King Crimson Albums Ranked From Worst to Best

This one comes to you by way of the fan vote. King Crimson beat out Jethro Tull, ELP, & Yes in our prog poll, so we're ranking their studio albums this week. It's an interesting and varied discography with many lineup and personnel changes, so getting them in order was a difficult task.
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King Crimson are an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968. They have exerted a strong influence both on the early 1970s progressive rock movement and on more recent rock and experimental artists. Although the band has consistently undergone changes in personnel throughout its history, guitarist and primary composer Robert Fripp, the only remaining founding member, has acted as a driving creative force. Though he is often seen as the band's leader, Fripp himself tends to shun this label. King Crimson has earned a large cult following. They were ranked No. 87 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. Although initially considered a seminal force in progressive rock, Fripp in particular has often distanced himself from the genre: King Crimson has drawn influence from a wide variety of genres and approaches. Classical music, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan and experimental music have all been reinterpreted and explored by the band, and they have exerted influence on several generations of progressive, psychedelic, alternative metal, hardcore and noise bands and composers.
Developed from the unsuccessful psychedelic pop trio Giles, Giles and Fripp, the initial King Crimson were key to the formation of early progressive rock, strongly influencing and altering the music of contemporaries such as Yes and Genesis. Their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King (1969), remains their most successful and influential release, with its elements of jazz, classical and experimental music. Their success increased following an opening act performance for the Rolling Stones at Hyde Park, London, in 1969. Following In the Wake of Poseidon (1970) and the less successful chamber jazz-inspired Lizard (1970), and Islands (1971), the group reformatted and changed their instrumentation (swapping saxophone in favour of violin and unusual percussion) in order to develop their own take on European rock improvisation, reaching a new creative peak on Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973), Starless and Bible Black (1974) and Red (1974). Fripp disbanded the group in 1974.
In 1981, King Crimson reformed with another change in musical direction and instrumentation (incorporating, for the first time, a mixture of British and American personnel plus doubled guitar and influences taken from gamelan, post-punk and New York minimalism as well as using the tape loop system). This lasted for three years, resulting in the trio of albums Discipline (1981), Beat (1982) and Three of a Perfect Pair (1984). Following a decade-long hiatus, Fripp revived the group as an expanded "Double Trio" sextet in 1994, mingling its mid-'70s and 1980s approaches with new creative options available via MIDI technology. This resulted in another three-year cycle of activity including the release of Thrak (1995). King Crimson reunited again in 2000 as a more industrial-oriented quartet (or "Double Duo"), releasing The Construkction of Light in 2000 and The Power to Believe in 2003: after further personnel shuffles, the band expanded to a double-drummer quintet for a 2008 tour celebrating their 40th anniversary.
Following another hiatus between 2009 and 2012, King Crimson reformed once again in 2013; this time as a septet (and, later, octet) with an unusual three-drumkit frontline and the return of saxophone/flute to the lineup for the first time since 1972. This current version of King Crimson has continued to tour and to release live albums, rearranging and reinterpreting music from across the band's career.
Since 1997, several musicians have pursued aspects of the band's work and approaches through a series of related bands collectively referred to as ProjeKcts.
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Be sure to leave your ranking in the comments.
Thanks for watching!
Stock footage provided by Videvo, downloaded from www.videvo.net
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[@Sir_Eyeball]

The funniest and cleverest moment in their discography is the 'I repeat myself when under stress I repeat myself when under stress I repeat...' on 'Indiscipline'. Out of nowhere. It always gets me.

[@ericblair1245]

It's "I repeat myself when I'm distressed".

[@chuckcribbs3398]

One of their best songs. It’s so tongue in cheek. Belew really makes it so fantastic.

[@simpleman5688]

Just got me! 👍🏿

[@someoneno-one7672]

Adrian Belew is Roberto Benigni of rock music. “Father, I know these sins must be confessed, but they were just so wonderful!”

[@privateprivate1865]

​@@ericblair1245not'uh

[@historicarchives4841]

King Crimson is very popular on the internet. Probably Yes is more popular but King Crimson has more hardcore fans.

[@andrewdyke5561]

I'm a die hard of both

[@mccarthyd6603]

And.....King Crimson is more talented than Yes 👍🤔

[@PepeLuguillo]

King Crimson was very popular in 1969. Imagine Jimi Hendrix knowing your band and calling it "the best band in the world". Yes, Hendrix told that to Fripp.

[@johnsmusicpassions9740]

Here's my review to Red 1974 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYKYkJKHmtJmmZY Red KC

[@rupertx_x1613]

Would like to have seen a Billy Joel/King Crimson crossover - THRAK-AK-AK-AK-AK-AK-AK-AK!

[@jukeboxcowboy]

Thank you. That made my morning. It's actually not that far out of a notion, seeing how Elton John was being considered as a band member at one point!

[@johnwilliams4658]

No shame in loving Islands Jason. It's their most underrated record and grows a lot with repeated listens. The title track alone is a top 5 KC song. I came to the album late due to its reputation but love it now. I can't disagree with anyone's opinions on this video and think KC are quite puzzling which is part of their appeal. King Crimson are prog+ and much more interesting than Yes over time and I love Yes too. Yes may have a couple of five star albums - CTTE, Relayer or Going for the One. KC's inconsistency as discussed keeps them from a five star release but Red comes very close. Thanks

[@billclarke3773]

Used to be my favourite. Side 1 is superb.

[@Trunkfish]

Islands is my personal favorite definitely special

[@br.johnrussoofmcap.6129]

I was fortunate enough to have a personal connection on Twitter with John Wetton during the few years before he died. Now and then, we would dialog about music. At one point, I asked him who was responsible for that Great Deceiver riff ... he said that was his. A very gentle, kind guy. May he rest in peace.

[@recoveringsam8675]

Islands will always be my favorite crimson album. Can’t believe so many dislike it

[@singasonga-m1d]

my second after debute album

[@ronniefarnsworth6465]

They are not "Real" Crimson fans, they don't get it !!! I've been a fan since their 1st album, I was 12' and my older Brother of 5 yrs older played them all !! We saw them 3 times from 1973-74' they were so great and later I saw the 80s, 90s and 7 headed Monster bands 2014-19' 👍🎼🎶

[@nakim55]

Squares.

[@christopher9152]

You are spot-on about Islands, Jason. It is really underrated. Sailor's Tale, Ladies of the Road, Islands, Formentera Lady...all classics. Boz is a fine vocalist and Mel Collins' playing adds a lot to the arrangements. Fripp is in fine form throughout; his solo on Sailor's Tale is fantastic. I'd rank it as #3 or #4 for sure.

