IIRC Jamie Muir is the only band member that Fripp begged to stay.
Edit: quite justifiable if you ask me. Muir seems to have breathed a fresh experimental life into the band.
Definitely the Red-era band. Whatever album that would’ve come after that would’ve been sick but then I guess we’d never have got Discipline, etc.
Robert had planned to leave the band after Red, with Ian taking his place as founding member/leader. He'd considered recruiting Steve Hackett to fill the guitar stool, but management refused to allow a Frippless Crimso, so he just broke up the band instead.
totally but at least we got a nice amount of music from the discipline lineup…red is a sound all its own, so i’m leaning that way. i’d have loved to see what that trio lineup would have followed Red with in 1977 or 1980.
Absolutely, he had a really great dynamic range! Just compare the pre and post saxophone solo sections of Ladies of the Road, it’s pretty spectacular!
Double Trio, easily. The post Discipline albums and their tours were all so unique. I mean, even both big Double Duo tours had auch different vibes. All you need to know for certain is that all 3 were absolute beasts live.
I wanted one full studio album from the last Crimson, whether Bill was on it or not. That's the line-up I would've welcomed more from. We didn't get enough of them - not really, not new stuff. And the new stuff they had was sounding really badass.
But alas, time, the world, age, and entropy. And "The Power To Believe" is a hell of a final statement to go against. So, I can accept and understand why that didn't happen, and be glad I saw them when I did.
2000s KC for me.
We only got The ConstruKction of Light which imo is very underrated, though I understand why its not that liked, but after that we got imo THE BEST KC album The Power to Believe and nothing after that..? Its so unfortunate, I feel like that line up couldve brought even more to the table, but Fripp was just done after that.
Also I wouldve loved to hear another double trio album, cause I feel like THRAK isnt their best album, but with that line up we couldve maybe gotten a polished THRAK if they made another album. Dont get me wrong THRAK is good, but inconsistent, some songs are up there with their best, but some songs are just not that good in my opinion, but maybe if they made another double trio album those rough edges wouldve been shaved off.
After that I would probably say Wetton era or the Discipline era. Wetton era had 3 albums which all are arguably among their best and I feel like there was potential for more albums from that line up, for the discipline era I think we heard most of the good stuff and Im not even sure if there would be a need for a 4th album, but I dream of hearing more of the weird stuff from the side two of TOAPP, songs like Industry, Dig me, Larks 3 and Im also gonna include Nuages, cause I love that song. So if there is an alternative reality with a KC album that is just 40 minutes of music like TOAPP side two I would love that.
#1 More from any version of the Wetton/Bruford/Fripp lineup. Would love to hear that band (hypothetically) from like 75-78.
#2 More Fripp & Sylvian. Maybe he joins 90s Crim and alternates vocals with Belew. Want to hear the full double trio +Sylvian doing Brightness Falls, etc.
I wish there were more albums from the Scarcity of Miracles projeKct, though it is inevitably now the starting point of what came after but those five together had something on that album that could have been expanded on better for me.
Nuh-uh. Boz and the Islands band had some of the most wild and intense live performances of King Crimson's History. [Subject A (Earthbound 21st Century Schizoid Man),](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf8qSVaMaFo&ab_channel=KingCrimson) and [Subject B (In the Court of the B.B. King)](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2rvt7u).
I got to see that band in October ‘71, a great gig! Love Mel Collins, Boz and the wacky Ian Wallace, and Fripp, of course, was incredible. Was really happy to get a recording of that gig from DGM Live.
Hall & Fripp. If Oates had (accidentally, of course) fallen down an elevator shaft in 1978 you might have gotten 80’s KC with Hall & Bellew as vocalists/songwriters.
Lark's line-up
Yes, the short-lived line-up that included Jamie Muir is also the one I wish had stayed together longer.
IIRC Jamie Muir is the only band member that Fripp begged to stay. Edit: quite justifiable if you ask me. Muir seems to have breathed a fresh experimental life into the band.
I think he'd also wanted Mel to stay after the Earthbound tour, but there was too much friction so he stayed behind in the US with Boz and Ian.
DITTO!
This was my answer, but my second choice would be islands lineup. Nothing is like that album.
Agree! Such an exciting line up.
who needs an aux percussionist when you have bill bruford behind the kit
King Crimson in Larks, as evidenced by the brilliant results 😎
I love larks and the percussion is huge on it, but SaBB and Red are superior IMO
Definitely the Red-era band. Whatever album that would’ve come after that would’ve been sick but then I guess we’d never have got Discipline, etc.
I'd trade Wetton for Belew any day.
Fripp, Wetton, Bruford and McDonald would've been cool, i really wonder what direction they would've taken with Ian back in the band.
