Robert Fripp's collaborations in the late 1980s and early 1990s with David Sylvian, in retrospect, clearly laid the groundwork for King Crimson's album Thrak.
This anthology of songs from John Wetton is quite strong. It’s not all progressive rock, and for the most par even when it lands there, it’s more in the AOR end of the spectrum.
This new five-CD collection is pretty amazing. I've said before, and will repeat it here, that this new version of King Crimson might well be the best lineup they've had, particularly in terms of live shows.
King Crimson - Beat Review by Gary Hill Of the trio of studio albums originally released by this version of King Crimson, this was the middle child. It was also a little less adventurous than either of the other two. More...
Fripp & Eno - Beyond Even (1992-2006) Review by G. W. Hill This is a collection of previously unreleased collaborations between Robert Fripp and Brian Eno. As one might imagine the majority of this music is firmly rooted in atmospheric territory.
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David Sylvian - Brilliant Trees/Words With The Shaman Review by Steve Alspach With the demise of Japan (the band, not the nation, y’all), David Sylvian launched his solo career with Brilliant Trees. Some of the songs still have a dated feel to them, but it shows Sylvian to branch out musically.
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King Crimson - Discipline Review by Steve Alspach These were interesting times for Robert Fripp, ye olde scholastic of the progressive rock scene. In 1978 he had released Exposure, an album that he described as "A Day in the Life" for that period. More...
Theo Travis - Double Talk Review by Gary Hill A modern legend in both progressive rock and jazz circles, Theo Travis and crew have crafted a killer album that showcases both sounds. More...
Anyone looking for the powerhouse music that you tend to expect from King Crimson here will be disappointed. This is an atmospheric work, but there is still plenty of Fripp to be found within.
Robert Fripp - Exposure Review by Steve Alspach Robert Fripp's first solo album (not counting the side projects with Brian Eno) was considered "A Day in the Life" for the 1970s. Fripp proves himself to be the "21st Century Schizoid Man" because this album runs the gamut from harsh metal to more ambient dreamscapes. More...
King Crimson - Eyes Wide Open DVD Review by Bill Knispel Following two plus years as a “double trio,” and nearly two years of fractionalization through a series of ProjeKCts, King Crimson returned to active duty in 2000 as a streamlined quartet with the album TheConstruKCtion of Light. A second album in this newer “double duo” format titled The Power to Believe, followed in 2003. More...
King Crimson - Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With Review by Bill Knispel Happy With What you Have to be Happy With was the second consecutive EP release from King Crimson, and presented a look at additional material that would, along with the instrumentals presented on the Level Five EP, form the majority of the band’s (at the time) forthcoming studio album The Power To Believe.
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King Crimson - In the Court of King Crimson written by Sid Smith Review by Steve Alspach Few bands in progressive rock have a more colorful past than King Crimson. As Sid Smith says in the preface, the history of King Crimson is the "triumph of spirit over adversity. And sometimes the triumph of adversity."
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King Crimson - Islands Review by Bill Knispel King Crimson’s Islands album (1971) marked two milestones. On one hand, it was the band’s return to live performance, as Crimson had not played any live shows since December of 1969.
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This is quite an interesting set. It's been released in honor of the 50th Anniversary of King Crimson's Larks' Tongues in Aspic album. We get two CDs here along with two Blu-Rays.
King Crimson - Level Five Review by Bill Knispel Following the “research and development” phase that was the ProjeKCts, King Crimson resumed its most recent return to recording and performance. Having jettisoned Bill Bruford (who returned to primarily jazz playing via Earthworks) and Tony Levin (who returned to live work with long time collaborator Peter Gabriel), Crimson recorded and released the more electronic album The ConstruKCtion of Light in 2000.
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I had never seen the mighty King Crimson play live before - not surprising, as I was only ten years old when the band last played my home town in 1974!
It seems that there is quite a bit of live material being released from this version of King Crimson. That's a great thing because this line-up might be the best ever.
King Crimson - Lizard Review by Bill Knispel Lizard is one of two “lost” King Crimson albums. Generally overlooked in favor of either the megalithic debut release or the embryonic prog metal that made up the band’s mid-1970’s output, Lizard shows the band moving more toward Robert Fripp’s musical ideals and concepts.
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King Crimson - Lizard – 40th Anniversary Series Review by Gary Hill The third King Crimson album, this version is part of the 40th Anniversary series of reissues. It is presented here in a few ways.
I have to say that for my money, the modern incarnation of King Crimson really is probably the best. The reason I say that is that there are distinct periods of the band throughout their history.
King Crimson - Neal and Jack and Me DVD Review by Bill Knispel King Crimson’s ‘return to the throne’ in the 1980’s must have been viewed with a degree of skepticism. The band made a name for themselves in the 1970’s with their dark blend of symphonic grandeur and intense heaviness, mixed with an improvisational spirit that would drive them to push every song and performance into parts unknown. More...
King Crimson - Red Review by Gary Hill For my money, Red is King Crimson's most consistent and powerful album. The disc combines the hard edged sound that I think works the best for Crimson with both highly accessible and very creative song writing to produce an album that holds up exceptionally well. More...
For me Red has always been King Crimson’s ultimate album. I know, there are those who will point to Larks’ Tongues…, but personally I think this one is more cohesive and to the point.
David Sylvian - Secrets of The Beehive Review by Steve Alspach After the ambient efforts of Gone to Earth, Secrets of the Beehive found David Sylvian in a warm, almost romantic mood. Enlisting the arrangement talents of Ryuichi Sakamoto, this disc serves as an excellent starter to Sylvian and his music. The rich strings, coupled with Sylvian’s baritone, along with a curious lack of drums, envelop the listener.
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King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black Review by Gary Hill King Crimson have always been one of the most creative and innovative bands out there. When you expect them to jab they dodge and when you think they are going to dodge you’d better duck. More...
King Crimson - The Construkction of Light Review by Gary Hill King Crimson has always been an enigmatic group. The band has basically had three previous incarnations; '60's/'70's, '80's and the '90's versions. More...
King Crimson - The Power To Believe Review by Gary Hill Since its formation in the late 1960's King Crimson has never been content to stay in one musical place. They were one of the pioneers of progressive rock, and under the guidance of band leader Robert Fripp they have gone through many changes, both in terms of musical style and lineup. I More...
King Crimson - Three Of A Perfect Pair Review by Gary Hill When King Crimson reformed in the 1980’s to create the Discipline album the sound they presented was quite different from the classic Crimson of the 1970’s. While I liked all of the discs from this Belew, Bruford, Fripp and Levin lineup, I still preferred the “old school” stuff.
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King Crimson - USA Review by Steve Alspach Robert Fripp's decision to knock King Crimson on the head may have been a shock to some, but it seemed like the right thing to do at that time. More...
King Crimson - VROOOM Review by Bill Knispel 10 years following the dissolution of King Crimson following a trilogy of world and gamelan influenced albums, the band quietly rejoined forces in a small studio in Woodstock New York to create a new band and a new sound.
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