Starless - The greatest song ever?

[Poisoned Youth]

Okay you prog literalists, not THE GREATEST, so put your peacock feathers down.

Make your case for why Starless is indeed the greatest song ever, at least for a prog fan.

- 12 minutes, goes by effortlessly
- 3 distinct movements in the song
- Crimson during their (arguably) peak period
- Mellotron
- John Wetton's vocals
- Just enough dissonance to make your guests leave the room
- The spine chilling crescendo that brings the main theme home in such a powerful way (contrasting with the melancholy of the opening)

Rock on.

[Rufus]

12 minute one note guitar solo is just too much to tolerate. Cut the song to six minutes and you have a bonafide classic, but defineatly not the greatest!

[Steve F.]

Surprisingly boring last section where nothing happens 3 times in a row, in louder and louder succession.

Sorry. Pass.

One of the weaker songs on the weakest album by my favorite line up of the band (Wetton version of KC).

IMO.

[Steve F.]

p.s.

must be a s-l-o-w Cozy day.

[Yeswave]

Okay you prog literalists, not THE GREATEST, so put your peacock feathers down...

Rock on.

Ok Tommy (one for the UK guys there)
I am not a huge KC fan but for me this is one that works. I've seen it live by both KC and David Cross Band ( DC Band just edges it) and I found it intense; builds well with great lyrics and all in all really grabs you. Possibly my favourite KC track.

[chalkpie]

"Dirty Boy" and "Mumps" would get my vote way, way, way before Starless.

[NogbadTheBad]

It's my favorite Crimson track and would make top 5 all-time for me but Mumps and Dense would be ahead for certain.

[rcarlberg]

"Ringo, you're not even the greatest drummer in the Beatles."

[Man In The Mountain]

- 12 minutes, goes by effortlessly
- 3 distinct movements in the song
- Crimson during their (arguably) peak period
- Mellotron
- John Wetton's vocals
- Just enough dissonance to make your guests leave the room
- The spine chilling crescendo that brings the main theme home in such a powerful way (contrasting with the melancholy of the opening)

No argument from me. I have also considered it one of the greatest songs ever.

And my wife does indeed make me skip to the next song.

[Dave (in MA)]

One man's Surprisingly boring last section where nothing happens 3 times in a row is another man's STRUCTURED INSTRUMENTAL CRESCENDO - DEVELOPMENT (4'37").

[Baribrotzer]

Surprisingly boring last section where nothing happens 3 times in a row, in louder and louder succession.

I disagree.

It's Minimalism of a sort, but from before Minimalism as a defined, well-known movement had really gotten out of the NYC lofts. It just keeps ratcheting up the tension, sitting on the same dissonances without movement, twanging on that one note that pulls against the bass line but with the volume and intensity increasing, then - wait for it - doesn't resolve but slips sideways and ratchets it up further, then resolves, into a full-throttle jazz saxophone solo on something close to blues changes. I find it really inspired, and ancestral to not just later Crimson, but to Minimalist/prog artists like Sonar and SchnellerTollerMeier.

[Steve F.]

I find it really inspired, and ancestral to not just later Crimson, but to Minimalist/prog artists like Sonar and SchnellerTollerMeier.

Maybe so, but they do it a fuck of a lot better.

again, imo.

[progman1975]

Thats doesn't look like Dogs as the greatest song ever to me!!!!!

[at least 100 dead]

Providence > Starless


Of course, "Bug Day" by The Fall is obviously the best prog song ever, but that's for another thread.

[NogbadTheBad]

Thats doesn't look like Dogs as the greatest song ever to me!!!!!

Would make my top 5.

[MudShark22]

Any Starless (live 73-74) is their greatest track.

I had only heard the studio version for years and it was my fave, but once the TGD boxset arrived in the early 90s, the studio version went to the back of the line for its timidity.

And I think peeps know my feelings on current version! lol

Some days its Starless and other days its Awaken.

[Paulrus]

12 minute one note guitar solo is just too much to tolerate.

I'll never forget an old friend of mine expressing his distaste for "Starless" based on that part ("It's just this one note that he keeps playing over and over..."), and he was a fan of prog in general and a student of classical guitar at the time. To me it's a masterful expression of tension and release and I can't imagine the song without it. The tension is established at the outset with the emotionally wrought melodies and lyrics, which the instrumental jam nicely detonates like 10 megaton nuke.

I remember back in the 90s when bands like Anekdoten were hauling it out of the attic for the first time in eons -- talk about a crowd pleaser.

[moecurlythanu]

Not even within shouting distance of gertest song ever.

[Udi Koomran]

That and Epitaph are the greatest KC for me

[Dave (in MA)]

I'll never forget an old friend of mine expressing his distaste for "Starless" based on that part ("It's just this one note that he keeps playing over and over..."), and he was a fan of prog in general and a student of classical guitar at the time. To me it's a masterful expression of tension and release and I can't imagine the song without it. The tension is established at the outset with the emotionally wrought melodies and lyrics, which the instrumental jam nicely detonates like 10 megaton nuke.

To me, that section is where the rhythm section (esp. the drums) takes over as the lead instruments while the tension builds, but wtf do I know?

[Dave (in MA)]

Not even within shouting distance of gertest song ever.

For that, the nod would have to go to...

[strawberrybrick]

When I worked in a record store back in the late 70s/early 80s, I used to put this album on from time to time. When Starless would come on, it was absolutely insufferable to one manager; she'd come running from the back "TURN THIS AWFUL CRAP OFF!"

[Rarebird]

What is the greatest song?

Just listened to Starless and I like it. Should explore more King Crimson.

But there are so many songs, it's hard to choose a greatest.

[Mister Triscuits]

"TURN THIS AWFUL CRAP OFF!"

[jamesmanzi]

C'mon, everybody knows the greatest song in the world was actually played only once, by Tenacious D. Sadly, they forgot it, and all that remains is this tribute - which ironically sounds nothing like it.