You got some stones with some of your placements on here for sure. I may disagree with some choices but man, thanks for not bending to the typical choices and making YOUR list. Definitely a cool take to see.
I've not listened to their full discography, but as for now my favorite album definitely is Discipline. The Sheltering Sky is one of the most incredible songs I've ever heard, but actually every track has its purpose and its incredible moments. I also love the interplay between the musicians, each member puts his effort into the songs, and I also love the concept between it all, that discipline/indiscipline theme throughout the lyrics. King Crimson is a band so unique, so progressive that actually all the albums by them still have something to say
I'm with you. I was hooked at the outset by ITCOTCK, devastated by the follow-up In the Wake of Poseidon, upon which it seemed (and still does) that the group had emptied its tank. Until 1981. Now that was a bona fide super group. Talking Heads meets King Crimson and galaxies form. Thank you Adrian Belew. Thank you Tony Levin for filling the tank (unfortunately only to see it emptied again).
@@heatherperleberg7816 It doesn't really work for me. Virtuosity is great but I like a good song. There aren't any bands whose entire catalogue I like. Van der Graaf Generator are the ones who come closest.
The first time I heard Lizard, I wanted to destroy it with an axe. If not for the magnificient (and eerie) cover sleeve, this could have happened. Now my mind has changed and I appreciate this album more with each listening.
I also really love Islands, often an overlooked King Crimson album. Really liked your list, although I would have put Discipline higher, I really like that type of Post-Progressive.
A lot of people dismiss Discipline. Easy contender for top five album in the band's discography. Like Lark's Tongues it was a tremendous, unexpected effort that brought the band back to relevance
Lark's Tongues in Aspic had the best overall lineup of any crimson album ever, which is part of why everyone else has it as a contender for the number one spot. Easily one of the most stunning albums in the discography
1. Larks' tongues in aspic 2. Red 3. In the court of the crimson king 4. Starless and Bible black 5. Lizard 6. Thrak 7. Islands 8. In the wake of Poseidon 9. Discipline 10. Beat 11. The power to believe 12. Three of a perfect pair 13. The construkction of light
Four seasons 1. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic 2. In the Court of the Crimson King 3. Red 4. Discipline 5. Starless and Bible Black 6. THRAK 7. Islands 8. Three of a Perfect Pair 9. Lizard 10. The Power to Believe 11. Beat 12. In the Wake of Poseidon 13. The ConstruKction of Light
The songs in there are damn good, but it has too many improvisational pieces that drag it down so badly. Trio is the only one I like, and even then, I'd take a structured song over it.
I never followed King Crimson until recently. The only album I knew was the first one. I heard the title track way back in about 1971 and loved it, but KC were never played on the radio back then, and I didn't know anyone who had any of their albums. So, fifty years later, I saw a video on RUclips of Robert Fripp talking about Discipline, and I decided to give it a listen. Wow. I loved it. It was like a virtuoso Talking Heads, but much better. So then I listened to Beat and Two Of A Perfect Pair, and I loved them too. I have spent the last few months going back over King Crimson's back catalogue. It's been a lot of fun, but nothing has struck me like the three 80s albums. They are absolutely brilliant. Discipline is my favourite.
I have not listened to all of their albums but here's my list 8 Starless and Bible black 7 in the wake of Poseidon 6 discipline 5 Islands 4 In the court of the crimson king 3 Lizard 2 larks tongues in aspic 1 Red
@AJLizard has some of the best moments by the band for me and i just really like the overall feel to it Starless and Bible black and discipline are great but i enjoyed the oders a bit more
I don't have time to watch it now, but I'm sure your reasoning for every placement is well constructed and justified. 0/10, unsubscribed. (I really hope you know it's a joke, love your content my dude)
Three of a Perfect Pair has the concept of three sides to every story. "His side, her side, and the truth," according to them at the time. And Devil's Triangle is just an avant-rock cover of Mars, Bringer of War from Gustav Holst's The Planets Suite.
It's been a while since i've listened to King Crimson's full discog but here's my list off memory: 13. The Construkction of Light 12. Beat 11. Islands 10. Three of a Perfect Pair 9. Thrak 8. In the Wake of Poseidon 7. Lizard 6. The Power to Believe 5. Starless and Bible Black 4. In the Court of the Crimson King 3. Larks Tongues in Aspic 2. Red 1. Discipline
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Excellent analysis. Nice to see your enjoyment and excitement around KC. If you are so young and having so much out of it, picture me (I'm 70) and a lifetime of listening to King Crimson.
this is my top 5 because i haven’t heard all of their record yet. I love all of these records honestly and I can’t wait to hear the rest 5. Discipline 4. Red 3. In the Wake of Poseidon 2. Starless and Bible Black 1. In the Court of the Crimson King Edit 3 Months Later: okay, update, i love king crimson more than god now and i have almost listened to every record of theirs in the short time i’ve known them. Here’s my list now. 10. THRAK 9. The Power to Believe 8. In the Wake of Poseidon 7. Three of a Perfect Pair 6. itCOtCK 5. Starless and Bible Black 4. Beat 3. Larls 2. Discipline 1. Red I haven’t listened to all of the rest still, or have started listening and couldn’t get into the records.
Great video! I love how detailed your explanations for each ranking was, although they're somewhat controversial(Beat is one of my favorite albums lmao)I really like how you detailed why each album deserved the spot it got
Your best intro to date :) I couldn't rank KC myself as each album will suit a mood, but it's really good to hear you enthuse about them. You have get ReConstruKction of Light with Pat Mastello's live drums - they totally lift it.
Mate, I hope you won't mind a few corrections to your statements concerning Lizard (I know, I know, critics everywhere), nothing personal and all that . . . The opening theme on "Cirkus" is played on the mellotron not a syn; there are no dragons anywhere on "Prince Rupert . . ."; I believe what you think is a clarinet is actually Robin Miller's oboe, maybe Mark Charig's cornet. That said, I share your passion for this magnificent album - nothing like it before or since. Cheers!
My list for King Crimson: 13. Three of a Perfect Pair 12. THRAK 11. Power to Believe 10. Beat 9. The Construkction of Light 8. Starless and Bible Black 7. Discipline 6. Lizards 5. Islands 4. In the Wake of Poseidon 3. Larks Tongue in Aspic 2. Red 1. In the Court or the Crimson King There was a period when Red was my favorite, but something about that first album is just too powerful. To me, at least, Court is so hard to top, even though they came with fantastic, ground breaking records afterwards. Some of these are really close to each other more than it may seem. That’s why they are such a great band.
Again I don't agree with you! I don't understand your choices but it does not matter! Keep up the great work you do! Thank you! My number 1: Red and my number 13: The construction of light.
Yes you finally got pass the frippbot Also here’s my list: 1. Larks 2. Red 3. Discipline 4. Lizard 5. THARK 6. In The Wake Of 7. Islands 8. In the court 9. Starless/Bible Black 10. The Power To Believe 11. The Construction Of Light 12. Beat 13. Three Of A Pair
Patrick Lauer 1. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic 2. In the Court of the Crimson King 3. Red 4. Discipline 5. Starless and Bible Black 6. THRAK 7. Islands 8. Three of a Perfect Pair 9. Lizard 10. The Power to Believe 11. Beat 12. In the Wake of Poseidon 13. The ConstruKction of Light
I haven't read any of the other comments - yet - so here are mine. I loooove the way you started, all the ground-rule facts. 👍 And from there you just got better! The fact that I don't agree with some of your points is irrelevant, imo. You are one of the most pleasant people that I don't agree with that I actually enjoy listening to. You present your case well, with a good blend of brain and heart. And you make me go and listen to the stuff in a new light. WELL DONE! Keep it up. Thankyou! Have a good 2021!👏🎶😎🥁🎤🎸🎹🔊🔊🔊
My ranking from worst to best: 13. Beat 12. Three Of A Perfect Pair 11. Discipline 10.ConstruKction of Light 9. In the Wake of Poseidon 8. Islands 7. THRAK 6. Starless and Bible Black 5. Power to Believe 4. In the Court of The Crimson King 3. Larks Tongue In Aspic 2. Red 1. Lizard (yes I put lizard as 1 what are you gonna do about it)
I knew there had to be SOMEONE out there on this damned planet who would place Lizard top. What am I gonna do about it? ive you a like and stand defiant with you to the end as the horse comes howling for our souls... actually looking at the rest of your list it is as I would have ranked them. boom.
