Tours inwards 1974 had seen King Crimson's musical approach becoming louder together with to a greater extent than brutal, an approach primarily driven yesteryear bass actor John Wetton together with drummer Bill Bruford (guitarist together with grouping leader Robert Fripp in i lawsuit compared their powerful playing to "a flight brick wall"). This had the lawsuit of drowning out the band's quaternary member, violinist together with occasional keyboard actor David Cross, together with led to tension inside the band. Deemed non potent plenty every bit a musical personality, Cross was ejected from King Crimson later the terminate of its tour inwards summertime 1974, reducing the grouping to the trio of Fripp, Wetton together with Bruford. Having already begun to tape Red with Cross, King Crimson finished the album with the assist of old band-members Ian McDonald together with Mel Collins.
While musically similar to its predecessor Starless together with Bible Black, Red was produced really differently from previous King Crimson albums. For instance, patch the acoustic guitar features prominently inwards previous releases, on Red it is heard merely for a few bars inwards "Fallen Angel". Also, dissimilar previous King Crimson albums, Red features extensive work of guitar overdubs. Later albums lacked acoustic guitar solely together with reverted to a minimum of overdubs (perhaps partly because every lineup of the band later this included 2 guitarists).
During the recording process, Fripp decided to have got a "backseat" from the sessions' determination making. Although plans were considered to add together McDonald to the lineup over again for the side yesteryear side tour, Fripp abruptly disbanded King Crimson on 24 September 1974, together with the album was released the next calendar month with no accompanying tour.
The terminal hurrah of a grouping inwards its popular off throes, King Crimson's Red is peradventure the ill-fated 1972-74 lineup's masterpiece: a document of the band every bit they actually were. Pressed for fourth dimension together with at the climax of growing tension alongside the members, Red is the flare of brilliance earlier collapsing into the void, a grouping that would non play together over again for 7 years together with were forever changed.
The five-man arsenal that comprised the grouping heard on Larks' Tongues In Aspic had dwindled downward to the meat of vocalist/bassist John Wetton, drummer Bill Bruford, together with Pb guitarist/ringleader Robert Fripp - mad percussionist Jamie Muir had left later that album to bring together a Buddhist monastery, together with strings virtuoso David Cross officially departed earlier the recording of the album but agreed to contribute what he could to the sessions. Stricken with v tunes to commit to tape together with an entire LP to fill, the members of KC besieged alumni, old friends, together with session musicians with requests of aid. Several fantabulous musicians brand invitee appearances on Red, although the lineup is non consistent: consequentially, the album has an unfinished, thrown-together feel. Still, this is the culmination of the kickoff era of Crimson: well-written vocal structures, gratis jams, together with instrumental virtuosity all play a hold upward here.
Tracks Listing:
1. Red (6:20)
2. Fallen Angel (6:00)
3. One More Red Nightmare (7:04)
4. Providence (8:08) *
5. Starless (12:18)
Personnel:
Robert Fripp – guitar, mellotron
John Wetton – bass, vocals, lyrics on "One More Red Nightmare" together with "Starless"
Bill Bruford – drums, percussion
Former King Crimson personnel:
David Cross – violin on "Providence”
Mel Collins – soprano saxophone on "Starless"
Ian McDonald – alto saxophone on "One More Red Nightmare" together with "Starless"
Additional personnel:
Mark Charig – cornet on "Fallen Angel",
Robin Miller – oboe on "Fallen Angel"
Uncredited instrumentalist – cello on "Red"[15]
Uncredited instrumentalist – cello on "Starless"
Richard Palmer-James – lyrics on "Fallen Angel" together with "Starless"
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