[@Fatherjohn76]

Court of the Crimson King's gatefold cover art fueled my childhood nightmares. Thanks dad

[@jukeboxcowboy]

Yup. The first time I saw that album cover was indelibly etched into my warped little mind. Thanks dad

[@blairwheaton8905]

It's on my wall now and my granddaughter is scared of it. It may be the most famous cover ever.....

[@ianp9086]

That was great and Discipline would win for me. Fripp is such an important figure in rock and work he has done with others such as Gabriel, Eno and David Sylvian (First Day) are amazing. And I hope you have seen his Sunday lunch videos that he has done with his wife Toyah to entertain us all during the pandemic!

[@EphemeralBalconist]

Bill Bruford likened leaving Yes for King Crimson to jumping over the Berlin Wall INTO East Germany. He said that in the studio "nothing was ever said, you were just supposed to know what to do."

[@179rich]

Wow that doesn't sound like a healthy environment. Amazing that it still produced great results. But there must be a reason why the band member turnover rate was so high.

[@ericarmstrong6540]

@@179rich Sometimes people make changes and decisions in life because they want to push themselves in directions to challenge themselves. Bill Bruford left Yes at a time when they were poised for international success and so to an outsider who might see staying put as the "safe" call, Bill was ready to move on after Yes had achieved what was to his mind, the absolute pinnacle. And so when King Crimson came calling, he was ready for the challenge and something entirely new. Bruford was in King Crimson from 1972 until 1997, which tells me that whatever it was to be in that band, he came back to it be cause of the challenges it provided to him as an artist. He called King Crimson his "spiritual home" and "bed of nails". While King Crimson was hard, he liked being challenged in the ways that King Crimson challenged him.

[@alexpaley4158]

@@179rich Yes; Robert Fripp, talented and forward-thinking though he may be, has been reported by many ex-Crims as not being easy to work with. nobody's perfect!

[@BroonParker]

@@alexpaley4158 Poor Toyah!

[@benderrodriguez5934]

Amazing and unique band: 1. In The Court of the Crimson King(10/10) 2. Larks´ Tongues In Aspic (10/10) 3. Lizard (9,5/10) 4. Red (9,5/10) 5. Discipline (9/10) 6. The Power to Belief (9/10) 7. In The Wake of Poseidon (9/10) 8. Islands (8,5/10) 9. Starless and Bible Back (8/10) 10. Beat (7,5/10) 11. Thrack (7,5/10) 12. Three Of a Perfect Pair (7/10) 13. The Construkction of Light (6,5/10) Greetings from Canary Islands

[@pinkfloydmeddle6692]

Hey bender

[@kevindugayofficiel862]

1- Larks' tongues in aspic (10/10) 2- Red (10/10) 3- In the court of the crimson king (10/10) 4- starless and bible black (9.5/10) 5- Discipline (9.5/10) 6- Lizard (9/10) 7- In the wake of Poseidon (9/10) 8- Island (8.5/10) 9- THRAK (8.5/10) 10- Three of a perfect pair (8/10) 11- The power to believe (8/10) 12- Beat (8/10) 13- The constuKction of light (6.5/10)

[@lionstandingII]

"Larks's"....

[@timknight9093]

Interesting that Crimson beat out Yes. Yes is one of my favorite bands, prog or otherwise, but I do believe that from beginning to end, Crimson's later work is much stronger than Yes. As always, an interesting show. 1. In the Court of the Crimson King 2. Discipline 3. Red 4. Larks Tongues is Aspic 5. In the Wake of Posiedon 6. Starless and Bible Black 7. Beat 8. THRAK 9. Three of a Perfect Pair 10. Lizard 11. Islands 12. The Power to Believe 13. The Construction of Light.

[@chrissirhc7337]

taken as entire discography i do think king crimson is better than yes although yes may have been better on some individual albums and at a certain time span in their career (early 70's) . on some records , several actually, yes falls flat on their face and whereas king crimson also has low points they are less and their fails are more interesting and less cringey , typically .

[@12spanku]

I was not surprised to see King Crimson winning as the debut and Red are among the highest rated albums ever on rateyourmusic. They have a very dedicated following. If you do the same poll on a channel with millions of subs I'd wager the mainstream appeal and name recognition of Yes would give them the win.

[@12spanku]

For the record I prefer King Crimson over Yes by a good bit.

[@tayloroquinn1976]

Much prefer YES.

[@markgatica12]

I'm a hard Yes vote. I think King Crimson was good for a longer period than Yes and adapted to changing times better than Yes, but peak Yes beats peak King Crimson by a comfortable margin.

[@tayloroquinn1976]

@@markgatica12 Yes!

[@МуродТанжихолов]

​​@@markgatica12 Nope. Not even close. I really liked Close to the Edge when I first listened to it and listened to it pretty consistently after, but now I don't want to return to it at all. Unlike KC where I didn't like much of their albums at first but they've grown on me so much even their worst albums are low 8 for me. But with Yes even their best is mid 9 for me

[@stantonthezag1109]

I absolutely love King Crimson and think they put out less embarrassing music overall than YES did during their respective long careers...but YES has more and higher peaks *and* they made 90125, an great ‘80s pop-rock album that served as a really cool reinvention.

[@mck7646]

Tough to beat Close to the edge.

[@МуродТанжихолов]

Unless you mean popularity Yes never achieved higher peak than KC. And they have only 2 truly great albums Fragile and Close to the Edge and none of those are close to In the Court, Larks and Red. And even at their worst KC were pretty damn good.

[@shyshift]

No keys on Discipline,Beat or Three Of A Perfect Pair. Done on guitar synthesizer.

[@TastesLikeMusic]

Really? Even cooler - kram

[@shyshift]

@@TastesLikeMusic yep. I wish you guys could rate the box sets.

[@ronniefarnsworth6465]

KC has no Bad albums !!! 👍🎼🎶

[@mariosandri4010]

King Crimson, absolutely. Besides being the godfathers of prog and having released some groundbreaking albums, they never rested on past glories and never sold out. King Crimson's artistic integrity is admirable, and I love and admire them. P.S.: to complete the early KC review, the three of you should also check McDonald & Giles (1970)

[@johnsmusicpassions9740]

Check out my review of Red 1974 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYKYkJKHmtJmmZY Red KC

[@SuperNevile]

I regard TCOTCK, Mc Donald and Giles and ITWOP was being "a set", a triptych even. "Birdman" (the 2nd side of M&G) was originally touted for ITWOP, but McDonald had left whilst Giles drummed on ITWOP. All three albums were recorded within a year. I recently played one after the other and it was and interesting and varied. But after July 1970, it was time to change gear..........

[@bernardocipriano9853]

1 - In the Court of the Crimson King 2 - Red 3 - Lizard 4 - Islands 5 - In the Wake of Poseidon 6 - Larks' Tongues in Aspic 7 - Starless and Bible Back

[@179rich]

respect for your high placement of Lizard.