"Starless" is the most beautiful prog rock song ever and that is enough for me to make "Red" the no1 album. 2nd is "The Court". 3: "USA" It's live but it has the greatest versions ever of some songs. 4: "In The Wake". 5: "Lizard".
I really don't understand your ranking, but thanks for sharing. Here's my ranking: 13. The ConstruKction Of Light (1⭐) 12. Beat (2⭐) 11. The Power To Believe (2⭐) 10. Three Of A Perfect Pair (2⭐) 9. Islands (3⭐) 8. THRAK (3⭐) 7. Lizard (4⭐) 6. Starless And Bible Black (4⭐) 5. In The Wake Of Poseidon (4⭐) 4. Discipline (5⭐) 3. Larks' Tongues In Aspic (5⭐) 2. Red (5⭐) 1. In The Court Of The Crimson King (5⭐)
@@AlexanderTheWild My ranking has changed over the last two years so here is my current ranking: 1. Larks' Tongues In Aspic 5⭐ 2. In The Court Of The Crimson King 5⭐ 3. Red 5⭐ 4. Lizard 5⭐ 5. Discipline 4,5⭐ 6. In The Wake Of Poseidon 4,5⭐️ 7. Islands 4⭐️ 8. Starless And Bible Black 4⭐ 9. The Power To Believe 4⭐ 10. Beat 3⭐ 11. Three Of A Perfect Pair 3⭐ 12. THRAK 3⭐ 13. The ConstruKction Of Light 2,5⭐
Starless and Bible Black is still my favorite, mostly because of Fracture and The Great Deceiver. I listen to Discipline often and absolutely love it. Matte Kudasai, Thela Hun Ginjeet, Indiscipline... Red rounds out my top 3. I know - where's Court of the Crimson King? I appreciate the impact, the context and the originality, but it just doesn't grab me as much.
I finally found someone who can shed light on similar feels on In the Court. For me, I can compliment it the same way, the reasons it doesn't grab me is mostly due to the ballady theatrics and as a musician, I hate producers and Sinfield had a massive impact on that album. With most bands, especially in that day, the debut would almost always be a "producer's album" as record labels wanted to insure sales. By the time Islands came out, it's easy to tell what decisions are Peter's and what ones are Robert's - enter the Wetton era.
KC have been my favourite band for around 45 years, with all the live albums, box sets, projects as well as the studio albums, it's impossible for me to pick a favourite as it depends on my mood. Listen to the studio albums in surround sound, it really opens them up and might even change your mind about your list. Good effort, I wouldn't even attempt this.
Discipline so low? Finally, I'm not alone in my placement of this album. Really not a fan of the colour trilogy. My full ranking: 13. Beat 12. Discipline 11. The Construkction of Light 10. Three of a Perfect Pair 9. The Power to Believe 8. THRAK 7. Starless and Bible Black 6. Larks' Tongues in Aspic 5. Lizard 4. Islands 3. In the Wake of Poseidon 2. In the Court of the Crimson King 1. Red
@@mattdrummond3552 I like this album a lot, but KC has so many great albums that I can't place it higher. It's swappable with S&BB for me, both are either in the 6th or 7th place. The top four on my ranking is just untouchable.
I really enjoyed that, you obviously love this music. I’m so blown away by you putting Islands at number 2 and putting Lizard so high as well. I love those albums. 🙂
1. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic 2. In the Court of the Crimson King 3. Red 4. Discipline 5. Starless and Bible Black 6. THRAK 7. Islands 8. Three of a Perfect Pair 9. Lizard 10. The Power to Believe 11. Beat 12. In the Wake of Poseidon 13. The ConstruKction of Light
Imho Islands is the hidden gem of Crimson’s discography, it’s really overlooked and underrated, maybe because was launched in a very delicate and unstable moment of their career, maybe because is too melancholic, but is so melodic, so beautiful. For me the best albums of KC are the below ones: 1 - In the Court 2- Islands 3- Red 4- Lizard 5- Lark Tongues in Aspic 6- In The Wake of Poseidon From the classic era, I never really enjoyed Starless and Bible Black, too noisy, over experimental, overrated From 1980 I really don’t think it’s KC anymore, they lost the progressive rock torch, it’s still very good, but for me is a completely different sound, it’s like hearing another band
I think I love your personal choice, notes! That's what I really think it's the best of your channel , you made this list thinking of wich are the albums that touch you the most Here's my top 10 : 01 In the Court of the Crimson King 02 Red 03 Larks Tongues in Aspic 04 Lizard 05 Islands 06 Discipline 07 In the Wake of Poseidon 08 Thrak 09 Starless & Bible Black 10 The Construktion of Light 11 The Power to Believe 12 Three of a Perfect Pair 13 Beat
13- The Construkction of Light 12-Starless and Bible Black (but fracture is one of my favorite songs ever) 11-The Power to Believe 10-Lizard 9-In the Wake of Poseidon 8-Islands 7- THRAK 6- In the Court of the Crimson King 2- Beat/Discipline/Three of a Perfect Pair 1-Red/Larks' Tongues in Aspic I can't decide the first five places
My list (only the albums I´ve listened to): 1. In the Court 2. Red (Because of Starless) 3. Lizard 4. In the Wake of Poseidon 5. Starless and Bible Black 6. Larks Tongues 7. Islands 8. Thrak 9. Discipline 10 Three of the Perfect Pair 11. Beat
Hard to rank their albums but for me, it might be: 1. Red 2. Larks 3. Discipline 4. Starless and Bible Black 5. In the Court of the Crimson King 6. Islands 7. THRAK 8. Three of a Perfect Pair 9. Beat 10. Lizard 11. In the Wake of Poseidon 12. The Power to Believe 13. The Construction of Light Ya know, I don't even feel that strongly about this list, they can almost all easily change. All I know is that Red and Larks are probably always going to be my 2 absolute favorites, and Power to Believe and Construction will likely remain my least favorites. I'm better at ranking my top 20 KC songs lol
14) First half of Three of a Perfect Pair (I'm splitting this into two because of simply how different I feel about the two styles that exist separately in this, I simply cannot give the same rating to a song like Industry and Man With An Open Heart) 13) In The Court of the Crimson King (sorry guys, it doesn't mean it's bad, I still like it) 12) Beat 11) Starless of the Bible Black 10) In the Wake of Poseidon 9) Construkction of Light 8) Islands 7) Power to Believe 6) 2nd half of Three of a Perfect Pair 5) Red 4) Discipline 3) Lizard 1) Larks Tongues in Aspic and Thrak together, I can't really pick one. God it's so difficult to rank them. Each one is easily above 7/10. KC is and has always been my favorite band and I finally had the opportunity to see them live last year. I'm not a great fan of the new vocals, but it's still absolutely worth seeing them, if you have a chance after this pandemic ends make sure to catch a show.
I put Discipline much higher. This is the Album that I discovered King Crimson on. I loved this album so much I drove all the way across Ohio to see them live.
If you ever get a chance to hear Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins' "A Scarcity of Miracles", I highly suggest you do it. TECHNICALLY, it's not a King Crimson record, but it's the damn closest thing they've done to one in years.
