King Crimson was a rock band founded in Dorset, England in 1969. The band has been labeled as a progressive rock group (prog-rock) but included influences and instrumentation from jazz, folk music, classical and experimental music, psychedelic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, new wave, gamelan, and electronica.
The band has been influential on many contemporary musical artists and has a cult following despite the fact that they had little radio or music video airplay.
Founded by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield, the band initially focused on a dramatic sound layered with Mellotron.
The band's lineup centered on guitarist Robert Fripp
, but has changed over the years with 18 musicians and two lyricists. The debut lineup of the band was influential (and well-received by critics) but short-lived, lasting for just over one year. The band was later fronted by Adrian Belew.In the Court of the Crimson King (subtitled An Observation by King Crimson) is their debut studio album released on 10 October 1969 by Island Records. The album is one of the earliest and most influential of the progressive rock genre, where the band combined the musical influences that rock music was founded upon with elements of jazz, classical, and symphonic music. The album reached number five on the UK Albums Chart and number 28 on the US Billboard 200, where it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Barry Godber, a computer programmer friend of Sinfield's, painted the design for the iconic first album cover (shown above). He used his own face, viewed through a mirror, as the model. Godber died shortly after the album's release and it was his only album cover. The original painting is now owned by Robert Fripp.
Several sources (including the band website at http://www.elephant-talk.com) give the band's name origin as coming from the original lyricist Peter Sinfield.
Sinfield says, "The name King Crimson was mine. I wanted something like Led Zeppelin, something with a bit of power to it. Anything better than Giles, Giles, and Fripp. King Crimson had arrogance to it."
King Crimson can be considered a synonym for Beelzebub, the prince of demons, which is an anglicized form of the Arabic phrase B'il Sabab. Fripp has said that the Arabic means "the man with an aim" but it literally means "with a cause".
A more common etymology of "Beelzebub" is that it is Hebrew for "Lord of the Flies." In John Milton's Paradise Lost
, Beelzebub was Satan's chief lieutenant among the fallen angels. He is often portrayed as a red (crimson) figure and is the King of the Underworld.ALBUMS
On the other hand Michael Rex Giles had a lot to do with this first album. Rex latin for King... ;)
ReplyDeleteTheir music is demonic exactly like their name. On one of their concerts i saw on Utube there was on stage behind them big image of Satan - red with horns.I had several CD of them but since then i never wanted to hear anything of them again.To much for me.
ReplyDeleteLink please...
Deleteweiner
DeleteNononono. Wrong.
DeleteI've known about them for a long time, but never had taken the time to actually listen to them, I'm enjoying "in the court of the Crimson King", amazing how an over 50 year old record sounds better than most of today's music
ReplyDeleteKing Crimthann "Niadhnair" (the Heroic) MacLugaidh was born about 75 BC at Tara Castle, Meath, Leinster, Ireland. He fell from his horse and died in 9 AD at the Fortress of Dunin, Crimthann, Bin Edar, Hill of Howth, Ireland. He married Nar-Tath-Chaoch of The Picts, born about 40 BC, in Scotland. They were parents of Fearadhach Finnfeachtnach MacCrimthann, “Fair Blessed” High King of Ireland, born 12 BC at Tara Castle, Ireland. He also married a Pict, Chabob Mar Fath born 8 BC, Meath, Leinster, Ireland.
ReplyDeleteWeiner indeed! You're missing out on great timeless music!
ReplyDeleteJust like porcupine tree or pink Floyd. Don't take the name too seriously
ReplyDelete