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Rating:
Second work by the intriguing progressive psychedelic group, where the only truly stable member is the brilliant founder. It’s a pity that shortly after the exceptional visit to the court of the Crimson King, an excellent drummer (Mike Giles) was replaced with another no less talented, yet who evidently nods to the orchestral masterpiece and wind/percussion sync of the previous schizoid man.
Personally, while it’s a great album, it seems slightly in the shadow of the imposing predominance of the first. The impression it gives me is of "the second part of In the Court of the Crimson King," and I say that without any a poorly concealed desire for controversy. The metrics, though quite extensive, fluid, mostly clean and smooth, retrace, perhaps parallelly observing, the icy and grating ones of the previous work.
The lysergic values are quite high even if well mixed with abundant ounces of calm periods and sharp metallic impositions that nevertheless manage to indelibly mark the tracks with thankfully unique orchestration. The lights that fall on the 1970 stage reveal several empty areas, and by cautiously sweeping the projector of the era, the growth of still young shrubs can be seen which will become towering over the years.
King Crimson is part of the second fringe, of that electric field rich in magnetic shocks and organ drones, of delirious screams and Paleolithic sorties, of high voltage explosions and sensations of emptiness that will characterize that decade full of greenhouses and unfortunately mortuaries both materially and musically. The album is excellent, (a pity for the small but annoying shadow created by the starting dolmen) despite belonging to a stationary line born from a turgid surge that will tend to slightly dip downward with "Islands" and "Lizard," two other works of great artistic impact, loaded with sounds of high structural quality and masterly composition.
There will be no shortage of diasporas and fortunately thwarted attempts to send it all to hell until someone thinks of recording "Red," in my opinion the masterpiece of King Crimson with "Fallen angel" above all.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
03 Cadence and Cascade (04:38)
Cadence and Cascade
Kept a man named Jade;
Cool in the shade
While his audience played.
Purred, whispered, "Spend us too:
We only serve for you".
Sliding mystified
On the wine of the tide
Stared pale-eyed
As his veil fell aside.
Sad paper courtesan
They found him just a man.
Caravan hotel
Where the sequin spell fell
Custom of the game.
Cadence oiled in love
Licked his velvet gloved hand
Cascade kissed his name.
Sad paper courtesan
They knew him just a man.
06 Cat Food (04:52)
Lady Supermarket with an apple in her basket
Knocks in the manager's door;
Grooning to the muzak from a speaker in shoe rack
Lays out her goods on the floor;
Everything she's chosen is conveniently frozen.
"Eat it and come back for more!"
Lady Window Shopper with a new one in the hopper
Whips up a chemical brew;
Croaking to a neighbour while she polishes a sabre
Knows how to flavour a stew.
Never need to worry with a tin of 'Hurri Curri':
"Poisoned especially for you!"
No use to complain
If you're caught out in the rain;
Your mother's quite insane.
Cat food cat food cat food again.
Lady Yellow Stamper with a fillet in a hamper
Dying to finish the course;
Goodies for the table with a fable on the label
Drowning in miracle sauce.
Don't think I am that rude if I tell you that it's cat food,
"Not even fit for a horse!"
07 The Devil's Triangle (including Merday Morn / Hand of Sceiron / Garden of Worm) (11:38)
Instrumental
08 Peace: An End (01:53)
Peace is a word
Of the sea and the wind.
Peace is a bird who sings
As you smile.
Peace is the love
Of a foe as a friend;
Peace is the love you bring
To a child
Searching for me
You look everywhere,
Except beside you.
Searching for you
You look everywhere,
But not inside you.
Peace is a stream
From the heart of a man;
Peace is a man, whose breadth
Is the dawn.
Peace is a dawn
On a day without end;
Peace is the end, like death
Of the war.
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Other reviews
By Dario Pierini
Peace, one of the many forgotten treasures of the Crimson King, the most poetic, simple, incisive, poignant thing KC has ever offered.
King Crimson knows how to make music with a 360-degree approach, never bound to genres but always in search of new solutions.
By jefko
"The Devil's Triangle, a true instrumental suite that thrusts you into the stormy waves of the ocean."
"This album manages to shine in its own light (a slightly marine blue light!)."
