"Said the straight man to the late man, 'Where have you been?' 'I've been here and I've been there and I've been in between.'" "I talk to the wind. My words are all carried away. I talk to the wind. The wind does not hear. The wind cannot hear."
That’s Greg Lake from ELP on vocals. I still remember being mesmerized by this listening to late night FM radio as a teenager. For contrast check out 21st Century Schizoid Man.
@@musicairplanes4884 I hear what you're saying. 'Back in the day' there were more limitations on how we could listen to music, so the lp cover had a lot more impact I agree. There's an interesting take on the subject in another video on RUclips which does include some modern day examples (which I wasn't aware of) in which the creativity of the medium is still evident, so all is not lost. It's called: 'Does Album Art Still Matter? For Vinyl & Digital...' if you're interested.
Groundbreaking album. Period. Saw their current ensemble at the Greek Theater a couple years ago. Just phenomenal talent and they are continue with founding member Robert Fripp. Greg Lake of ELP fame was also in the original band and his vocals are one of a kind. Epitaph is the highlight of the album, IMHO a masterpiece of music, along with the title track and 21st Century Schizoid Man.
I totally agree! Their music through the years was always ahead of its time. I especially love their 1990s albums, especially Thrak! But I’ve owned this album, on vinyl, for 48 years, and that’s the best medium for listening to it. Streaming has way too much loss of quality due to bit rate and compression. If you think this sounded good, you owe it to yourself to play the vinyl!
@@godbluffvdgg Greek Theater Los Angeles. Iconic. Fans next to us were from Berkeley and saw the performance in the Bay Area the week before. They were hardcore.
@@mikeloomis687 :)...I asked, because I saw them at the Greek on Berkeley campus in the early 80's....Being from philly, it was a surreal experience being on the storied campus...Three of a Perfect Pair tour...Seeing them at their peak was amazing...:)...Funny before I looked at comments today, I pulled up My Red playlist...Good health to you and yours...: )
One of the all time great songs. The drumming by Michael Giles is just fantastic. But everyone in the band contributes magnificently. I simply adore I Talk To The Wind, which is hardly ever mentioned.
Totally agree. I Talk to the Wind and Epitaph are both epic, but hardly ever mentioned. As for Michael Giles, not only is his drumming here amazing, but the production on his drums is astounding. It has never been equaled, not even on the very next Crimson album. The sound of the drums on Court of the Crimson King is simply magical.
I haven't listened to this for a long time. Still one of my favorite prog albums and bands of the seventies. Yes, I'm an old guy, and a musician myself. Glad it's being appreciated by a new generation.
King Crimson is a MUST HAVE, just an incredible band, in every era, and this album is amazing still now, nothing like this in this year, ahead of this time... Hope you react to another songs from this album, "21st Century Schizoid Man", "Epitaph", no words to describe...
I love King C. But why always exaggerate the comments . Yes , it's brilliant , but there were so many great bands in these 2 or 3 years around the change of the decade. To say that they all were influenced by KC is not true . All these bands made their debut albums in the same period .And were influenced by jazz , folk m blu3s and classical music . Especially in England they all played in each other's bands and records . Not even the Beatles were the ultimate inspiration. They started playing rock & roll and the Stones were influenced by the blues and r&b ( yes , that is where that came from , not from Boys to Men or that shit ) and every band took what it needed from what came from the States combined it with European music and voila : that's how it all started not from listening to KC or whatever band . Later bands took what they needed from this area and etc etc. And don't pretend that this is the album of all albums . For me there are hundreds of brilliant albums in all kinds of music .Even today there are bands making fantastic stuff . It only doesn't create the kind of musical explosion that it did in 68 to 71 . But only cause there only were 20 to 30 albums a year to choose from .While no I almost drown in an endless stream of amazing music . Believe me, Lara Fabian and Kasey Chamber's Loose yourself gave me the same kind of crazy emotions that I felt with Sympathy for the devil or Breathe in the air. It's easier to cling to what we already know and love and have thousands of memories while listening to these songs. But saying things like That music was the best ever is why our children call us old hippies , just as I called my mother .. no matter.😅Stay open to new stuff . Or you're gonna miss a lot of great stuff .
@@iwanbottos5128 no es ninguna exageración, KC a parte de ser una de las más grandes y mejores bandas de la historia, hicieron un disco debut que aún hoy sorprende por lo adelantado a su época, no todo el disco quizás, pero absolutamente ninguna banda que yo conozca había hecho algo que se asemeje a "21st Century Schizoid Man", si conocés algo así, por favor compartilo que muero de curiosidad
The drumming by Muchaek Giles is absolutely brilliant, and unlike anything else I have ever heard. I bought this in 1969... never got tired of it. The mix is stunning.
There’s a video where Terry Draper, the drummer in Klaatu, is talking about their greatest hit, Calling Occupants, and that he fascinated by Michael’s way of drumming tried to mimic that technique in that song. THAT is so cool!
This is a good example of Stoner Music. I bought this album in 1970, while stationed at an isolated Air Force base in the Azores. Music really helped me keep it together during that assignment.
As soon as I saw you were reacting to In The Court Of The Crimson King I could not have watched your reaction video more quickly. Your face with utter ecstasy was the same face I had when i first heard this song when I was 17 years old. King Crimson and their magnificently odd group leader Robert Fripp brought a sound unlike any other group of the times. Fripp was the very first artist to use the Mellotron, which gives the song a certain mystique. Of course, Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer has a wonderful singing voice to add to the song. From this same album there are 2 other songs that I recommend: Epitaph and I Talk To The Wind. Keep up with the reactions to early 70's Progressive Rock!
