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Vinyl: KING CRIMSON "IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING" 1969 VERY CLEAN EARLY PRESSING
31.50 USD
22.99 USD
19 May 2024
12 May 2024
6 bids
3560
2332
United States
Used
LABEL: ATLANTIC SD 8245 (FIRST CATALOG NUMBER)
Rock & Pop
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KING CRIMSON "IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING" 1969 VERY CLEAN EARLY PRESSING
KING CRIMSON
"IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING (AN OBSERVATION BY KING CRIMSON)"
LABEL: ATLANTIC SD 8245 (FIRST CATALOG NUMBER)
RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 10, 1969
RARE ORIGINAL EARLY 1970's U.S. PRESSING
THICK SMOOTH GLOSSY GATEFOLD JACKET
'BROADWAY' JACKET, 'ROCKEFELLER' LABEL
FANTASTIC SOUND ~ GEORGE PIROS MASTERING
RECORDED AT WESSEX SOUND STUDIOS ~ LONDON
MASTERED AT ATLANTIC STUDIOS ('AT' in MATRIX)
MASTERING: GEORGE PIROS ('at/gp' in matrix)
LACQUER CUTTING: LONGWEAR PLATING
PRESSING PLANT: ATLANTIC ~PRESSWELL ('PR' on Label)
WHITE TEXT INSIDE GATEFOLD (1974-ERA)
COVER ART: BARRY GODBER
MATRIX(A): ST-A-691699-D at/gp PR
MATRIX(B): ST A 691700 D ST-A 16 PR
CONDITION: VINYL: EX JACKET: VG+ to EX-
I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection this winter and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 40 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
This week on EBay I am offering up this fantastic, clean early 70's Pressing of King Crimson's classic debut album "In The Court of The Crimson King" originally released in 1969.
This is a early 70's 'Presswell' pressing with all the proper identifying marks. Generally fantastic condition.
This is my original copy of this classic Prog Rock album that I've taken great care of for over 50 years now.
See Condition Details below.
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This is the first album by the original King Crimson. This album is such a classic that it's been re-issued countless times over the years, never going out of print. It's said that the Discogs entry for this record has more listings than a Chicago phone book.
This is an essential album in any serious Rock, Psych or Prog collection and what better way to own it than a clean, crisp, early pressing like this one.
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This album has one of the most ionic covers of all time. This Gatefold album has amazing artwork by Barry Godber that stretches across both the inside and outside of the Jacket.
Fripp has said in interviews that the music on this album was meant to both provoke and scare the listener. You can sense that in the Schizoid Man’s face. He's caught in mid-scream, nostrils flared, eyes fixed on a horror off to his side we can’t see. It really made one wonder, who or what is this guy, and what is he freaking out about?
On the inside, our Schizoid man looks all mellowed out, with his outstretched palm, and the other hand giving a sign of tranquility and serenity. What a strange head-trip this was in 1969, and still is today. A timeless album cover.
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King Crimson was formed from the ashes of the short-lived psych-pop act 'Giles, Giles and Fripp' in January 1969, with guitarist Fripp and drummer Michael Giles linking up with bassist-singer Greg Lake, keyboardist & multi-Instrumentalist Ian McDonald, and lyricist Peter Sinfield.
The group rehearsed in a small space in London’s Hammersmith district, working on songs for several months, then started playing at London's Speakeasy club. Jimmy Hendrix caught one of their shows and exclaimed “This is the best group in the world!”
That local hype earned them a spot opening for the Rolling Stones at their infamous Hyde Park show, along with Clapton & Winwood's Blind Faith, in the summer of 1969.
Then it was off to the studio to work on this album. They started out at Morgan Studios, with Moody Blues producer Tony Clarke, but those sessions stalled.
They moved to Wessex Studios in London, and created this timeless classic album, which was released in October of 1969.
'In the Court of the Crimson King' was a very important and landmark album when it was released. An amazing, incredible, groundbreaking, debut record. It was an album way ahead of it's time for 1969. The album remains a towering pillar of musicianship, wonder, and menace.
It was very different and nobody had heard anything like it before. The unique musical abilities of the band allowed them to create a hybrid of menacing hard rock, classical sophistication, dreamy psychedelia, and free-jazz improvisation. This was all helped along with what Fripp called “the presence of the Good Fairy.”
