“In The Court Of The Crimson King” – Songs Ranked

I always knew King Crimson were special, but now that I’m more familiar with their discography I can confidently say they were one of the best, most pioneering bands of all time.

My personal favourite album is actually their debut – “In The Court Of The Crimson King”. These five songs are (mostly) fantastic … so how would I rank them all?

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Meh

5 – Moonchild

The track that single-handedly stops “In The Court Of The Crimson King” from being in my top ten (or maybe even top five!) albums of all time.

It’s twelve minutes of aimless instrumental, and it’s not for me. That’s a quarter of the album’s runtime. If you enjoy “Moonchild” then fair play to you, but I think it’s a shame an otherwise flawless album has to hang onto this baggage.

Great

4 – I Talk To The Wind

I cannot stress this enough – there is a huge, huge, HUGE jump up in my enjoyment of the tracks from now on.

“I Talk To The Wind” is a beautiful second track that takes things down a notch, and is arguably the most accessible song on the album. The lyrics are touching yet sombre with excellent, angelic vocals, and the whimsical instrumentation is exactly what I love about the album as a whole.

Amazing

3 – Epitaph

I never understood the hype surrounding “Epitaph”. Some people had it as their favourite on the album, but I couldn’t see it. And then one day it clicked.

It’s my favourite set of lyrics on the album, and Greg Lake’s vocals are heart-breaking. The final two minutes always give me goosebumps.

2 – The Court Of The Crimson King

Usually it takes me a few listens to really appreciate a new song, but in the case of “The Court Of The Crimson King” it was love at first note.

It’s a welcome bout of melodrama to end the album, and the various instrumental breaks make me a very happy man.

All-Time Great

1 – 21st Century Schizoid Man

I can only imagine how incredible it must’ve been in the 60’s to put this random band’s album on and be bombarded with “21st Century Schizoid Man”.

It’s a nightmare-fuelled, jazz-inspired romp with screeching vocals and some legendary break sections. Above all else, I’m always stunned by the masterful artistry on display from King Crimson’s opening song on their first album!

Aaaaaand that’s my list. You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: