Last Updated on February 26, 2026 by Christian Adams
The term “progressive rock” was originally applied to bands that fused hard rock with classical music to expand the styles and concept of what a rock band could do. Procol Harum, Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, and The Nice all operated in the zone of what is now called progressive rock, but none represented a fully-formed example of the genre as King Crimson and their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King (1969).
Unlike many of their progressive rock peers (Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, aka “The Big Six”), King Crimson never had anything remotely close to a “hit record.” Likewise, they eschewed the use of outside music producers, instead opting to record and mix themselves (with the aid of recording engineers). While their early albums generally sold well enough to a cult following, few radio stations played anything except “21st Century Schizoid Man”. But throughout their first seven studio albums, King Crimson assembled the quintessential progressive rock resume.
Led by guitarist Robert Fripp, the band has undergone multiple lineup changes and several extended hiatuses. We’re mainly focused on the classic King Crimson era (1969–1974) and focusing on band membership and the critical reception of each album.
King Crimson Discography 1969–1974
In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
In the Court of the Crimson King reached number five on the British charts and went gold in the United States. The album is generally considered the defining and seminal moment in the progressive rock genre; avoiding blues-based cliches while embracing jazz and classical symphonic influences, In the Court… is a “classic” and must-have record of any collection.
The album is also the only studio recording that features the original King Crimson line-up of Fripp (guitar), Ian McDonald (flute, clarinet, saxophone, vibes, keyboards, mellotron), Greg Lake (bass, vocals), Michael Giles (drums, percussion), and Peter Sinfield (lyrics, illumination).
Soon after the recording sessions were completed, it was discovered that a stereo tape recorder used to mix the album had misaligned recording heads. This caused a loss of high frequencies and undesired distortion, which affected some parts of the album. Kanye West sampled “21st Century Schizoid Man” in 2010 for his song “Power.” In Lexington, Kentucky, there is a street called Crimson King Court.
Initial reception of In the Court of the Crimson King ran the gauntlet. Noted critic and curmudgeon Robert Christgau called it “ersatz shit.” Allmusic called it “a darker and edgier brand of post-psychedelic rock” and “definitive” and “daring” in its current review.
NBC’s Tonight Show bandleader Doc Severinsen covered “In the Court of the Crimson King” on his 1970 album, Doc Severinsen’s Closet. It’s fucking awesome!!!!!!
In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)
By the time this album was released, the band had already undergone its first line-up change; however, they still maintained much of the style of their first album. In other words, it’s pretty much In the Court of the Crimson King II.
The original line-up played its last show in San Francisco at the Fillmore West in December 1969. Ian McDonald and Michael Giles then formally left, because that’s what English musicians did back then. McDonald went on to be a founding member of Foreigner, while Giles became a session drummer. Greg Lake left in early 1970 after joining what would become Emerson, Lake & Palmer. At this point, King Crimson was basically Fripp, the mellotron, and Sinfeld.
Lake agreed to sing on the recordings for Poseidon. At one point, the band considered hiring Elton John. Other former members and associates returned as session players for the Poseidon recordings, with all bass parts by Peter Giles. Michael Giles on drums. Mel Collins (formerly of the band Cirkus) contributed saxophones and flute. Another key performer was jazz pianist Keith Tippett, who had the most influence on the band’s sound for the next few records.
The longest track on the album is the instrumental, “The Devil’s Triangle”, which borrowed heavily from Gustav Holst’s The Planets. The album cover is The 12 Archetypes or The 12 Faces of Humankind, painted by Tammo De Jongh in 1967.
In the Wake of Poseidon was well received on release, but was criticized as an imitation of the debut album. More of the same, across the board. Robert Christgau liked the album better than the debut, commenting that “they’re not afraid to be harsh, they command a range of styles, and their dynamics jolt rather than sledgehammer.”
Lizard (1970)
Lizard is the second recorded by a transitional line-up that never had the opportunity to perform live. This would be the first (and only) album to feature bassist/vocalist Gordon Haskell and drummer Andy McCulloch as official members of the band.
The record is arguably King Crimson’s most jazz-influenced album, developing further in the direction of “Cat Food” on the previous album. Yes vocalist Jon Anderson sings on “Prince Rupert Awakes”.
Responses towards the album have been varied. Allmusic’s Bruce Eder wrote, “At the time of its release, some critics praised Lizard for finally breaking with the formula and structure that shaped the two preceding albums, but overall it’s an acquired taste.”
The opening track, “Cirkus”, is the best-known track on the album.
Islands (1971)
The last King Crimson studio album to feature the lyrics of Peter Sinfield and the last to feature the band’s ‘traditional’ progressive and symphonic sound.
The album received mixed reviews. Of the four tracks with lyrics on the album, three concern women. “Ladies of the Road” has been singled out for perceived misogyny. Trivia: Robert Fripp taught Boz Burrell how to play bass so that he could perform the instrument and sing on the album. Burrell later became the bassist for the band Bad Company.
Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (1973)
This record marks the debut of the band’s third incarnation, featuring original member and guitarist Robert Fripp and new members John Wetton (vocals, bass guitar), David Cross (violin, mellotron), Jamie Muir (percussion), and Bill Bruford (drums). Bruford left Yes after recording Close to the Edge (1972). The album sees the band incorporate violin and various exotic percussion instruments, including sheet metal and marimbas.
The album opens with a long experimental instrumental piece titled “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part I)”, one of the group’s signature pieces. There are three songs with vocals, “Book of Saturday”, “Exiles”, and “Easy Money”, with lyrics written by former Supertramp guitarist Richard Palmer-James (who left that band after its first, self-titled album). These are followed by two more instrumentals, “The Talking Drum” and “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part II)”. The instrumental pieces on this album have strong jazz-metal fusion characteristics.
It is the only studio album with this five-man lineup. Muir left the group while on tour promoting this album in 1973, never to be heard from again.
Allmusic’s retrospective review praised the band’s transition from jazz-influenced to experimental. They called John Wetton “the group’s strongest singer/bassist since Greg Lake’s departure.” Which he was.
Starless and Bible Black (1974)
The title is a quotation from the poet Dylan Thomas’s play, Under Milk Wood.
Several songs from the album were recorded live, with applause edited out. The only songs recorded entirely in the studio were the first two tracks, “The Great Deceiver” and “Lament.” “We’ll Let You Know” was an improvisational piece recorded in Glasgow. “The Mincer” was another improvised piece, recorded in Zürich and overdubbed with Wetton’s vocals in the studio. “Trio”, “Fracture”, and “Starless and Bible Black” were recorded in Amsterdam, as was the introduction to “The Night Watch” (the remainder was recorded in the studio).
Palmer-James wrote the lyrics. Only four tracks actually have lyrics. The majority of the album’s lyrical themes are corruption, sleaze, and materialism in society. An exception is “The Night Watch”, a short essay describing Rembrandt’s painting of the same name, as an observer sees it, and attempting to understand the subjects.
Even though there are no drums on “Trio”, drummer Bill Bruford received co-writing credit because the piece was improvised in concert, and the rest saw Bruford’s decision not to add any percussion as a crucial choice. “The Great Deceiver” refers to The Devil and commercialism. The lyric was co-written by Fripp. The album’s final track, “Fracture”, is similar in style and melodic phrasing to “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic Pt. II”. Fripp has stated that “Fracture” is the most difficult guitar piece he has ever played.
Rolling Stone said the album was “stunningly powerful,” praising Bruford’s percussive style and the successful integration of David Cross’s violin. Allmusic also praised the album, saying the second side “threw the group’s hardest sounds right in the face of the listener.” Robert Christgau’s review was more ambiguous, deeming it “as close as this chronically interesting group has ever come to a good album.”
Red (1974)
Their last studio recording of the 1970s and the last before Fripp put the group on indefinite hiatus. The title track was ranked #87 on 100 Greatest Guitar Songs by Rolling Stone.
David Cross “left” in 1974, reducing the group to the trio of Fripp, Wetton, and Bruford. Like the majority of previous albums, “former” members contributed to the recording. Red features Cross, Ian McDonald, and Mel Collins. Fripp disbanded King Crimson on September 24, 1974, and the album was released later that year with no accompanying tour.
While musically similar to Starless and Bible Black, the production of Red was remarkably different from previous albums. For instance, Red features extensive use of guitar overdubs, something Fripp had been reluctant to approach.
The album’s only live recording, “Providence”, was recorded live in Providence, Rhode Island, on June 30, 1974. John Wetton wrote the original lyrics and melody for “Starless.” He intended the song to be the title track of the previous album, Starless and Bible Black. Fripp and Bruford initially disliked Wetton’s idea. Instead, they chose an instrumental as the title track. However, “Starless” resurfaced, its lyrics altered, and a long instrumental section (with a bass riff by Bruford) was added, and was performed live between March–June 1974.
The record spent one week on the British charts, at No. 45, whereas all the band’s previous studio albums had reached the Top 30. In the U.S., it reached No. 66 on the Billboard 200.
Reviews and Legacy
Retrospective reviews were positive. Allmusic declared Red to be weaker than its two predecessors, but a superlative work: “Few intact groups could have gotten an album as good as Red together. The fact that it was put together by a band in its death throes makes it all the more impressive an achievement.” Robert Christgau also praised the album, calling it “grand, powerful, grating, and surprisingly lyrical” and commenting that “this does for classical-rock fusion what John McLaughlin’s Devotion did for jazz-rock fusion.”
In 2001, Q magazine named Red as one of the “50 Heaviest Albums of All Time”, and Kurt Cobain cited the album as a major influence. Musicologists Eric Tamm and Edward Macan say Red, and particularly the track “Starless”, are the highlights of King Crimson’s recorded output.
