King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London. The band drew inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, blues, industrial, electronic, experimental music and new wave. They exerted a strong influence on the early 1970s progressive rock movement, including on contemporaries such as Yes and Genesis, and continue to inspire subsequent generations of artists across multiple genres. The band earned a large cult following.
Robert Fripp is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session musician and collaborator, notably with David Bowie, Blondie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall, The Roches, Talking Heads, and David Sylvian. He also composed the startup sound of Windows Vista operating system, in collaboration with Tucker Martine and Steve Ball. His discography includes contributions to more than 700 official releases.
Starless and Bible Black is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released in March 1974 by Island Records in the United Kingdom and by Atlantic Records in the United States. It carries over most of the same lineup which appeared on the preceding album, Larks' Tongues in Aspic, with only percussionist Jamie Muir not returning, and is the band's final album with violinist David Cross. In order to more faithfully capture the band's live energy, much of the material on this album was tracked in concert and edited together with studio recordings. The album includes multiple fully improvised pieces, alongside "Fracture", one of King Crimson's most challenging pieces to perform.
Larks' Tongues in Aspic is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock group King Crimson, released on 23 March 1973 through Island Records in the UK and Atlantic Records in the United States and Canada. This album is the debut of King Crimson's third incarnation, featuring co-founder and guitarist Robert Fripp along with four new members: bass guitarist and vocalist John Wetton, violinist and keyboardist David Cross, percussionist Jamie Muir, and drummer Bill Bruford. It is a key album in the band's evolution, drawing on Eastern European classical music and European free improvisation as central influences.
The Construkction of Light is the twelfth studio album by English band King Crimson, released in May 2000 by record label Virgin. It is the first of two studio albums to feature the "double duo" line-up of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto. It is the only King Crimson studio album not to chart in the US.
Red is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson. It was released in October 1974 on the Island Records label in the United Kingdom, and Atlantic Records in North America and Japan. The album was recorded at Olympic Studios in London in July and August 1974, and produced by the band themselves. The track "Providence" was a free improvisation recorded at their 30 June 1974 concert at the Palace Theater in Providence, Rhode Island. Parts of some of the pieces were conceived during previous improvisations performed by the band live. "Starless" was originally written for their previous album, Starless and Bible Black (1974), but was considered too primitive to be released at the time. The lengthy version included on Red was refined and performed during concerts throughout 1974.
The Beat Club, Bremen is a live album by the band King Crimson, released through the King Crimson Collectors' Club in February 1999. It was recorded on the German programme Beat Club, in Bremen, West Germany, on October 17, 1972 and first aired on November 25. The video of this performance is included in the deluxe "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" box set.
The Night Watch is a live album by the English rock band King Crimson, recorded in Amsterdam in 1973, and released in 1997.
USA is a live album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson, released in 1975. It was recorded at the Casino, Asbury Park, New Jersey, on 28 June 1974, except “21st Century Schizoid Man”, which was recorded at the Palace Theatre, Providence, Rhode Island, United States, on 30 June 1974. Violin and electric piano overdubs by Eddie Jobson were recorded at Olympic Studios, London in 1975.
Live in Central Park, NYC is a live album by the band King Crimson, released through the King Crimson Collectors' Club in April 2000. It was recorded at the Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park, New York, USA, July 1, 1974. This was the last performance by the 1970s incarnation, and the last by King Crimson before reforming in 1981.
John Kenneth Wetton was an English musician, singer and songwriter. Although he was left handed he was known as a dexterous right handed bass player and had a booming baritone voice Wetton joined "Family" in 1971 for a short time before joining King Crimson in 1972. After the breakup of King Crimson at the end of 1974, Wetton spent the next seven years as a member of other progressive rock and hard rock bands which included ""Roxy Music"" (1974–1975), ""Uriah Heep"" (1975–1976), "U.K." (1977–1980) and "Wishbone Ash" (1980–1981).
Frame by Frame: The Essential King Crimson is a 4-CD box set by the band King Crimson, released in 1991.
Jamie Muir is a Scottish painter and former musician, best known for his work as the percussionist in King Crimson from 1972–1973, appearing prominently on their fifth album Larks' Tongues In Aspic.
Richard William Palmer-James is an English guitarist, songwriter and lyricist. He may be best known as one of the founding members of Supertramp ; writing lyrics for several songs by the progressive rock group King Crimson in the early 1970s; and for writing lyrics for the 1985 hit "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" by Sandra.
Cirkus: The Young Persons' Guide to King Crimson Live is a live album compilation from King Crimson. It was released in 1999 through Virgin Records.
"Larks' Tongues in Aspic" is a musical suite by the English progressive rock band King Crimson. Spanning thirty years and four albums, the series comprises five parts, all of which carry unifying musical motifs. Parts I and II were released as the introductory and final tracks on King Crimson's 1973 album of the same name, part III was featured on their 1984 album Three of a Perfect Pair, part IV appeared on 2000's The Construkction of Light, and the final part, "Level Five", was included on the 2003 album The Power to Believe. Despite breaking the naming convention, Robert Fripp, King Crimson founder and only constant contributor to the suite, insists that "Level Five" is part of the pentalogy.
The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume One – 1969–1974 is the first of two 4-CD sets of compilation albums, showcasing the entire production of the British progressive rock band King Crimson. This set of discs contains both studio and live performances ranging from the beginnings of the band in 1969 to their first dissolution in 1974.
The Great Deceiver is a 4-CD box set by the band King Crimson, consisting of live recordings from 1973 and 1974, released on Virgin Records in 1992. In 2007, it was reissued on Fripp's Discipline Global Mobile label as two separate 2-CD sets, each featuring new artwork. The box set is titled after a song from the group's 1974 album Starless and Bible Black.
Larks' Tongues in Aspic is the second of the major box set releases from English progressive rock group King Crimson, released in 2012 by Discipline Global Mobile & Panegyric Records. The set is devoted to all existing recordings associated with the 1973 album Larks' Tongues In Aspic.