[@pechondelgado]

This is pretty much it. The only K.C. run that mattered.

[@simonvaughan6017]

Joe's pronunciation of _larks'_ is somewhat idiosyncratic!

[@jontoyman]

I had to go all the way down to your comment to see someone else taking note of his pronunciation. I thought he was trying to be funny

[@simonvaughan6017]

@@jontoyman I think it was a well-meaning attempt to observe the apostrophe, but he did end up sounding a bit like Gollum!

[@179rich]

13) Beat (3.5 stars) 12) THRAK (3.75 stars) 11) Islands (3.75 stars) 10) The Construkction of Light (4 stars) 09) In the Wake of Poseidon (4 stars) 08) Larks' Tongues in Aspic (4 stars) 07) The Power to Believe (4.5 stars) 06) Discipline (4.5 stars) 05) Three of a Perfect Pair (4.5 stars) 04) Red (5 stars) 03) Starless and Bible Black (5 stars) 02) In the Court of the Crimson King (5 stars) 01) Lizard (5 stars)

[@threestringsomg]

Three of a PP🤘we ranked it identically....I've listened to that album so much last week or so. Love it

[@МуродТанжихолов]

I actually think Larks is best album of all time

[@chriswilson8151]

King Crimson are a band to get lost in, for sure. Their varied discography and clear eras make it a consistently interesting body of work to listen to. Honestly out of all the prog bands that started in this era, they’re probably my favourite. Fripp is a genius and one of the true paragons for what prog stands for; consistently challenging one’s self to push one’s musical boundaries. Anyway, my list: 1. Larks Tongues in Aspic - 5 stars 2. Starless and Bible Black - 5 stars 3. In The Court of the Crimson King - 5 stars 4. Red - 4.5 stars 5. Lizard - 4 stars (the title track alone makes it worth listening to) 6. In The Wake of Poseidon - 4 stars 7. Discipline - 3.5 stars 8. THRAK - 3.5 stars 9. Beat - 3.5 stars 10. Islands - 3 stars 11. Three of a Perfect Pair - 3 stars 12. The Power to Believe - 3 stars 13. The Construkction of Light - 2 stars

[@CrimsonFan]

About Moonchild (on In the Court), the ballad section is lovely. I know some dislike the improvised noodling (I think it's pretty good), but SURELY the closing 2-3 minutes are among the most sublime music you'll ever hear.

[@roxannewalsh]

In my personal Hall of Fame, the Crimson King resides at his round table since 50 years. This is one of my top 20 artists of all time - other than Yes etc, the band stayed relevant and progressing and never turned into their own tribute band like so many others. There is only one KC (studio) album that is not 4 star or better. In 1970 my father brought me home the first album from one of his business trips - I still think he bought it just for the cover and because it was in the rock bin. He is "guilty" to have made me a Crimson addict and I thank him for it like I thank him for so many other things.... My number one is also my number one progressive album of all times, even topping Soft Machine, Yes, Gentle Giant or Genesis. 13. The Konstruktion of Light (3,5) The only time that KC appeared like a band in a holding pattern looking for a new way to go. They still do that with brilliant variations of what are old themes, though. 12. Beat (4) As close as KC ever came to mainstream, of course that outer current of it that they helped to define, that Talking Head's edge. 11. Islands (4) No fooling, even at the eleventh spot this album is a unique gem. Chaos vs harmony, order vs beauty, you have no idea what the next minute in life or on this record may bring. Not for the faint hearted but for those who want to know where music can take you if you are willing to embark. 10. The Power to Believe (4) Around that time, many new bands were fumbling to revive progressive rock by recycling old sounds. The few artists however who managed to add something new were the old pioneers and KC was one of them. 9. Three of a Perfect Pair (4) A perfect album title for the other album that bookends the Discipline era. 8. In the Wake of Poseidon (4) Some people complain that KC took far too large steps between albums while others moan that their second album was too close to the debut. In truth, it is a logical step forward of the band's concept. 7. Discipline (4) The first 3 songs open the third period of KC with a clear statement that they are back and they are again different - and that you would not want to miss the new experience. 6. Lizard (4,5) While working on this album, Robert Fripp also produced Keith Tippett's experiment Centipede, a 50 musician orchestra of all the progressive forces in Britain at that time (That band released one double album in 1971, Septober Energy). Tippett and the woodwind players on Lizard were part of the project. The KC context reigns in Tippett's ideas into stricter compositions but the inspiration remains. 5. Red (4,5) Why is this not my #1 and 5 star like for most people? I do not like the strained vocal performance on One More Red Nightmare. The remaining album is another masterpiece. 4. Starless and Bible Black (4,5) The only reason that this is not a 5 star album is the existence of its predecessor and the fact that The Mincer is a weak track. 3. Thrak (5) My AOTY 1995 and one of the greatest comebacks in music. A force of sound and imagination. 2. In the Court of the Crimson King (5) no introduction needed 1. Larks Tongues in Aspic (5) My AOTY in 1973. The best progressive rock album ever recorded. 1973 was the strongest year in rock history topped by 15 albums at five stars and this one is the winner - means something, I would say.

[@roxannewalsh]

KC released a (live) album that would have been the winner of the Badness tournament - 1972s Earthbound, any bootleg album is better than this one.

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

But Crimson cheated. It's easy to not become your own tribute band when you're constantly changing your lineup and bringing in new musical talent. It's hard for me to even think of King Crimson as a proper band because they almost never made 2 albums with the same lineup. To me, KC is more of a musical project centered around Fripp. As much as I love them I don't value them on the same level as bands that never changed their lineup. That said, KC's best music is pretty amazing, though I disagree that they never made any bad albums. Robert Fripp himself has skewered more than one of their albums.

[@roxannewalsh]

@@AbbeyRoadkill1 Fripp himself defined KC not as a band but as a "mindset". What all their albums have in common - and it is not Fripp because his solo albums or collaborations are quite different - is that Crimson-ness: new members inhale it and put it into their contributions to the band. All KC members always acted outside of their comfort zone, this is why so many left. Greg Lake could only stand it for an album and a bit before he went fat with ELP, who only were progressive for one album...Belew stayed longest because he survived Zappa first. Fripp is to rock what Miles Davis was to jazz.

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

@@roxannewalsh All good. I pretty much agree with all that. I was just pointing out that comparing King Crimson to "real" bands that never changed their lineup is comparing apples to oranges. I really enjoyed listening to Crimson over the last couple weeks. Unfortunately I still couldn't get myself to love albums like Lizard and Islands. I tried.

[@markgatica12]

@@AbbeyRoadkill1 They made three in a row in the 80s with Fripp, Belew, Levin, and Bruford.

[@179rich]

Guys - if you haven't heard Can you should. They're good at improvising around a beat like Jason was talking about.

