It’s perhaps worth mentioning that KC have released enormous numbers of records over the years. Recently there have been box sets of 20+ CDs just concentrating on one album. All known related concerts, many of bootleg quality, and a collectors’ club of 45+ albums, and downloads…
We will skip them all and concentrate just on studio albums.
In came Bruford, Wetton, David Cross on violin and keyboards and Jamie Muir on percussion. The result? Larks Tongues In Aspic.
People I know who hate KC love this. It’s a very percussive album.
Muir left to become a monk, the the quartet brought out Starless And Bible Black.
Cross left and the trio brought out Red. Well, Fripp was again disenchanted and Wetton and Bruford did the work required.
Even the cover photo isn’t. It’s a composite.
But, ask people for the greatest prog rock album of all time, and they will probably mention this. Ask for the best prog track of all time, and it’s Starless (the video is a modern performance).
The whole album is wonderful. Bruford plays out of his skin, Wetton sings and plays bass superbly, Ian McDonald, Mel Collins and many of the Lizard players are here. Even David Cross plays. Everything is thrown in at the end, it’s just joyful.
But it summed up the whole experience, and Red drew a line in the sand. Fripp was done. King Crimson was finished.
Continued tomorrow..