40 Year Itch : Blue Wicked and Wild

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  Its fans, who numbered among them the late Kurt Cobain, have called King Crimson's dark, heavy, and musically rich Red the first grunge album. I don't know about that. I do know King Crimson had come off a frustrating tour of the US when they entered the studio as a trio. Violinist David Cross, having departed right after the tour, does contribute to the live track "Providence" which was recorded in the Rhode Island state capitol. 

   Robert Fripp was ready to disband King Crimson. As the Beatles did with Abbey Road, the members of King Crimson wanted to make their last album something special. At the same time, Crimson's only founding member, Robert Fripp, made the decision not withhold all judgement on the proceedings.

  Drummer Bill Bruford is quoted in The Mojo Collection :

     

      Robert had 'decided to withhold the passing of my opinion' which meant you'd do a take and you'd say ' What do you think, Robert?' Nothing. Nothing at all. He had decided the way to Nirvana was not to express an opinion - and it seemed to ( bassist, vocalist) John Wetton and I more or less moved his hand about on the fretboard.

Fripp's opinions are in his guitar work which is absolutely furious. It would be seven year before Fripp and King Crimson would record another album. Red remains one of progressive rock's most resounding statements. But maybe I wouldn't play it for your mom.

40 Year Itch : King Crimson plays Central Park

King Crimson performs "Easy Money" live at Central Park on June 25, 1973. The line up consists of the same musicians who recorded Larks Tongue in Aspic namely Bill Bruford on drums, Jamie Murr on percussion , John Wetton on bass and vocals, David Cross on violin and keyboards, and Robert Fripp on guitar. According to bootlegs the band played
Doctor Diamond,
Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt. I,
Easy Money,
Improvisation,
Exiles,
Improvisation,
The Talking Drum,
Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt. II,
and finished with 21st Century Schizoid Man.

The Campus Report June 9, 1973

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On the left side of the dial college radio stations were thriving in the early 70's. As non-profits, they didn't need to worry about attracting advertisers so they played what they wanted to. Suddenly, an oasis of progressive music appeared. Thanks to Aquarium Drunkard for his timely post of the Link Wray tune just a week or so ago.

WKMX
Schoolcraft College
Livonia,MI
Rob Mulrooney reporting

1. Speedy Keen "Aries Lady"
2. The Kinks "One of the Survivors"
3. Link Wray "Be What You Want To"

WHPK-FM
University of Chicago
Pete Mensch reporting

1. Strawbs "Lay Down"
2. Chick Corea "Inner Space"
3. Ohio Players "Pleasure"

WERC now WXUT-FM
University of Toldeo
Walter Griffin reporting

1. King Crimson Larks Tongues in Aspic
2. Leo Kottke My Feet Are Smiling
3. McCoy Tyner Extensions

Six Degrees of Separation: McDonald and Giles to The Velvet Underground

1. After sticking around for the first two King Crimson albums, In the Court of the Crimson King (to which multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald contributed the serene "I Talk to the Wind") and In The Wake Of Poseidon,  McDonald and Michael Giles record the insanely great 1971 prog rock album McDonald and Giles. If you don't own this album, you can't really call yourself a progressive rock fan.


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2. In 1976 McDonald is one of the co-founders of the hard rock band Foreigner. He plays guitar, woodwinds and keyboards for the group.Guitarist Mick Jones writes the hit song "Feels Like the First Time" and co-writes "Cold As Ice", and just about any other Foreigner song you've ever heard of... including "Blue Morning, Blue Day" from Double Vision



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3. Before Foreigner, Mick Jones spends a few years playing in Gary Wright's band Spooky Tooth. 

Among the albums he plays on : 1973's Witness.The drummer is Mike Kellie.

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4. In 1976 Mike Kellie joins Peter Perrett and guitarist John Parry in the legendary power pop band The Only Ones. Parry begins on bass but eventually replaces the original guitarist Glenn Tilbrook.


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5. Tilbrook becomes the lead singer and guitarist for those power pop maestro's Squeeze, named after an oft-derided Velvet Underground album called Squeeze.



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6 The 1973 album Squeeze, may have been called a Velvet Underground album but not one original member of the band plays on it. It's actually a Doug Yule solo album. (Yule played on the third and fourth VU albums) Polydor Records and VU band manager Steve Sesnick made the sleazy deal to call it a Velvets album.


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(Readers Most Popular Songs in order 1. Spooky Tooth 2. Squeeze 3. Only Ones 4.Foreigner 5. McDonald and Giles 6. Velvet Underground )