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

1. In The Court Of The Crimson King (1969) 5/5 2. Larks' Tongues In Aspic (1973) 5/5 3. Red (1974) 4.5/5 4. Discipline (1981) 4/5 5. THRAK (1995) 4/5 6. Starless & Bible Black (1974) 3.5/5 7. In The Wake Of Poseidon (1970) 3/5 8. Three Of A Perfect Pair (1984) 3/5 9. Beat (1982) 3/5 10. The Power To Believe (2003) 3/5 11. The ConstruKction Of Light (2000) 2.5/5 12. Lizard (1970) 2.5/5 13. Islands (1971) 2/5 I love the go-for-broke adventurousness in Crimson's music. I'm not in love with every album but when they were good they were great.

[@179rich]

Ha ha you put my number 1 at 12! It looks like you don't like the jazzier stuff - ?

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

@@179rich A little too aimless for me. You should know that Robert Fripp has said that people who like Lizard are weird. Heh-heh.

[@179rich]

@@AbbeyRoadkill1 I read that when he heard the 5.1 surround version of it his appreciation for it greatly improved.

[@179rich]

@@AbbeyRoadkill1 How do you feel about jazz?

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

@@179rich Jazz is such a deep and varied form of music that it's hard to give a single definitive answer. I'm absolutely in love with most jazz from the "classic" period (1920s through the early 1940s.) I'm not as in love with the jazz that was made after that, although there is some of it that I like a lot. As the decades passed I think jazz got a little too avant garde and lost some of its timelessness.

[@planetbarrett6055]

My Top 9 Favorite King Crimson Albums. (These Are The Albums I Like From This Band) 9. Beat 8. Discipline 7. Starless And Bible Black 6. Larks' Tongues In Aspic 5. Lizard 4. In The Wake Of Poseidon (This Album Has My Favorite Crimson Song) 3. Red 2. Islands 1. In The Court Of The Crimson King I'm Glad Jason Likes Islands, The Lyrics Kinda Doesn't Make Sense, But The Music is Really Good.

[@ComeOnIsSuchAJoy]

Do _any_ Sinfield lyrics make sense? 🤷‍♂️

[@ankeunruh7364]

When I ask my devices to create CK playlists by "most played" I get this ranking: 1 - red 2 - islands 3 - larks 4 - lizard 5 - discipline 6 - court 7 - beat 8 - three 9 - construcktion 10 - starless 11 - thrack 12 - power 13 - wake I do remember that day in summer of 1977 on the silent shore of the Baltic Sea. Me (15) and a friend were walking on the beach from one camping site to another, having a break and heard that "...life expiring in the snow white side streets..." out of the dunes from someones cassette player. Later I wrote a letter to a radio station because nobody in my school knew this line sung 'by a man with a warm powerful voice'... Over the decades I often felt something to go back to "Red", which seems the most clear, most straight forward work to me. The coda of "Starless", the voice of John Wetton, Providence in whole and in detail, Fallen Angel, Brufords overall sound, Fripps overall sound...

[@roxannewalsh]

The song will be on my honourable mentions on the best KC song list later on.

[@AlesPickar]

Thanks for sharing. I like the ranking. I guess my list would look only a little different. I see the dedication to intense playing and challenging song structure. Great stuff.

[@baphometfathom5348]

1. In The Court Of The Crimson King 2. Red 3. Larks Tongue In Aspic 4. Discipline 5. Starless and Bible Black 6. Islands 7. Lizard 8. In The Wake Of Poseidon 9. The Power To Believe 10. THRAK 11. Three Of A Perfect Pair 12. Beat 13. The ConstrucKtion Of Light

[@kopptue9622]

I think it is easy to get the song Islands on the mind. I love dreamy music. Nothing better than floating away on a song. Epitaph is also a favorite, very haunting music. Another song often on my mind is Lizard, can't go wrong with Jon Anderson on vocals. Some albums can be more demanding or take time to get into. It's not given that everyone should love the same. We all like what we like and should be happy with that. Not really necessary to like or dislike something just because everyone else seem to. Either it grabs or it don't.

[@roberthardin2133]

Joe-if you like Red, and you like Wetton's work with Asia, I recommend listening to UK. Wetton's bass paired with Allan Holdsworth's guitar is like Red in overdrive! and of course there's Bruford on drums and Eddie Jobson on keyboards/violin. the 2nd album, Danger Money is still good, but Holdsworth and Bruford are gone. Terry Bozzio takes over the drum spot and they don't have any guitar on the 2nd (and last) studio album.

[@kenzoby8300]

I love that album by UK.

[@markgatica12]

I voted for Yes. I was also surprised that King Crimson won the poll. It's official. At the 11:41 mark Joe is crossed off my Christmas list. Don't get the Belew appeal? No worries. Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Robert Fripp and Talking Heads all got it. I do find myself agreeing with Kramz -- Greg Lake was the best vocalist. Overall, I kind of fall in with Kramzer's dad. I was a huge prog fan in the 70s. Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Rush, ELP -- but not King Crimson. I found their early albums ponderous. They put me to sleep. It wasn't until they reformed in the 80s that I revisited the early albums and revised my original opinion. Instead of "ponderous", I would call them "deliberate." I saw them on their 1982 tour. Great show. Fripp was sitting off on the side of the stage like he was in time out. Bruford, Levin and Belew were jamming like maniacs. Good times.

[@threestringsomg]

I'm that way with Yes.....up to recently never was too bothered by what I'd heard from Yes...Crimson have a darker side that appeals to metal orientated people is probably why....I wouldn't be surprised if metal heads mostly first venture into Crimson land before stepping into Yes world....but whatever case both clearly great bands

[@keithheitner1020]

I've been listening to KC since the late 70's when I found Red in a cut out Bin. Loved them ever since. I urge you guys to listen to the many live albums of the current lineup. It rivals the Wetton era in exceptional performances. They also perform tunes from all eras. I've seen them twice since they reformed. Saw the Thrak tour. I also saw the early 80's lineup. Unfortunately I was too young to see earlier lineups; but have a ton of live recordings.

[@neiltheblaze]

Interesting choice. I was lucky enough to see the original lineup at the Boston Tea Party on Halloween night 1969. I believe it was one of their first gigs in America. They blew the roof off the place.

[@johnw706]

An excellent overview of their albums . The amazing thing about King Crimson ( for me ) is their ability to go from industrial strength powerful songs to moments of etherial beauty in other songs ( or sometimes in the same song ). This really comes across when you see them live . I saw them in 2019 with the 3 drummers , and when they were raging , on numbers like Red and Thrak , they literally pinned you to your seat . Then they turned around and hit you with the absolutely gorgeous Islands , which might have been my favourite song of the night . They also did everything from the debut , and it was a five star performance .The precision of their playing is literally jaw dropping . Anyway , I really enjoyed your rankings and the rationales that you gave . Many thanks !!

