Wiki
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Release Date
29 September 2014
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Length
8 tracks
Red is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson. It was released on 6 October 1974 through Island Records in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in North America and Japan. The album was recorded at Olympic Studios in London in July and August 1974, and produced by the band themselves. The track Providence was a free improvisation recorded at their 30 June 1974 concert at the Palace Theater in the city of the same name. Parts of some of the pieces were conceived during previous improvisations performed by the band live. Starless was originally considered for their previous album, Starless and Bible Black, but was deemed incomplete at the time. The lengthy version included on this album was refined and performed during concerts throughout 1974.
Red is a progressive rock album with a noticeably heavier sound than their previous albums; it was later called one of the 50 "heaviest albums of all time" by Q. This was achieved with the performances of just three band members: guitarist Robert Fripp, bassist and vocalist John Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford. The dense sound of the album was created by use of significant layering, multiple guitar overdubs, and key guest appearances by musicians including founding King Crimson member Ian McDonald, classical oboist Robin Miller and English jazz trumpeter Marc Charig.
Roughly two weeks prior to the release of "Red", King Crimson disbanded. The album turned out to be their lowest-charting album at that time, spending only one week in the UK Albums Chart at No. 45 and the US Billboard 200 at No. 66. However, it was well received among fans and critics. It has received further praise retrospectively, being recognized as one of the band's best works, and has been re-issued many times.
Near the conclusion of King Crimson's 1974 US and Canada tour, the decision was made to ask David Cross to leave the band. EG, the band's management, urged Fripp not to tell Cross until after the final date of the tour, but he would not be able to do this anyway as Fripp would not return from the United States until after Cross would return to Europe. Fripp reached an agreement with EG management that they would tell Cross, "on proviso that was told that I objected to not telling him personally." Despite reaching this agreement, Cross would not be told by EG until the day before the recording of Red began. In his stead, the band brought back several contributors to past albums: Robin Miller on oboe, Marc Charig on cornet, former King Crimson members Ian McDonald and Mel Collins on saxophones, as well as an uncredited cellist and acoustic bassist.
"Red" sees King Crimson follow in the direction established by their previous two albums "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" and "Starless and Bible Black", but in contrast to those albums, "Red" features more layered production with multiple overdubs, as well as the return of the earlier instrumentation of the guest players. "Red" has a heavier tone was largely due to the influence of the rhythm section, Wetton and Bruford, whom Fripp has referred to as "a flying brick wall". During the recording of the album, Fripp took a "backseat" when making large decisions. He had decided to take "a year's sabbatical … at Bennett's Institute," and offered the idea of McDonald rejoining the band in his absence to EG. When this idea was met with lack of interest, Fripp abruptly disbanded King Crimson on 24 September 1974, and "Red" was released two weeks later.
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