King Crimson - "Starless and Bible Black" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2015/1974 (Discipline Global Mobile)

Listening to King Crimson in 2018 is connecting the dots between Roxy Music, King Crimson, and what-the-hell-is Prog Rock.  John Wetton played with Roxy Music as their (one of many) bassists and I also remember he toured with Bryan Ferry (In Your Mind) tour.  And of course, the Eno/Fripp matchup during the time of this album "Starless and Bible Black."  It's not that all the musicians are masters of their instruments (which they are, of course) but more of the fact that they are brilliant arrangements at work.  The textures between almost silence and thrash come in equal doses.  

"Fracture" at 11 minutes is a relationship that's taking place between percussion, violin, and Fripp's guitars.  At times it reminds me of a Looney Tunes soundtrack, or something off from the Beach Boys' "Smile," with respect to chimes looming in the front and back.  Wetton's bass is the foundation, and I want to add, like their next album, "Red," his playing is aggressive, but knows how to frame the song in such a manner as Thelonious Monk sketching out the melody.  At times, he sounds like a jet about to leave the airport.   As they are rocking, one of them yelps, which seems almost out of place in the sterile cold world of King Crimson.   

Just focusing on "Fracture" makes it sound that is it, but the whole album is remarkable.  The noise they make is big, grand, and at times, there are Chinese melodies that slips in the heaviness.  Michael Nyman Band also comes to mind as well, with the intensity of its speed, and again, at least in the early recordings by Nyman, a very aggressive electric bass, that sounds incredible with the strings/horns.    The four members of King Crimson, David Cross (violin), Bill Bruford (percussion), and of course Fripp and Wetton, I think were the best version of King Crimson.   Roughly this combo made three albums.   It's music that is grounded in 1974 because one senses that something else will come upon the world,  punk/No Wave.   And I think King Crimson was at the entrance waiting to open up to that world with welcoming arms.  Also one should note the beautiful cover by Tom Phillips, who has associations with the British experimental music world, as well as being a great artist. 

King Crimson - "Red" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 1974/2013 (Discipline Global Mobile)

I've avoided King Crimson ever since their first album. I admired and loved the Eno/Fripp albums as well as Robert Fripp's contributions to David Bowie's "Heroes" album, yet when it came to King Crimson, I felt like that was the Jets hangout, when I was clearly a member of The Sharks.  It wasn't until a few hours ago that under either a condition of boredom or being adventurism (or both) that I went to Amoeba and purchased "Red."

I played the album once so far, and I love it.  What surprised me, and it shouldn't have, is the connection between Roxy Music and King Crimson.   I know that Bryan Ferry was once going to audition to be their lead singer, and of course the Eno/Fripp connection as well.  But listening to "Red" reminds me of some of the longer instrumental passages of the first two Roxy albums.  It's more in that line than say garden-variety prog rock.  Fripp is exceptional of course, but John Wetton's bass playing is incredible.  A very aggressive heavy sound from that instrument that reminds me a bit of John Entwhistle or traces of a punk aesthetic concerning the noise of the bass.  Michael Nyman in his orchestra had a heavy electric bass player as well, that also stands out in such a manner. 

"Red" is a classic album, in that there are no wasted moments and all five songs are equally placed in a position that makes the album seem more like a novella than a big novel.  The beauty or strength of King Crimson and on this album is the textural playing by all musicians.  There is a riff orientation that goes through here, but also a gentle melody here and there that gives the material tension.  Fripp broke up the band right after recording "Red," I think due to the issues of the band being tied down to its prog-rock image, as well as Fripp being curious to explore the world of New York City's punk/post-punk/ no wave scene.  He didn't need to break up this band. It would have been at home in lower Manhattan.