[@k-dogg711]

King Crimson > Yes by quite a lot. Yes has some great material, but a lot of it sounds dated today, whereas King Crimson feels timeless more often than not.

[@fmbro872]

13 The Construkction Of Light 12 The Power To Believe 11 Three Of A Perfect Pair 10 Beat 9 Discipline 8 Starless And Bible Black 7 Islands 6 In The Wake Of Poseidon 5 Lark's Tongue In Aspic 4 Thrak 3 In The Court Of The Crimson King 2 Red 1 Lizard

[@edgustafson]

I've never been a huge King Crimson fan. My dad, who's in his 70s, is a huge fan and I believe his favorite is Lark's Tongues in Aspic. I always thought I'd like the Adrian Belew era (I like a lot of his work with other artists), but I don't really. The John Wetton era kind of seems like the most accessible. I'd probably go with Starless and Bible Black as my favorite.

[@Injuredjoakim]

1. Red (10/10) 2. In the Court of the Crimson King: An Observation by King Crimson (10/10) 3. In the Wake of Poseidon (10/10) 4. Lark's Tongues in Aspic (10/10) 5. Beat (strong 9/10) 6. Starless and Bible Black (strong 8/10) 7. Discipline (8/10) 8. Three of a Perfect Pair (8/10) 9. The Power to Believe (weak 8/10) 10. Islands (weak 7/10) 11. the construKction of light (strong 6/10) 12. THRAK (strong 5/10) 13. Lizard (weak 3/10)

[@johnsmusicpassions9740]

My review of Red - 1974 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYKYkJKHmtJmmZY Red KC

[@mnpv7812]

Completely agree with Jason, Belew is the man. Saw him with his band The Bears at The Blue Note in Columbia, MO in 1988. Top 5 shows of all time for me

[@kevtruth]

Saw the same tour (1988) in Bloomington, Indiana. Fabulous show. Got to talk to Adrian before the show - a very nice guy

[@lightningstrikes7314]

I completely agree with Joe-can't take Belew's 'quirky' stylings for longer than 5 secs: all of the worst elements of Zappa and David Byrne rolled into one irritating goofball

[@paint1955]

Islands is my #1, every time I play it, I play it a second time! Discipline, Lark’s, Red, USA fight for #2

[@ThatFaceMelter94]

Starless has one of the most epic endings to any of their songs.

[@matma84]

Personally my Top-5 of Crimson would be: 1. Red 2. Lark‘s Tongues in Aspic 3. Starless and Bible Black 4. In the Court 5. Islands Not a big fan of Gordon Haskells singing on Lizard so that album would be at the bottom for me. I really think Jon Anderson should have done the whole album. Also not a fan of the Talking Heads vocal style of Adrian Belew but live they were still great (listen to Absent Lovers) and Sleepless is one great song! I really like the new line-up with Jakko as a singer and have seen them live 2 times. They have a great set list doing justice to their different eras. I am hoping they will be doing at least one new studio release with this band. That would be great!

[@BroonParker]

At last - someone I completely agree with. USA is also a fantastic live album. I really try to like Belew. But I just can't.

[@matma84]

@@BroonParker Totally, I tried. I like Sleepless as a song a lot but the vocal style in total is too hysterical in a way.

[@afermata949]

After diving into their discography I have to say that if you haven't listened to their live stuff like The Night Watch, The Great Deceivers, or Absent Lovers you're really missing out. As far as rankings my top five would be... 5. Starless and Bible Black 4. Red 3. ITCOTK 2. Discipline 1. Larks' Tongues in Aspic

[@TastesLikeMusic]

We see pretty much eye to eye on those five and suspiria rules - kram

[@TastesLikeMusic]

Well top three

[@Leo-qe3gl]

​@@TastesLikeMusic suspiria was a little to creepy for me 😳

[@danny1959]

Listen to the two U.K. albums from the late 1970s if you want to hear Wetton do proto-Asia.

[@keithwolfe2707]

I personally like Yes more but seeing King Crimson on here this week is STELLAR! Well done!

[@andrewdyke5561]

I agree but man crimson is amazing

[@BernardChelgren]

Islands is a misunderstood album. Great list from all 3 of you, tho!

[@stantonthezag1109]

If you’re a fan of King Crimson’s debut, a must-own is 1971’s McDonald & Giles, by original KC members Ian McDonald (multi-instrumentalist) and Michael Giles (drums). Separated from Fripp, you realize how much these two shaped the sound of that first album. The tracks “Flight of the Ibis” (basically an alternate version of “Cadence & Cascade” but with a different melody and lyrics) and “Tomorrow’s People-The Children of Today” (which has one of my all-time favorite solo drum breaks) being the standout tracks. Joe in particular should seek this one out, it’s very awesome.

[@threestringsomg]

Just started a Yes-athon! Will be difficult for me to overturn my adoration of the KC but made good start with Fragile and Close To The Edge this week...🤠

[@Leo-qe3gl]

Yes-athon. 😂Nice Word creation but it would be a No- athon for me😂

[@TimeToGetAlone]

1. In the Court of the Crimson King 5/5 2. Red 4.5/5 3. Discipline 4/5 4. Beat 4/5 5. Larks' Tongues in Aspic 4/5 6. In the Wake of Poseidon 3.5/5 7. Starless and Bible Black 3.5/5 8. Lizard 3.5/5 9. Islands 3/5 10. Three of a Perfect Pair 2.5/5 11. THRAK 2.5/5 12. The Power to Believe 2/5 13. The ConstruKction of Light 2/5

[@jupitermadcat]

Yes King Crimson is an acquired taste I think, I love them. I was fortunate to have seen them last month live. I think you may want to check out their live albums.

