The group's definitive album, and one of the most daring debut albums ever recorded by anybody. At the time, it blew all of the progressive/psychedelic competition (
the Moody Blues
,
the Nice
, etc.) out of the running, although it was almost too good for the band's own good -- it took
King Crimson
nearly four years to come up with a record as strong or concise.
Ian McDonald
's Mellotron is the dominant instrument, along with his saxes and
Fripp
's guitar, making this a somewhat different-sounding record from everything else they ever did. And even though that Mellotron sound is muted and toned down compared to their concert work of the era (e.g.,
Epitaph
), it is still fierce and overpowering, on an album highlighted by strong songwriting (most of it filled with dark and doom-laden visions), the strongest singing of
Greg Lake
's entire career, and
's guitar playing that strangely mixed elegant classical,
Hendrix
-like rock explosions, and jazz noodling. Lineup changes commenced immediately upon the album's release, and
would ultimately be the only survivor on later
records. ~ Bruce Eder