Once upon a time there was a young boy named Robert who dreamed of one day making music that would be so unique that it would basically defy description. And he did.
Back in 2001, Sid Smith published a book entitled In the Court of King Crimson. It related the history of the first thirty years of the band King Crimson. With 2019 marking the fiftieth anniversary of the group, Sid decided to mark the occasion with an expanded edition covering that fifty year span. He didn’t, however, just tack on chapters covering the subsequent twenty years. He virtually started again from scratch.
For King Crimson fans, this is excellent news.
The first part of the book focuses on band founder Robert Fripp and his early life and progress into the world of music. This would eventually lead to the formation of a trio along with the Giles brothers – Michael and Peter.
The trio of Giles, Giles and Fripp were signed to Decca Records and released a period piece entitled The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles & Fripp. Its contents featuring jaunty pop tunes interspersed with spoken tales linking them seems a perfect period of the times – that being 1968. It’s not until the last track on the second side – Erudite Eyes – that the sounds of improvisation appear and actually seem to give a hit as to the direction in which Fripp would soon head.
Indeed, the following year, Fripp would join forces Michael Giles, Greg Lake and Ian McDonald (plus lyricist Peter Sinfield) to create the first incarnation of King Crimson in 1969.
Before they even released and LP, the band were blowing audiences away with their unique brand of music. This included a spot as one of the opening acts at Hyde Park where the Rolling Stones headlined the bill.
But, it was the release of their debut album – In the Court of the Crimson King – that would solidify their stature in the world of new music later in the year.
With a unique painting by artist Barry Godber of a visibly disturbed figure gracing the cover, the contents ranged from the all-out sonic attack of opener 21st Century Schizoid Man to the pastoral mellotron strains of the title track. This was a record that demanded repeated listening.
But, the intensity of the creation of such music would take its toll of many of the people involved in its creation. By 1970, their second album – In the Wake of Poseidon – would include Mel Collins and Gordon Haskell along with contributions by Peter Giles and Keith Tippett. Even more changes were in order for their third release – Lizard.
By the time of their 1971 LP – Islands – Ian Wallace was brought in on the drums and Boz Burrell (later of Bad Company) was on bass. Reaction to the music on this album was a mixed bag.
The raw sounding 1972 live album Earthbound gave a brief snapshot of what was happening with the band dynamics at the time. Culled from cassette recordings, the sound was so raw that their US record label (Atlantic) passed on its release.
But, by 1973, things were really starting to percolate with the release of Larks’ Tongue in Aspic. With Fripp’s often scorching guitar sounds accompanied by Bill Bruford (drums), John Wetton (bass), Jamie Muir (percussion) and David Cross (violin) the band seemed to once again be reaching for the stars.
The same band minus Jamie Muir continued with Starless and Bible Black which was followed by their final studio LP of the seventies – Red. After that, Fripp dissolved the group and begin work on other collaborations and solo endevours.
By 1981, Fripp began to feel that it was time to revive Crimson and joined forces with Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Bill Bruford. Initially performing live under the name Discipline, the band was re-christened as the latest incarnation of KC.
This line-up released a trio of fine albums – Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair. And then it was over. Again.
Starting in the nineties, Crimson re-appeared in different configurations from a double trio to a double duo. In recent years, the line-up has once again expanded to the point of having a line of three drummers spread across the front of the stage. It’s this line-up that hit the road in 2019 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the group playing a wide cross-section of classic material interspersed with brand new works.
Throughout the first section of the book, Sid Smith paints a detailed and vivid picture of a band whose nature and music has managed to stay faithful to the vision of its leader Robert Fripp.
After the chapters relating the KC story, there are other sections which are of equal interest to fans. Firstly, there is a chapter which provides details on what the many past members of the band go up to after their departure from the group. Sadly, some people like Greg Lake and John Wetton are no longer with us.
Next up is a track by track analysis of every song appearing on the studio albums from The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles & Fripp to 2003’s The Power to Believe.
If that was not enough, Smith then provides an Annotated Gigography spanning 1969 to 2003. This consists of notes that he wrote for the countless concerts available for download on the DGM website. The capsule reviews of these shows provide a vivid glimpse as to the ever changing nature of the performances of the band.
At over 600 pages, this book is a true labour of love that provides fans of the band with the most detailed view of one of the most unique bands of the past fifty years. It’s a book that you’ll grab when you are listening to their music in order to jog your memory about the details surrounding the songs.
In the long run, Sid Smith is to King Crimson what Mark Lewisohn is to The Beatles. End of.