[@threestringsomg]

I've put a bit of effort into this one guys. Just one major surprise for me.... My King Crimson list... 13 The Construction of Light 5.5/10 This shows amazing technical prowess throughout yes... But ironically the construction of the album for me is over bloated and unsatisfying. 12 The Power To Believe 5.5/10 I like highlights Level V, The P to believe (pll) Good sonics but overlong instrumentals. Dangerous Curves brings a needed heavy contrast. Speaking as big fan, tracks way too nostalgic. 11 Thrak 6/10 Walking on air sounds like Crimson trying to be John Lennon! It's really jazzy funky yet again and well produced, but sounds like samples with not enough punctuation to be special for me. Uncomfortable sometimes because it feels like too many musicians straining and competing. 10 Beat 6.5/10 3rd best of 80s trilogy for me...the Police meets Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel, freeform jazz, soundscape synths that belong in this decade...yet an album that free flows really well (I'm sure this influenced aforementioned.)King Crimson... 9 Discipline 6.5/10 has some seriously funky grooves and beautiful moments (Matte Kudasai.) Just a bit forgettable as whole. Trying too hard technically at expense of song composition for me. 8 Starless and Bible Black 7/10 Sandwich of great classic Crimson but forgettable over indulgent filling. 7 Larks Tongues In Aspic 8/10 Lovely original album but prefer new Larks remixes 6 Red 8.5/10 controversial but Three and Islands are albums that have the memorable whole album listens for me. 5 Three of a Perfect Pair 9/10 (Vastly underated. This album surprised me after the so so other 80s records. Nailed the 80s vibes here. Levin kicked (b)ass🙄...love funky almost Bladerunner heart. Love Fripp does scary monsters Larks. I love it all!) 4 Islands 10/10 The most beautiful in folky terms. Formentera lady is my favourite opener along with Cirkus. Islands is peacefulness incarnate. Great prog. 3 Poseidon 10/10 Perfect prog and contains fave song. Lake genius. 2 Lizard 10/10 a complete classic. The feel of this record is brilliant. 1 In The Court of the Crimson King 10/10🏆Stunning angry prog vibes. Unforgettable.

[@kenm.3512]

1. Larks' Tounges in Aspic 2. In the Court of the Crimson King 3. Starless and Bible Black 4. Red 5. Discipline 6. In the Wake of Poseidon 7. Islands 8. Lizard 9. Beat 10. Three of a Perfect Pair ------------------------------------------------------- I don't know their stuff beyond #10 enough to have an opinion. I've sampled it. I'm sure that I would enjoy it in concert. Robert Fripp was asked to join Yes after Peter Banks left. Fripp cordially turned the offer down. Enter Steve Howe.

[@tayloroquinn1976]

Enjoyed their first two albums, but never ventured deep into their repatroire. I patiently wait for a Yes discography ranking....

[@someoneno-one7672]

I would dare to compare Yes pieces to the palace of Versailles while King Crimson’s to Sagrada Familia basilica. They both can overwhelm and carry you away into the worlds of their own. But Gaudi’s genius also makes you wonder how this all is actually working 😉 That’s why, with all respect to Yes, King Crimson seems to be the only rock band that today classical musicians sometimes quote as their influence. It could be the most creatively provoking band in history, and even their misses could be remarkable (especially on the 70-s albums).

[@westong6215]

You guys really need to check out the new Live King Crimson album that just came out, 1982 live in Frejus. A lot of the versions of the Adrian Belew songs are better live, and easier to get over the David Burn comparisons for Joe. Also probably the best version of Larks Tongue in Aspic part 2

[@bradbridges8733]

King Crimson is definitely better than Yes in my humble opinion! Gotta listen to live stuff... the best live is from the 70s with John Wetton. Unreal band! Thanks for the lists!

[@lionelraoul]

These are my favorite episodes. I only knew about 3 albums from the band and now I've got some great recommendations to explore the catalogue further. Great discussion.

[@asmallwhitedog0479]

USA was my first lp by KC, around 1975. I had heard the first few lps earlier. Starless and Bible Black was my second lp and is my favorite. I own more KC audio than any other band. I only have 5 pieces by Yes in my collection.

[@jackde1965]

King Crimson to me is a foreign language. I try to listen and I have no idea what is going on. I do not mean this as an insult to King Crimson. It's just not for me. But I still enjoy watching the Listography. Very entertaining. You even made me check out a few songs again. Spoiler alert!!! I still didn't know what was going on.

[@fourseasons4105]

1. Larks' tongues in aspic 2. Red 3. In the court of the Crimson king 4. Starless and Bible black 5. Lizard 6. Thrak 7. Islands 8. In the wake of Poseidon 9. Discipline 10. Beat 11. The power to believe 12. Three of a perfect pair 13. The construkction of light

[@matma84]

Thank you for the long video about this groundbreaking band! I voted for Yes but I love Crimson as well. I think I can tell you why Yes are not as popular today as King Crimson. King Crimson gained a lot of credibility for not selling out, always being experimental and had lots of different lineups with the only constant being the cult figure Robert Fripp so people were used to line-up changes. Yes had a lot of different line-ups since the 80s, they made the mistake of dumping the integral figure of Jon Anderson in the 2000s. After the death of Chis Squire they are now seen in the eyes of many people as a tribute band without integral key members like Anderson or Wakeman. And they did far more albums from the 90s onwards than Crimson and a lot of them with not much quality. Therefore they unfortunately managed to damage their reputation. That being said I am really looking forward to the new album of theirs and I am always hoping for good Yes music and an awesome Roger Dean cover.

[@monster900900]

i like some of king crimsom ,, would have thought that yes would have walked it due to a lot bigger fan base ??,, ahh well ,, yes next time then ?? :)))

[@harryberry474]

Islands is my favorite along with Lark's Tongue In Aspic, Thrak, Red, Their best overall Is Meltdown: Live In Mexico, (I know it's not a studio LP but probably the best they ever sounded) my least favorite are the three albums with Adrian Belew Discipline, Three of a Perfect Pair and Beat, these albums went to much into the "new wave" era, it's not that I don't like Adrian Belew era but it's so far removed from their other stuff Out of those 3 albums I love Matte Kudasai, Heartbeat, the rest is like Talking Heads on acid. Thrak is a different story it's got Adrian but the music is very much KC prog.tru and tru.

[@deanjonasson6776]

An engaging discussion of a worthy musical act. Crimson's discography is strange, twisting and always full of surprises. In that way, each of you has the correct ranking, based on your individual temperaments. With further listening, your rankings are bound to change. It's exciting to hear three people discover and compare notes of a great band that had previously evaded their exposure. I find it impossible to rank their catalogue. I love their first, classic incarnation and really appreciate their three '80s albums. I've yet to find my way into the aggressive, third phase. That may come. This morning (only), my Top 5 might include RED, the debut, BEAT, LARKSIS, and probably STARLESS & BIBLE BLACK or the live USA. Who knows what tomorrow brings? My first taste was through the 1976 compilation, A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO KING CRIMSON. Loved the title and the Fergus Hall artwork. If you're a vinyl collector, it's worth tracking down as Fripp did an interesting job of choosing tracks (despite skipping "21 Century Schizoid Man" and, oddly, leaving out LIZARD entirely). Disparate tracks flow together well, creating a sense of consistency in a band noted for their eclectic, changing line-ups. Unlike later compilations, Fripp provides the full 12:17 "Starless", displaying the immense improvisational power of the band. Added bonuses include a pre-album version of "I Talk to the Wind" with lead vocals from ex-Fairport singer Judy Dyble. Her singing is less cloying than those later by Greg Lake. At the time, the comp also featured another rarity, "Groon" (brief, crazy improvising) only available as b-side to the "Cat Food" single). This comp was meant as a career capper, since the band had split and reunion was not yet in the wind. Fripp includes a generous booklet listing the band's gigging history plus excerpts from his tour diary. brick-likemercenary tendencies. His reputation is saved by his otherworldly approach to the guitar, stunning guest spots (Bowie, Gabriel), generous producing credits (check out the first and third albums from the wonderful Roches) and, importantly, a sense of humour. The KZbin covers with wife Toyah are both hilarious and very, very odd. (Like watching your parents rapping at a wedding reception!) Thanks so much for doing this discography. Yes can wait. I'd nominate Family, a band with a deep, challenging catalogue (and one Wetton spent a bit of time in) or Gentle Giant (prog rock on the same ambitious scale as Crimson). Cheers!

