Six Years of Musoscribe: King Crimson

My retrospective continues on this, the sixth anniversary of my Musoscribe blog.

One of my favorite groups – like so many others, I discovered ’em during my college years – is King Crimson. The pioneering progressive rock band that started in England is, these days, an Anglo-American outfit. One of the very few musical acts that consistently moves forward – no nostalgia for this lot – King Crimson rarely sound like the same group from album to album. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to interview (and in some cases, even meet) several current and former members of the group. (Of course when a band has had so many musicians pass through its ranks, one could argue that the odds are in my favor.) Not counting the time when Robert Fripp complained on his own blog about something I wrote, I’ve collected quite a Crim-related mass of writings. Herewith:

The Crimson ProjeKct

While KC was on one of its many hiatuses, three members of the group put together a double-trio that performed King Crimson material. Originally called Two of a Perfect Trio, they later became an officially-sanctioned Crim extension and dubbed themselves The Crimson ProjeKct. Here’s my feature/interview with Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, and Pat Mastelotto. (And here’s more.)

Adrian Belew
Belew is no longer involved in King Crimson; his attention is now applied to his solo career and (sometimes) the ProjeKct. I interviewed him in 2014. Here’s my Adrian Belew interview.

Pat Mastelotto
Pat Mastelotto is also in another Crim-related group, Stick Men, with Tony Levin. I interviewed Pat in 2013.

Tony Levin
Levin is one of the busiest men in music; I chatted with Tony about his Levin Brothers project in 2014.

Trey Gunn
Gunn played guitar in King Crimson alongside Robert Fripp for several years. Here’s my interview with Gunn, focusing more on his solo work.

John Wetton
Wetton was King Crimson’s bassist and vocalist in the mid 1970s, a time during which the group recorded and released what might be their best album, Red. Here’s my interview with John Wetton.

Greg Lake
King Crimson’s first vocalist/bassist went on to greater success with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer. But when I interviewed Greg Lake, we talked about King Crimson, too.

Steven Wilson
Wilson has been at the center of King Crimson-related activities these last several years. His Porcupine Tree bandmate Gavin Harrison is one of three(!) drummers in the current Crim lineup; he’s borrowed the band’s original Mellotron for use in his own music; and he’s heading the remix/remaster/reissue project of the Crimson catalog. I’ve interviewed Wilson multiple times; this interview focuses on his King Crimson-related work.

I have also reviewed a number of King Crimson (and related) albums and videos. Here’s a rundown; I may well have missed some, but this list is close to complete. (All King Crimson except as noted.)

More of these reminiscences to come.

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About the Author

Bill Kopp

With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.