The Original Crimson
B. A. Dilger | Charlotte, NC USA | 03/22/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I heard my first King Crimson "The Court of the Crimson King," there wasn't the resources available to hear the band live. Now, almost 40 years later CD's emerge which cover various years of live Crimson. And what a selection there is, my friends! This set "Epitaph" covers 1969, with five venues from the BBC and the Fillmores East and West, to the Chesterfield Jazz Club and Plumpton Festival. In almost 4 hrs. there are 30 tracks of jazz-rock, what we remember from the first King Crimson albums. Though the cuts average 6-7 minutes, some extend up to 18 min. long. This is not studio album stuff but true improvisations, with room to stretch out. This set also comes in two parts for a tighter budget. King Crimson has gone through many reincarnations over the decades, but one fact remains--they always reach for new ways to express their vision of music."