I never thought I’d find somebody who dislikes the 80’s Belew era like I do lol, it just does nothing for me. The Devil’s Triangle is based on a classical piece called Mars by Gustav Holst from his suite The Planets. For me, I love how chaotic and avant grade it is, the buildup and climax is extraordinary too. One of the darkest, most frightening Crimson songs imo. If you listen to some 20th century classical composers like Messiaen, Bartok, Stravinsky, Varese, Schoenberg, etc you might change your mind on it! It might help you like Larks and Bible Black more too, Fripp was highly influenced by it during this period. I’m honestly surprised you love Lizard so much haha, it’s a favorite of mine too along with Islands. I really love when they do the free jazz mixed with symphonic/classical stuff, always thought it gave off Medieval imagery especially with that artwork! Love the serene and reflective vibe that Islands has, the title track is probably the most beautiful song they’ve done for sure. Interesting list! From Court to Red I literally can’t pick a favorite, I love them almost all equally for different reasons. There’s definitely nothing quite like King Crimson.
My favorite thing about your rankings videos is that even the entry on the very bottom is still talked about with praise and respect. For my money, I'd rank the 80's KC much higher but that's why they've got so much; something for every taste. Well, not every taste, I suppose... 🍻
Very controversial. I don't really get the early stuff, but it must have been very exciting in the context of the era. For me the band started when Bill Bruford joined, so what do I know?
Yeah, same. I love ItCotCK, but everything after that and up to Islands, I'm not really crazy on. The Wetton-era is by far my fav of the band (Larks, S&BB, Red)
Interestingly the list is almost completely reversed for me, Beat is probably my favorite King Crimson album. Can't really connect too much with the bands older stuff personally.
I love the early 80's K.C. It was very innovative and groundbreaking stuff...especially with all the modern electronic gear....cutting edge. Discipline is still one of my all time favorite albums!
Personally I absolutely love the 80s stuff. I think that kc has the best 80s material of any prog band tbh My ranking: TCoL < ITWoP < Lizard < THRAK = TPTB < Beat = ToAPP < SaBB < Red < ITCoTCK < Islands = LTIA < Discipline, but keep in mind I love each of these albums
I think In The Wake Of Poseidon is one of their best albums. Cadence and Cascade is great and the bass line Cat Food is incredible. With Picture of a city giving that starts just shocks and it’s one of my favorites.
1. Lizard 2. Red 3. In The Court Of The Crimson King 4. Starless And Bible Black 5. In The Wake Of Poseidon 6. Discipline 7. The Power To Believe 8. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic 9. Islands 10. THRAK 11. Three Of A Perfect Pair 12. Beat 13. The ConstruKction Of Light
I like your choices (even not always agree), but the fact you put Islands in n°2, is a nice surprise. I love that album so much. I now have to relisten to The Power to believe, I think I didn't get enough into it.
1. Red 2. Discipline 3. In the Court of the Crimson King 4. The Power to Believe 5. Starless & Bible Black 6. Larks' Tongues in Aspic 7. In the Wake of Poseidon 8. Islands 9. THRAK 10. Lizard 11. Three of a Perfect Pair 12. Beat 13. The ConstruKction of Light
Food for thought ... Discipline stopped me buying any more KC ... so I never got to that final trilogy .... and I have heard enough extracts from the middle trilogy that i know i need not go there ... saying all of that 'STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK' is my favourite album . I had the vinyl in the 70s so exciting times as i revisit through anniversary edition CD's and i may just dip my toes into that last trilogy, nervous though
I found this the most head-scratching when I first watched this but this is the one video from your channel that I watched the most, especially when trying to counteract the opposite view of 80s Crimson. And that happened recently when a blogger I know very well posted in his Facebook group that the 80s Crimson is his Crimson, which is fine as it was ground zero that eventually led to his new career of writing about music. His post received an enormous amount of responses that seemed to turn it to a full-blown wankfest, some going as far to write that any Crimson with Adrian Belew, especially the 80s one, is more proper Crimson than other eras. Which led to Robert Fripp himself sharing that post on his own FB page and commenting about such comparisons, especially when one called the recent live versions of the band as feeding Fripp's ego! 🤔
1 Lizard 2 Island 3 Larks' Tongues in Aspic 4 Starless And Bible Black 5 Red 6 In the Court of the Crimson King 7 Discipline 8 In the Wake of Poseidon 9 Thrak 10 A Three of Perfect Pair 11 The Construktion of Light 12 The Power To Belive 13 Beat
I appreciated the fact that you saw something good in every album you talked about, regardless of ranking. KC is a personal experience and it it is not constant over time. It is a universe of its own. At the time, Islands, as well as Lizard, were seen as a great disappointments but time has changed this assertion. I just love Poseidon - it was the first KC album I bought in the 70s. Clearly, this appreciation is not objective... but for argument, the drums of Giles are just mind boggling; Fripp alternates between acoustic and electric guitars in a way he never repeated. The vocals of Haskell on Cadence and Cascade brings me to tears. OK, Devil's Triangle is not a a complete success... nevertheless, enjoyed your take on KC because you speak about how the music moves you. Keep it up!
I enjoyed this rundown, as people say it's your own choices, no-one else's. I see myself as a big Crimson fan and put the debut, Larks and Red at the top, with Discipline and Power next up - the rest are a bit of an acquired taste as they're a challenging band! But each of their albums has a unique quality of its own, often because the band changed rapidly between records - Court is grandiose, mediaeval and mellotron-drenched, Larks is crazy, experimental and unstable and Red is crunching, ominous and almost grunge-like (Kurt Cobain loved it, didn't he?) KC are just one of those bands where your favourite record changes, depending on your mood...
I saw the Boz and Ian Wallace version of KC in1971 and and found a King crimson club live at the Marquee club August 10 1971 on amazon. You have to hear the live version of Cirkus . Its freekin great. When the mellotron kicks in it gets Evil. Check it out Ed
Lots of very well reasoned arguments there. It probably won’t change my favourites (Red and Thrak) but there are definitely albums that I’ve neglected that I need to listen to again
Nice ranking. Although your number 1 is usually considered their best, you're ranking is not the general one, which I think is good. My favorite KC album is The Power to Believe. Love the more arabic, nature, section of the main title piece, and after that flowing into Dangerous Curves. Also love the end two pieces on that album. Another thing you mentioned was the beauty of Lizard, especially the bolero/peacocks tale. So right! I also dig Red and the ConstrukCtion. Another favorite would however be Discipline (also in my top 3). But what I also like about KC is that all albums (or series) have their own style.. Great upload. Also reminds me to re-listen to the Wake...
Where is Red? It seems that it has been entirely ommited in your ranking. My favourite top 5 King Crismon LP's would be (in no particular order): Red, Starless and Bible Black, Larks Tongues in Aspic, In the Court of the Crimson King, Discipline. I agree with putting In the Wake of Poseidon towards the bottom, as I always considered this album too similar to their fantastic debut. I also agree with putting two LP's from XXI century pretty high. I always liked The construkction of Light and The Power to Believe more than Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair.
Having watched a couple of your videos (yes, I subscribed too), I really don't know what you mean by "jazzy" and I'm not surprised the "right" side of 3OAPP didn't jazz you, cuz it's definitely not "fun". (Actually, Larks' 3 is definitely fun, although it ends on that skysaw smear you probably don't find fun). But also, on TCOL, it's Pat Mastoletto (ex of Mister Mister of all things) and Trey Gunn, who is doing his damned best to make us all realize there's bass-life in King Crimson after Tony Levin. His "Joys of Molybdenum" is really nifty.
Okay, I really wasn't going to leave a commet but... I've been binging KC album rankings and, being that I'm a lot younger than the others who ranked the 70s stuff rather high, I found your ranking not only different from theirs but mine as well and I'll still to a point pin it to a generation gap. Mostly because I'd place Construction roughly the same as you did whereas most others put it last. I'm the only person I know that shares similar feeling of Larks pt IV. For me, it's utter structured chaos until the coda section which is where it all falls into place and becomes easy for anyone to listen to: such monstrous composition flowing into a well comprised melodic conclusion, utter masterpiece. To those who say it's a weak song and place the Lizard suite higher are entitled to their opinion, more power to you, but Lizard is several separate ideas comprised into one and I dare you to compose a more sophisticated, complex and intricate piece than Larks Tongues pt 4 including the coda.
