King Crimson - Islands: 30th Anniversary Edition
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Music CD Cover
Artist: King CrimsonEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
CD Release Date: 2004-12-20
Music Label: Discipline Us
Soundtracks:
- Formentera Lady
- Sailor's Tale
- Letters
- Ladies Of The Road
- Prelude - Song Of The Gulls
- Islands
Free Music Notes for Islands: 30th Anniversary Edition
Free Music Review: In Memory of Ian Wallace and Boz Burrell.
Hit: 5 Stars
With the passing of Boz Burrell in September 2006 and of Ian Wallace on this very day (Feb. 22nd 2007), a review of King Crimson's "Islands" album seems appropriate:
1971 marked another transistion for Prog-rock giants King Crimson. After some unsteady line-up changes following the split of the original 1969 band, Robert Fripp emerged with Crimson's second stable line-up consiting of lead singer and bassist Boz Burrell, sax player and flautist Mel Collins and drummer Ian Wallace. Besides Fripp, the only other original holdover was lyricist Peter Sinfield whose swansong would be this very album, "Islands".
Unlike the almost psychedelic feel of the previous three King Crimson albums, "Islands" has an almost laid-back classical feel to it. The orchestrated feel is definitely felt in the epic title track and the "Prelude-Song of the Gulls" which preceeds it. The opening track, "Formentera Lady" also has a quasi-classical feel as well as a slight George Harrison-Indian vibe to it.
Elsewhere on the album are some hard rocking moments such as the dynamic instrumental "A Sailor's Tale" which features an outstanding drum rhythm from Ian Wallace and some truly Coltrane-inspired sax work from Mel Collins. "Ladies of the Road" is a brilliant pop song that could very well be the band's first foray into risque humor while "The Letters" ventures out into more darker territory. Boz's voice really shines here as it does on the aforementioned title track.
While "Islands" is the only studio album to feature the Fripp/Burrell/Collins/Wallace/Sinfield line-up, this band would continue on for nearly another year (minus Sinfield) with some relentless touring and a live album "Earthbound". "Islands" has personally grown on me since I first heard it back in 1992 (21 years after it was released). While this is not THE place to start when discovering King Crimson, it is definitely worth picking up after discovering the so-called 'indispensible classics' (ie: In the Court Of The Crimson King, Larks Tongues in Aspic, Discipline). The playing on this album is tight and focused and the musical arrangements are flawless.
Definitely an underrated gem from an underrated line-up of King Crimson.
Rest in Peace, Boz and Ian. You both will be missed.
Islands: 30th Anniversary Edition Poster
2004 reissue of the band's 1971 album. Discipline label.Classic Rock Music CDs
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