[@Jerlwayne]

Larksis - I think that’s an ELP album.

[@roxannewalsh]

Larkus Brain Salad?

[@deanjonasson6776]

Can't wait until they do the discography of Sparksis!

[@stevekatz4372]

After listening to Prog Rock for over 5 Decades, in my humble opinion, I think KC should be ahead of Yes But I also believe there should have been several other Groups ahead of Yes! I can go into detail and name these Groups but I will not. It's just my musical taste and nothing more!

[@hexmonkey369]

These 3 guys' rankings are solid, cant quibble with much with one exception: Thrak is top 5 for me for sure! Cant quite place why, but its got quiet and creepy, melodic, to goofy, to hard core 'metal' and everything in between. Love it!

[@billkeon880]

The most amazing thing about the debut record is that it was released basically one month after Woodstock, and there’s nothing else like it released that year, and sounds like it was made in a different galaxy. Just amazing. Agree with Joe

[@egorovvladimir7304]

I love Construction of Light

[@raymondduck6492]

I came into KC through distant/random hearings of Court of Crimson King and Larks' but DISCIPLINE is what blew my mind as a young adult experimenting with... stimulants. For the band, I think Belew was a bold new face, voice and guitar and I never knew/thought of them as a Talking Heads steal. Like many of my crowd, this album is in my top 10.

[@robertperry9576]

Very interesting. To kick off, while Yes had 4 or 5 magnificent albums, the rest (including the shrill and bitty Fragile!!!) just don't make the cut. KC never did anything as bad as Union (the point where I stopped listening to anything new by Yes). I discovered KC in the long hiatus between Red and Discipline. I first heard "In the Court...", which I loved except for the hippy-dippy I Talk to the Wind and Moonchild, the latter of which wasted half of side 2 with that ambient, empty crap. Maybe a month later I bought "Larks' Tongues..." (and it's pronounced Larks, not Larksiz - sorry to be a pedantic twat). I hated it. Over the next couple of months, I switched. I started to see Court as too grandiose and four-square, and Larks as amazing. It's the album that defined everything they did thereafter. Then, when the band re-emerged with Discipline, my head exploded. Here was a band who had launched into the 80s with an album that fused New Wave with their Larks template, to brilliant effect (and as a Talking Heads fan, I was delighted to see a Byrne infusion - not a rip-off!). My top 3 would be Discipline, Larks and Starless and Bible Black (and I'm astonished that you rate I Talk to the hippy Wind but not The Night Watch). Red would have made it without the vocal parts. It has to be Wetton's most leaden vocal performance of his career, and the lyrics are drivel - I suspect that the production was geared purely towards the explosive instrumental songs/sections. The end (instrumental) section of Starless is, to me, the best thing they ever did. I edited my own version without the singing (something I do a lot with songs and whole albums nowadays). Anyway - great, challenging channel - keep it up! :)

[@jodymckane6690]

1. Red 2. In the Court of the Crimson King 3. Larks Tongue in Aspic 4. Discipline 5. Starless and Bible Black 6. Three of a Perfect Pair 😮 7. In the Wake of Poseidon 8. Lizard 9. Islands 10. The Power to Believe 11. Thrak 12. Beat 13. The Construktion of Light Rock over London Rock on Chicago

[@jukeboxcowboy]

Much appreciated episode. Surprisingly, I agree with Joe on almost every count. Except one: I'm starting to see a pattern on this channel, suggesting that Listography does not typically embrace abstraction in music. For me, exploring abstract visual art helped to better appreciate musical abstraction. In the years preceding World War I, artists including Delaunay, Kandinsky, Wassily, Malevich, and Yatlon turned to fundamentally abstract art. Matisse, Klee and Mondrian's abstractions were directly influenced by music. Later, artists like Fripp, Eno, Coltrane, Sun Ra, Zappa, etc brought it back full circle. Abstraction is key to some of the best Crimson albums. Being able to deconstruct the "songs" all the way down to their non-representational nuts and bolts expands their musical horizons all the more. Overall, your reviews were impressive, especially considering you've only heard most of the albums a couple of times! That said, a Listography reaction video to the entire Nurse With Wound catalog would be a hoot!

[@Sir_Eyeball]

Nurse with Wound can be pretty epic at times. But mostly frightening.

[@TastesLikeMusic]

I think if I had more time to listen to these artists and albums I’d like abstraction more, or at least not hate it. - Joe

[@jukeboxcowboy]

@@Sir_Eyeball Totally, Sir Eyeball! I think that may also be why King Crimson gets the edge over Yes for me. King Crimson can scare the living hell out of you. It would seem that around the time of the early King Crimson stuff especially, that music and visual + conceptual art were heavily informing each other, especially in England. So many of those guys were art students.

[@jukeboxcowboy]

@@TastesLikeMusic Haha! Fair enough. Thankfully, "Life's a long song".

[@xvx5872]

Well, check out their best album. Which is the live album by them from their early 80's incarnation of this band. So... it has songs from disipline beat and 3 of a Pp. Even if you think some of the songs on those albums suck. Listening to the live versions will make you a fan of them. Ya, apparantly it makes the songs come alive more. So I am told , I aint heard it myself. I had to bring this up, because one person on this video says Disipline sucks.

[@aidacabezas2153]

king Crimson es la banda de rock más importante después de The Beatles. Period.

[@TastesLikeMusic]

Mmmmmm doubtful. - Joe

[@aidacabezas2153]

@@TastesLikeMusic al menos en el top 5?