Also, just for the sake of further voicing my unpopular opinion, Lizard and Islands just make me feel yuck. No such things as a bad album, it's all subjective, but I'd like to hear why people would either agree or disagree with me or you. I just like having discussion
Before I begin my album list for King Crimson, I will say that for The Devil's Triangle, it's was originally gonna be a cover of Gustav Holst's Mars, The Bringer of War from the Planets. Unfortunately, they weren't allowed too, so they made a interesting take on it (and imo love how chaotic it gets). Anyway, here's my list (all the albums are awesome, it's just that this was a very difficult list to make: 1. Red 2. ITCOTCK/ITWOP (I couldn't decide between these 2 since they're so similar) 4. Larks Tongues In Aspic 5. Discipline 6. Starless And Bible Black 7. Lizard 8. Islands 9. Three Of A Perfect Pair 10. THARK 11. Beat 12. Power To Believe 13. Construction Of Light (My list at first was different but after revisiting some albums, I had to change a few)
I like all their albums. I’m glad you didn’t bash on Construction like many other fans. This band is so varied that you can’t say their albums sound alike which is probably why I like them all.
Devil’s Triangle is essentially Gustav Holst’s Mars movement from Op 32 “The Planets”. I certainly admire their ambition to try this, and it was well executed and intense, but it doesn’t fit with the hosting album’s flow very well.
Don’t agree with all your choices but congrats on putting together a well thought out piece. I’ve been a KCrim fan since Court came out in ‘69. In over 50 years I have probably never gone more than a couple of months without listening to it. I love all the albums. Even the lesser ones lol
The problem you're talking around with Larks' Tongues in Aspic is that perpetual instinct in Fripp work to want to violently contrast the mood. And so the unhinged sprawl of LTIA part 1 is followed by an unconvincing outing in Book of Saturday. Exiles is the "Epitaph" analogue here. Similarly, on side 2, Easy Money is the crassness of Cat Food or nastiness of Pictures of a City or 21st Century schizoid man, followed by (what for me) is a dopey, over-long meditation ala Tibetan enlightenment or such. I honestly think it's as long as it is just to fill up the side. With, again, a massive, angular master-work to close the disc. So, I think the real problem is that the middle tracks on both sides don't do enough (I know folks can groove on "Talking Drum"; this can't be helped). It's also easy to see why LTIA part 2 will feel like a mess; that's a long intro, with some great heavy guitar, but it's really that unhinged acoustic guitar solo being picked out by Fripp that is the paradigm shift in the catalog. When you program out 2 of 6 songs on an album, it starts to seem "higher" on the list.
1 Lark's Tongue in Aspic. 2 In the Court of the Crimson King. 3 In the Wake of Poseidon. 4 Red. 5 Discipline. 6 Starless and Bible Black. 7 Lizard. 8 Three of a Perfect Pair.
While your opinions are valid as it sounds like you've listened to and gave a lot of thought to these albums, I'm not sure I agree with some of your reasoning about some of the albums. Essentially, I think Larks Tongue in Aspic and Discipline are the 2 albums that I would put on or near the top of their heap. They leave you with an idea like you just took a very solid, meaningful and expansive road trip, fulfilled aurally like few others. Good attempt at King Crimson discography. Must have taken quite a bit of research (LP playing and deep thought) P.S. A big shoutout hello to my fellow K.C. compatriot bestie from the 70's, Dave H. !
13. Construcktion of the light 12. Beat 11. In the wake of the poseidon 10. Three of a perfect pair 9. Islands 8. Thrak 7. Lizard 6. The Power to Believe 5. Starless and bible black 4. Discipline 3. Larks tounges in Aspic 2. Red 1. In the court of the crimson king
King Crimson is a hard band to rank the albums like that because (i) they have a lot of material, (ii) many albums have completely different musical styles, and (iii) they do not have a single bad album. My personal ranking of KC albums would change a lot depending on my mood on the day, and, although my personal list would be really different from yours, I agree with most comments about each one of the albums. Great job!
13. Lizard 12. Three of a Perfect Pair 11. The ConstruKction of Light 10. In the Wake of Poseidon 9. Beat 8. Thrak 7. The Power to Believe 6. Discipline 5. Islands 4. In The Court of the Crimson King 3. Red 2. Larks Tongues In Aspic 1. Starless and Bible Black
Plus the lineup makes are thus: In The Court Of The Crimson King 1969. IDK 1970. Islands Band 1971-72. Wetton Era (that's what me and my brother call it) 1972-1974. Discipline 1981-84. Double Trio 1994-97 (I believe). Double Duo 2000-03. The Seven Headed Beast 2014-15. Seven Headed Beast 2.0 2016, 2021. Eight Headed Beast 2017-18, 2020. Eight Headed Beast 2.0 (I think) 2019.
Your thoughts and presentation are young. This is not bad, but it's hard to listen to if you're an old fuck like me. Cudos on your thoughts on "The Power to Believe." I liked that. For me, the injection of Belew totally made the band at this stage. You're tied to nostalgia too much with regard to "In the Court of..." I had this album the month it came out, but the band, (and musical progression), has grown so much since. Appreciated your take on things... Thx.
MY Ranking: 13. The Construkction of Light 12. The Power to Believe 11. Thrak 10. Three of a Perfect Pair 9. Beat 8. Lizard 7. In the Wake of Poseiden 6. Islands 5. Discipline 4. Starless & Bible Black 3. Larks Tongues in Aspic 2.. Red 1.. In the Court of the Crimson King
You got some stones with some of your placements on here for sure. I may disagree with some choices but man, thanks for not bending to the typical choices and making YOUR list. Definitely a cool take to see.
I've not listened to their full discography, but as for now my favorite album definitely is Discipline. The Sheltering Sky is one of the most incredible songs I've ever heard, but actually every track has its purpose and its incredible moments. I also love the interplay between the musicians, each member puts his effort into the songs, and I also love the concept between it all, that discipline/indiscipline theme throughout the lyrics.
King Crimson is a band so unique, so progressive that actually all the albums by them still have something to say
I LIKE IT!
@@goodcorn Me gusta!
I'm with you. I was hooked at the outset by ITCOTCK, devastated by the follow-up In the Wake of Poseidon, upon which it seemed (and still does) that the group had emptied its tank.
Until 1981. Now that was a bona fide super group. Talking Heads meets King Crimson and galaxies form.
Thank you Adrian Belew. Thank you Tony Levin for filling the tank (unfortunately only to see it emptied again).
@@multi-purposebiped7419 So none of the Wetton stuff does anything for you?
@@heatherperleberg7816 It doesn't really work for me. Virtuosity is great but I like a good song. There aren't any bands whose entire catalogue I like. Van der Graaf Generator are the ones who come closest.
The first time I heard Lizard, I wanted to destroy it with an axe. If not for the magnificient (and eerie) cover sleeve, this could have happened. Now my mind has changed and I appreciate this album more with each listening.
I also really love Islands, often an overlooked King Crimson album. Really liked your list, although I would have put Discipline higher, I really like that type of Post-Progressive.
I can't listen to that album
A lot of people dismiss Discipline. Easy contender for top five album in the band's discography. Like Lark's Tongues it was a tremendous, unexpected effort that brought the band back to relevance
@@marinhrabric6162 Could I ask why?
@@heatherperleberg7816 islands, lizard and poseidon to me are so boring, experimental, weird, psychedelic, all over the place, incoherent bullshit.
@@marinhrabric6162 Oh, i thought you were talking about Discipline before. Im not a huge fan of wake either
Lark's Tongues in Aspic had the best overall lineup of any crimson album ever, which is part of why everyone else has it as a contender for the number one spot. Easily one of the most stunning albums in the discography
Thrak was once described by a reviewer as "sonic terrorism."
I’d take that as a compliment.
