There are some immutable albums – records that are best not to touch in fear of marring them – and KING CRIMSON‘s "In The Court Of The Crimson King" is one such platter. Still, the LP’s five compositions, first of all “21st Century Schizoid Man” which bristles with progressive rock’s most menacing riff, have been covered by other artists to death, so it was just a matter of time before the masterpiece would be redone in the entirety Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald and Greg Lake – the classics’ principal writers – could approve of. And the time comes on April 19th, the release date of “Reimagining The Court Of The Crimson King” featuring a stellar line-up of performers.
Produced by DIE KRUPPS’ Jürgen Engler, it’s somewhat different from similar tribute albums – not only because of its impressive upgrade of the original artwork by Barry Godber (who, as a computer programmer, would have liked the AI treatment of his creation) but also thanks to the presence here of a couple of current band members, Mel Collins and Jakko Jakszyk. Worth mentioning as well is the presence of Ian Paice, providing an interesting, if rather tangential, connection between CRIMSON and PURPLE, and former PINK FAIRIES players, adding to the color scheme too. Either on CD or LP, it can be fun. Read the review.
Reimagining The Court Of The Crimson King
1. 21st Century Schizoid Man –
Todd Rundgren, Arthur Brown, Mel Collins,
Chris Poland, Ian Paice & Jürgen Engler
2. I Talk To The Wind –
Mel Collins, Django Jakszyk & Jakko Jakszyk
3. Epitaph –
Alan Davey, Paul Rudolph, Nik Turner,
Adam Hamilton & Danny Faulkner
4. Moonchild –
Joe Lynn Turner, Marty Friedman, Jah Wobble,
Chester Thompson & Jürgen Engler
5. The Court Of The Crimson King –
James LaBrie, Carmine Appice, Steve Hillage & Jürgen Engler