I was exactly the same when I first heard this song as a 18 year old. Totally blew my mind. Still sounds incredible all these years later. Definitely 'Epitaph' is the other classic from this album. Hope he reacts to that one next. BTW, Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues used the mighty Mellotron on at least three MB albums that pre-date In The Court Of The Crimson King.
@@paulr1193 I don't know how true this is, but I've read that the Mellotron used on this album was actually bought from the Moody Blues by King Crimson. Which, if true, is pretty awesome!
@@br.martindallyosb1147 There is also a rumor that Genesis subsequently came into possession of King Crimson’s mellotron. So does this mean that there is a mellotron out there that was used by all three of these now legendary bands?!
Like a violin bow being firmly dragged across the taught and quivering strings of our emotions. What a fascinating decade, from El Paso to I wanna Hold Your Hand to Lucy in the Sky to All Along the Watchtower to Meddle and Wheels of Confusion. Then disco toppled civilization back into the jungle. On the other hand, has there ever been a generation not in love with the music of their teen years?
I bought this album from a record club brochure in 1969 when I was 16 just because of the cover. Once I put it on my turntable I was enveloped in music I never knew was possible. That vocalist/bassist enthralled me so much that I followed him when he started a new band that is still my #1 to this day. RIP Greg Lake ( & RIP Keith Emerson) Long Live Emerson Lake and Palmer!
Thanks for the reaction G!! I really appreciate these guys. Everything about this is great, but the drumming stands out to me, and of course Greg Lake's voice. I agree with you Lake's delivery of the lyrics always makes me feel like I am in a different time. My favorite song from them is "Elephant Talk" off their 1981 Discipline album.
My favourite album of all time,still remember the first the first time I heard it in 1969 the week it was released. I was 14 at the time and it completely changed my taste in music.
First thing I should say is, LISTEN TO IT ON VINYL!!! Streaming this loses way too much of the sound quality. Then, Remember you said this was rated 2nd best album in Rolling Stone’s top 100. Album! I’ll grant you that this is an incredible song, but it is part of a package… intended to be listened to in one sitting. It takes you on a ride, and your mind can’t help drifting, floating with the music. Great album! It’s hard to believe that it’s 56 years old. And I’ve been listening to it for 48 of those years. Thanks for playing it.
Blue -Ray and CD are superior to vinyl ... re: In 2019, the album was remixed in 5.1 and stereo by Steven Wilson once again for a 50th anniversary box set of the album. Wilson expressed satisfaction with his 2009 remix, but stated that his 50th anniversary mixes are a significant improvement, being more faithful to the original 1969 mix and benefitting from his 10 years of ensuing experience. The box set includes 3 CDs and a Blu-ray. The Blu-ray features the all-new 2019 stereo and 5.1 mixes encoded at 24/96 resolution, the 2004 "Original Master Edition" with the 1969 mix (also encoded at 24/96), a complete alternate version of the album comprising 2019 Steven Wilson mixes and 2019 instrumental mixes, while the three CDs in the box set feature the new 2019 stereo mix, an expanded edition of the alternate album in the Blu-ray and the "Original Master Edition" plus additional tracks.
They had a shorter version of this song that was played on the radio when this album came out. Check out "21st Century Schizoid Man" from the same album. ❤
Masterpiece (a prog reference)! And on the same album, the compositions "Epitaph" and "21st Century Schizoid Man" are two others... the latter, totally intelligently weird.
I still remember walking in to a record shop in Vancouver in 1970 and hearing this. The effect was magnetic and I still play it today in my dotage back in the UK from which I had emigrated. Happy days!
Phemomenal - their catalogue is amazing. Many many different eras and incarnations, all distinct and all revolving around guitarist Robert Fripp. He is widely considered one of the most technically fluent guitarists of all time ❤ Huge influence on Yes. Jon Anderson and Chris Squire used to watch King Crimson live. So much so that original Yes drummer Bill Bruford left after Close to the Edge to join King Crimson.
Pink Floyd: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Yes: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Genesis: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Deep Purple: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Rush: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Dream Theater: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Primus: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Tool: "Thank you, King Crimson!" ... goes on ...
Actually, I discovered prog rock via a friend's friend, who casually told me about Jethro Tull, then from Tull I went directly to Yes and ELP. And fell instantly in love with Greg Lake's voice. He's still in my top 5 singers. You can also check his life at California jam " Lucky Man": giant concert on a big stage, and I've rarely seen someone so chill, playing casually on an acoustic guitar. The simplicity of the staging really emphasises what a gem his voice was, full of harmonics, powerful when needed, soft and subtle when needed. ( then you can try Karn Evil 9 to see what a fantastic trio was ELP ) The court of Crimson King is different and was also an instant win, with the use of flutes. You can't even imagine how happy I am to see people who could be my children diving into prog rock, which is ... more my parent's generation. I was the weird teenager who listened to strange stuff during the 90's, and now, it feels like getting approval from the next generation 😁 Have fun, and continue to discover the strangest stuff. It's a key to expanding one's world 👍
A unique element of this song is the use of the Mellotron. A keyboard instrument that played these metal tape cassette sampled sounds for each note. The string sound can also be found on early Genesis and also Moody Blues. But the Easter egg is that lone flute section (Starting at 9:17) which is also performed on the Mellotron. And that particular flute sound many of us have heard on another album also from this time period. Where? The opening notes of Strawberry Fields by the Beatles. Go ahead, jump over to Strawberry Fields and then come back and listen to the flute interlude in this track. See? The Mellotron could only produce the sounds that were on the metal tape and if you used the flute tape it produced a very distinct tone. As a side note, Paul McCartney demonstrates the Mellotron in a video on RUclips and plays the opening of Strawberry Fields at 2 minutes and 46 seconds on that clip. .