1. Larks' tongues in aspic
2. Red
3. In the court of the crimson king
4. Starless and Bible black
5. Lizard
6. Thrak
7. Islands
8. In the wake of Poseidon
9. Discipline
10. Beat
11. The power to believe
12. Three of a perfect pair
13. The construkction of light
Avi checks out
Four seasons that’s almost the exact same as mine
Four seasons 1. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic
2. In the Court of the Crimson King
3. Red
4. Discipline
5. Starless and Bible Black
6. THRAK
7. Islands
8. Three of a Perfect Pair
9. Lizard
10. The Power to Believe
11. Beat
12. In the Wake of Poseidon
13. The ConstruKction of Light
Not bad, I'd have Lizard a bit higher
The songs in there are damn good, but it has too many improvisational pieces that drag it down so badly. Trio is the only one I like, and even then, I'd take a structured song over it.
My top worst to best:
13 They
12 Are
11 All
10 Good
09 You
08 Can
07 Not
06 Rank
05 Them
04 They
03 Are
02 Amazing
01 In the court of the Crimson King
The Court will be always the best... and it's actually a shame because it's the first album
stop being annoying
I never followed King Crimson until recently. The only album I knew was the first one. I heard the title track way back in about 1971 and loved it, but KC were never played on the radio back then, and I didn't know anyone who had any of their albums. So, fifty years later, I saw a video on RUclips of Robert Fripp talking about Discipline, and I decided to give it a listen. Wow. I loved it. It was like a virtuoso Talking Heads, but much better. So then I listened to Beat and Two Of A Perfect Pair, and I loved them too. I have spent the last few months going back over King Crimson's back catalogue. It's been a lot of fun, but nothing has struck me like the three 80s albums. They are absolutely brilliant. Discipline is my favourite.
I have not listened to all of their albums but here's my list
8 Starless and Bible black
7 in the wake of Poseidon
6 discipline
5 Islands
4 In the court of the crimson king
3 Lizard
2 larks tongues in aspic
1 Red
Good list
@AJLizard has some of the best moments by the band for me and i just really like the overall feel to it Starless and Bible black and discipline are great but i enjoyed the oders a bit more
Beat is an underrated album imo
Beat good
Beat underrated
Beat good
Beat good
Beat bad
I gotta say your worst to bests are my favorite series and I always look forward to them and continue come back to them
What a strange list... Islands coming second best, and Lars tongues behind Thrak and Construction...
Islands is my number 1 for me
I know, Islands should have been first!
@@mreverything1143 for real!!!
Well, I love Larks' Tongue in Aspic, but Construkction of Light is sooooo good
@@Colebenson98 This just means King Crimson is not for you :)
I don't have time to watch it now, but I'm sure your reasoning for every placement is well constructed and justified.
0/10, unsubscribed.
(I really hope you know it's a joke, love your content my dude)
Rudy ayoub reference?
Three of a Perfect Pair has the concept of three sides to every story. "His side, her side, and the truth," according to them at the time. And Devil's Triangle is just an avant-rock cover of Mars, Bringer of War from Gustav Holst's The Planets Suite.
It's been a while since i've listened to King Crimson's full discog but here's my list off memory:
13. The Construkction of Light
12. Beat
11. Islands
10. Three of a Perfect Pair
9. Thrak
8. In the Wake of Poseidon
7. Lizard
6. The Power to Believe
5. Starless and Bible Black
4. In the Court of the Crimson King
3. Larks Tongues in Aspic
2. Red
1. Discipline
oh man if your into discipline please give beat another try.
YES, a fellow discipline stan
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Excellent analysis. Nice to see your enjoyment and excitement around KC. If you are so young and having so much out of it, picture me (I'm 70) and a lifetime of listening to King Crimson.
Great job! So glad you went for Islands. The bit that makes you melt on Lizard is I think the gorgeous oboe solo by the late Robin Miller.
this is my top 5 because i haven’t heard all of their record yet. I love all of these records honestly and I can’t wait to hear the rest
5. Discipline
4. Red
3. In the Wake of Poseidon
2. Starless and Bible Black
1. In the Court of the Crimson King
Edit 3 Months Later:
okay, update, i love king crimson more than god now and i have almost listened to every record of theirs in the short time i’ve known them. Here’s my list now.
10. THRAK
9. The Power to Believe
8. In the Wake of Poseidon
7. Three of a Perfect Pair
6. itCOtCK
5. Starless and Bible Black
4. Beat
3. Larls
2. Discipline
1. Red
I haven’t listened to all of the rest still, or have started listening and couldn’t get into the records.
Great video! I love how detailed your explanations for each ranking was, although they're somewhat controversial(Beat is one of my favorite albums lmao)I really like how you detailed why each album deserved the spot it got
I bought ITCOTCK the first day it was in the local record shop! I still cannot go through a week without listening to it!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!
According to my math you have listened to the album approximately 2500 times
Your best intro to date :) I couldn't rank KC myself as each album will suit a mood, but it's really good to hear you enthuse about them. You have get ReConstruKction of Light with Pat Mastello's live drums - they totally lift it.
Mate, I hope you won't mind a few corrections to your statements concerning Lizard (I know, I know, critics everywhere), nothing personal and all that . . . The opening theme on "Cirkus" is played on the mellotron not a syn; there are no dragons anywhere on "Prince Rupert . . ."; I believe what you think is a clarinet is actually Robin Miller's oboe, maybe Mark Charig's cornet. That said, I share your passion for this magnificent album - nothing like it before or since. Cheers!
My list for King Crimson:
13. Three of a Perfect Pair
12. THRAK
11. Power to Believe
10. Beat
9. The Construkction of Light
8. Starless and Bible Black
7. Discipline
6. Lizards
5. Islands
4. In the Wake of Poseidon
3. Larks Tongue in Aspic
2. Red
1. In the Court or the Crimson King
There was a period when Red was my favorite, but something about that first album is just too powerful. To me, at least, Court is so hard to top, even though they came with fantastic, ground breaking records afterwards. Some of these are really close to each other more than it may seem. That’s why they are such a great band.
I'm going through that period now.
Im constantly listening to Red,
Especially the track 'One more red nightmare'
Again I don't agree with you! I don't understand your choices but it does not matter! Keep up the great work you do! Thank you! My number 1: Red and my number 13: The construction of light.
Yes you finally got pass the frippbot
Also here’s my list:
1. Larks
2. Red
3. Discipline
4. Lizard
5. THARK
6. In The Wake Of
7. Islands
8. In the court
9. Starless/Bible Black
10. The Power To Believe
11. The Construction Of Light
12. Beat
13. Three Of A Pair
THARK?
Patrick Lauer similar to mine
Patrick Lauer 1. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic
2. In the Court of the Crimson King
3. Red
4. Discipline
5. Starless and Bible Black
6. THRAK
7. Islands
8. Three of a Perfect Pair
9. Lizard
10. The Power to Believe
11. Beat
12. In the Wake of Poseidon
13. The ConstruKction of Light
projeKct5 OPINIONS??
I haven't read any of the other comments - yet - so here are mine.
I loooove the way you started, all the ground-rule facts. 👍 And from there you just got better! The fact that I don't agree with some of your points is irrelevant, imo. You are one of the most pleasant people that I don't agree with that I actually enjoy listening to. You present your case well, with a good blend of brain and heart. And you make me go and listen to the stuff in a new light. WELL DONE! Keep it up. Thankyou!
Have a good 2021!👏🎶😎🥁🎤🎸🎹🔊🔊🔊
My ranking from worst to best:
13. Beat
12. Three Of A Perfect Pair
11. Discipline
10.ConstruKction of Light
9. In the Wake of Poseidon
8. Islands
7. THRAK
6. Starless and Bible Black
5. Power to Believe
4. In the Court of The Crimson King
3. Larks Tongue In Aspic
2. Red
1. Lizard
(yes I put lizard as 1 what are you gonna do about it)
I knew there had to be SOMEONE out there on this damned planet who would place Lizard top. What am I gonna do about it? ive you a like and stand defiant with you to the end as the horse comes howling for our souls...
actually looking at the rest of your list it is as I would have ranked them. boom.
"Starless" is the most beautiful prog rock song ever and that is enough for me to make "Red" the no1 album.
2nd is "The Court".
