Today we bring you another excellent collectors item hand-picked by the staff of eil.com. Our stock addition manager and all-round prog aficionado, Syd, has chosen an early pressing of King Crimson’s magnum opus, In The Court of The Crimson King.
“After rightfully hat-tipping the The Wilde Flowers, Soft Machine, Arthur Brown or even early Floyd & Caravan for their parts to play in making important steps beyond 60s psychedelia, and frankly transcending what The Nice, Procol Harum, and The Moody Blues brought to the table, In The Court of The Crimson King has to mark the undeniable true dawn of progressive rock.
“This is the one that had the attack, the real contrasting darkness and light, the unsettling balance of chaos and order and the ambiguity that any definitively daring piece should offer, and it’s crucial that this is the one that landed just before the main onslaught that followed over the subsequent few remarkable years from Comus to Gentle Giant to the Krautrock and Canterbury movements and can stake its claim as the archetypal pioneer of musical exploration in a rock setting.
“The artwork itself is colossal among the host of iconic cover designs from the era, no small achievement in a time where album sleeve art had the potential to become historic in music culture. Its representation of the sound of this record perfectly portrays the equally harrowing surrealist music with nothing short of suitably devil-like temptation. A formidable work of forced nature and the benchmark of breaking conventional chains, you could call it the genesis but that name was used elsewhere. These guys just took it to a whole new level.”
1969 UK first issue 5-track stereo LP on the smooth pink Island label with white ‘i’ logo [A2/B4 matrices], matt gatefold picture sleeve with lyrics inside. The sleeve has a some minor scuffing to the edges but has no splits of rips, however the striking artwork is not compromised & the colours are still vibrant. The vinyl shows only minor evidence of play with some light surface scuffs, overall a very good example and an ideal play copy ILPS-9111
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- King Crimson - Discipline - embossed p/s - VG - UK - vinyl LP - £15.00, $18.60, €17.40 (New Item) (arrived 24-Apr-2024 08:45)
KING CRIMSON Discipline (1981 UK 7-track LP, the first album from the band following a seven year hiatus, featuring Robert Fripp & Bill Bruford from previous incarnations of the Crim, alongside former David Bowie guitarist Adrian Belew & former Peter Gabriel bassist Tony Levin - the newly vamped line-up refined any former prog excesses in favour of ultra tight, interlocking precision for the new wave era - this was Crim getting a cool haircut! embossed picture sleeve. The sleeve displays noticeable edgewear & scuffing, whilst the vinyl shows the odd cosmetic hairline and only light signs of play. A great play copy offered at an advantageous price EGLP49)
- King Crimson - Lizard - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £95.00, $117.80, €110.20 (New Item) (arrived 03-Apr-2024 16:23)
KING CRIMSON Lizard (1970 UK 5-track vinyl LP on the pink rim Island 'palm tree' label, front laminated gatefold picture sleeve with lyrics printed inside. The sleeve shows only a little light wear to the laminate from storage and remains in Excellent condition. The vinyl is superb and has only a few light signs on play ILPS9141)
- King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King - 3rd - UK - vinyl LP - £25.00, $31.00, €29.00 (New Item) (arrived 28-Feb-2024 16:57)
KING CRIMSON In The Court Of The Crimson King (Mid-70s issue UK 5-track vinyl LP, on the Sunrise Island label design. An absolute prog masterpiece that no record collection is complete without. Gatefold picture sleeve. The sleeve shows a small mark from where the price sticker was previously stuck and shows just a little edge/corner wear and the vinyl is Excellent with minimal signs of play. ILPS9111)
- King Crimson - Earthbound - 1st - VG - UK - vinyl LP - £15.00, $18.60, €17.40 (New Item) (arrived 29-Feb-2024 09:36)
