Getting the playlist up a day late this week. Check out the King Crimson vinyl, though! Pretty cool, huh?
Artist: King Crimson
Title: 21st Century Schizoid Man
Source: LP: In The Court Of The Crimson King
Writer: Fripp/McDonald/Lake/Giles/Sinfield
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1969
There are several bands with a legitimate claim to starting the art-rock movement of the mid-70s. The one most other musicians cite as the band that started it all, however, is King Crimson. Led by Robert Fripp, the band went through several personnel changes over the years. Many of the members went on to greater commercial success as members of other bands, including guitarist/keyboardist Ian McDonald (Foreigner), and lead vocalist/bassist Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) from the original lineup. Additionally, poet Peter Sinfield, who wrote all King Crimson's early lyrics, would go on to perform a similar function for Emerson, Lake and Palmer, including their magnum opus Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends. Other original members included Michael Giles on drums and Fripp himself on guitar. This week's opening track has special significance as the first song on the first album by King Crimson. Enjoy!
Artist: King Crimson
Title: Cat Food
Source: LP: In The Wake Of Poseidon
Writer(s): Fripp/McDonald/Sinfield
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1970
Following the release of the 1969 album In The Court Of The Crimson King all the members of King Crimson except for guitarist Robert Fripp and lyricist Peter Sinfield left the band for various reasons. Most of them, however, including keyboardist Ian McDonald, drummer Michael Giles and lead vocalist Greg Lake, ended up contributing the the second Crimson LP, In The Wake Of Poseidon in the role of session musicians, along with Giles's brother Peter, who provided bass parts on the album. The most popular song on the album was Cat Food, which was released as a single in 1970 (and was the featured song on the band's only TV appearance until 1981).
Artist: King Crimson
Title: The Court Of The Crimson King
Source: LP: In The Court Of The Crimson King
Writer(s): McDonald/Sinfield
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1969
Perhaps the most influential progressive rock album of all time was King Crimson's debut LP, In The Court Of The Crimson King. The band, in its original incarnation, included Robert Fripp on guitar, Ian MacDonald on keyboards and woodwinds, Greg Lake on vocals and bass, David Giles on drums and Peter Sinfield as a dedicated lyricist. The title track, which takes up the second half of side two of the LP, features music composed by MacDonald, who would leave the group after their second album, later resurfacing as a founding member of Foreigner. The album's distinctive cover art (posted on the Stuck in the Psychedelic Era Facebook page) came from a painting by computer programmer Barry Godber, who died of a heart attack less than a year after the album was released. According to Fripp, the artwork on the inside is a portrait of the Crimson King, whose manic smile is in direct contrast to his sad eyes. The album, song and artwork were the inspiration for Stephen King's own Crimson King, the insane antagonist of his Dark Tower saga who is out to destroy all of reality, including our own.
Artist: Stevie Wonder
Title: Superstition
Source: Stereo 45 RPM single
Writer(s): Stevie Wonder
Label: Tamla
Year: 1972
Superstition was not originally meant to be a Stevie Wonder hit record. The song was actually written with the intention of giving it to guitarist Jeff Beck, in return for his participation of Wonder's Talking Book album. In fact, it was Beck that came up with the song's opening drum riff, creating, with Wonder, the first demo of the song. The plan was for Beck to release the song first as the lead single from the album Beck, Bogert & Appice. However, that album's release got delayed, and Motown CEO Barry Gordy Jr. insisted that Wonder go ahead and release his own version fo the song first, as Barry saw the song as a potential #1 hit. It turned out Gordy was right, and Superstition ended up topping both the pop and soul charts in 1973, doing well in other countries as well.
Artist: Doobie Brothers
Title: Jesus Is Just Alright
Source: CD: Toulouse Streeet
Writer(s): Arthur Reynolds
Label: Warner Brothers
Year: 1972
In the early 1970s a number of young Americans became enthused with the Christian faith. This enthusiasm was reflected on the top 40 charts, where no less than half a dozen religiously oriented pop tunes entered the charts between 1969-1973. Perhaps the most lasting of these was Jesus Is Just Alright, which was originally released by the Art Reynolds Singers on their 1966 LP, Tellin' It Like It Is. The Byrds included their own version of the song on their 1969 album Ballad Of Easy Rider. The Doobie Brothers, having heard the Byrds' version of the song, decided to include their own harder rocking rendition of Jesus Is Just Alright on their Toulouse Street album, releasing it as a single in 1972.
Artist: Band
Title: Up On Cripple Creek
Source: CD: Rock Of Ages (bonus track)
Writer(s): Robbie Robertson
Label: Capitol
Year: 1972
One of the most popular songs recorded by the Band was Robbie Robertson's Up On Cripple Creek. Originally released in 1969, the song hit the top 40 charts that year, peaking at #25. It gained new popularity in 1976 when it was included on the Band's concert film (and subsequent album) The Last Waltz. In between, the group performed the song countless times, often with the tape rolling. Although it was not included on the original version of the Band's 1972 live album Rock Of Ages, the song was nonetheless recorded, and eventually released on an expanded edition of the album in the 1990s.
Artist: Jade Warrior
Title: Clouds/Mountain Of Fruits And Flowers
Source: LP: Floating World
Writer(s): Field/Duhig
Label: Island
Year: 1974
It is almost impossible to classify Jade Warrior in conventional terms. They have been called everything from experimental progressive rock to early new age. Jade Warrior was basically a duo consisting of Tony Duhig and guitar and Jon Field on flute, with both providing percussion as well. In addition, several studio musicians were brought in as needed, including Duhig's brother David for electric lead guitar parts. Jade Warrior's albums combined rock, jazz, classical and world music, often within the same song. One of their most accessible albums was Floating World, particular the LP's opening tracks, Clouds and Mountain Of Fruit And Flowers.
Artist: Robin Trower
Title: Bridge Of Sighs/In This Place
Source: CD: Bridge Of Sighs
Writer(s): Robin Trower
Label: Chrysalis/Capitol
Year: 1974
One of the most celebrated guitar albums of all time, Bridge Of Sighs was Robin Trower's second solo LP following his departure from Procol Harum. Released in 1974, the LP spent 31 weeks on the Billboard album charts, peaking at #7. Bridge of Sighs has served as a template for later guitar-oriented albums, especially those of Warren Haines and Gov't Mule.
Artist: Frank Zappa
Title: Cosmik Debris
Source: CD: Apostrophe (')
Writer(s): Frank Zappa
Label: Zappa
Year: 1974
One of Frank Zappa's most memorable tunes, Cosmik Debris first appeared on his Apostrophe(') album in 1974. The album itself was recorded at the same time as the Mothers' Over-Nite Sensation, and features some of the same musicians, including George Duke and Napoleon Brock. The song, like many Zappa compositions, tells a story, in this case one of a mystical con artist and Zappa's refusal to be conned. The song uses the repeated line "Look here brother. Who you jivin' with that Cosmik Debris?", and contains references to other Zappa compositions, including Camarillo Brillo (from Over-Nite Sensation). The song was originally scheduled for release as a single, but instead appeared as the B side of an edited version of Don't Eat Yellow Snow when that track began gaining popularity due to excessive airplay on FM rock radio.
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