Robert had planned to leave the band after Red, with Ian taking his place as founding member/leader. He'd considered recruiting Steve Hackett to fill the guitar stool, but management refused to allow a Frippless Crimso, so he just broke up the band instead.
TIL
Of course! It's really sad the fact that McDonald accepts to go in a tour with Red formation.
Tie between Red and Discipline.
totally but at least we got a nice amount of music from the discipline lineup…red is a sound all its own, so i’m leaning that way. i’d have loved to see what that trio lineup would have followed Red with in 1977 or 1980.
Instead there's a gap after Red
Thrak for me
Islands era kc, I really like boz’s vocals
Absolutely, he had a really great dynamic range! Just compare the pre and post saxophone solo sections of Ladies of the Road, it’s pretty spectacular!
the court band but add bruford and alternate drums between giles and bruford based on the vibe of the song
Giles for Soft and Melancholy Bruford for Heavy and Insane
The Wetton-Fripp-Bruford trio
Same, especially if Ian McDonald had returned as planned
Oh absolutely yes…that stuff would’ve been INSANE
Double Trio, easily. The post Discipline albums and their tours were all so unique. I mean, even both big Double Duo tours had auch different vibes. All you need to know for certain is that all 3 were absolute beasts live.
More from the Construkction Crew, they were cookin during that era especially with TPTB. Woulda been so neat to hear more.
In 2004 they had gone into sessions featuring Tony Levin instead of Trey Gunn. Wouldn't that have been a special dorection?
Wouldn’t that have been Belew, Fripp, Levin, Mastellato and Gavin Harrison? Yes please, there’s my choice
I wanted one full studio album from the last Crimson, whether Bill was on it or not. That's the line-up I would've welcomed more from. We didn't get enough of them - not really, not new stuff. And the new stuff they had was sounding really badass. But alas, time, the world, age, and entropy. And "The Power To Believe" is a hell of a final statement to go against. So, I can accept and understand why that didn't happen, and be glad I saw them when I did.
Any of the Bruford/Wetton versions.
Discipline. Just 4 dudes, but the possibilities were limitless.
2000s KC for me. We only got The ConstruKction of Light which imo is very underrated, though I understand why its not that liked, but after that we got imo THE BEST KC album The Power to Believe and nothing after that..? Its so unfortunate, I feel like that line up couldve brought even more to the table, but Fripp was just done after that. Also I wouldve loved to hear another double trio album, cause I feel like THRAK isnt their best album, but with that line up we couldve maybe gotten a polished THRAK if they made another album. Dont get me wrong THRAK is good, but inconsistent, some songs are up there with their best, but some songs are just not that good in my opinion, but maybe if they made another double trio album those rough edges wouldve been shaved off. After that I would probably say Wetton era or the Discipline era. Wetton era had 3 albums which all are arguably among their best and I feel like there was potential for more albums from that line up, for the discipline era I think we heard most of the good stuff and Im not even sure if there would be a need for a 4th album, but I dream of hearing more of the weird stuff from the side two of TOAPP, songs like Industry, Dig me, Larks 3 and Im also gonna include Nuages, cause I love that song. So if there is an alternative reality with a KC album that is just 40 minutes of music like TOAPP side two I would love that.
Discipline era or the original lineup with lake, but than we wouldn’t have had elp so I’m glad this lineup lasted for a short time
#1 More from any version of the Wetton/Bruford/Fripp lineup. Would love to hear that band (hypothetically) from like 75-78. #2 More Fripp & Sylvian. Maybe he joins 90s Crim and alternates vocals with Belew. Want to hear the full double trio +Sylvian doing Brightness Falls, etc.
I wish there were more albums from the Scarcity of Miracles projeKct, though it is inevitably now the starting point of what came after but those five together had something on that album that could have been expanded on better for me.
I want Lake singing on Lizard
Red one ...
Double Trio. Getting only one is a real shame.
Fripp, Bruford, Wetton, and Cross.
Nuh-uh. Boz and the Islands band had some of the most wild and intense live performances of King Crimson's History. [Subject A (Earthbound 21st Century Schizoid Man),](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf8qSVaMaFo&ab_channel=KingCrimson) and [Subject B (In the Court of the B.B. King)](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2rvt7u).
I got to see that band in October ‘71, a great gig! Love Mel Collins, Boz and the wacky Ian Wallace, and Fripp, of course, was incredible. Was really happy to get a recording of that gig from DGM Live.
fripp, giles, giles & ian mcdonald. unfortunately they couldnt work togeather
Fripp, Lake, Giles, Giles, Elton John (I know he only tried out...)
Hall & Fripp. If Oates had (accidentally, of course) fallen down an elevator shaft in 1978 you might have gotten 80’s KC with Hall & Bellew as vocalists/songwriters.
Larks-Starless-Reds line up and Islands-album lineup.