Love Greg Lake's voice on this song! I bought the album in 1970 and this song along with "21st Century Schizoid Man" are my favorites! Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Lucky Man" was also one I think you'd enjoy! Thanks for this blast from my younger days, Salvo! Great song.
“The gardener plants an evergreen whilst trampling on a flower”. One of those extremely profound lines you get in progressive rock (and other fine literary arts)!
I'm from Wimborne in Dorset, a small market town. Fripp and Lake were local lads so they seemed an especially important band at the time to me. All these years on they have stood the test of time. Incredible track, incredible band. Glad you enjoyed.
Great reaction! Definitely 'Epitaph' from the same album next. The late Greg Lake had one of THE great voices in prog rock. He appears on most of the songs from the follow up album too 'In The Wake Of Poseidon' (brilliant title track, somewhat in the same vein as the one you just listened to). He left KC shortly after and went on to form another great prog group called ELP with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer. Not sure if you've done anything by them yet but if not you could try their 'Tarkus' masterpiece (epic 20 minute title track). It'll blow your mind!
There were plenty good albums following this one, not entirely discounting the almost copycat In The Wake If Poseidon but the next albums (Lark's Tongues, Islands, Red, Starlight and Bible Black - the Dylan Thomas reference) and their early 1980s re-invention were all truly excellent.
When my daughter was little and came over for the weekend, she would ask me to rearrange my albums on the shelf so that this one would be hidden... it scared the crap out of her! ;-]
My daughter and her 5 yo son is coming to visit me next month. Maybe check if he would appreciate this kind of music, but starting with I Talk To The Wind and then Epitaph.
I was browsing in a Melbourne record shop in the early 1970's and the album cover caught my eye so I purchased it even though I had not heard of King Crimson beforehand. It was the best thing I ever did as I have played the album literally thousands of times since. Moonchild was my goto song to help me fall asleep. Being stoned puts it up to another level also.
Had first release vinyl. Had a frog on a hand on the inside cover. Went to college. Came home found my brother sold it and about 100 other albums for some pot. I wont bother listing them for you but that record college would make your jaw drop.
I think "Epitaph" is the prettiest song they did with Greg Lake. Some great tracks with John Wetton who you may know from ASIA. My favorite iteration is their 80's stuff with Adrian Belew on vocals/guitar, Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel) on bass, and Bill Bruford (YES) on drums. Of course Robert Fripp the wizard in all KC lineups.
Michael Giles drumming on this track, and the rest of the album as well, set a new standard in what needed to be accomplished by rock drummers. Best experienced with Meshmican for that late 60's vibe.
I first listened to this album in 1970....my freshman year in college at UMass, Amherst.. Living in a dormitory, the guy next door to me would play it often and I could hear it through the wall. I would eventually meet him and we were friends until his passing last year. You have to listen to Epitaph from the same album. In the opinion of many, myself included, it's their masterpiece. Thanks for reviewing this kind of music!
Vietnam. The draft, all night column writing for the college paper. An interview with Sweet Willie Wine Watson. Listening to this album all night until near ５AM 後outside 🈶
I tend to think this song is easier to process if you have heard the rest of the album which leads up to this, the final song on the album. The lyrics always hit me as mystical rather than grim. The cover I always associate with the first song "21st Century Schizoid Man". I always feel the term which best describes this song is Majestic. Complex and layered also come to mind.
I bought this album when first released on vinyl. My father scratched his head. The cover was/is good at evoking some expectations, right or wrong, of what might be found within. The music gives a vast spatial sense. In the day, the popular pronounced experimentation with the stereo effect was effectively practiced by King Crimson, who also recorded for Quadraphonic systems, popular at the time. My all time favorite by King Crimson was, Cat Food, found on a different album.
I grew up in the 60's and never heard of them until a sound man friend of mine heard me listening to 21st Century Schizoid Man by April Wine and told me it was King Crimson tune. That was in 1979. around 1982 I was looking through the $.99 bin cutouts at the local record store and seen that album cover and bought it just for the art work. When I got it home and opened it only to discover it was King Crimson and the tune my friend was talking about was there and man what a great album it ended up being. I enjoy listening to that whole album but it has been awhile. Now I will have to dig it out and get reacquainted. Take care
For me it has a lot of influence in the sound recording as the Moody Blues, who they would all know being British. The Moody’s influence on this genre goes without saying as they were the first.
I bought this album waay back in the early 70s...it had a matte feel unlike the glossy rock albums of its era. Almost essential listening for house pot parties back in the day.
Some... errr ahhh... hmmmm.. .some did a lot of acid, mescal & crystal tee... js.. anywho.. . the lyrics and the music encompassed all of this sound! Anywho, what a magnificent sound, omgggg AMAZING!! King Crimson!!
This was THE album for me at age 17!!! This is totally awesome!! These days you really don't hear stereo anymore. Back then it was all about stereo. Listening to this on headphones was mind blowing! Especially if you were lucky enough to have a bong hit or two ;)
Are we heading for the Apocalypse? The first song of the album 21st Century Schizoid Man has your answer. Imagine yourself in the winter 1970, you are a peacenik depressed by the tragedy of the Altamont Park Free Concert that doomed the psychedelic rock movement. You go to an open house party with a friend where everything is free at the open bar. You drop a yellow sunshine window pane. You sit on a couch and try to dig the mood of the place. And someone put a record with the first song blowing up your mind. You go near the record player and see the album cover. You read the credits and read "Peter Sinfield - lyrics, illumination, production" and you know those lyrics are talking about what is really going on behind the scene of entertainment.