3: "USA" It's live but it has the greatest versions ever of some songs.
4: "In The Wake".
5: "Lizard".
It's even better by listening the entire album
I really don't understand your ranking, but thanks for sharing. Here's my ranking:
13. The ConstruKction Of Light (1⭐)
12. Beat (2⭐)
11. The Power To Believe (2⭐)
10. Three Of A Perfect Pair (2⭐)
9. Islands (3⭐)
8. THRAK (3⭐)
7. Lizard (4⭐)
6. Starless And Bible Black (4⭐)
5. In The Wake Of Poseidon (4⭐)
4. Discipline (5⭐)
3. Larks' Tongues In Aspic (5⭐)
2. Red (5⭐)
1. In The Court Of The Crimson King (5⭐)
Thats a decent ranking although imo island and toap should be higher
@@AlexanderTheWild My ranking has changed over the last two years so here is my current ranking:
1. Larks' Tongues In Aspic 5⭐
2. In The Court Of The Crimson King 5⭐
3. Red 5⭐
4. Lizard 5⭐
5. Discipline 4,5⭐
6. In The Wake Of Poseidon 4,5⭐️
7. Islands 4⭐️
8. Starless And Bible Black 4⭐
9. The Power To Believe 4⭐
10. Beat 3⭐
11. Three Of A Perfect Pair 3⭐
12. THRAK 3⭐
13. The ConstruKction Of Light 2,5⭐
@@vismundcygnus4555Excellent to see Lizard rise to the top with 5 stars! The Sketches of Spain of progressive rock. Great updated list!
Starless and Bible Black is still my favorite, mostly because of Fracture and The Great Deceiver. I listen to Discipline often and absolutely love it. Matte Kudasai, Thela Hun Ginjeet, Indiscipline... Red rounds out my top 3. I know - where's Court of the Crimson King? I appreciate the impact, the context and the originality, but it just doesn't grab me as much.
I finally found someone who can shed light on similar feels on In the Court.
For me, I can compliment it the same way, the reasons it doesn't grab me is mostly due to the ballady theatrics and as a musician, I hate producers and Sinfield had a massive impact on that album. With most bands, especially in that day, the debut would almost always be a "producer's album" as record labels wanted to insure sales. By the time Islands came out, it's easy to tell what decisions are Peter's and what ones are Robert's - enter the Wetton era.
Oh my god!!!! This list is killing me! Thanks for the video
Watching this again As mentioned on Twitter. Love the opening explanation. Funny.
KC have been my favourite band for around 45 years, with all the live albums, box sets, projects as well as the studio albums, it's impossible for me to pick a favourite as it depends on my mood. Listen to the studio albums in surround sound, it really opens them up and might even change your mind about your list. Good effort, I wouldn't even attempt this.
Discipline so low? Finally, I'm not alone in my placement of this album. Really not a fan of the colour trilogy.
My full ranking:
13. Beat
12. Discipline
11. The Construkction of Light
10. Three of a Perfect Pair
9. The Power to Believe
8. THRAK
7. Starless and Bible Black
6. Larks' Tongues in Aspic
5. Lizard
4. Islands
3. In the Wake of Poseidon
2. In the Court of the Crimson King
1. Red
You're not a huge Larks fan either?! That's a top 3 KC album for nearly everyone
@@mattdrummond3552 I like this album a lot, but KC has so many great albums that I can't place it higher. It's swappable with S&BB for me, both are either in the 6th or 7th place.
The top four on my ranking is just untouchable.
@@ShinDSER that's kinda how I feel for my personal mid picks, red and Thrak lol. it's kinda wishy-washy like "yeah these ones are around here I guess"
I really enjoyed that, you obviously love this music. I’m so blown away by you putting Islands at number 2 and putting Lizard so high as well. I love those albums. 🙂
I picked the worst day to get up at 12:00pm
Happy to have seen the video before fripp snipes it. Its the easy choice, but Court is still my favorite. Occams Razor eh?
🗿
Occam’s razor? How so?
nice to see Islands so high, finally someone appreciates it. Also, the song Providence is great bc it has some of the best bass playing ever
1. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic
2. In the Court of the Crimson King
3. Red
4. Discipline
5. Starless and Bible Black
6. THRAK
7. Islands
8. Three of a Perfect Pair
9. Lizard
10. The Power to Believe
11. Beat
12. In the Wake of Poseidon
13. The ConstruKction of Light
Imho Islands is the hidden gem of Crimson’s discography, it’s really overlooked and underrated, maybe because was launched in a very delicate and unstable moment of their career, maybe because is too melancholic, but is so melodic, so beautiful.
For me the best albums of KC are the below ones:
1 - In the Court
2- Islands
3- Red
4- Lizard
5- Lark Tongues in Aspic
6- In The Wake of Poseidon
From the classic era, I never really enjoyed Starless and Bible Black, too noisy, over experimental, overrated
From 1980 I really don’t think it’s KC anymore, they lost the progressive rock torch, it’s still very good, but for me is a completely different sound, it’s like hearing another band
I think I love your personal choice, notes! That's what I really think it's the best of your channel
, you made this list thinking of wich are the albums that touch you the most
Here's my top 10
:
01 In the Court of the Crimson King
02 Red
03 Larks Tongues in Aspic
04 Lizard
05 Islands
06 Discipline
07 In the Wake of Poseidon
08 Thrak
09 Starless & Bible Black
10 The Construktion of Light
11 The Power to Believe
12 Three of a Perfect Pair
13 Beat
13- The Construkction of Light
12-Starless and Bible Black (but fracture is one of my favorite songs ever)
11-The Power to Believe
10-Lizard
9-In the Wake of Poseidon
8-Islands
7- THRAK
6- In the Court of the Crimson King
2- Beat/Discipline/Three of a Perfect Pair
1-Red/Larks' Tongues in Aspic
I can't decide the first five places
My list (only the albums I´ve listened to):
1. In the Court
2. Red (Because of Starless)
3. Lizard
4. In the Wake of Poseidon
5. Starless and Bible Black
6. Larks Tongues
7. Islands
8. Thrak
9. Discipline
10 Three of the Perfect Pair
11. Beat
@Notes Reviews Sorry to be pedantic, but that's an oboe on Lizard, not a clarinet.
Hard to rank their albums but for me, it might be:
1. Red
2. Larks
3. Discipline
4. Starless and Bible Black
5. In the Court of the Crimson King
6. Islands
7. THRAK
8. Three of a Perfect Pair
9. Beat
10. Lizard
11. In the Wake of Poseidon
12. The Power to Believe
13. The Construction of Light
Ya know, I don't even feel that strongly about this list, they can almost all easily change. All I know is that Red and Larks are probably always going to be my 2 absolute favorites, and Power to Believe and Construction will likely remain my least favorites.
I'm better at ranking my top 20 KC songs lol
Your ranking is just about perfect, though I'd switch PtB for Beat.
The early KC is the zenith and you nailed it. They are not my favourite prog band but by Jove they are possibly the most esoteric and arresting.
14) First half of Three of a Perfect Pair (I'm splitting this into two because of simply how different I feel about the two styles that exist separately in this, I simply cannot give the same rating to a song like Industry and Man With An Open Heart)
13) In The Court of the Crimson King (sorry guys, it doesn't mean it's bad, I still like it)
12) Beat
11) Starless of the Bible Black
10) In the Wake of Poseidon
9) Construkction of Light
8) Islands
7) Power to Believe
6) 2nd half of Three of a Perfect Pair
5) Red
4) Discipline
3) Lizard
1) Larks Tongues in Aspic and Thrak together, I can't really pick one.
God it's so difficult to rank them. Each one is easily above 7/10. KC is and has always been my favorite band and I finally had the opportunity to see them live last year. I'm not a great fan of the new vocals, but it's still absolutely worth seeing them, if you have a chance after this pandemic ends make sure to catch a show.
Based
I put Discipline much higher. This is the Album that I discovered King Crimson on. I loved this album so much I drove all the way across Ohio to see them live.
