---
product_id: 5792963
title: "IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING - 30TH ANNIV. ED."
brand: "king crimson"
price: "$57"
currency: NZD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/5792963-in-the-court-of-the-crimson-king-30th-anniv-ed
store_origin: NZ
region: New Zealand
---

# IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING - 30TH ANNIV. ED.

**Brand:** king crimson
**Price:** $57
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING - 30TH ANNIV. ED. by king crimson
- **How much does it cost?** $57 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/5792963-in-the-court-of-the-crimson-king-30th-anniv-ed)

## Best For

- king crimson enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted king crimson brand quality
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## Description

IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING - 30TH ANNIV. ED.

## Images

![IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING - 30TH ANNIV. ED. - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71FM257lYjL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    VEry Nice, Very cool
  

*by G***R on Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2023*

Wow I love it, small scratch on the back of the box but that's aight

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    a timeless masterpiece in early progressive rock
  

*by S***O on Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2006*

Blending elements of several forms of music, including classical, jazz, and folk, four young British musicians banded together in 1969 as King Crimson and recorded a five-song masterpiece.  Looking back in time to the year when this album was released, it has oftentimes been said that King Crimson's first album, "In the Court of the Crimson King", was a milestone in rock music history that marked the beginning of a new branch in rock music henceforth called, "progressive or art rock."  However, it would be amiss to claim here that this group had accomplished this feat all alone.  There were a number of other prominent rock groups at the time such as The Moody Blues and Deep Purple who were likewise experimenting along the same lines.  Both of these groups had also been strongly influenced by classical music, and The Moody Blues, in particular, released two groundbreaking albums that same year.  These two albums, "On the Threshold of a Dream" and "To Our Children's Children", were phenomenal in their own right.  Like King Crimson, The Moody Blues prominently used a relatively new instrument at that time called, the mellotron.  In addition, certain harsh and heavy passages from this album by King Crimson have, at times, been credited as being a strong influence in the formation, and early development, of yet another form, or branch, of rock music, namely, "heavy metal."  And now, and most fortunately, King Crimson's debut album, "In the Court of the Crimson King", has, once again, been remastered using the latest advances in digital technology for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.The early stages of this group's formation saw three friends, Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, and Peter Giles, enter the studio and record a number of songs together under the name of "Giles, Giles, and Fripp."  Robert Fripp was a versatile guitarist with the ability to play a wide range of styles.  Along the way, they were joined by Ian McDonald, a multi-instrumentalist, who played various woodwind instruments and who also played a number of different keyboards, including the mellotron.  When one of the Giles brothers left the band, he was soon replaced with Greg Lake on bass and vocals.  With the final addition of Peter Sinfield as lyricist, the group was formed.  The year was late 1968.The album's strong appeal, no doubt, lay in the group's prominent use of the mellotron.  Without its use, the album would certainly not have reached masterpiece status.  This instrument (actually, an amalgam of prerecorded tapes) replaced the diverse sounds of an entire philharmonic orchestra.  Rock groups had already been experimenting, and recording, with the mellotron for sometime, ever since the Summer of Love.  The Rolling Stones, for one, first began to use the mellotron in 1967 when they were writing songs for their upcoming album, "For Their Satanic Majesties Request."  The Rolling Stones, too, had a talented multi-instrumentalist in Brian Jones.  During the psychedelic era, musicians from various groups, ranging from David Bowie to Pink Floyd, took an interest in, and a quick liking to, the mellotron, especially with its outworldly sounds.  However, the Stones soon returned to their R&B roots, abandoning further experimentation in that direction with the mellotron.  The Moody Blues, on the other hand, who had previously employed the full services of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, found the mellotron to be a suitable replacement for the orchestra, and they soon integrated the new instrument into their recordings (and also into their upcoming touring plans.)  Mike Pinder of The Moody Blues became quite proficient with its use.The Rolling Stones did not forget their brief experimentation with the mellotron, and their affection towards it.  And when it came time to introduce to the public, especially their fans, their new line-up in the summer of 1969, featuring guitarist extraordinaire Mick Taylor, at a free concert in London's Hyde Park, they invited King Crimson to precede them on stage.  It was a great honor.  The group's unconventional approach to rock music that day blew away the crowd.  Needless to say, these Stone's fans knew that they had just experienced something very special musically, something new and refreshing.  It had been the public debut of King Crimson!The end for King Crimson's stellar initial line-up was nonetheless near.  While on tour in North America to support the release of their debut album, tensions within the band became apparent.  Giles and McDonald declared that they planned to leave the band at the conclusion of the tour and record together.  Their ensuing album entitled, "McDonald and Giles", unsurprisingly had much of the same feel as King Crimson's debut album.  It is worth a listen.  Greg Lake soon thereafter left the band, too, to form the supergroup, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, with Keith Emerson on keyboards (formerly with the band, The Nice) and Carl Palmer on drums (formerly with Atomic Rooster.)  This band's popularity, especially with fans of progressive rock, soon eclipsed the popularity of King Crimson.  Before he left King Crimson, however, Greg Lake began work with the remaining members of the band on several tracks for the band's second album, "In the Wake of Poseidon."  Further down the line, Ian McDonald founded another prominent group in the mid-1970's.  This band, Foreigner, with time, made its own significant contribution to rock music history, too.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    An uneven classic
  

