b o b

As readers can tell from my reviews of the other mid-70s Crimson albums, I like this one a little more than Larks' Tongues in Aspic, but not quite as much as Starless and Bible Black. If the second side of this album were as good as the first, it would probably be my favorite from this incarnation of the band. But the improv "Providence" just seems to ramble on without going anywhere, and the one-note-solo section of "Starless" kind of bugs me (yes, I understand the tension building aspect, but I'm surprised Fripp couldn't come up with something more interesting than just repeating the same damn note over and over and over). Besides which, the live versions of "Starless" on the Great Deceiver boxed set blow this one out of the water. The first half of the album is classic though. The title track has become a staple for the band, being played as recently as the B'BOOM live album. "Fallen Angel" and "One More Red Nightmare" are about as close as 70s Crimson got to writing straight rock music, but this is rock with an attitude and hair on it. I love the unusual cymbal sound Bruford uses on the latter track - I seem to remember reading somewhere that he got that sound by using a mangled cymbal he found in a studio trash can. The building, screaming guitar sound that abruptly ends the track is the perfect ending for an album side of intense music. This disc, along with both the others from this version of Crimson, belongs in every prog fan's collection. review by Bob Eichler — undated —

d o m

Last release from the mid-70s version of the band, and Fripp's first "retirement." Pared down to a trio (with guests), the band was freed from its obligation to adhere to "symphonic" dynamics. In other words, they get their rocks out here, and for anyone new to KC, or progressive rock in general, this album is a great place to start. Although the odd time signatures and penchant for dissonance is still in abundance, the band sounds tougher and more cohesive than it had up to that point. Except for "Providence" (a compact group improv piece), the music is fairly aggressive, and if ever the term power trio applied, this is it. The title track, a raging instrumental, sets the tone for the rest of the album. Whereas previous albums featured an eclectic mix of timbres and movements, much of the music here is no-nonsense avant-rock. Simple guitar riff (born of the evil tritone, of course), cutting, distorted bass, and restless, insistent drumming. "Starless" is arguably the last great KC epic. Quoting the band's past, it begins with a mournful mellotron, and some serious balladeering from John Wetton. The band drops out for the middle section, with just a repeating (grating?) guitar figure. The band comes in, and it all starts to build, and then just as you think they'll implode, they kick it into overdrive. After much commotion, the song (similarly to "Fracture") ends with a bang. Rock critics usually give 12-minute prog songs the Arctic shoulder, but if you only give one a chance, you could do worse than this. review by Dominique Leone — undated —

h e a t h e r

Red is definitely one of my five desert island discs, and has been for years. The creativity in the music here is astounding. It's hard to pick the best aspects. I love the heavy, odd-metered and sinister guitar crunching of "Red" and "One More Red Nightmare" - Mephistophelian, as some people have described it, due to the use of tritones. "Fallen Angel" and "Starless", on the other hand, are quite moody and balance out the aggression with some melancholy. Although it's all good, I think "Starless" puts it over the top with 12 of the greatest minutes in all of prog-rock. The first five minutes: the lyric "Ice blue silver sky, fades into gray" perfectly describes the emotion of this balladic section, with Fripp's melancholic, minor mellotron chords and weeping, violin-like guitar lines, a steady rhythm section, some very moody saxophone lines, and some great emotional vocals from Wetton. The next section evokes "starless and bible black" as it drops off into an abstract space that builds tension using harsh repetitive guitar and bass. This leads into the last section with an intense and jazzy part, and a finale that returns to the mellotron melody of the first section, only as a loud, intense variation that adds saxophone to the melody. This is probably the most climactic ending to any song that I've heard. review by Heather Mackenzie — undated —

s e a n

The swansong of the 70s incarnation of Crimson is notable for some stylistic changes that took place around this time. Violinist David Cross left (or was excused from) the band, and the sound got stripped down and heavier. In addition, three of the five tracks, comprising all of side one, are studio tracks exclusively. Of these, the title track is perhaps the most interesting, with a crunchy riff occasionally breaking briefly into 7/8 (gotta love those odd meters). "Fallen Angel" continues the ponderous heaviness, with saxophone adding some color to Fripp's dire portents. Side two hearkens back to days of yore; "Providence" is an improvisation taken from the live setting (much as some tracks from Starless and Bible Black were; a better document for these is the 4-CD set The Great Deceiver). Unfortunately, it does not tend to be their most inspired performance, and meanders a little too much for my liking. The album closer, "Starless" is considered the band's defining moment by many. While it seems Crimson often separated the balladry from the screaming instrumental prowess, this is one of the few tracks from the period combining these elements. Whether it's the heavy dose of Mellotron at the start, or the wild one-note solo later, Crimson fans seem to have put this song on a pedestal. It's hard not to agree with them. And so it ended for this incarnation of the band, with an album that didn't really capture their essence as a live act, but still stands as a strong statement in its own right. review by Sean McFee — undated —

