King Crimson – how do I even begin to describe them? For those who don’t know this incredible band, they are absolute pioneers within the rock and jazz scene. Their music makes you feel like you’re listening to the same music a wizard would listen to as he ponders his magic orb. In The Court of the Crimson King is their most popular album to date. The iconic cover of a man blasted with red paint, his face contorted in anguish, still rings true as one of the most beloved pieces of album art of all time.
I first came across this album entirely by chance. I trusted the Spotify algorithm one day a couple of years ago, and it totally delivered. At the time, I didn’t realize how much of a cult classic this album truly is. In the Court of the Crimson King’s reach and influence is way bigger than I would’ve ever imagined. From being sampled by the controversial Kanye West’s “POWER”, a song featured on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, to having an entire villain in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure based off the band, countless pieces of media have honored this legendary band.
Robert Fripp, the founder and lead guitarist of this long-standing band, showcases his true excellence along with Peter Seinfield, the lead vocalist at the time of the album’s production. I absolutely adore albums that choose to tell a narrative with each of their songs; however, this release takes it to a whole other level. Their debut album perfectly harmonizes rock, classical, and jazz. Combined with Seinfield’s enchanting lyrics, these overtures provide a listening experience like no other.
Each of the songs featured on this album tell their own individual story. They read like poem verses in between strokes of guitar strings, beats of drums, keys of mellotron, and smooth notes of saxophone. For example, the title track “The Court of the Crimson King” follows a somber narrative tone:
On soft gray mornings widows cry, the wise men share a joke
I run to grasp divining signs to satisfy the hoax
The yellow jester does not play, but gently pulls the strings
And smiles as the puppets dance in the court of the crimson king
Within this ending verse of the song, the band cleverly uses the melody of the song combined with melancholic lyrics to allude to a broken system. The Court of the Crimson King is a symbol of absolute power and supreme authority used to “pull the strings” and control those around us, as if we are merely theater actors. Seinfield cleverly uses the juxtaposition of wise men sharing a joke as the narrator tries to understand the awful truth. He grasps the divine signs around him, which showcases the difference knowledge can truly make. While the wise men joke about the truth of “the yellow jester”, the common man cries and tries to make sense of the world around.
Although it may be the song that the title of the album is based off of, “The Court of the Crimson King” is not the only hit on the track list. “21st Century Schizoid man,” “I Talk to the Wind,” “Epitaph,” and “Moonchild” are all incredibly special and unique pieces that showcase the true innovative nature of King Crimson.
I would personally give this album a 9/10. Even though it is quite an old album, as it was produced in 1969, it holds strong against the tests of time. My only complaint is that I wish there were more lyrics within these incredibly long songs. There is so much opportunity to give more character and identity to these small verses and I wish King Crimson took advantage of it to expand upon their stories. If experimental jazz combined with fantastic, enchanting lyrics is something you’d be interested in, I encourage you to check their work out!
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