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| Islands | 
 enlarge | Artist: King Crimson
Label: Discipline Us
Category: Music
List Price: $15.98
Buy New: $8.53
You Save: $7.45 (47%)
New (40) Used (8) from $8.53
Avg. Customer Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 59442
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.7 x 0.4
MPN: 504
UPC: 633367050427
EAN: 0633367050427
ASIN: B00064WSNC
Release Date: December 20, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Formentera Lady | | • | Sailor's Tale | | • | The Letters | | • | Ladies of the Road | | • | Prelude: Song of the Gulls | | • | Islands |
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Album Description
2004 reissue of the band's 1971 album. Discipline label.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
Quiet and brooding release from King Crimson January 20, 2006
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I really enjoy this 1971 release by King Crimson in spite of the fact that it is neither as wildly virtuosic nor heavy as the first album and the trio of brilliant albums released during 1973-1974. In contrast, Islands is largely quiet and brooding, with dark, low tones played on reed, brass, and string instruments, woodwinds, along with moody mellotron pads here and there. With respect to the new band members, bassist Boz Burrell's lack of familiarity with the electric bass and his admittedly simplistic approach to the instrument might not have worked in any other setting but works well in this stripped down context. Fortunately, his lack of playing ability is more than compensated for by his great vocal abilities, superior acoustic bassist Harry Miller (his bowed and plucked parts are featured on the first piece), and superb drumming by Ian Wallace. Fripp of course is excellent as both a composer/arranger and guitarist, although his guitar playing is not featured prominently on this album - in fact, with the exception of a single, frenzied guitar solo on Sailor's Tale, the electric guitar is pretty much absent. Keboardist extraordinaire Keith Tippett is another person that I wish there was more of on this album. The pieces including Formentara Lady/Sailor's Tale, The Letters, and Islands are more or less similarly sullen, quiet, and acoustic, while the classically influenced instrumental Song of the Gulls is hauntingly beautiful and features a wonderful string arrangement written by Robert Fripp. In stark contrast to these five pieces is Ladies of the Road, which is a brash and vulgar song (with Beatle-esque undertones) that pays homage to groupies and is not terribly good, although Mel Collins sax solo is perfectly "brash and vulgar". Although this album may not be a fan favorite and the lineup was pretty awful live (listen to Earthbound for proof), I find great pleasure in the overall darkness and gloom of the recording. Although King Crimson would go on to greater things following this album, I consider this an excellent addition to any King Crimson collection.
Waves sweep the sand from my eyelids... February 26, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Not nearly as weird and as jazzy as it's predecessor ' Lizard ' and not as heavy as it's studio successor ' Lark's Tongue ', 'Islands ' is to me an underrated classic by King Crimson. The arrangements are sparse, the mellow moments (which there are a bunch of here) are absolutely beautiful, the band rock out a few times (though maybe not enough), and the production nearly flawless.
As one other reviewer pointed out, Boz Burrell is given relatively simple bass lines, probably due to the fact that he didn't even PLAY bass before joining King Crimson...he was chosen as their bassist after Fripp heard him noodling around on a bass guitar and liked what he heard. Boz does play his bass parts well, however and also does a fine job singing. Saxist/flutist Mel Collins is his usual brilliant self, drummer Ian Wallace gives some underrated performances. As for Fripp himself, this album really was a showcase for his writing and arranging skills. He does get in some terrific guitar playing here and there, particularly on the very nasty and funny ode to groupies ' Ladies Of The Road ', especially during his solo, during which he seems to be fighting the rather awkward blues of the song itself! I also love Sinfield's naughty lyrics, Mel Collins entrance after the line " I smiled and just unzipped her.. ", the way Wallace comes in after the first verse, the refrain (done in 3/4 time), etc...
The only word to desribe the last two songs, ' Prelude: Song Of The Gulls ' and ' Islands ' is gorgeous. Actually, I CAN think of other words, like melodic, peaceful, tranquil, wonderful, sleep inducing, blah blah blah. My youngest brother and youngest sister thought that Boz sang ' eyelids ' instead of ' Islands '!
I like the second half better than the first, though that is certainly not a knock on the first half, which definitely has it's moments, like the opening song and Fripp's evil professor guitar playing during ' The Letters ', which gets my vote as the most depressing King Crimson ever..at least the lyrics.
This is a great album!
 In Memory of Ian Wallace and Boz Burrell. February 23, 2007
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
With the passing of Boz Burrell in September 2006 and of Ian Wallace on this very day (Feb. 22nd 2007), a review of King Crimson's "Islands" album seems appropriate:
1971 marked another transistion for Prog-rock giants King Crimson. After some unsteady line-up changes following the split of the original 1969 band, Robert Fripp emerged with Crimson's second stable line-up consiting of lead singer and bassist Boz Burrell, sax player and flautist Mel Collins and drummer Ian Wallace. Besides Fripp, the only other original holdover was lyricist Peter Sinfield whose swansong would be this very album, "Islands".
Unlike the almost psychedelic feel of the previous three King Crimson albums, "Islands" has an almost laid-back classical feel to it. The orchestrated feel is definitely felt in the epic title track and the "Prelude-Song of the Gulls" which preceeds it. The opening track, "Formentera Lady" also has a quasi-classical feel as well as a slight George Harrison-Indian vibe to it.
Elsewhere on the album are some hard rocking moments such as the dynamic instrumental "A Sailor's Tale" which features an outstanding drum rhythm from Ian Wallace and some truly Coltrane-inspired sax work from Mel Collins. "Ladies of the Road" is a brilliant pop song that could very well be the band's first foray into risque humor while "The Letters" ventures out into more darker territory. Boz's voice really shines here as it does on the aforementioned title track.
While "Islands" is the only studio album to feature the Fripp/Burrell/Collins/Wallace/Sinfield line-up, this band would continue on for nearly another year (minus Sinfield) with some relentless touring and a live album "Earthbound". "Islands" has personally grown on me since I first heard it back in 1992 (21 years after it was released). While this is not THE place to start when discovering King Crimson, it is definitely worth picking up after discovering the so-called 'indispensible classics' (ie: In the Court Of The Crimson King, Larks Tongues in Aspic, Discipline). The playing on this album is tight and focused and the musical arrangements are flawless.
Definitely an underrated gem from an underrated line-up of King Crimson.
Rest in Peace, Boz and Ian. You both will be missed.
so good May 13, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
What makes King Crimson so good is the fact that they write music in such a way where ANYTHING is possible. This means they can write music anyway they want. With that in mind, Islands continues with the enjoyable "weirdness" that Lizard did so well. The music on this album is only weird because it's unlike anything else I've heard.
I'm sure you'd agree that there's nothing more rewarding than being able to discover new things in music even after hearing the same songs over and over, a hundred times? That's what King Crimson did so well in the early days- they were apparently a band on a mission to toss in as many instruments and songwriting styles as possible, and putting songs together any way they felt like. The results are not only fantastic, but able to be played over and over, as you hear more sounds the more times you listen to the music. What a great band.
Islands doesn't quite remind me of an island, or outer space (well, except for Track 2). It's really a strange album. You'd be crazy if you went in expecting every note to click the first time you hear them. It doesn't happen that way. In fact, only the title track and that classical instrumental will be the only tunes you'll remember the first time you play the album. This is certainly an album that requires repeated listens.
Pick up Lizard first, then Islands. Two great albums.
Excellent. March 21, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is one of my favorite King Crimson CD's. It's some of the best music they've written. If you like this album and you're unfamiliar with other King Crimson albums, I recommend:
In The Court Of The Crimson King
In The Wake Of Poseidon
Lizard
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