King Crimson / In The Court Of The Crimson King

In the Court of the Crimson King is the 1969 debut album by the British progressive rock group King Crimson. The album is generally considered by many to be the launching point of progressive rock where blues-oriented rock was mixed together with jazzy and European symphonic elements. Maybe one of the all-time most influential albums. The Who’s Pete Townshend was quoted as calling the album “an uncanny masterpiece”.

The album was remastered and re-released on vinyl and CD several times during the 1980s and 1990s. The original stereo master tapes were finally located in a Virgin Records storage vault in 2003, leading to a much improved remastered CD version released in 2004.

Barry Godber (1946–1970), an artist and computer programmer, painted the album cover. Godber died in February 1970 of a heart attack, shortly after the album’s release. It would be his only painting, and is now owned by Robert Fripp.

Original Track Listing

Side one
1. “21st Century Schizoid Man” (Fripp, McDonald, Lake, Giles, Sinfield) – 7:21
including “Mirrors”
2. “I Talk to the Wind” (McDonald, Sinfield) – 6:05
3. “Epitaph” (Fripp, McDonald, Lake, Giles, Sinfield) – 8:47
including “March for No Reason” and “Tomorrow and Tomorrow”

Side two
1. “Moonchild” (Fripp, McDonald, Lake, Giles, Sinfield) – 12:13
including “The Dream” and “The Illusion”
2. “The Court of the Crimson King” (McDonald, Sinfield) – 9:25

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