I think this was the second album I ever bought, as a teenager. I still have it, on the original vinyl, and now also as an MP3. Totally awesome. Nothing close to it has been made since. (Plenty of great stuff, though!) Who else feels like they've had an "experience" that leaves them emotionally empty at the end?
Wow! I can’t believe you’re reviewing this! I’m the only one I know that has even HEARD of this album! First heard this at like 2:30 AM on a Sunday morning on a college radio station (the best way to experience it.) Found a copy (no internet in my college days), listened to it, and bought my own copy. Check out “21st Century Schizoid Man”, it’s very proggy.
IMHO, the best debut album ever In 1974 I was 14 years old, a neighbor 7 years older than me, played me this album, then Rondo from The Nice and Fire from The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Guess which band became my favorite?
Saw them do this in 1973. Lake wasn't with them by then, but in a small hall it was unbelievably beatiful and spectacular. Bruford was on percussion. Great reaction!
Living in Little Rock we had Beeker Street from 12-2 a.m. on 50000 watt radio station broadcasting this over a large part of the nation in the late 60s and early 70s loved it.
First heard this as a teenager at school on John Peel's Perfumed Garden. Wonderous and next day everyone was talking about it. Music was like that back then A great time to be alive.
I love how apparently Fripp told his drummers something like "dude, we have a bassist to keep the pace. You just do something else entirely". He apparently burned them out pretty quick too, and had to replace them after every couple albums lol
![MISSING: SLIM SHADY [Expanded Mourner’s Edition Trailer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xh8qgHrOO1g/mqdefault.jpg)
"21st Century Schizoid Man," this album's 1st song, is an incomparable banger.
absurd opener for a ridiculous debut album. nobody was ready
and the bizarre album cover art is intended to represent that manic opening track ..
It was 20th Century when it came out, they’ve renamed it for the new century
@@Varmer absurd, ridiculous, not ready
ABSOLUTELY also the records with Adrian Belew and actually all their record. Listen to Epitaph
“I talk to the wind” and “Epitaph “ are epic. Great lyrics by Peter Sinfeld
Epitaph, A Man A City, 21st Century Schizoid Man, many others too!!!
"Said the straight man to the late man, 'Where have you been?'
'I've been here and I've been there and I've been in between.'"
"I talk to the wind.
My words are all carried away.
I talk to the wind.
The wind does not hear.
The wind cannot hear."
....... and of course Epitaph also appeared on the ELP album Tarkus. Peter Sinfield who I think of as the 4th member of ELP in all but name!
That’s Greg Lake from ELP on vocals. I still remember being mesmerized by this listening to late night FM radio as a teenager. For contrast check out 21st Century Schizoid Man.
Good call re 21st century schizoid man
Me too! A young teenager. Now at 72 I’m still tuning into anything of KC seeing the young people discovering them for the first time.
The drummer, Bill Bruford, later joined Yes and, for a while. Genesis.
@@markdrum2392 The drummer was Michael Giles. Bill Bruford came along in 1973. In the Court was recorded in late 1968.
No. That is Greg Lake from King Crimson.. He left to form ELP. This is his finest moment, imo
A side note. Man how I miss cover art. We lost something when vinyl went away.
And now it's come back!
@@Llydrwydd Really? Not just the remakes of the old stuff but brand new cover art?
@@musicairplanes4884 I hear what you're saying. 'Back in the day' there were more limitations on how we could listen to music, so the lp cover had a lot more impact I agree. There's an interesting take on the subject in another video on RUclips which does include some modern day examples (which I wasn't aware of) in which the creativity of the medium is still evident, so all is not lost.
It's called: 'Does Album Art Still Matter? For Vinyl & Digital...' if you're interested.
Vinyl never fully went away but I know what you mean there's less room on a cd cover🎩
Yes! Icant imagine how many vinyl LPs i bought just because of the cover's artwork.
Greg Lake, one of the best vocalists of all time.
I think this album was the real birth of "conventional" Prog Rock. I had a grin on my face listening to this the first time - still do now.
The sophisticated code structures, poetic lyrics, and great drum fills...
It's a shame they don't make music like this anymore.
There is just something about Greg's voice that reaches in through my ears, grabs my heart, and won't let go. ❤
Groundbreaking album. Period. Saw their current ensemble at the Greek Theater a couple years ago. Just phenomenal talent and they are continue with founding member Robert Fripp. Greg Lake of ELP fame was also in the original band and his vocals are one of a kind. Epitaph is the highlight of the album, IMHO a masterpiece of music, along with the title track and 21st Century Schizoid Man.
I totally agree! Their music through the years was always ahead of its time. I especially love their 1990s albums, especially Thrak! But I’ve owned this album, on vinyl, for 48 years, and that’s the best medium for listening to it. Streaming has way too much loss of quality due to bit rate and compression. If you think this sounded good, you owe it to yourself to play the vinyl!
Is that the Greek on Berkeley campus?
@@godbluffvdgg Greek Theater Los Angeles. Iconic. Fans next to us were from Berkeley and saw the performance in the Bay Area the week before. They were hardcore.
@@mikeloomis687 :)...I asked, because I saw them at the Greek on Berkeley campus in the early 80's....Being from philly, it was a surreal experience being on the storied campus...Three of a Perfect Pair tour...Seeing them at their peak was amazing...:)...Funny before I looked at comments today, I pulled up My Red playlist...Good health to you and yours...: )
One of the all time great songs. The drumming by Michael Giles is just fantastic. But everyone in the band contributes magnificently. I simply adore I Talk To The Wind, which is hardly ever mentioned.
