The History of the Crimson King (Part Eight) - Discipline

 - Vancouver, British Columbia - With the dissolution of King Crimson in 1974, the band members went their separate ways and continued to be active in the music industry with varying levels of success. Having Crimson on their resume was considered a badge of honour as the band was notoriously difficult to work in, both as a test of skill and on a personal level. Bill Bruford and John Wetton were the last members of the band to play with Robert Fripp on their last album Red. The two of them would go on to have success elsewhere in the music industry. Fripp on the other hand, had decided to leave the music world.

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Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Coldplay are a band that seem to stimulate a whole array of different reactions. Some people love them ever so dearly, while others despise them greatly. What can't be disputed is their popularity and their ability to sell records for a good decade now. Me? Well, I never hate them, but I've certainly had mixed reactions to their work. I believe them to be a band capable of so much and I continue to respect their choices to change up the vision of each album, so as not to repeat themselves too often. This adventurous nature has elicited a number of responses from me, but their last effort Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends brought out a very positive one. Coldplay were trying new things along side guru producer Brian Eno, exploring a very earthy tone to the album. It was rock mixed with world music, electronica and even some orchestral arrangements. It was a great album and possibly the best from the band (though I am also quite attached to A Rush of Blood to the Head).

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David Bowie - Lodger

 - Vancouver, British Columbia - We come to the end of Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy of albums, and at this point I’m wondering why Bowie and Eno felt this was a “Berlin” trilogy at all. From what I can gather, this album was somewhat written in Berlin, but it was recorded and mixed in Switzerland and New York, which were stops between tour legs. Maybe calling it the Eno Trilogy might have been more appropriate. Upon further reflection, I’m not even sure these three albums should be a trilogy at all. More on that a little later.

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The History of the Crimson King (Part One) – In The Court of the Crimson King

 - Vancouver, British Columbia -

Introduction

Very few bands have a history as rich and fascinating as King Crimson. They are a mysterious band and have been hugely influential in the music world, but have never really found their way into the mainstream spotlight. They have seen many faces and many incarnations. Their 40+ year existence has seen only 13 studio albums, but also includes several EPs and countless live releases, both audio and video. What's also worth noting is that King Crimson is not a typical band in the sense that there have been no consistent members from their original incarnation to their current one, except for guitarist Robert Fripp, who has worked with numerous acts such as David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, Andy Summers (of The Police), and many others. Their music changes shape as often as their line up and as such they have explored many genres of music. Wanting to review a specific album from their discography seemed pointless to me as each era of King Crimson, or even each album, has history and connects in some way to something previous in their discography. Similarly, each album's influence branches off into individual members' solo careers or members' collaborations outside of the name King Crimson. It's like a root system that should be looked at as a whole. Since King Crimson isn't a band in the sense that they are not a specific collection of musicians, Robert Fripp describes them more as “a way of doing things.” Often groups are founded and play together but do not become King Crimson until the right sound is found.

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