Geddy Lee on King Crimson

[Canard]

Mr. Lee discusses Fripp and Co.

Geddy Lee on "the most influential prog band of all time"

The ultimate example of music progression.

faroutmagazine.co.uk

 

[Rocky]

Not to pit one against the other, but I find Crimson much more listenable than Rush. Even ignoring the vocal component.

Red, in particular anticipates non-blues-based metal, like Metallica.

 

[Canard]

Not to pit one against the other, but I find Crimson much more listenable than Rush. Even ignoring the vocal component.

If I am not being treasonous as a Canadian by saying so, I find Rush more gymnastically clever than musically compelling.

King Crimson is far more adventurous and unpredictable. Fripp had a wide ranging musical background and had big ears. He was very familiar with people outside the envelope of normal music, and this shows up in his work and in the session players he chose to hire, Keith Tippets, the horn players on Lizard, Jamie Muir (the percussionist on Lark's Tongues)--Muir puts Fripp one degree of separation away from Derek Bailey, whom Fripp emulates in parts of In the Wake of Poseidon.

Red, in particular anticipates non-blues-based metal, like Metallica.

Red!!!! Great album!!!

 

[twocorgis]

Not to pit one against the other, but I find Crimson much more listenable than Rush. Even ignoring the vocal component.

I agree. I have nothing but respect for Rush's chops, but I can't listen to Geddy sing anymore.

 

[James Hart]

The 72-75 era of KC is just about the greatest collection of music from any group or artist ever to my ears. John Wetton (rip) as bassist and as vocalist is right near the top of my influences (I even dig the first Asia release!).

I love Geddy's voice in the late 70s to mid 80s era... I love that his is a monster bassist but completely unschooled and making it up as he goes (relatively). He is just a notch or 2 behind Wetton and KC in my master list of influences.

 

[Midnight Toker]

The 72-75 era of KC is just about the greatest collection of music from any group or artist ever to my ears. John Wetton (rip) as bassist and as vocalist is right near the top of my influences (I even dig the first Asia release!).

I love Geddy's voice in the late 70s to mid 80s era... I love that his is a monster bassist but completely unschooled and making it up as he goes (relatively). He is just a notch or 2 behind Wetton and KC in my master list of influences.

I take it you’re a big fan of UK as well. I love those first 3 albums. (UK, Danger Money, Night after Night)

As for Crimson, I love it all, but my heart is still most drawn to the only lineup that ever recorded more than one album together (Bruford, Fripp, Levin, and Belew did three of my favs. Discipline/Beat/Three of a Perfect Pair) Belew introduced gorgeous melody in the midst of erratic madness. My favorite era by far. Larks Tongue being way up there too. I still remember trying to dub it from vinyl to cassette back in the day and had to redo it 2-3 times because the album side slowly grew w/ volume to peak levels near the end of album side. By then my meters were red lined!

I was in high school in the early 80’s and was not a fan of the direction rock music was going w/ all the Sunset Strip spandex “hair bands”. Thank god for that early 80’s Crimson and other great prog and fusion to get me through that decade.

 

[Westerly Wood]

That drum break/solo/segue in Tom Sawyer, after the guitar solo, is pretty epic. I don't listen to this music anymore, but if that song is on somewhere and I am in vicinity, I always wait for the drum break. Just like I will wait to hear the solo in Limelight. It is just one of the coolest guitar noise of all time.

 

[walrus]

I found myself bored by KC after a while, but I enjoyed them when I first got into them. I've always loved Rush, and still do. Lifeson is such an underrated guitarist. I also love Peart's lyrics and their overall their sense of humor.

But they really are two different bands with two very different styles. Not really even fair to compare them.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Just one of the greatest electric guitar solos of all time and this is LIVE!

 

[Westerly Wood]

Just amazing to watch:

 

[Bernie]

I loved the last KC line up (so far), with their 3 or 4 drummers and their outstanding versions of all time classics... Best live act I've heard from the band. The outstanding drummers' crew gives every song an xtra dimension, and the playing was more precise than ever : the singer has a genuinely good voice, and was able to make me happy with the vocal parts. Mell Collins too made me forget all previous soloists... Shame they didn't have any new music and lyrics to offer (maybe they had but it wasn't on the web then - ? -)...
I wish they would have come to the town I now live in (great Roman Arena used for concerts) and that I'd heard of that line up earlier on...

