Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 155 - The Continuation of the Legendary Band King Crimson Part VI

King Crimson Final Chapter

This is the final chapter of my King Crimson special. For the conclusion, I will focus on the last album Red.
The band King Crimson was active for only 5 short years. The band started in 1969 and ended in 1974.
However, they were a band that gave me a wide variety of music as well as valuable experiences. The band leader, Robert Phillip, had a “feeling of the unknowable” that swirled in the air.
I believe that this elusiveness is Crimson's musical appeal and the reason why Crimson is still supported by so many fans over the past 50 years.
Robert Phillip's King Crimson continuously changed its form and existed like an amoeba. I would like to talk about the released documentary DVD and use it as teaching material.

■ King Crimson Documentary In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson At 50

In order to get an idea of who Robert Philippe is, I took a look at the King Crimson 50th anniversary documentary In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson At 50. In the documentary, you can see a rare record of the band members from the core members involved in the first Crimson album to the current band members. I would like to note a few of the things that struck me. This video piece gave me a glimpse into who Robert Philippe is.

First Album Drummer Michael Giles' Story

The first clue came from Michael Giles, who played drums on the first album.

He said, “Robert Phillip's speciality was to bring new members into the band and revitalize it. King Crimson is Robert's baby, and it took a lot of midwives to bring it into the world,” said Michael Giles.
Robert Phillip, on the other hand, commented, “My relationship with King Crimson had an unhappy and miserable period from '69 to 2013. This means that before the new King Crimson had triple drummers in 2013, it was a miserable time.
Philip continued to keep the band alive by, as Michael Giles said, by continually replacing band members. Many Crimson fans would have been doing Philip a favor during his time of suffering, and it is a very complicated feeling. Nevertheless, it is certain that many people liked the good, small, difficult music made by a kind of insular Englishman, and that insularity was the music of King Crimson.
It is well known that Philip is a troubled man of a certain kind, and this documentary shows that the band members are frightened of him. When asked about Philippe, they did not answer, but instead said, “Ask him (Philippe),” and it was clear that they were wary of their answers reaching Philippe. That is how overwhelmingly Philip reigned over Crimson.

The shocking conclusion, and the true identity of Robert Phillip.

At the end of the documentary, Phillip comments to the director, “You weren't there for that significant moment for Crimson in this concert. You missed it.” The documentary is a program that the dour Philip gave permission for. He denies everything at the end, saying, “The most important part is missing.” And we, the viewers, are also released into Philippe's convinced labyrinth.
Eventually, this documentary will be released as a DVD. Everyone must wonder what on earth was going on. Surprisingly, we can imagine that Philip is very sure of this approach, and that he has been dealing with his band members in this way.
I always felt like I had an inflammation somewhere in my body,” he says. That's how Crimson's music is,” says an iconic member of the band in an interview.
Philip, on the other hand, is the hardest worker in the band and maintains a stoic attitude toward music. This connects with the comment about practicing the difficult chimes in “21st Century Skitzoid Man” until he goes crazy. He is extremely serious about his music.

The root of Philip's “inscrutability” is the tension that he demands of his band members in various ways, to the point where the band is on the verge of collapse... I can only imagine that this was the only way to keep King Crimson's music alive.
Robert Philippe may have been the “Skizoid Man” of the 21st century.

■ Recommended album: Red (1974) by King Crimson

The seventh masterpiece album of the trio King Crimson. Robert Philip, who presented the new King Crimson music with “Sun and Fear,” was greeted amicably by the media and fans alike. However, percussionist Jamie Muir leaves Crimson, and on the sixth album, “Underworld,” violinist David Cross, a band member since “Sun and Fear,” leaves due to differences in musical orientation. The members of King Crimson did not solidify until the very end.
The album, Red, was produced by a trio formation of guitarist Robert Phillip, bassist, vocalist John Wetton, and drummer Bill Bradford, with support from members who had participated in previous Crimson bands. The same approach was used for the albums, “Poseidon's Wake”, “Lizart”, and “Islands”.

Recommended Song: “Red”

One of the best songs of late Crimson, which is a straightforward title for the survival of King Crimson. After David Cross quit the band and Crimson became a trio, the needle on the VU meter swung into the red zone on the album's back cover. It seems to be a theme of the band's critical situation. The album opens with a heavy riff by Philip's Les Paul guitar, and the heaviness of the work leaves a lasting impression.

Unfortunately, throughout the album, the recording is not clear and has a poor signal-to-noise ratio. On the other hand, there are many heavy songs including this one, so I think that it is a good thing.

Recommended song: “Starless”

Philip's favorite song, which has been performed since 2013. It is also credited as the last song on USA, the last live album of the later Crimson period. It is the greatest song of late Crimson, and it’s connected to “Epitaph” on the first album. The beauty of the melody of the theme is quintessential Crimson. You can hear the dark and beautiful most Crimson-like world of absolute zero. Ian McDonald's sax solo in the latter half is superb.
In the last Crimson album “USA,” the violin played by David Cross was replaced by the violin played by UK violinist Eddie Jobson. The melody of the theme has also been changed, so it is interesting to compare the two.

Musicians, albums, and recommendations featured in this issue

• Robert Phillip, John Wetton, Bill Bradford, David Cross
• Album: Red
• Songs: “Red” and “Starless”

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