not stoned enough to listen to this track without getting distracted. Amazingly quiet passages which stayed quiet which is a testament to the condition of the album I'm listening to... more on this later.
The last track, In the Court of the Crimson King is the most obvious pre-Floyd inspiration. Vocals sound a bit of Bowie in the upper ranges and the vocal chorus, wall-of-sound cymbals and relentless bass and woodwinds make this one really powerful. It comes down pretty dramatically with a little interplay between guitar and flute with some sparse percussion and bass before building to the final crescendo. I was very interested in seeing how other folks were using flute back in the days when Jethro Tull was but a babe. I was really surprised at just how many bands were incorporating the flute into their sound but equally surprised at how NONE were using it like Ian Anderson. Ian's obvious influence by Roland Kirk with the percussive breathing and vocalizing whilst playing the flute with a bluesy/jazzy tint was unlike any other performer of the time who were mainly using the flute in a more classical style.
Getting back to the quality of the vinyl I will leave you with this; I love getting these things in their original pressings from their original countries. But this record goes for WAY too much for a 1st pressing so I opted instead for a 3rd pressing English import. These can be had at a fraction of the cost of a 1st pressing and there's a general consensus that these Pink Rims (as they're called) has as good a sound as the original pressings. But there's something about those pink Island records that I love, the thick vinyl, the strangely unique 60's quality about it. I was able to get this on the Pink Rim label which is fine and all, it's a little flimsy feeling, it's no orange eye edition but maybe someday, in a dusty old record store out there somewhere I'll come across that first pressing. Maybe not. For right now I've got the music and that's fine enough for me.
