My review of King Crimson’s 3CD/Blu Ray edition of In the Court of the Crimson King (50th Anniversary), including Steven Wilson’s new 2019 Stereo & Surround Sound mixes (including instrumental mixes), the original mix (Original Master Edition), and a variety of revealing bonus tracks, today at All About Jazz. Yes, there is crossover with the 40th Anniversary Edition, but for those who don’t want to wait (or can’t!!) for the big box next year, there’s enough on offer here to make it of worthy consideration.

The passage of time is often defined by both forward motion and a growing collection of memories past; it's also measured by significant milestones that are either realized at the time or in subsequent years. At a recent Royal/Celebration Package event prior to King Crimson's Théâtre St-Denis performance in Montréal, Canada, guitarist and only remaining group co-founder, Robert Fripp, asked the question that he's queried more than once, in various forums: "Can music change the world?"

While the answer might be debated (though it certainly seems possible), there's little doubt that the response to "Can music change the music world"? An unequivocal and resounding yes.

When it was released on October 10, 1969, In the Court of the Crimson King (An Observation by King Crimson) shook the world of music to its very foundation. Since then, beyond the legion of fans who discovered the album, either when it was first released or in the ensuing decades that have defined it as one of rock music's seminal recordings, a multiplicity of high praises has made clear just how groundbreaking and influential this five-song, 44-minute album was, and remains to this day. All this from a group of relatively unknown (but already quite experienced) musicians who somehow managed to emerge, fully formed and mature.
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The Who's Pete Townshend called it "an uncanny masterpiece." Psychedelic pop star Donovan felt that King Crimson was the best band since The Beatles. Early fans of the group's paradoxically incendiary and elegant live sets, with relatively inexpensive but effective lighting from the band's lyricist, Pete Sinfield, included members of The Moody Blues and Yes (including future Crim-to-be drummer Bill Bruford), future Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, future Crimson reed/woodwind multiinstrumentalist Mel Collins...even Pink Floyd's keyboardist, Richard Wright. John Gaydon, who would, alongside David Enthoven, quickly become King Crimson's first managers, recalls: "Music like that didn't exist, really." And, in 2015, Rolling Stone Magazine named In the Court of the Crimson King the greatest progressive rock album of all time, second only to Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (Harvest, 1973).

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