KING CRIMSON Earthbound (1972 UK first press 5-track LP of live recordings on a black Island label with pink 'i' logo, matt title sleeve with black Island inner. Despite a sticker removal scuff to the top right corner, the sleeve shows some notable edge scuffing and ringwear, whilst the vinyl has just few cosmetic surface scuffs - a very respectable VG copy for a great price! HELP6)
- King Crimson - Islands - 200 Gram Super Heavyweight Vinyl - Sealed - UK - vinyl LP - £22.99, $28.51, €26.67 (New Item) (arrived 12-Mar-2024 17:15)
KING CRIMSON Islands (Back in print for 2022, their classic 1971 LP album pressed on 200-gram Super-Heavyweight vinyl, the original stereo mix newly cut from masters approved by Robert Fripp. Islands - King Crimson's fourth studio release - showcases the band's more intimate and chamber influences. Includes the haunting title track and ferocious A Sailor's Tale. Picture sleeve replicating the original artwork, hype sticker & factory sealed)
- King Crimson - Red - Red Vinyl - Sealed - UK - vinyl LP - £29.99, $37.19, €34.79 (New Item) (arrived 13-Mar-2024 15:37)
KING CRIMSON Red (2023 UK Rough Trade exclusive limited edition issue of the 1974 5-track LP pressed on RED VINYL, picture sleeve with 'Rough Trade Essential Edition' obi-strip - still sealed KCLP7(C)) **Limited to only 700 copies**
- King Crimson - Larks' Tongues In Aspic - 50th Anniversary 2023 Mixes - 200 Gram - Opened shrink - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £29.99, $37.19, €34.79 (New Item) (arrived 13-Mar-2024 15:49)
KING CRIMSON Larks' Tongues In Aspic - 50th Anniversary 2023 Mixes (50th Anniversary 2023 Mixes UK/EU limited edition 10-track double album 2-LP pressed on 200-gram Super Heavyweight Vinyl. Featuring a new 2023 mix by Steven Wilson and an album of Elemental mixesby David Singleton, all approved by Robert Fripp. Gatefold picture sleeve - still in its hype-stickered shrinkwrap)
- King Crimson - Lizard - 200 Gram Super Heavyweight Vinyl - UK - vinyl LP - £24.99, $30.99, €28.99 (New Item) (arrived 13-Mar-2024 16:04)
KING CRIMSON Lizard (2020 UK issue their classic 1970 8-track LP album pressed on 200-gram Super-Heavyweight vinyl, the original stereo mix cut from masters approved by Robert Fripp. Incuding appearances from Keith Tippett and Jon Anderson, 1970's Lizard remains a quirky one-off in the KC catalogue! Housed in a glossy gatefold picture sleeve replicating the original artwork. Although not sealed, this remains in 'near mint' condition KCLLP3)
- King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King - 200 Gram Super Heavyweight Vinyl - Sealed - UK - vinyl LP - £22.99, $28.51, €26.67 (New Item) (arrived 27-Mar-2024 08:11)
KING CRIMSON In The Court Of The Crimson King (Back in print for 2020, their classic 1969 LP album pressed on 200-gram Super-Heavyweight vinyl, the original stereo mix newly cut from masters approved by Robert Fripp. Gatefold picture sleeve with iconic original cover artwork, hype sticker & factory sealed. Essential) See separate listing for the Steven Wilson/Robert Fripp remix version cat no. KCLLP1...
- King Crimson - Larks' Tongues In Aspic - VG + inner - UK - vinyl LP - £150.00, $186.00, €174.00 (New Item) (arrived 03-Apr-2024 23:08)
KING CRIMSON Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Rare original 1973 UK 6-track LP on the pink rim Island 'palm tree' label, pinched spine picture sleeve complete with scarce yric inner. The sleeve for this copy remains in very good order with minor shelfwear and signs of its age, very typical of this white background matt sleeve, with a little ring marking and corner scuffing evident. The vinyl is clean & grades Excellent with few signs of play. Now tough to find complete & in serviceable condition - a nice copy of this groundbreaking beast! ILPS9230)
It’s the first two Crimson lps for me; Crimson King and Poseidon. Love ’em, have so since they came out. Inventive, musical and pleasing tonality. Fripp, Lake, McDonald et. al. And don’t forget the awareness at the time of Pete Sinfield, his delivering of the lyrics.