AGH i can't believe i didn't see this in my feed!!! i've been waiting for this for sooo long
If you ever get a chance to hear Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins' "A Scarcity of Miracles", I highly suggest you do it. TECHNICALLY, it's not a King Crimson record, but it's the damn closest thing they've done to one in years.
I never thought I’d find somebody who dislikes the 80’s Belew era like I do lol, it just does nothing for me. The Devil’s Triangle is based on a classical piece called Mars by Gustav Holst from his suite The Planets. For me, I love how chaotic and avant grade it is, the buildup and climax is extraordinary too. One of the darkest, most frightening Crimson songs imo. If you listen to some 20th century classical composers like Messiaen, Bartok, Stravinsky, Varese, Schoenberg, etc you might change your mind on it! It might help you like Larks and Bible Black more too, Fripp was highly influenced by it during this period. I’m honestly surprised you love Lizard so much haha, it’s a favorite of mine too along with Islands. I really love when they do the free jazz mixed with symphonic/classical stuff, always thought it gave off Medieval imagery especially with that artwork! Love the serene and reflective vibe that Islands has, the title track is probably the most beautiful song they’ve done for sure. Interesting list! From Court to Red I literally can’t pick a favorite, I love them almost all equally for different reasons. There’s definitely nothing quite like King Crimson.
YOU ARE REALLY NUTS, MY FRIEND!
DISCIPLINE is the absolute tribal-prog masterpiece and the '70s' CRIMSON ARE GODS! PERIOD.
My favorite thing about your rankings videos is that even the entry on the very bottom is still talked about with praise and respect. For my money, I'd rank the 80's KC much higher but that's why they've got so much; something for every taste. Well, not every taste, I suppose... 🍻
Very controversial. I don't really get the early stuff, but it must have been very exciting in the context of the era. For me the band started when Bill Bruford joined, so what do I know?
I was just reading this comment and thinking, "Hey I agree with this guy!" then I realize it's Matt from TFATD! Right on! Makes sense.
Yeah, same. I love ItCotCK, but everything after that and up to Islands, I'm not really crazy on. The Wetton-era is by far my fav of the band (Larks, S&BB, Red)
@@jaspergillgannon4991 In the Wake of Poseidon is arguably better than ItCotCK tho. Lizard is a masterpiece and Islands is an awesome album.
Interestingly the list is almost completely reversed for me, Beat is probably my favorite King Crimson album. Can't really connect too much with the bands older stuff personally.
I love the early 80's K.C. It was very innovative and groundbreaking stuff...especially with all the modern electronic gear....cutting edge. Discipline is still one of my all time favorite albums!
Personally I absolutely love the 80s stuff. I think that kc has the best 80s material of any prog band tbh
My ranking: TCoL < ITWoP < Lizard < THRAK = TPTB < Beat = ToAPP < SaBB < Red < ITCoTCK < Islands = LTIA < Discipline, but keep in mind I love each of these albums
best list 😎
I think In The Wake Of Poseidon is one of their best albums. Cadence and Cascade is great and the bass line Cat Food is incredible. With Picture of a city giving that starts just shocks and it’s one of my favorites.
Unfortunately, it has that stigma of its first side being a virtual clone of _In the Court_ 's first side for a lot of people.
Actually, for the most of it, i agree 🤔
I would put Island first though
1. Lizard
2. Red
3. In The Court Of The Crimson King
4. Starless And Bible Black
5. In The Wake Of Poseidon
6. Discipline
7. The Power To Believe
8. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic
9. Islands
10. THRAK
11. Three Of A Perfect Pair
12. Beat
13. The ConstruKction Of Light
For me 80s KC was the hardest to get into, But after finally getting into it I couldn't get out. I freaking love it.
So glad to be seeing some Islands love, but this is one of the spiciest rankings I've ever seen. Great list though, love your content as always.
Wonderful job. Thanks for the hard work.
Thank you. Your hard work was very much appreciated.
I like your choices (even not always agree), but the fact you put Islands in n°2, is a nice surprise. I love that album so much. I now have to relisten to The Power to believe, I think I didn't get enough into it.
1. Red
2. Discipline
3. In the Court of the Crimson King
4. The Power to Believe
5. Starless & Bible Black
6. Larks' Tongues in Aspic
7. In the Wake of Poseidon
8. Islands
9. THRAK
10. Lizard
11. Three of a Perfect Pair
12. Beat
13. The ConstruKction of Light
I just like Elephant Talk for the fact that they used "Brouhaha, balderdash, ballyhoo" as lyrics and somehow made it work.
Food for thought ... Discipline stopped me buying any more KC ... so I never got to that final trilogy .... and I have heard enough extracts from the middle trilogy that i know i need not go there ... saying all of that 'STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK' is my favourite album . I had the vinyl in the 70s so exciting times as i revisit through anniversary edition CD's and i may just dip my toes into that last trilogy, nervous though
Thank you very much. I love King Crimson and saw them live in the nineties in one of their project modes..
I found this the most head-scratching when I first watched this but this is the one video from your channel that I watched the most, especially when trying to counteract the opposite view of 80s Crimson. And that happened recently when a blogger I know very well posted in his Facebook group that the 80s Crimson is his Crimson, which is fine as it was ground zero that eventually led to his new career of writing about music. His post received an enormous amount of responses that seemed to turn it to a full-blown wankfest, some going as far to write that any Crimson with Adrian Belew, especially the 80s one, is more proper Crimson than other eras. Which led to Robert Fripp himself sharing that post on his own FB page and commenting about such comparisons, especially when one called the recent live versions of the band as feeding Fripp's ego! 🤔
It's been 80 longggggg yearssssssssssssssss ;D
Nah just kidding, glad to see this finally come to fruition :)
1 Lizard
2 Island
3 Larks' Tongues in Aspic
4 Starless And Bible Black
5 Red
6 In the Court of the Crimson King
7 Discipline
8 In the Wake of Poseidon
9 Thrak
10 A Three of Perfect Pair
11 The Construktion of Light
12 The Power To Belive
13 Beat
I appreciated the fact that you saw something good in every album you talked about, regardless of ranking. KC is a personal experience and it it is not constant over time. It is a universe of its own. At the time, Islands, as well as Lizard, were seen as a great disappointments but time has changed this assertion. I just love Poseidon - it was the first KC album I bought in the 70s. Clearly, this appreciation is not objective... but for argument, the drums of Giles are just mind boggling; Fripp alternates between acoustic and electric guitars in a way he never repeated. The vocals of Haskell on Cadence and Cascade brings me to tears. OK, Devil's Triangle is not a a complete success... nevertheless, enjoyed your take on KC because you speak about how the music moves you. Keep it up!
I enjoyed this rundown, as people say it's your own choices, no-one else's. I see myself as a big Crimson fan and put the debut, Larks and Red at the top, with Discipline and Power next up - the rest are a bit of an acquired taste as they're a challenging band! But each of their albums has a unique quality of its own, often because the band changed rapidly between records - Court is grandiose, mediaeval and mellotron-drenched, Larks is crazy, experimental and unstable and Red is crunching, ominous and almost grunge-like (Kurt Cobain loved it, didn't he?)
KC are just one of those bands where your favourite record changes, depending on your mood...
1. COURT
2. RED
3. DISCIPLINE
4.THRAK
5. LARK'S
6. THE REST (IN ANY ORDER)
13. KONSTRUCTION
Bang on.
I saw the Boz and Ian Wallace version of KC in1971 and and found a King crimson club live at the Marquee club August 10 1971 on amazon. You have to hear the live version of Cirkus . Its freekin great. When the mellotron kicks in it gets Evil. Check it out Ed
I think that King Crimsons worst album is still one of the best albums of all time
Lots of very well reasoned arguments there. It probably won’t change my favourites (Red and Thrak) but there are definitely albums that I’ve neglected that I need to listen to again
That's an oboe, not a clarinet.
