One of the greatest bands of this style was born in the late 60’s and loudly announced itself with the debut album “In the Court of the Crimson King” in 1969. It was so innovative and influential that many music historians are convinced that this album is the beginning of the history of progressive music!
King Crimson’s compositions are a bizarre mix of garage guitars with classical and jazz: crazy drums harmonize with melancholic violins, and piercing saxophone licks alternate with a mocking two-note solo. The best definition of their direction was given by Boris Grebenshchikov: King Crimson is a musical landscape describing an amazing but distant and incomprehensible planet.
Since the band has always been a project of only one musician, guitarist Robert Fripp, over nearly 50 years dozens of musicians have managed to play in it, each of whom has left their mark on the music.
The ensemble’s work is divided into two major phases:
- Symphonic (1969-1974),
- Electronic (1980-nowadays).
For newcomers, we recommend that you start listening to the first albums and then move on to the later work.