History AwesomeMusic / KingCrimson

** "Cirkus" provides a suitably ominous opening to the album. It begins with one of the most dissonant melodies the group ever composed (rather reminiscent of Music/JimiHendrix' "[[Music/AreYouExperienced Purple Haze]]") before resolving to a minor key. The effect is more or less heartbreaking.

** "One More Red Nightmare" is a contender for best drum track of all time, and is Exhibit A in the Bruford vs. [[{{Music/Rush}} Peart]] argument. Bruford played "One More Red Nightmare" on a beat up cymbal he found in the trash, which explains its thoroughly unique sound.

** "Starless", surely a trope codifier for EpicRocking. It starts as a subtle and melancholy PowerBallad in 4/4, then it [[SongStyleShift changes]] into a [[SubduedSection long, quiet, ominous middle section]] in a different key and UncommonTime (13/8, to be precise) with a very minimal guitar part and increasingly edgy drums, then it gets louder and louder until it bursts into crazed sax and guitar solos, still in 13/8 but played much faster, and just when things can't get any more frantic there's a LastChorusSlowDown which coincides with a return to the home key of G minor and CommonTime, and the original Power Ballad melody returns for just one cycle with everyone playing ''incredibly loudly'' - and then it ends. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcUM6TN3jWw This [=YouTube=]r's reaction]] to it on listening to it for the first time is not unrepresentative of most people's reactions to it.

** "Starless", surely a trope codifier for EpicRocking. It starts as a subtle and melancholy PowerBallad in 4/4, then it [[SongStyleShift changes]] into a [[SubduedSection long, quiet, ominous middle section]] in a different key and UncommonTime (13/8, to be precise) with a very minimal guitar part and increasingly edgy drums, then it gets louder and louder until it bursts into crazed sax and guitar solos, still in 13/8 but played much faster, and just when things can't get any more frantic there's a LastChorusSlowDown which coincides with a return to the home key of G minor and CommonTime, and the original Power Ballad melody returns for just one cycle with everyone playing ''incredibly loudly'' - and then it ends.

** "21st Century Schizoid Man" is a real rock 'n' rollercoaster, from the weighty sax and guitar riff that opens the song proper (after the disorienting 20-second intro), to Greg Lake's punchy, distorted rendition of the lyrics, through the epic instrumental interlude led by Robert Fripp on guitar and Ian [=McDonald=] on saxophone that separates the last two verses, to the final chaotic, shrieking buildup that cuts off suddenly... and then begins again, getting still louder, only to cut off into silence again. A great track for the band to announce themselves to the listening world.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YOdK7iFX-k "Fracture"]], which was described by Fripp as the hardest guitar piece he's ever played and is every bit as epic as one would expect from that description.

* There isn't a single song on ''Red'' that doesn't qualify as SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:

* There isn't a single song on ''Red'' that doesn't qualify as AwesomeMusic:

** "Discipline" qualifies as AwesomeMusic too. The band decided to write a piece where the two lead guitars were rarely playing in the same time signature, and where none of the instruments (except the drums, in a constant 17/16 with a 4/4 bass drum polyrhythm) kept the same time signature for long. It is one of the finest examples of UncommonTime in music history, and has to be heard to be believed.

** The band has only performed on American television just once, on the sketch comedy program ''Fridays'' in 1981. However, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MFb1Vv-RbY the footage]] of them performing "Elephant Talk" and "Thela Hun Gunjeet" is nothing short of incredible.
* ''Beat''
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N27rSAdu20 "Heartbeat"]] from ''Beat'' shows that even King Crimson weren't afraid of doing a pop song in the 80s and results are awesome.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N27rSAdu20 "Heartbeat"]] from ''Beat'' shows that even King Crimson weren't afraid of doing a pop song in the 80s and results are awesome.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBgVTSGNE3I "Islands"]] Is one of their most gorgeous tracks, with lush and calming instrumental sounds mixed in with the gorgeous voice of Boz Burrell. A truly great song on what is generally seen as one of their lesser efforts.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBgVTSGNE3I "Islands"]] Is one of their most gorgeous tracks, with lush and calming instrumental sounds mixed in with the gorgeous voice of Boz Burrell.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBgVTSGNE3I"Islands"]] Is one of their most gorgeous tracks, with lush and calming instrumental sounds mixed in with the gorgeous voice of Boz Burrell.

* "Island" Is one of their most gorgeous tracks, with lush and calming instrumental sounds mixed in with the gorgeous voice of Boz Burrell.

* "Island" Is one of their most gorgeous tracks and one of their biggest TearJerker 's

* "Island" Is one of their most gorgeous tracks and one of their biggest TearJerkers

* "Dinosaur" off of ''Thrak'' is an underrated gem of a song, filled with complex melodies and compositions. It's a sad piece, but gorgeous, fully capturing the feeling of growing older and regretting all of your mistakes and flaws. It's packed with raw emotion, and is one of the most intense songs ever made.[[note]]Fripp asked Belew to write King Crimson's answer to [[Music/TheBeatles "I am the Walrus"]], and the result is worthy of the comparison.[[/note]]

* "Dinosaur" off of ''Thrak'' is an underrated gem of a song, filled with complex melodies and compositions. It's a sad piece, but gorgeous, fully capturing the feeling of growing older and regretting all of your mistakes and flaws. It's packed with raw emotion, and is one of the most intense songs ever made.

* ''Beat'':
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N27rSAdu20 "Heartbeat"]] shows that even King Crimson weren't afraid of doing a pop song in the 80's and results are awesome.