Yes… the drumming is just amazing!
Whatever happened to Michael Giles? He is a beast!
Totally agree. I Talk to the Wind and Epitaph are both epic, but hardly ever mentioned. As for Michael Giles, not only is his drumming here amazing, but the production on his drums is astounding. It has never been equaled, not even on the very next Crimson album. The sound of the drums on Court of the Crimson King is simply magical.
He's a big influence on Neil Peart.
Pre Crimson, McDonald and Giles will amaze you.edit is maybe that's post Crimson
I haven't listened to this for a long time. Still one of my favorite prog albums and bands of the seventies. Yes, I'm an old guy, and a musician myself. Glad it's being appreciated by a new generation.
King Crimson is a MUST HAVE, just an incredible band, in every era, and this album is amazing still now, nothing like this in this year, ahead of this time... Hope you react to another songs from this album, "21st Century Schizoid Man", "Epitaph", no words to describe...
I love King C. But why always exaggerate the comments . Yes , it's brilliant , but there were so many great bands in these 2 or 3 years around the change of the decade. To say that they all were influenced by KC is not true . All these bands made their debut albums in the same period .And were influenced by jazz , folk m blu3s and classical music . Especially in England they all played in each other's bands and records . Not even the Beatles were the ultimate inspiration. They started playing rock & roll and the Stones were influenced by the blues and r&b ( yes , that is where that came from , not from Boys to Men or that shit ) and every band took what it needed from what came from the States combined it with European music and voila : that's how it all started not from listening to KC or whatever band . Later bands took what they needed from this area and etc etc. And don't pretend that this is the album of all albums . For me there are hundreds of brilliant albums in all kinds of music .Even today there are bands making fantastic stuff . It only doesn't create the kind of musical explosion that it did in 68 to 71 . But only cause there only were 20 to 30 albums a year to choose from .While no I almost drown in an endless stream of amazing music . Believe me, Lara Fabian and Kasey Chamber's Loose yourself gave me the same kind of crazy emotions that I felt with Sympathy for the devil or Breathe in the air. It's easier to cling to what we already know and love and have thousands of memories while listening to these songs. But saying things like That music was the best ever is why our children call us old hippies , just as I called my mother .. no matter.😅Stay open to new stuff . Or you're gonna miss a lot of great stuff .
@@iwanbottos5128 no es ninguna exageración, KC a parte de ser una de las más grandes y mejores bandas de la historia, hicieron un disco debut que aún hoy sorprende por lo adelantado a su época, no todo el disco quizás, pero absolutamente ninguna banda que yo conozca había hecho algo que se asemeje a "21st Century Schizoid Man", si conocés algo así, por favor compartilo que muero de curiosidad
“Epitaph “ should be next, co written and sung by Greg Lake (of course of ELP fame and one of the best voices in Rock).
What an incredible Band and Album..................this was my go to music through my teens. I was so lucky ! :)
The next King Crimson Song to do,...to further blow your Mind - the 'Red' Album's Starless.
This album was a masterpiece in every way. I still have the record somewhere haha. Greg Lake's voice is so distinctive. ☮
Now it's time for "Epitaph" from the same album.
Greg Lake had the most beautiful voice. If you haven’t checked out any ELP, please do.
“Trilogy” (actually the entire album should be heard) should be heard first followed by “From The Beginning” and then “Still…You Turn Me On”.
Hard agree.
The drumming by Muchaek Giles is absolutely brilliant, and unlike anything else I have ever heard. I bought this in 1969... never got tired of it. The mix is stunning.
There’s a video where Terry Draper, the drummer in Klaatu, is talking about their greatest hit, Calling Occupants, and that he fascinated by Michael’s way of drumming tried to mimic that technique in that song. THAT is so cool!
This is a good example of Stoner Music. I bought this album in 1970, while stationed at an isolated Air Force base in the Azores. Music really helped me keep it together during that assignment.
As soon as I saw you were reacting to In The Court Of The Crimson King I could not have watched your reaction video more quickly. Your face with utter ecstasy was the same face I had when i first heard this song when I was 17 years old. King Crimson and their magnificently odd group leader Robert Fripp brought a sound unlike any other group of the times. Fripp was the very first artist to use the Mellotron, which gives the song a certain mystique. Of course, Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer has a wonderful singing voice to add to the song. From this same album there are 2 other songs that I recommend: Epitaph and I Talk To The Wind. Keep up with the reactions to early 70's Progressive Rock!
I was exactly the same when I first heard this song as a 18 year old. Totally blew my mind. Still sounds incredible all these years later. Definitely 'Epitaph' is the other classic from this album. Hope he reacts to that one next. BTW, Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues used the mighty Mellotron on at least three MB albums that pre-date In The Court Of The Crimson King.
@@paulr1193 I don't know how true this is, but I've read that the Mellotron used on this album was actually bought from the Moody Blues by King Crimson. Which, if true, is pretty awesome!
@@br.martindallyosb1147
There is also a rumor that Genesis subsequently came into possession of King Crimson’s mellotron. So does this mean that there is a mellotron out there that was used by all three of these now legendary bands?!
Like a violin bow being firmly dragged across the taught and quivering strings of our emotions.
What a fascinating decade, from
El Paso to
I wanna Hold Your Hand
to Lucy in the Sky to
All Along the Watchtower to
Meddle and Wheels of Confusion.
