King Crimson is a classic English progressive rock band that gained momentum in the late 60s and early 70s, with a similar sound to their contemporaries Pink Floyd. It’s a wonder that King Crimson did not experience the same kind of mainstream success as Pink Floyd and I attribute it to a couple of different possibilities:
-The mid 70’s, after Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ came out was really the big boom for progressive rock; King Crimson was broken up in between 1972 and 1981 so they could not capitalize on this period when their style of music became very popular.
-King Crimson’s music is a lot more expiremental and complex than Pink Floyd’s; this makes them less accessible.
Whatever the reasons may be, I think King Crimson are often overlooked and are, in my opinion, one of the most interesting rock bands of all time. They are extremely prolific, with 13 studio albums and literally dozens of live albums released over the years. They are probably most well-known for their live performances; they are a very performance-oriented band and never play a song the same way twice.
This live video, shot in Belgium in 1972, shows their talent for improvisation. Performing the instrumental ‘Lark’s Tongues in Aspic pt. 1′ which would later be released on their 1973 album ‘Lark’s Tonges in Aspic’, this line-up features guitar legend Robert Fripp, John Wetton on bass, David Cross on violin, Jamie Muir on percussion and Bill Bruford, quite possibly the best rock drummer of all time. I think having two percussionists definitely adds a lot of depth to this performance.
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