King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)

I saw this on the wall of my favourite record shop and was bedazed by the cover painting by artist/computer programmer Barry Godber who died in February 1970, shortly after the album's release. I had to have it, no matter what! (If you think the artwork looks disgustingly in-your-face on CD, wait till you see the LP!)

Anyway, to me, this is the best KC album ever, no arguments! Like a daring adventurer eager for new exploits, Robert Fripp leads the then-one-year-old band — Greg Lake (bass guitar, lead vocals), Ian McDonald (reeds, woodwind, vibes, keyboards, mellotron, vocals), Michael Giles (drums, percussion, vocals), Peter Sinfield (words and illumination) — through uncharted territory, both melodically and rhythmically, alternating moments of exhilarating fuzz-fed ferocity with stirring passages of melancholic majesty. This is prog-rock at its most stimulating; invested with as much cerebral energy as it is with visceral force.

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