Nice ranking. Although your number 1 is usually considered their best, you're ranking is not the general one, which I think is good. My favorite KC album is The Power to Believe. Love the more arabic, nature, section of the main title piece, and after that flowing into Dangerous Curves. Also love the end two pieces on that album. Another thing you mentioned was the beauty of Lizard, especially the bolero/peacocks tale. So right! I also dig Red and the ConstrukCtion. Another favorite would however be Discipline (also in my top 3). But what I also like about KC is that all albums (or series) have their own style..
Great upload. Also reminds me to re-listen to the Wake...
Where is Red? It seems that it has been entirely ommited in your ranking.
My favourite top 5 King Crismon LP's would be (in no particular order):
Red, Starless and Bible Black, Larks Tongues in Aspic, In the Court of the Crimson King, Discipline.
I agree with putting In the Wake of Poseidon towards the bottom, as I always considered this album too similar to their fantastic debut. I also agree with putting two LP's from XXI century pretty high. I always liked The construkction of Light and The Power to Believe more than Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair.
Having watched a couple of your videos (yes, I subscribed too), I really don't know what you mean by "jazzy" and I'm not surprised the "right" side of 3OAPP didn't jazz you, cuz it's definitely not "fun". (Actually, Larks' 3 is definitely fun, although it ends on that skysaw smear you probably don't find fun). But also, on TCOL, it's Pat Mastoletto (ex of Mister Mister of all things) and Trey Gunn, who is doing his damned best to make us all realize there's bass-life in King Crimson after Tony Levin. His "Joys of Molybdenum" is really nifty.
Okay, I really wasn't going to leave a commet but...
I've been binging KC album rankings and, being that I'm a lot younger than the others who ranked the 70s stuff rather high, I found your ranking not only different from theirs but mine as well and I'll still to a point pin it to a generation gap. Mostly because I'd place Construction roughly the same as you did whereas most others put it last.
I'm the only person I know that shares similar feeling of Larks pt IV. For me, it's utter structured chaos until the coda section which is where it all falls into place and becomes easy for anyone to listen to: such monstrous composition flowing into a well comprised melodic conclusion, utter masterpiece.
To those who say it's a weak song and place the Lizard suite higher are entitled to their opinion, more power to you, but Lizard is several separate ideas comprised into one and I dare you to compose a more sophisticated, complex and intricate piece than Larks Tongues pt 4 including the coda.
Also, just for the sake of further voicing my unpopular opinion, Lizard and Islands just make me feel yuck. No such things as a bad album, it's all subjective, but I'd like to hear why people would either agree or disagree with me or you. I just like having discussion
Before I begin my album list for King Crimson, I will say that for The Devil's Triangle, it's was originally gonna be a cover of Gustav Holst's Mars, The Bringer of War from the Planets. Unfortunately, they weren't allowed too, so they made a interesting take on it (and imo love how chaotic it gets).
Anyway, here's my list (all the albums are awesome, it's just that this was a very difficult list to make:
1. Red
2. ITCOTCK/ITWOP (I couldn't decide between these 2 since they're so similar)
4. Larks Tongues In Aspic
5. Discipline
6. Starless And Bible Black
7. Lizard
8. Islands
9. Three Of A Perfect Pair
10. THARK
11. Beat
12. Power To Believe
13. Construction Of Light
(My list at first was different but after revisiting some albums, I had to change a few)
I like all their albums. I’m glad you didn’t bash on Construction like many other fans. This band is so varied that you can’t say their albums sound alike which is probably why I like them all.
Devil’s Triangle is essentially Gustav Holst’s Mars movement from Op 32 “The Planets”. I certainly admire their ambition to try this, and it was well executed and intense, but it doesn’t fit with the hosting album’s flow very well.
Ep-i-taf. I just recently realized this myself, but the title track is actually just 'The Court Of The Crimson King.'
Don’t agree with all your choices but congrats on putting together a well thought out piece. I’ve been a KCrim fan since Court came out in ‘69. In over 50 years I have probably never gone more than a couple of months without listening to it. I love all the albums. Even the lesser ones lol
The problem you're talking around with Larks' Tongues in Aspic is that perpetual instinct in Fripp work to want to violently contrast the mood. And so the unhinged sprawl of LTIA part 1 is followed by an unconvincing outing in Book of Saturday. Exiles is the "Epitaph" analogue here. Similarly, on side 2, Easy Money is the crassness of Cat Food or nastiness of Pictures of a City or 21st Century schizoid man, followed by (what for me) is a dopey, over-long meditation ala Tibetan enlightenment or such. I honestly think it's as long as it is just to fill up the side. With, again, a massive, angular master-work to close the disc. So, I think the real problem is that the middle tracks on both sides don't do enough (I know folks can groove on "Talking Drum"; this can't be helped). It's also easy to see why LTIA part 2 will feel like a mess; that's a long intro, with some great heavy guitar, but it's really that unhinged acoustic guitar solo being picked out by Fripp that is the paradigm shift in the catalog. When you program out 2 of 6 songs on an album, it starts to seem "higher" on the list.
1 Lark's Tongue in Aspic. 2 In the Court of the Crimson King. 3 In the Wake of Poseidon. 4 Red. 5 Discipline. 6 Starless and Bible Black. 7 Lizard. 8 Three of a Perfect Pair.
While your opinions are valid as it sounds like you've listened to and gave a lot of thought to these albums, I'm not sure I agree with some of your reasoning about some of the albums. Essentially, I think Larks Tongue in Aspic and Discipline are the 2 albums that I would put on or near the top of their heap. They leave you with an idea like you just took a very solid, meaningful and expansive road trip, fulfilled aurally like few others.
Good attempt at King Crimson discography. Must have taken quite a bit of research (LP playing and deep thought)
P.S. A big shoutout hello to my fellow K.C. compatriot bestie from the 70's, Dave H. !
Are you going to do a video on the new Haken track? What do you think about it?
13. Construcktion of the light
12. Beat
11. In the wake of the poseidon
10. Three of a perfect pair
9. Islands
8. Thrak
7. Lizard
6. The Power to Believe
5. Starless and bible black
4. Discipline
3. Larks tounges in Aspic
2. Red
1. In the court of the crimson king
King Crimson is a hard band to rank the albums like that because (i) they have a lot of material, (ii) many albums have completely different musical styles, and (iii) they do not have a single bad album. My personal ranking of KC albums would change a lot depending on my mood on the day, and, although my personal list would be really different from yours, I agree with most comments about each one of the albums. Great job!
13. Lizard
12. Three of a Perfect Pair
11. The ConstruKction of Light
10. In the Wake of Poseidon
9. Beat
8. Thrak
7. The Power to Believe
6. Discipline
5. Islands
4. In The Court of the Crimson King
3. Red
2. Larks Tongues In Aspic
1. Starless and Bible Black
Plus the lineup makes are thus: In The Court Of The Crimson King 1969. IDK 1970. Islands Band 1971-72. Wetton Era (that's what me and my brother call it) 1972-1974. Discipline 1981-84. Double Trio 1994-97 (I believe). Double Duo 2000-03. The Seven Headed Beast 2014-15. Seven Headed Beast 2.0 2016, 2021. Eight Headed Beast 2017-18, 2020. Eight Headed Beast 2.0 (I think) 2019.
One of my all-time favorite bands. The first 7 are my favorites; the remaining 6 alternate in preference. All depends on the mood.
Your thoughts and presentation are young. This is not bad, but it's hard to listen to if you're an old fuck like me. Cudos on your thoughts on "The Power to Believe." I liked that. For me, the injection of Belew totally made the band at this stage. You're tied to nostalgia too much with regard to "In the Court of..." I had this album the month it came out, but the band, (and musical progression), has grown so much since. Appreciated your take on things... Thx.
MY Ranking:
13. The Construkction of Light
12. The Power to Believe
11. Thrak
10. Three of a Perfect Pair
9. Beat
8. Lizard
7. In the Wake of Poseiden
6. Islands
5. Discipline
4. Starless & Bible Black
3. Larks Tongues in Aspic
2.. Red
1.. In the Court of the Crimson King
Red wins because Starless