Search - 21st Century Schizoid Band :: Official Bootleg Volume One

The Return of the Crimson King!!!

Louie Bourland | Garden Grove CA | 05/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Can something old be made new again? In the case of The 21st Century Schizoid Band, the answer is a gigantic YES!
Four fifths of the Schizoid Band were once members of King Crimson during the early years of that band. Drummer Michael Giles and saxophonist/flautist/keyboardist Ian McDonald were original King Crimson members in 1969. Giles' brother Peter was KC's bass player for a brief time in 1970. Sax player Mel Collins was part of Crimson from 1970 to 1972. The only member of the Schizoid Band not to have had any previous involvement with Crimson is lead singer and guitarist Jakko M. Jakszyk. Jakszyk is an extremely valuable player to this band. His voice sounds quite like the young Greg Lake and also boasts a similarity to Boz Burrell at times. His guitar playing resembles Robert Fripp's so closely that it's hard to tell the difference.
The Schizoid Band's debut CD is like taking a trip back in time to the glory days of British progressive rock. Seven King Crimson classics are delightfully revisited almost note-for-note to the original versions. Their version of "Formentara Lady" originally from KC's 1971 release "Islands" is a true standout as the band stretches the piece into a nearly 13-minute improvisation. "In The Court of The Crimson King" nearly duplicates the main mellotron theme perfectly while Ian McDonald's flute solos on this track and "I Talk to the Wind" are played just as beautifully as they were back in the day.
"A Man A City", "Catfood", "Ladies Of the Road" and "21st Century Schizoid Man" all capture the same adrenalin rush and ferociousness of the originals. The vocal harmonies on "Ladies.." are perfectly recreated and the sax solos on both "A Man A City" and "Schizoid Man" are played with the same fresh youthful approach as when they were originally recorded. The rhythm section of the Giles brothers is extraordinary throughout this CD. Michael and Peter keep every groove and rhythm locked into place. Like the other musicians on this album, they play with a fresh approach to this old music.
What else can I say? This a truly fantastic CD. The 21st Century Schizoid Band is definitely out to keep the spirit of the old King Crimson alive. This debut CD recaptures the magic of the glory days while offering a fresh new approach. If you miss the King Crimson who made such classics as "In the Court Of the Crimson King", "In The Wake Of Poseidon" and "Islands", then this CD is definitely for you. A small footnote: Since the release of this CD, drummer Michael Giles left the Schizoid Band. His replacement is yet another former King Crimson member, Ian Wallace who played with the band in 1971 and 1972."

Too much like the originals

kireviewer | Sunnyvale, Ca United States | 02/27/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"On the surface, this would seem like a great concept. Several old members of King Crimson getting together and rekindling the old magic. The only problem is that this comes off a little too much like one of those dinosaur reunions, where the band just plays the old hits in the same old ways and nothing new is added. The previous reviewer even raves about how much many of the songs sound just like the original. What's the point? Why not just listen to the originals?This CD is a studio recording. It has 7 tracks, all old King Crimson songs from the first 2 albums and the 4th album(except one track that was only played in concert). It is 53 minutes long and the sound quality is excellent.Even though I am disappointed that it sounds too much like the original and adds very little new, it is still a very nice album. If you don't have the whole collection of King Crimson, this might be a good place to start.Not everything is a reproduction of the originals. Two really good tracks are Cat Food, which is much better than the original and Formentara Lady which is stretched out and has some wonderful solos. These are great musicians and I look forward to future releases from the group. (There are live albums coming out). A Man, A City is just an earlier version of Tales From A City from the Wake Of Posieden. King Crimson played around with this tune in concert before it made it to the album.Note that Ian MacDonald has done a similar thing earlier. He toured with Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis guitarist) and played several King Crimson songs. That music is available on Steve Hackett's Tokyo Tapes. MacDonald left King Crimson after the first album and put out an album of their own called MacDonald and Giles, which is good as anything King Crimson has done. If you don't already own MacDonald and Giles, I would suggest seeking that one out first, before buying this CD. After that, MacDonald wallowed in Foriegner for many years, which has probably made him independently wealthy. The Giles brothers (who left after the second album) have done many projects over the years. They started out with Fripp and have a couple of Giles, Giles and Fripp albums released. It is goofy English songs with origins of the King Crimson sound. It sounds like something the Goon Show would do if they put out a rock album. I don't recommend it, but others love it.Pete Sinfield, who wrote the lyrics has a solo album called Still. I like a number of the songs on it, especially Under the Sky, which also appears on the Giles, Giles and Fripp album."

The first release by 21st Century Schizoid Band

Dark Star-The Other One | The Bus To Never Ever Land | 06/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This release features the band recorded right before their first performance and features Michael and Peter Giles, Mel Collins, Ian McDonald and Jakko Jakszyk during a studio session which also was a rehearsal. The set list is:1. A Man, A City 2. Catfood 3. In The Court Of The Crimson King 4. Formentara Lady 5. Ladies Of The Road 6. I Talk To The Wind 7. 21st Century Schizoid Man. Very good."