Then disco toppled civilization back into the jungle.
On the other hand,
has there ever been a generation not in love with the music of their teen years?
I bought this album from a record club brochure in 1969 when I was 16 just because of the cover. Once I put it on my turntable I was enveloped in music I never knew was possible. That vocalist/bassist enthralled me so much that I followed him when he started a new band that is still my #1 to this day. RIP Greg Lake ( & RIP Keith Emerson)
Long Live Emerson Lake and Palmer!
Such an amazing tune to highlight omgggggg WOOOOOOOOOOOT You can trip out to this tune for hours!!!! Wore out more than a few albums lol ;)
Thanks for the reaction G!! I really appreciate these guys. Everything about this is great, but the drumming stands out to me, and of course Greg Lake's voice. I agree with you Lake's delivery of the lyrics always makes me feel like I am in a different time. My favorite song from them is "Elephant Talk" off their 1981 Discipline album.
Another era, another style, another masterpiece. What a brilliant album
Another great song of theirs: Epitaph.
I was playing this album while taking my kids home from school last week. This week will be Depeche Mode.
Staring at that album cover for hours at a time while stoned made me the man I am today.
Thanks for the reaction!
My favourite album of all time,still remember the first the first time I heard it in 1969 the week it was released.
I was 14 at the time and it completely changed my taste in music.
So was I. I couldn't believe my ears when I first heard it. It still amazes me today. One of the first albums I bought.
First thing I should say is, LISTEN TO IT ON VINYL!!! Streaming this loses way too much of the sound quality. Then, Remember you said this was rated 2nd best album in Rolling Stone’s top 100. Album! I’ll grant you that this is an incredible song, but it is part of a package… intended to be listened to in one sitting. It takes you on a ride, and your mind can’t help drifting, floating with the music. Great album! It’s hard to believe that it’s 56 years old. And I’ve been listening to it for 48 of those years. Thanks for playing it.
Vinal is the way to listen to this.
Blue -Ray and CD are superior to vinyl ...
re:
In 2019, the album was remixed in 5.1 and stereo by Steven Wilson once again for a 50th anniversary box set of the album. Wilson expressed satisfaction with his 2009 remix, but stated that his 50th anniversary mixes are a significant improvement, being more faithful to the original 1969 mix and benefitting from his 10 years of ensuing experience.
The box set includes 3 CDs and a Blu-ray. The Blu-ray features the all-new 2019 stereo and 5.1 mixes encoded at 24/96 resolution, the 2004 "Original Master Edition" with the 1969 mix (also encoded at 24/96), a complete alternate version of the album comprising 2019 Steven Wilson mixes and 2019 instrumental mixes, while the three CDs in the box set feature the new 2019 stereo mix, an expanded edition of the alternate album in the Blu-ray and the "Original Master Edition" plus additional tracks.
They had a shorter version of this song that was played on the radio when this album came out. Check out "21st Century Schizoid Man" from the same album. ❤
Masterpiece (a prog reference)! And on the same album, the compositions "Epitaph" and "21st Century Schizoid Man" are two others... the latter, totally intelligently weird.
I still remember walking in to a record shop in Vancouver in 1970 and hearing this. The effect was magnetic and I still play it today in my dotage back in the UK from which I had emigrated. Happy days!
Phemomenal - their catalogue is amazing. Many many different eras and incarnations, all distinct and all revolving around guitarist Robert Fripp. He is widely considered one of the most technically fluent guitarists of all time ❤
Huge influence on Yes. Jon Anderson and Chris Squire used to watch King Crimson live. So much so that original Yes drummer Bill Bruford left after Close to the Edge to join King Crimson.
My all time favorite group and album none better Every body must get stoned.
Masterful use of the Mellotron keyboard (sounds like an entire string section) by Robert Fripp and Ian McDonald!
All Hail the Court of the Crimson King! This album is truly a time machine... I am spiraling back now... Wheeeeeeeee!
Pink Floyd: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Yes: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Genesis: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Deep Purple: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Rush: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Dream Theater: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Primus: "Thank you, King Crimson!" Tool: "Thank you, King Crimson!" ... goes on ...
King Crimson: "Thank you Frank Zappa" King Crimson: "Thank you Beatles" King Crimson: "Thank you Moody Blues."
Rush never cited Crimson as one of their influences. Geddy loved Yes and Alex was quite eclectic.
@@EdwardGregoryNYC Zappa? Moody Blues?
PLS stop writing BS about other bands especially Pink Floyd...Educate yourself...ruclips.net/video/rAh4Fzmmfdw/видео.html
Actually, I discovered prog rock via a friend's friend, who casually told me about Jethro Tull, then from Tull I went directly to Yes and ELP. And fell instantly in love with Greg Lake's voice. He's still in my top 5 singers.
You can also check his life at California jam " Lucky Man": giant concert on a big stage, and I've rarely seen someone so chill, playing casually on an acoustic guitar. The simplicity of the staging really emphasises what a gem his voice was, full of harmonics, powerful when needed, soft and subtle when needed.
( then you can try Karn Evil 9 to see what a fantastic trio was ELP )
The court of Crimson King is different and was also an instant win, with the use of flutes.
You can't even imagine how happy I am to see people who could be my children diving into prog rock, which is ... more my parent's generation. I was the weird teenager who listened to strange stuff during the 90's, and now, it feels like getting approval from the next generation 😁
Have fun, and continue to discover the strangest stuff. It's a key to expanding one's world 👍
Please do the entire album, amazing stuff! Epitaph...