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It's hard today to realize how different and groundbreaking this album was in 1969. It was unique and really didn't sound like anything else at the time.
This album is King Crimson's definitive album, and one of the most daring debut albums ever recorded by anybody.
In 1969, many Rock bands were either doing sugary Pop songs or some sort of spacey psychedelia. Then King Crimson made this album.
The music ranges from serene, contemplative Suites, to loud intense jarring songs like "21st Century Schizoid Man". It has crunchy guitars and flutes, on the same song! It included music made with the, then innovative, mellotron, a pre-cursor to synthesizers.
This was a very important and intriguing album because it single-handedly created a new Genre and changed the direction of rock music.
"In the Court of the Crimson King" was the first progressive Rock album and the one that defined the genre. It's an album that has 5 absolutely different songs that show 5 different aspects of the prog rock style: aggression, calmness, darkness, instrumental fusion and cohesive storytelling. This album is a daring, inspirational, masterpiece.
The "dominant" instrument on this album is the Mellotron, played by McDonald, which gives the music a feeling of 'fantasy', a key element of the Prog Rock style.
King Crimson defined what Prog Rock should be; a sensation of frustration and anger, abrupt time/tempo changes, complex instrumentation and innovative sound. The musical thought and effort that went into this recording made it not only far, far ahead of its time, but a timeless work of art. There was simply nothing like this original line up of King Crimson before or since.
King Crimson are now considered the Godfathers of Progressive Rock.
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The 5 songs on this First album by King Crimson include:
21st Century Schizoid Man (Including 'Mirrors')
I Talk To The Wind
Epitaph (including 'March for No Reason' & 'Tomorrow and Tomorrow')
Moonchild (Including 'The Dream' & 'The Illusion')
The Court Of The Crimson King (Including 'The Return Of The Fire Witch' & 'The Dance Of The Puppets')
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“21st Century Schizoid Man”
The wild, intense, majestic, opening track “21st Century Schizoid Man” was one of the heaviest tracks recorded by any band in 1969 and it pretty much defined progressive rock for years to come. It sounded years ahead of its time.
The four members of King Crimson recorded this song together as a unit, packed into the tight Wessex studios in London. They could feel the vibes off each other and watch each other playing and developing their bits.
You can really sense that they were feeding off each other, reacting to each other’s riffs and arrangements in real time, building this amazing song.
It starts out light, airy and spacey, but then hits you upside the ears with a jolting guitar riff and then 7 minutes of amazing heavy guitar, stuttering jazz-rock drumming, wailing sax, and Greg Lake’s distorted, shrieking vocals.
Greg Lake’s angry vocals only make the message more powerful. The lyrics really capture the horrors and destruction of War. Sinfield's vague, paranoid, prophetic lyrics about the Vietnam War, with disturbing images of burning greedy politicians and starving children were quite intense, even for 1969.
In the middle section, Fripp pulls off an amazing, innovative guitar solo that sounds part Metal and part Punk, before either of those genres existed. Fripp is accompanied by a screeching, crazed saxophone and a melodic bass line.
It's an amazing, brilliant, haunting composition. All 4 musicians are in full gear; crunchy guitar, jazzy sax, fast complex stop/start drumming and great bass playing. Fripp's electric guitar is bizarre & experimental and Lake's screaming, distorted vocals are very effective.
'21st Century Schizoid Man' is one of the greatest, most intense songs ever written. It's flawlessly executed, and a song like no other.
You would think that this song set the theme and feel of the rest of the recording session, but Fripp has mentioned that this was actually the last song recorded for the final album. but they decided to use it first.
It was the perfect way to start off this album as well as start King Crimson's career.
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"I Talk to the Wind"
After the intensity of “Schizoid Man,” the lovely, quiet harmonies and gentle flute of “I Talk to the Wind” come as a welcome calming relief.
It's a beautiful, dreamy, soft, Proggy ballad that starts with mellow flute by Ian McDonald and then Greg Lake's beautiful soft voice. The somber lyrics reflect confusion and isolation.
