one of the most important albums in the history of rock. This record from 1969 opened new trends in music. They came out of nowhere, played for the first time before Rolling Stones in Hyde Park and everyone's jaws dropped. Before that, everyone was obsessed with The Beatles. If it wasn't for this album, there would be no bands like Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, Genesis, Camel, Rush etc.

"That track made me feel like a princess running through a field of flowers." 🤣👌 This is so hilarious yet accurate.

Actually my favourite king crimson track is epitaph as it's the saddest piece of music ever written.

Moonchild is free improvisation. You should go back to Pink Floyd's first album to hear a more aggressive version of this idea in Interstellar Overdrive. A lot of groups did this and Charlie Watts was a huge fan of freely improvised music.

I was 18 when this album came out. This was totally a stoner album. I remember toking some hashish and laying on the carpet and listening with headphones.

King Crimson was always experimental. Most people I know skip passed "Moonchild" unless they are in a certain frame of mind. I like its contrast to the rest of the album. The singer is Greg Lake who shortly after this helped form Emerson,Lake and Palmer. You need them in your life! Interesting note about "Moonchild". It was novel written by Aleister Crowley an occultist in the early 20th Century, about trying to create a female human (an homunculus) using sorcery. Good reaction. Keep going!

So, ya gotta think about the time period when this album came out... the Beatles and Stones had just moved through and had broken Rock and rebuilt it. FM radio was just in its infancy, and considered "underground". Then this happens. I would spend some nights as a highschool junior, late after working a part time job, laying in the living room floor in front of one of the first stereo cabinet radio/turntables... listening softly to this (after all, it was 2am), falling asleep to King Crimson. My parents thought I was going to Hell, especially after seeing the album cover.

Congrats on giving it a try. Most rock fans and critics alike view this record as ground-breaking and influential. Greg Lake's vocals are considered tops in rock music. I didn't like this album so much in my youth because I guess I was not really a jazz fan, and I didn't even know really what jazz was. It's a bit experimental and a lot psychedelic. It's worth listening whether you listen again or not.

Ha! Another convert! Dude, I loved your honest reactions. King Crimson somehow got into my brain when I was in high school - I'm 60 now - and they've grown like a beautiful flower ever since. They're a special band, unusual in every way and you picked up on that instantly. Do listen to them again.. The music may not explain itself to you but your appreciation of their creativity will deepen for sure. You absolutely got it when you said they are less of a band and more of an art project. Robert Fripp, whose band this is, has said as much!

I'm 71 and really enjoy this album, and think of it.... they wrote this in a house without wearing (how do you say?) some gangsta hoodie. 😂

I heard 21st Century Schizoid Man on the radio in October 1969. As soon as I could, I bought the album. I was hooked at the start. The album wasn't the first of its kind, but it was a breakthrough in terms of production, popularity and influence. It was a game changer.

I enjoyed your commentary. It's great to see the first reaction of one so young, it takes me back to my own first recon to the album.

Most amazing thing is that this album was released in 1969, they were so ahead of their time.

Hello from u.k.

Regarding track 4- you’re right, they were just messing around. Improvisation has always been a huge aspect of King Crimson, but it’s something they would get much better at as time went on (this was their first album). I recommend their Red and Discipline albums.

21st century is one of my favourite songs ever written, and I've been listening to it for a lonnnnng time, but I don't know I can ever get the image of a dog chasing it's own tail out of my head when I listen to it now. Amazing.

At a live show by the first incarnation of King Crimson in 1969 (before the first record had been released ) - a young Bill Bruford - then the very talented drummer with an up & coming band called YES - was so blown away by KC's live show - that he wanted nothing more than to be in that band - and by the summer of 1972 when YES were becoming an international superstar group - Bruford did just that - quitting YES and joining KC - much to the astonishment of his bandmates in YES ..

I just love that actually hear the entire album of an band you don't even know. And I really appreciate that. Thank you. I enjoy your reactions.

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Good to see a younger person checking out King Crimson! In fact they havs a compilation album called " The Young Persons Guide to King Crimson" which was my first Crim album I ever bought in the early 80's. It covers songs from this album through "Red"