*by S***A on Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2022*

"In the Court of the Crimson King" (1969) is a classic progressive rock album. But until now I had heard only the title track and one other; so, after hearing samples that sounded accessible to me, I bought the album. It has received high praise through the years. The Who's Pete Townshend reportedly called it "an uncanny masterpiece". Well, some parts of it deserve that praise, but some do not. There are 5 tracks. The first track, "21st Century Schizoid Man", does have laudable qualities. There is drama,  alarming imagery, psychedelic sounds, and instrumental sections with faster tempo in a jazz setting. But there are "cons" also. The faster sections are repetitious, choppy and loaded with manic drumming; and the lyrics in the main sections are not easily understood due to the distorted vocal. That's too bad because the lyrics are vivid: "Blood rack barbed wire/Politicians' funeral pyre/Innocents raped with napalm fire/21st century schizoid man." Thankfully the lyrics are provided with the CD. The longest track "Moonchild" (12:12) is also the worst. After a section (about 2:20) of quiet and pretty conventional music which contains a vocal with lyrics about an ethereal girl who is "Dancing in the shallows of a river...Dreaming in the shadow of the willow", most of the track consists of formless and dull music (again with too much drumming, although lighter). It meanders and sometimes fades to the point where I think it is done, but no, not just yet... To me it is pointless. I played it twice and I will probably never play it again (except for the initial 2:20).Two slow tracks with more conventional structure are better. "I Talk to the Wind" is soothing, a bit on the gloomy side. It features mellow jazz music and some clever Dylanesque lyrics: "You don't possess me/Don't impress me/Just upset my mind/Can't instruct me or conduct me/Just use up my time." "Epitaph" is solemn, ominously serious. The lyrics voice a dire pronouncement: "The fate of all mankind I see/Is in the hands of fools." The final track, "The Court of the Crimson King" is the prime reason to want this for your collection. It opens with a  majestic symphonic riff, and it retains the interest of the listener throughout the 10-minute track. The bulk of it consists of 4 verses, each of which begins with the grand riff and ends with the singer emphasizing the words "THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING". The obscure lyrics make references to fanciful things like medieval times, fairy tales, magic: "The black queen chants the funeral march/The cracked brass bells will ring/To summon back the fire witch/To the court of the crimson king." Amid the verses there are two instrumental sections, both of them comforting with just a hint of mystery. After the fourth verse comes a brief, simple instrumental "Dance of the Puppets". Finally the symphonic riff returns, and this time a subtle bit of discord is heard, and soon the whole thing ends with an orchestral crash.Since about 80% of it is of very good quality, I give this classic album 4 stars. I realize that music, like all art, is subjective, and that some may disagree with my opinions. To them I can only say what Bob Dylan said in "One Too Many Mornings": "You're right from your side/I'm right from mine."

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*Product available on Desertcart New Zealand*
*Store origin: NZ*
*Last updated: 2026-02-28*