j o e

With David Cross' exit from the band, King Crimson forged ahead as a trio, and produced this, the last album Crimson would make in the 70s. Red is often cited as the strongest of the three Larks'-era albums, and sometimes of King Crimson's entire discography. Generally, here the band is consistently heavier in force and tighter in focus than ever before, with the departure of any remaining possibility for that wispy violin line of abandon from Cross. The first side is a juggernaut of solid musicianship and probably represents the most accessible (too accessible, would say those who reject this as the best Larks'-era album) and distilled album side for this era of the band. The masterpiece of Red, however, is doubtlessly the album's closer "Starless." I am hard-pressed to think of a more emotional, down-to-earth moment in Crimson's repertoire than Wetton's weary voice clutching for a ray of hope as it enters past the melancholic, mellotron-drenched opening: "Sundown, dazzling day..." The thunderous climax (in 13/8) and sweepingly powerful ending of the song closes the chapter on 70s Crimson like an unstoppable (and unforgettable) deluge. As I intimated previously, there are some that think Red is the most conventional and hence least great of the Fripp/Wetton/Bruford line-up's albums. That may be a fair enough assessment, as mileage will vary. Still, I've never ever met any prog fan that flat out rejected this as anything less than a great album. review by Joe McGlinchey — undated —

a a r o n

King Crimson is an odd band for me. All but three (Islands, In the Wake of Poseidon, and Three of Perfect Pair) of the King Crimson discs I've heard have been my favorite by the band at some point (I've heard each release up through Three of a Perfect Pair, with the exception of Beat). Now, however, all the mess surrounding that confusion has cleared, and on those rare occasions that I listen to King Crimson, nine times out of ten it is the stone-cold classic Red. The reason behind this is simple. First and foremost, Red is the most compact CD King Crimson ever released. While Larks' Tongues in Aspic and In the Court of the Crimson King certainly were packed to the brim with exciting music, "Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part 1" and "Moonchild" — both amazing songs — are still long and somewhat rambling. On Red, on the other hand, the four compositions are tight, engaging, and, quite frankly, awesome, and the improvisational "Providence" is a testament to how fiery King Crimson was, not to mention how well they worked together as a band. Before "Providence" come three songs that explore the heavier side of the band. "Red" is, of course, the famous heavy instrumental, while "One More Red Nightmare" is its vocal counterpart. "Fallen Angel," on the other hand, mixes heaviness with the soft and eerie, making it the highlight of the first half of the CD. That said, nothing on Red even thinks to compare to "Starless," which is one of the most capital "F" Flawless songs ever recorded. Starting softly (similarly to "Fallen Angel"), "Starless" creates dark, desperate moods which slowly come to a head as it enters the rightly famous buildup (which lasts about six minutes). And what a build-up it is, finally realizing itself as it explodes in a fury of saxophone wails, then finally concludes the song with a reprise of the opening section. All that's left to say is mostly what's always true about King Crimson. The musicianship is top notch, the creativity is off the charts, etc, etc, etc. The only really interesting thing to note is that Fripp, who had done some work with Van der Graaf Generator, seems to have been slightly influenced by them on this CD, as the saxophone work (especially on the opening to "Starless") has some distinctly Van der Graaf Generator-esque vibes. Of all the classic prog CDs, Red might well be the best, and certainly the one with enough edge to impress those skeptical of the "prog" label. review by Aaron N. — 1-12-08 —

e r i c

Mmm mmm good! A delicious slice from the King Crimson pie. The heavy metal like guitar that runs through the title cut is just great. Ian McDonald returns for a guest appearance as well along with Mel Collins. Even though the sounds are intense, you could call it a back to basics record as the trio really stands as a trio throughout. All 5 tracks offer something, and outside of "Providence" which is an improv piece that gets a bit boring for me, the rest of the tracks are really something special. The wonderful mellotron in "Starless" makes it one of my all time fav Crimson tracks. Wetton is in fine voice throughout and for a band that according to all accounts was falling apart at this time, they made a truly astounding recording. review by Eric Porter — undated —

b r a n d o n

This is the album that got me to really explore King Crimson in-depth. Intricate yet easily accessible, this bone-crunching album is probably the heaviest-hitting music that King Crimson has ever made. John Wetton's bass pounds merciless at the listener, reaching titanic proportions in the riffs to "Red" and especially "One More Red Nightmare". The title track is perhaps slightly too long, but the band rides a killer riff for all it's worth and leaves the listener utterly drained by the end; a great piece overall. "Fallen Angel" is a more accessible piece, almost like a heavy Crimsonish pop song or something; featuring some great guitar work and surprisingly good vocals from Wetton. "One More Red Nightmare" features the aforementioned killer bass riff and some great percussion from Bruford, but its resolution leaves me wanting a bit. "Providence" is a much-downplayed improv that I happen to like a lot - I always thought it was one of the better improvs on The Great Deceiver box set. Finally, there's "Starless". This is far and away my favorite King Crimson piece from all their vast body of work. Opening with gorgeous mellotron and understated guitar (previously played in concert by David Cross on violin), the first few minutes are great ballad material with a distinctly dark tinge. Then, Fripp puts us through a tortuous tension-and-release, playing a single note on his guitar and moving incessantly stepwise. Turns off a lot of people, this harsh sound; but I love it, especially with Wetton and Bruford helping to build the song to a tremendous release. And what a climax follows! Frantic horn work and utterly crushing bass work round out the piece and the album - and a landmark era of King Crimson's existence. Highly recommended, and this isn't even my favorite KC album from this period! review by Brandon Wu — undated —