It’s relaxing, smooth and mellow, with gentle drums. It's meant to remind us that, after an intense event, it's wise to connect back with Nature to let the wind and the relaxing music carry you away.
This song reminds me of the kind of music Peter Gabriel's Genesis would make several years later.
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"Epitaph"
Next up is 'Epitaph', many people's favorite song on the album.
It's a dramatic, intense, melancholic suite that continues with the theme of alienation and doubt. It's a slightly sad song, but a very powerful emotional song. The song contains some of Sinfield's best lyrics on the album. For example:
"The wall on which the prophets wrote is cracking at the seams.
Upon the instruments of death, the sunlight brightly gleams.
Knowledge is a deadly friend if no one sets the rules.
The fate of all mankind I see, is in the hands of fools".
These lyrics were written over 50 years ago, but still relevant in today's world. Also they are very Proggy.
This mythical song is a 9 minute Acoustic suite that really showcases Greg Lake. His vocals are excellent. Emotional and passionate. His voice is sensitive, but able to create intense emotions of fear and desperation.
Lake's voice mixes perfectly with Fripp's guitar and McDonald's keyboards. Fripp plays some rare acoustic guitar that is both woeful and emotional, and the moody backdrop is saturated with dramatic, floating, swirling Mellotron washes.
The whole song creates a foggy, post-apocalyptic landscape in your mind.
Again, this atmospheric style would be perfectly developed by Genesis a few years down the road.
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"Moonchild"
“Moonchild” is where this album gets improvisational, experimental, and very Prog sounding.
'Moonchild' features a fascinating musical landscape. It starts out innocent and delicate, but then becomes proggy and experimental, with intricate improvisation between all the musicians.
The mixing and engineering on this track is exceptional. The stage presence is great and the stereo panning effects are mind blowing, with guitar and Mellotron panned hard left and right.
Sort of an improvisational experiment that sounds a little 'out there' but still fantastic. It has a very Psychedelic texture and plenty of free improvisation.
Greg's voice and lyrics are incredibly descriptive and combine perfectly with the music. It's quite an enchanting composition and reminds me of a Jackson Pollock painting. Jazzy instrumental experimentation.
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“The Court of the Crimson King”
In addition to '21st Schizoid", this is one of the best tracks on the album.
This song is broken down into several 'themes', which contain strong, powerful, floating Mellotron, some odd, yet accessible, guitar sounds, flutes, some fantastic odd-meter drumming, and heroic vocals including some unusual, wordless vocal themes from Greg.
It sort of summarizes all the sounds and styles on the album, and is a great way to end this amazing album.
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CONDITION: I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, labels and vinyl in my pictures.
VINYL: The Vinyl on this early 70's Pressing looks fantastic. Clean, bright and shiny. No obvious marks, scratches or damage. I'll call it VG+ to keep everyone happy, but you can see from my photos that it's much, much better looking than that. Fantastic!
LABELS: This has the Red and Green Atlantic labels with the early 'Rockefeller' Address. The labels are clean and bright. No marks or writing. The catalog numbers have the 'PR' for the Presswell Plant. The spindle holes are crisp and clean, suggesting very little play.
JACKET: This is the thick early Gatefold sleeve with the '1841 BROADWAY' Address.
This pressing is from right at the transition from the 'Broadway' address, to the 'Rockefeller' address. It's a 'new' 1974 record, with a 'Rockefeller' record label, in a old-stock 'Broadway' address gatefold jacket.
The artwork looks great, inside and out. This has a thick glossy smooth jacket, not textured like the very first pressings. The gloss is still intact and the cover looks amazing. No Seam splits or significant issues. No name, marks or writing.
The top and bottom of the spine ends are a little 'bumped' but not bad. I showed some pictures of the worst areas in my photos.
Overall, a very nice, clean, beautiful, early copy of this Prog classic. It also comes with it's original, period correct, Atlantic factory sleeve, with other record albums of the period on it, but has been in a poly-lined sleeve for decades.
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* NOTE: I'm selling this rare 'Collector' record "AS IS" and "NO RETURN". It's rare and as described and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.
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Add this fantastic album to your collection today. It would make a great addition to any Classic vinyl record collection.
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I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page!
All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a soft cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition.
Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words.
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THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far. - JOHN