[@srglepore]

But the question you want to ask is, are your choices for best to worst albums by KC predetermined by your biological/environmental circumstances or by free will? Biological in such that if any sounds generated falling outside of the human ear's hearing range being 0 dB to 130 you can't determine its aesthetic components, thereby demonstrating your lack of free will biologically speaking. Environmentally speaking, being that you didn't choose to be placed in this time of history being the second decade of the 21st century, in English speaking territories...both conditions which have imposed indeed stamped their dictates on what you say you prefer or reject. For example, would you find the limited range of notes and / or sounds generated by Adrian Belew or John Wetton playing a tubular bone whistle from Sapawe Pueblo people appealing or appalling? And if, for another instance, you dislike Beat by comparison to say, Starless but you don't agree with this assessment because for whatever reason probably due to another set of predetermined conditions outside of your range of cognition you like A. Belew or at least the idea of him as a musician and singer as such that you are beside yourself in a conundrum for liking Starless over anything that features A. Belew, especially when you learn that perhaps any hint towards a free will is really just undiscovered biology....

[@Rumham7291]

This is one of the few times I agree with Kramzer! I love Discipline, it epitome of early 80s prog rock and I love this album. I get lost in it, especially Monte kudasai. Agree on Larks' too! I dont understand how Jason could look Islands better than Larks'.

[@CrimsonFan]

The panel wasn't familiar with most of Kc's work before now, and it shows. Much of it won't dawn on the listener till after many repeated listenings - maybe over years. (That goes for me, too - and I'm a hard-core fan.) A cut above Yes -whom I also adore.

[@Andyface79]

They are better than Yes. To me, they do more things better. Like compare their new wave-ish records. Discipline is waaaaay better than 90215.

[@avlisk]

There's something about Larks Tongues that is compellingly brilliant as to make it #1 for me. But with In The Court of and Islands, Larks will have to sit at #3 for me.

[@greysonbogle5080]

Tony has barely played any bass since the early 90s, unless he’s touring with Peter Gabriel. He usually plays Chapman Stick, especially in Crimson. On ConstruKction of Light Trey plays Warr Guitar, not bass. If y’all weren’t going to read up on what was going on in the studio/in the minds of the players, then what was the point of any of this? It doesn’t sound like you were really trying to understand the albums.

[@sabe11a39]

13. ConstruKtion of Light 12. Islands 11. The Power to Believe 10. Three of a Perfect Pair 9. THRAK 8. In the Wake of Poseidon 7. Lizard 6. Beat 5. Starless and Bible Black 4. Lark's Tongues in Aspic 3. Discipline 2. ITCHYCOCK 1. Red

[@finylvinyl66]

King Crimson IS better than Yes. That's why Bruford went from Yes to Crimson.

[@kattenbroekcom]

My Ranking: 1.Larks tongues in aspic 10/10 2.starless and bible black 10/10 3.Islands 9,75/10 4.In The Wake Of Poseidon 9,5/10 5.Red 9,25/10 6.In The Court Of The Crimson King 9/10 7.Lizard 8,5/10 8.Discipline 8,25/10 9.Beat 8/10 10.The Power To Believe 7/10 11.Three Of A Perfect Pair 6,5/10 12.THRAK 5/10 13.The ConstrucKtion Of Light 4/10

[@andybyron1]

I love both Yes and King Crimson. You really can't choose whose better. Its a rubbish question in my opinion. Although I think Fripp should've been taken aside and asked, "do you really think ProzaKc Blues is worthy of recording? Think about the fans man

[@danielphillips97]

Their live albums ought to be listened to as well, since they're so different that they're like albums in their own right. The best example of this is Ladies of the Road (Live 1971/72), which features a fair bit of material from Islands, but is jazzier again.

[@greysonbogle5080]

Not at the top of the game, playing the Construction of Light? Whatever man, unless you’re talking about a bassist between Greg Lake and John Wetton, they’re in King Crimson, and they are at the top of their game. Age and album don’t matter; they’re at the top of their game.

[@balthazarspencer704]

Outside of the Wetton era, I have always loved The Construkction Of Light, an innovative album, with its intricate arrangements for 2 guitars, futuristic sound, electronic drums, an album that looks forward. My ranking is : 1. Larks' Tongues in Aspic 2. Red 3. Starless and Bible Black 4. The Construkction of Light 5. In the Court of the Crimson King 6. Discipline 7. The Power to Believe 8. Lizard 9. Beat 10. In the Wake of Poseidon 11. Thrak 12. Islands 13. Three of a Perfect Pair

[@tomhenninger4153]

YES and Genesis are the two best prog-rock bands. Like King Crimson, but not nearly to the Y & G. Thanks!

[@christiandubeau20]

I like both King Crimson and Yes. But King Crimson has overall better music than Yes, IMO. Yes didn't put out anything good after "Drama." Although I kind of do like "The Quest". Never got into Genesis except for 2 or 3 of their early albums....

[@threestringsomg]

Mmm don't get the Islands points....vibe is fantastic...just bought the Anniversary edition as I was so impressed ....it's beautiful. Great on a walk.

[@kevtruth]

Joe to Jason: "who are you?" Made me laugh. I think Kram said it best and sums up why I am not a huge prog rock guy. He said if there's a section in a song that you don't care for, its more than likely long and you are sort of stuck listening to it.

[@threestringsomg]

Yes it's called subjectivity... Someone out there will like it...maybe someone with a bit more patience or different perspective...lol

[@kevtruth]

@@threestringsomg Fair point

[@jussitarponen1919]

It is very hard to put King Crimson albums from the worst to the best. Because the style was so different. But I know them all, I ´ll try to put some faves, In the Wake of Poseidon, Islands, Lark, ´s Tongues in Aspis´c, Red, all the 1980- albums, 1990- album is also great, I don´t remember its name. 2000´ albums were listanable though they didn´t bring any new. Christmas is coming, let me laugh, would King Crimson have done a Xmas song. A chaotic song, is it suitable for Xmas ? ELO didn´t also never did a Xmas song even in its most best most commercial days. So I think the first album of Crimson is good, but I am tired to say it is awesome.

[@trickygoose2]

Talking Of Robert Fripp, his wife Toyah Wilcox has a KZbin channel. Every Sunday at 12 noon (UK time) her and Robert release a short clip of them doing a cover together at home. They have been married for many years despite them being considered an unlikely couple as she came out of the UK punk scene which was very anti prog. This is their version of Led Zep's Black Dog: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gp-reptulNqDrJI

[@NalinX]

Many thanks friend of friends

[@lightningstrikes7314]

Frankly I find her embarrassing, I had to choose the 'hide the channel' option in my feed. I's not 'cute', just cringe and embarrassing, borderline creepy almost.

[@mjbachman3027]

The 50 Anniversary edition of Larks Tounge's in Aspic is a great pickup.

[@danielphillips97]

Kramzer made an inaccurate remark about the "brass horns" on the song One More Red Nightmare. It is actually an alto saxophone, which belongs to the woodwind family, not the horn family or even the brass family despite being made of brass.

[@gytrplr]

King crimson better all the way

[@jussitarponen1919]

I think all the Crimson albums in the 1970´s are pretty good, hard to put them in order. But an except, I hate the chaotic Starless and Bible Black.