I survived another work week and now that we've had an early dinner at Trailside's, I have a special treat in store heading into the weekend and I ease into snooze-mode on the couch while Kelly takes a hot bath, this Islands record by King Crimson.
Largely considered to be the weakest Crimson studio album from their first era is only a real disappointment in relation to the extraordinarily high quality of the group's earlier efforts; the songs are somewhat uneven and draw from three years of inspiration.
"Don't believe the hype" however, this is still some pretty rockin' Prog Rock.
No seriously, it is.
The Letter is an adaptation of Drop In, a group composition that was featured in the early set of the original Crimson lineup from 1969, while Song of the Gulls goes back to the pre-King Crimson trio of Giles, Giles & Fripp for its source (Suite No. 1). There are also a few surprises, such as the Beatles-like harmonies on the raunchy Ladies of the Road and the extraordinary interweaving of electric guitar and Mellotron by Robert Fripp on A Sailor's Tale, which is one of the highlights of the early- to mid-period group's output.
Throughout it all, there is a unique balance between chaos and order, poetic sensibility and violence -- it's a timeless masterpiece, and one of crimsons best IMHO.
So take that, haters.
Mental note to self: this would be an ideal future Zone Out album downstairs at some point.
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