“Red” (King Crimson) – Songs Ranked

In my initial dive into King Crimson’s work, two albums stood out to me – their debut (of course), and “Red”.

This excellent collection of five hard-hitting songs was apparently Curt Cobain’s favourite album, and it’s quickly climbing my ranks too. How would I rank every song?

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OK

5 – Providence

Much like “Moonchild” on their debut album, “Providence” is a bloated instrumental track that I don’t really care for.

It’s not as tedious as the former, and the live recording aspect gives it a nice edge, but I’m likely to skip it nonetheless.

Great

4 – Red

Again, like with “In the Court of the Crimson King”, there’s a big jump up in my enjoyment for the remaining four tracks.

“Red” serves as both a great title track and an impactful opener, so I only wish John Wetton’s vocals were on it.

3 – One More Red Nightmare

Two words – Bill Bruford!

The drumming on “One More Red Nightmare” is exceptional, and I love how the track turns into a literal Jazz nightmare by the end.

Amazing

2 – Fallen Angel

“Fallen Angel” is the first song with vocals on the album, and my goodness does John Wetton make his presence known.

The lyrics and vocals are fabulous, and I love the metre and tempo shifts towards the massive choruses.

All-Time Great

1 – Starless

For as good as the rest of “Red” is, the other songs on the album feel inconsequential once you reach the finale “Starless”.

It’s a 12-minute epic with jaw-dropping performances across the board, highlights of which include Fripp’s one-note guitar solo of death as well as the frantic final third. The last minute in particular will go down as one of music’s greatest swansongs.

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