King Crim: top 25
the only well-known prog band whose music doesn't wear off |
| 25 |  | King Crimson
THRAK
"Vrooom & Coda: Marine 475" - a tune that gets no credit at all that kicks off an album that gets no credit at all. People said Crimso had gone disappointingly metal for this album, but it doesn't really sound like metal at all, just a solid as heck instrumental with modern sounding equipment |
| 24 |  | King Crimson
Larks' Tongues in Aspic
"Exiles" - Larks as an album felt like a total switch-over to progressive songwriting, KC having basically gotten away with writing typical song structures at wildly extended length up until that album. This is the sweetest tune on the disc |
| 23 |  | King Crimson
Lizard
"Indoor Games" - KC slay trad blues-rock by being more eccentric than any studio can really contain. everyone takes turn to do little goofy breaks and the drums don't really ever behave. people love the massive self-titled suite on side B of this album but I've always found more personality here |
| 22 | | King Crimson
Larks' Tongues in Aspic
"Easy Money" - John Wetton performing well outside of his range on eight minutes of tune - improv - tune funk rock deconstruction. it's astounding just how much contempt you can feel boiling off the band here |
| 21 |  | King Crimson
In the Court of the Crimson King
"Epitaph" - being not too much of a fan of Greg Lake I've always felt locked out of really appreciating the first two records, but this tune rules so much I can look beyond his tepid and slimy voice |
| 20 |  | King Crimson
Starless and Bible Black
"The Night Watch" - Crimso's second-best folk rock song, with Fripp being almost uncharacteristically melodic to the point of sounding a bit like Mike Oldfield |
| 19 |  | King Crimson
Three of a Perfect Pair
"Industry" - Frippertronics always benefited from a little subtle rhythm work and this is a great early example |
| 18 |  | King Crimson
The Power to Believe
"Elektrik" - on much of "Power to Believe", Crimso go for an instrumental approach which pairs long chromatic guitar notes in a none-too-interesting fashion. here however they assemble more of an overlapping groove, the bass slamming down at all the right times. this piece is one the main arguments for Mastaletto's ambient effects being a useful addition to the band |
| 17 | | King Crimson
THRAK
"Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream" - yeah I'll take all five... actually uh not the first one though |
| 16 |  | King Crimson
Discipline
"Thela Hun Ginjeet" - i've always thought that if this era of KC is meant to be akin to an electric gamelan, then why are Bruford's beats so underthought when he used to be like this Jesus figure behind the kit... maybe that's overstating it, but I've always felt the snare on this tune turns it from great to good. just get rid of the snare, lose the rock&roll - the congas and the four to the floor would push it more feverously |
| 15 |  | King Crimson
The ConstruKction of Light
"Into the Frying Pan" - this is King Crimson's most annoying album and here's its pinnacle of infuriation. wait we're building up a little rock momentum, let me fuck... that... up... the guitar having an unhealthy country twang is the cherry on the top, really - I admire how irritating this song is and that's the truth |
| 14 | | King Crimson
Discipline
"Matte Kudasai" - 'my tea cooled, ese' well put it in the microwave for a minute then |
| 13 | | King Crimson
Larks' Tongues in Aspic
"Book of Saturdays" - here's that other folk rock song I alluded to. this is stunningly gorgeous, doubly so in the aftermath of this particular album's fierce opening track... |
| 12 |  | King Crimson
VROOOM
"Cage" - fuck off I like it |
| 11 | | King Crimson
Discipline
"Frame By Frame" - everything on Discipline is gorgeous but here's the track where Bruford drums most interestingly AND you get the best sing-along melody. |
| 10 |  | King Crimson
Red
"Starless" - their sympho-prog calling card which never releases tension or puts a foot wrong. always thought the composition was a bit unadventurous but when the tune is this pretty that's probably a little ungrateful |
| 9 | | King Crimson
The ConstruKction of Light
"The ConstruKction of Light" - heh he said penis. dissonant to the point of slight physical discomfort but pays off at the end with some snappy sci-fi pop whateverness |
| 8 | | King Crimson
Discipline
"The Sheltering Sky" - just teh boys kicking back and proving they can still be harmonious |
| 7 | | King Crimson
THRAK
"Walking on Air" - achingly beautiful pop song I always play four times in a row so I can sing along and wish my voice broke as perfectly as Belew's could |
| 6 | | King Crimson
Red
"Red" - the blueprint for their fourth glorious era and a very clever instrumental in its own right |
| 5 | | King Crimson
The ConstruKction of Light
"Larks' Tongues in Aspic, part four" (the whole of it including the coda, whole thing is like thirteen minutes) - stroppy ass prog fans hated this, thought it was an insult to the integrity of the original song or whatever, or some such crap, but this tune literally heaps on the evil like never before in King Crimson history. the atrocity exhibition at the end is a nice touch, I think they're saying we all deserve to get blown to bits |
| 4 | | King Crimson
Larks' Tongues in Aspic
"Larks' Tongues in Aspic, part one" - experimental Crimso, a transformative experience spitting with nonsense percussion and fire, lots of fire. this was the moment when Fripp shot into teh stratosphere, leaving most of the other prog bands of the era to realize they were fuckin stale and done in comparison |
| 3 | | King Crimson
THRAK
"Dinosaur" - modern neo-prog/prog revival bands still slather on the mellotron regardless but KC knew it was already staid by 1995... the guys here are both lampooning their own continued presence in a rock scene which no longer cared and simultaneously savaging the bands beneath them who still thought putting flute over psychedelic rock was a way to progress the form. PLUS this song gives Belew a singing part which suits him perfectly and ties together the eras neatly, from the 60s prog mellomurk to the tritonic Larks stuff through Discipline's repetitive guitar lines, forging their way to a new era where they remembered how to write bridges |
| 2 | | King Crimson
Red
"Fallen Angel" - should be a rock standard. is it about living in a city centre? I feel it, it howls with sadness |
| 1 | | King Crimson
Starless and Bible Black
"Fracture" - the definitive statement of Fripp's status as a weird chromatic-notes elemental... after this song, he had hits and he had misses, but he had no more lazy songs. is this on the post-rock reading list? because it culminates in something staggering and makes you earn it every step of the way |
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