Islands is the fourth album by the British band
King CrimsonKing Crimson is a progressive rock band founded by guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Michael Giles in 1969. They have typically been categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, although they have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation drawing from jazz, classical and...
, released in 1971.
The last King Crimson studio album before the group's trilogy of
Larks' Tongues in AspicLarks' Tongues in Aspic is a 1973 album by the British progressive rock group King Crimson. This album is the debut of King Crimson's third incarnation, and features original member and guitarist Robert Fripp and new members John Wetton , David Cross , Jamie Muir , and Bill Bruford , as well as...
,
Starless and Bible BlackStarless and Bible Black is an album released by the British progressive rock band King Crimson in 1974. Most of the vocal pieces on the album are satires and commentaries on the sleaziness and materialism of society, in particular the music industry, similar to the track "Easy Money" on their...
and
RedRed is a 1974 album by progressive rock group King Crimson.It was their last studio recording of the 1970s and the last before the lead member Robert Fripp temporarily disbanded the group...
, it is also the last to feature the lyrics of
Peter SinfieldPeter John Sinfield is an English songwriter and artist, most famously known as the lyricist for early incarnations of King Crimson.-External links:...
and the last to feature the band's 'traditional' progressive sound.
The album received mixed reviews. There are four tracks with lyrics on this album, and three of them concern women.
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Islands is the fourth album by the British band
King CrimsonKing Crimson is a progressive rock band founded by guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Michael Giles in 1969. They have typically been categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, although they have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation drawing from jazz, classical and...
, released in 1971.
The last King Crimson studio album before the group's trilogy of
Larks' Tongues in AspicLarks' Tongues in Aspic is a 1973 album by the British progressive rock group King Crimson. This album is the debut of King Crimson's third incarnation, and features original member and guitarist Robert Fripp and new members John Wetton , David Cross , Jamie Muir , and Bill Bruford , as well as...
,
Starless and Bible BlackStarless and Bible Black is an album released by the British progressive rock band King Crimson in 1974. Most of the vocal pieces on the album are satires and commentaries on the sleaziness and materialism of society, in particular the music industry, similar to the track "Easy Money" on their...
and
RedRed is a 1974 album by progressive rock group King Crimson.It was their last studio recording of the 1970s and the last before the lead member Robert Fripp temporarily disbanded the group...
, it is also the last to feature the lyrics of
Peter SinfieldPeter John Sinfield is an English songwriter and artist, most famously known as the lyricist for early incarnations of King Crimson.-External links:...
and the last to feature the band's 'traditional' progressive sound.
The album received mixed reviews. There are four tracks with lyrics on this album, and three of them concern women. One of them, "Ladies of the Road", has been criticized for perceived
misogynyMisogyny is hatred of women or girls. Misogyny comes from Greek misogunia from misos and gynē . It is parallel to misandry—the hatred of men or boys. Misogyny is also comparable with misanthropy which is the hatred of humanity in general...
.
Trivia
- The original U.K. and European cover depicts the Trifid Nebula
The Trifid Nebula is an H II region located in Sagittarius. Its name means 'divided into three lobes'...
in SagittariusSagittarius is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow...
. The original U.S. and Canadian album cover (as released by Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm & blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
) was a Peter Sinfield painting of off-white with coloured "islands". This was used as an internal gatefold sleeve in the U.K. When the King Crimson catalog was re-issued by EG, they standardised on the "Trifid Nebula" cover world-wide.
- Robert Fripp taught Boz Burrell how to play bass so that he could perform the instrument as well as sing on the album. Burrell later became the bassist for the band Bad Company
Bad Company are an English hard rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of band members from Free , Mott the Hoople , and King Crimson . Bad Company was managed by Peter Grant, who had also guided Led Zeppelin to massive success...
.
- The original LP cover displayed neither the name of the band nor the title.
- "Islands" was covered by Japanese artist Ai Aso on the She's So Heavy
She's So Heavy is a split EP by Japanese artists Wata and Ai Aso. It was released in 2007 by Diwphalanx Records on 7" and limited to 1500 copies. The 7" comes with a 60 page full color photo book. Ai Aso's song is a King Crimson cover from the album Islands...
split 7". The song was also covered on Alice's Viaggio In ItaliaViaggio in Italia is the sixteenth studio album by Italian singer-songwriter Alice, released in 2003 by NUN Entertainment.Viaggio in Italia originally started as a tour project in 2001 called Le parole del giorno prima , an hommage to some of Italy's foremost cantautori, singer-songwriters and...
.
- The harmonic basis for the tune "The Letters" is derived from the Giles, Giles, and Fripp song "Why Don't You Just Drop In," available on The Brondesbury Tapes compilation.
- On the original vinyl issue of the album, after a few silent rotations of the disc at the end of side two, some rustling sounds became audible, followed by the sounds of feet shuffling, the odd instrument being tuned, and finally a voice, possibly Fripp's, saying "Alright, let's try it twice more, once with the oboe, once without it." A single note or two are heard before the needle lifts from the record. This little surprise bonus was not included on the initial CD release but was restored on all subsequent reissues.
Side one
- "Formentera Lady" (Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is a guitarist, composer and a record producer best known for being the guitarist for, and only constant member of, the progressive rock band King Crimson. His work, spanning five decades, encompasses a variety of musical styles...
, Peter SinfieldPeter John Sinfield is an English songwriter and artist, most famously known as the lyricist for early incarnations of King Crimson.-External links:...
) – 10:14
- "Sailor's Tale" (Fripp) – 7:21
- "The Letters" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 4:26
Side two
- "Ladies of the Road" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 5:28
- "Prelude: Song of the Gulls" (Fripp) – 4:14
- "Islands" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 11:51
King Crimson
- Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is a guitarist, composer and a record producer best known for being the guitarist for, and only constant member of, the progressive rock band King Crimson. His work, spanning five decades, encompasses a variety of musical styles...
– guitar, mellotron, Peter's pedal harmonium, sundry implements
- Peter Sinfield
Peter John Sinfield is an English songwriter and artist, most famously known as the lyricist for early incarnations of King Crimson.-External links:...
- words, sounds and visions
- Boz Burrell
Boz Burrell was a bass guitarist and singer known for his involvement in bands such as King Crimson and Bad Company....
– bass, lead vocals, choreography
- Mel Collins
Mel Collins is a British saxophonist and flautist and prominent session musician....
– saxophones, flutes, mellotron
- Ian Wallace – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
- Paulina Lucas – soprano (vocals)
- Keith Tippett
Keith Tippett is a British jazz pianist and composer.Tippett went to Greenway Boys Secondary Modern school in Southmead, Bristol. The son of a local police officer, he was the solo soprano singer in a school production of Tom Sawyer...
– piano
- Robin Miller
Robin Miller may refer to:* Robin Miller , also known as the "Sugarbird Lady", female Australian aviator and nurse* Robin Miller , American motorsports journalist* Robin Miller , British businessman and honorary knight...
– oboe
- Mark Charig – cornet
- Harry Miller
Harold Simon 'Harry' Miller was a South African jazz bass player.Miller began his career as a bassist with Manfred Mann, and came to settle in London...
– double bass