🔥🎵🎹🎤🎸🎶🔥
A unique element of this song is the use of the Mellotron. A keyboard instrument that played these metal tape cassette sampled sounds for each note. The string sound can also be found on early Genesis and also Moody Blues. But the Easter egg is that lone flute section (Starting at 9:17) which is also performed on the Mellotron. And that particular flute sound many of us have heard on another album also from this time period. Where? The opening notes of Strawberry Fields by the Beatles. Go ahead, jump over to Strawberry Fields and then come back and listen to the flute interlude in this track. See? The Mellotron could only produce the sounds that were on the metal tape and if you used the flute tape it produced a very distinct tone. As a side note, Paul McCartney demonstrates the Mellotron in a video on RUclips and plays the opening of Strawberry Fields at 2 minutes and 46 seconds on that clip. .
Amazing album.
Love Greg Lake's voice on this song! I bought the album in 1970 and this song along with "21st Century Schizoid Man" are my favorites! Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Lucky Man" was also one I think you'd enjoy! Thanks for this blast from my younger days, Salvo! Great song.
Ian McDonald played keyboards/Mellotron on "Court..."
He was a founding member of Foreigner.
Greg Lake’s voice just always spoke to me. At least I got to hear him with ELP in their heyday.
A coworker gave me an original mint copy of this album. He said it was to busy for him! That was about a year ago... lol
Good evening I haven't heard that for 45 years great album 😅
“The gardener plants an evergreen whilst trampling on a flower”. One of those extremely profound lines you get in progressive rock (and other fine literary arts)!
This song is included in the soundtrack of the movie: "Children Of Men". An excellent cautionary tale what is happening now.
Saw Emerson, Lake and Palmer live 1970ish. They played this song last. Amazing!
I'm from Wimborne in Dorset, a small market town. Fripp and Lake were local lads so they seemed an especially important band at the time to me. All these years on they have stood the test of time. Incredible track, incredible band. Glad you enjoyed.
Finally someone who reacts to music and not videos! A breath of fresh air. Gracias Senor! 🤠
Great reaction! Definitely 'Epitaph' from the same album next. The late Greg Lake had one of THE great voices in prog rock. He appears on most of the songs from the follow up album too 'In The Wake Of Poseidon' (brilliant title track, somewhat in the same vein as the one you just listened to). He left KC shortly after and went on to form another great prog group called ELP with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer. Not sure if you've done anything by them yet but if not you could try their 'Tarkus' masterpiece (epic 20 minute title track). It'll blow your mind!
Ian Macdonald was the main melody contributor to this album..to my mind their best line-up and their best album
There were plenty good albums following this one, not entirely discounting the almost copycat In The Wake If Poseidon but the next albums (Lark's Tongues, Islands, Red, Starlight and Bible Black - the Dylan Thomas reference) and their early 1980s re-invention were all truly excellent.
I saw King Crimson in concert, they backed up Robin Trower. I was in awe. That was a long time ago. I remember it vividly.
When my daughter was little and came over for the weekend, she would ask me to rearrange my albums on the shelf so that this one would be hidden... it scared the crap out of her! ;-]
When my much younger sister was about 2 we used to set this album up in the hall outside our room to see her reaction when she came around the corner.
@@submandave1125hahahah and what was her reaction?
@@moonshxne She’d reliably jump, yelp, turn around, and run away.
@@submandave1125 thats adorable lol
My daughter and her 5 yo son is coming to visit me next month. Maybe check if he would appreciate this kind of music, but starting with I Talk To The Wind and then Epitaph.
I was browsing in a Melbourne record shop in the early 1970's and the album cover caught my eye so I purchased it even though I had not heard of King Crimson beforehand.
It was the best thing I ever did as I have played the album literally thousands of times since. Moonchild was my goto song to help me fall asleep. Being stoned puts it up to another level also.
bought it for the album cover...stayed for the rest of my life...
King Crimson is the beginning of a musical treeline...ELP, Yes, Genesis ,and Asia are all connected to King Crimson
I still have this on vinyl along with "In the Wake of Poseidon".
With the first editions of the album, the teeth glowed. The song is someone's observation.
Had first release vinyl. Had a frog on a hand on the inside cover. Went to college. Came home found my brother sold it and about 100 other albums for some pot. I wont bother listing them for you but that record college would make your jaw drop.
I bought this album and was blown away when I first put it on my turntable.
I like watching the youngs discover the bands I grew up with.
"Immersive" great adjective for this song! Think I will use that in the future.
I think "Epitaph" is the prettiest song they did with Greg Lake. Some great tracks with John Wetton who you may know from ASIA. My favorite iteration is their 80's stuff with Adrian Belew on vocals/guitar, Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel) on bass, and Bill Bruford (YES) on drums. Of course Robert Fripp the wizard in all KC lineups.
Brings back memories 😮💜
Ahhhhhh, to be allive in '69 and to hear this for this first time !
Michael Giles drumming on this track, and the rest of the album as well, set a new standard in what needed to be accomplished by rock drummers. Best experienced with Meshmican for that late 60's vibe.
I first listened to this album in 1970....my freshman year in college at UMass, Amherst.. Living in a dormitory, the guy next door to me would play it often and I could hear it through the wall. I would eventually meet him and we were friends until his passing last year. You have to listen to Epitaph from the same album. In the opinion of many, myself included, it's their masterpiece. Thanks for reviewing this kind of music!
Almost went there, ended up at Emerson College.
@@antarcticorb9197 I lived across the street from Emerson at 163 Beacon for a few years in the 80s. Nice to hear from you!
@@jamescanole3940Likewise. I was the class of 78. Before your time probably.