 

[James Hart]

 

[Midnight Toker]

I loved the last KC line up (so far), with their 3 or 4 drummers and their outstanding versions of all time classics... Best live act I've heard from the band. The outstanding drummers' crew gives every song an xtra dimension, and the playing was more precise than ever : the singer has a genuinely good voice, and was able to make me happy with the vocal parts. Mell Collins too made me forget all previous soloists... Shame they didn't have any new music and lyrics to offer (maybe they had but it wasn't on the web then - ? -)...
I wish they would have come to the town I now live in (great Roman Arena used for concerts) and that I'd heard of that line up earlier on...

I was lucky to catch their last ever show in the US @ The Anthem in DC. They even released a 2 cd set of it and I can see myself (and my brother) in one of the pictures Fripp took of the crowd during the final bows that made it in the cd set’s booklet. It really was an amazing show and the 3 drummers really melded as one unit, no one stepping on each other’s toes.

 

[adorshki]

but my heart is still most drawn to the only lineup that ever recorded more than one album together (Bruford, Fripp, Levin, and Belew did three of my favs. Discipline/Beat/Three of a Perfect Pair) Belew introduced gorgeous melody in the midst of erratic madness. My favorite era by far. Larks Tongue

Second that, and throw in Starless and Bible Black. And "Formentera Lady" on Islands.

 

[Canard]

While it is not clear from my posts above, I do like Rush and own some of their records.

 

[Midnight Toker]

I love Rush from their first album to Signals. My alltime fav being side 2 of Moving Pictures. The Camera Eye, Witch Hunt, and Vital Signs. Pure bliss!!

 

[DrumBob]

King Crimson is the only prog band I can still listen to at all. They were always experimental, cerebral and intelligent.

 

[adorshki]

Is it ok to veer yet? Thinking of "prog bands" and Fripp connections in particular, some of you might like Van Der Graaf Generator. Fripp guested on their classic H to He although my favorite tune on that one's "Pioneers Over C":

Great sax and organ work on that one.

Summers and Fripp I Advance Masked:


And speaking of Belew, I had the pleasure of seeing him play a club in San Jose that had a swimming pool on the roof, on his Lone Rhino tour. Still have my autographed cassette.


It recently occurred to me that even one of the stalwarts of psychedelic rock was a progenitor of of the "progressive sound":

 

[Midnight Toker]

Is it ok to veer yet? Thinking of "prog bands" and Fripp connections in particular, some of you might like Van Der Graaf Generator. Fripp guested on their classic H to He although my favorite tune on that one's "Pioneers Over C":

Great sax and organ work on that one.

Summers and Fripp I Advance Masked:


And speaking of Belew, I had the pleasure of seeing him play a club in San Jose that had a swimming pool on the roof, on his Lone Rhino tour. Still have my autographed cassette.


It recently occurred to me that even one of the stalwarts of psychedelic rock was a progenitor of of the "progressive sound":

I’m a big Belew solo fan and still see him every time he comes around. (Although I had to miss the last one he did w/ Jerry Harrison celebrating the Talking Heads’ Remain in Light) And I’ll just say, as much as I absolutely love his albums alone Rhinoceros, Twang Bar King, Desire Caught by the Tail, Mr Music Head…etc, he put out an album in recent years called Pop Sided that is just a pleasure from start to finish! It’s become my fav from his entire solo catalog!!

I usually catch him at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis and always try to get seats right up front (not that the room is even big, but I just want to marvel at his playing) The stuff I’ve seen him do up close is pretty amazing. Like playing passages a full measure ahead of the band that no one hears until it gets processed and comes out as backwards masked guitar! Typical studio tricks you normally would never see in a live setting. The man is one of the true original “stunt guitarists”. Loving his writing, playing, and singing!

 

[Canard]

Somebody in the band was a reader, I think:

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