In the Court of the Crimson King is the 1969 debut album by the British progressive rock group King Crimson. The album reached number five on the British charts, and is certified gold in the United States. The album is generally viewed as one of the strongest of the progressive rock genre, where King Crimson largely stripped away the blues-based foundations of rock music and mixed together jazz and classical symphonic elements. In his 1997 book Rocking the Classics, critic and musicologist Edward Macan notes that In the Court of the Crimson King "may be the most influential progressive rock album ever released".The Who's Pete Townshend was quoted as calling the album "an uncanny masterpiece".In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came fourth in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums". The album was named as one of Classic Rock magazine's "50 Albums That Built Prog Rock". Personnel Robert Fripp -- guitar Ian McDonald -- flute, clari! net, saxophone, vibes, keyboards, mellotron Greg Lake -- bass, vocals Michael Giles -- drums, percussion Peter Sinfield -- lyrics, illumination Barry Godber -- cover illustrations lyrics The wall on which the prophets wrote Is cracking at the seams. Upon the instruments of death The sunlight brightly gleams. When every man is torn apart With nightmares and with dreams, Will no one lay the laurel wreath When silence drowns the screams. Confusion will be my epitaph. As I crawl a cracked and broken path
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