King Crimson
Yet King Crimson took a different tack. As other bands became bloated, King Crimson tightened up its act. By 1974 they were down to a three-piece band (bass, guitar, and drums), cutting back on Mellotron, flute, and violin and reducing the music to a stark, heavy grind. Apparently, founding guitarist Robert Fripp saw where prog rock was going and wanted nothing to do with it. He dissolved King Crimson after recording 1974’s Red, killing the band before punk had a chance to.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
In concert Fripp is a musical Wizard of Oz, perched on a stool at the back of the stage, nearly out of sight. Critics have often said that Fripp is King Crimson. His guitar style–alternately piercing and humming delayed leads, gentle washes, sheets of noise, and precisely controlled power chords–is so unique that his playing is immediately identifiable. But live, Fripp acts as the glue holding the band together rather than the puppet master pulling all the strings.
The height of the show was the chaotic “Indiscipline.” Its stop-and-go dramatics were intensified by the presence of an extra drummer and bass player. With all the musicians pummeling their instruments in different keys, the song thrashed with free-jazz-like momentum, embodying the excesses of 70s prog rock while transcending time, place, and genre, reminding us that King Crimson may remain important because they continue to elude categorization.
