King Crimson
Red

I've recently started listening to King Crimson, but I have to say that they are one of those bands that perform that Psychedelic Rock you can truly identify with.

After listening to "In The Court Of The Crimson King," I heard the latest album from this English band: "Red." More than 30 years ago this album was released in Europe, and King Crimson were paving the road they had already traveled, leading them to the Olympus of Rock and Music. "Red" is more than just an album... it is the perfect intersection of Psychedelia and Hard Rock.

Not the best, sure, but one of the pillars that still supports this much-loved and much-hated genre today. With this album, we can perceive the various nuances of an entire musical genre. It ranges from the Title-Track, decidedly instrumental and Hard Rock, to Starless, meditative, sweet, and simply splendid. "Red" is precisely the first song, instrumental, with a cutting guitar. A good ten minutes of pure pleasure: it's not a demanding track, not too monotonous but manages to convey everything the instruments throw out. After this introduction, we change genre a bit, in fact, we hear calmer and sweeter themes with "Fallen Angel," a beautiful love song, starting with the solo voice and a light acoustic guitar, climaxing at Fripp's solo. After the 4th minute, the song descends until it fades away.

With Track number 3, it seems to return to the initial song with the guitar riff. "One More Red Nightmare" starts with the singer's voice dry and sharp, direct, like the album itself. A bit like every song on the album, this one also has its low improvisation. The tempos remain unchanged, as do the rhythms. All this, however, is not a negative point, on the contrary, paradoxically in its monotony, these songs make us savor every note, making us fall in love with every single beat. "Providence" begins with a faint violin in the background, rising gradually, and then, accompanied by a low sanctuary, climbs higher and higher. The screeching rhythms of the violin let us perceive a dark, black atmosphere, almost like a film noir.

Yet another instrumental song, and again this "monotonous monotony." Nothing else to say, especially because "Providence" anticipates the beginning of "Starless". As already mentioned, here are the two extremes of the album: "Red," acid, sharp, and dry contrasts with "Starless," sweet and introspective. Here are the two opposites, coexisting without one overshadowing the other, in peaceful coexistence. So, after a light electric guitar riff, this voice manages to frame both more meditative and "calm" tracks and more "lively" ones. 7 minutes and unfortunately even "Stress" ends and with it "Red."

It's not always possible to put your emotions into writing, and it's incredibly challenging to do so with this album that gives so much but says little, and the best way to understand it remains to listen to it.