@@antarcticorb9197 Nope...I was class of 73.
@@jamescanole3940 Well alright! I made you feel young for a minute! Hahaha...😅
Vietnam. The draft, all night column writing for the college paper. An interview with Sweet Willie Wine Watson. Listening to this album all night until near ５AM 後outside 🈶
Good choice. I still have this lp from all those yrs.ago.
I tend to think this song is easier to process if you have heard the rest of the album which leads up to this, the final song on the album. The lyrics always hit me as mystical rather than grim. The cover I always associate with the first song "21st Century Schizoid Man". I always feel the term which best describes this song is Majestic. Complex and layered also come to mind.
Great track! Greg Lake's only album with Crimson, he would go on to help form the great Emerson, Lake, and Palmer!☮
Didn’t he appear on one or two songs on the next album?! And he sings on Pete Sinfield’s solo album.
We used to listen to this album triping on acid (LSD)
This is honestly the first time I've heard this too. I've seen the vinyl picture
I bought this album when first released on vinyl. My father scratched his head. The cover was/is good at evoking some expectations, right or wrong, of what might be found within. The music gives a vast spatial sense. In the day, the popular pronounced experimentation with the stereo effect was effectively practiced by King Crimson, who also recorded for Quadraphonic systems, popular at the time.
My all time favorite by King Crimson was, Cat Food, found on a different album.
Never saw them in concert, but i did have a beer with Fripp
I think the first time I heard this was in 1971. I had it original vinyl version, but I lost it and everything else in a wildfire.
One of the most underappreciated drummers; Michael Giles...
Other Robert Fripp offerings: Elephant Talk, Epitaph, Easy Money, I Talk To The Wind, Starless & Bible Black
Epitaph next off this album-- not the remastered version. Please!
I grew up in the 60's and never heard of them until a sound man friend of mine heard me listening to 21st Century Schizoid Man by April Wine and told me it was King Crimson tune. That was in 1979. around 1982 I was looking through the $.99 bin cutouts at the local record store and seen that album cover and bought it just for the art work. When I got it home and opened it only to discover it was King Crimson and the tune my friend was talking about was there and man what a great album it ended up being. I enjoy listening to that whole album but it has been awhile. Now I will have to dig it out and get reacquainted. Take care
For me it has a lot of influence in the sound recording as the Moody Blues, who they would all know being British.
The Moody’s influence on this genre goes without saying as they were the first.
Don't quote me on this, but I think the Mellotron on this album was in fact acquired from the Moody Blues.
I bought this album waay back in the early 70s...it had a matte feel unlike the glossy rock albums of its era.
Almost essential listening for house pot parties back in the day.
Some... errr ahhh... hmmmm.. .some did a lot of acid, mescal & crystal tee... js.. anywho.. . the lyrics and the music encompassed all of this sound! Anywho, what a magnificent sound, omgggg AMAZING!! King Crimson!!
Love Greg Lake. What a voice!!
This song launched almost as many D&D campaigns as did Roger Dean's Yes album covers.
This was THE album for me at age 17!!! This is totally awesome!! These days you really don't hear stereo anymore. Back then it was all about stereo. Listening to this on headphones was mind blowing! Especially if you were lucky enough to have a bong hit or two ;)
Are we heading for the Apocalypse? The first song of the album 21st Century Schizoid Man has your answer.
Imagine yourself in the winter 1970, you are a peacenik depressed by the tragedy of the Altamont Park Free Concert that doomed the psychedelic rock movement. You go to an open house party with a friend where everything is free at the open bar. You drop a yellow sunshine window pane. You sit on a couch and try to dig the mood of the place. And someone put a record with the first song blowing up your mind. You go near the record player and see the album cover. You read the credits and read "Peter Sinfield - lyrics, illumination, production" and you know those lyrics are talking about what is really going on behind the scene of entertainment.
I think this was the second album I ever bought, as a teenager. I still have it, on the original vinyl, and now also as an MP3. Totally awesome. Nothing close to it has been made since. (Plenty of great stuff, though!)
Who else feels like they've had an "experience" that leaves them emotionally empty at the end?
This is the music that started progressive rock
Wow! I can’t believe you’re reviewing this! I’m the only one I know that has even HEARD of this album!
First heard this at like 2:30 AM on a Sunday morning on a college radio station (the best way to experience it.) Found a copy (no internet in my college days), listened to it, and bought my own copy. Check out “21st Century Schizoid Man”, it’s very proggy.
IMHO, the best debut album ever
In 1974 I was 14 years old, a neighbor 7 years older than me, played me this album, then Rondo from The Nice and Fire from The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Guess which band became my favorite?
Saw them do this in 1973. Lake wasn't with them by then, but in a small hall it was unbelievably beatiful and spectacular. Bruford was on percussion. Great reaction!
The final drum fill in the coda is equal to anything John Bonham ever did.
Living in Little Rock we had Beeker Street from 12-2 a.m. on 50000 watt radio station broadcasting this over a large part of the nation in the late 60s and early 70s loved it.
I got to hear it when first released. I'm 70 now and it's on my playlist. Epitaph is my favorite on this album. Give McDonald and Giles a listen.
The artist who designed the cover,Barry Godber died of a heart attack at age 24 just a couple of years after painting this album cover.
First heard this as a teenager at school on John Peel's Perfumed Garden. Wonderous and next day everyone was talking about it. Music was like that back then A great time to be alive.
I love how apparently Fripp told his drummers something like "dude, we have a bassist to keep the pace. You just do something else entirely". He apparently burned them out pretty quick too, and had to replace them after every couple albums lol