They worked on so many levels through so many changes it's impossible for a music lover to keep focus on one particular album. But if I have to choose a favorite it's this...at least for now. After the "Poseidon" recordings the Giles brothers left, Mel Collins and Gordon Haskell became group members while Keith Tippett remained as supporting personel, this time together with fellow jazz musicians Nick Evans, Marc Charig and Robin Miller. Haskell and Collins didn't like the final result and left after the recordings, making it the only album with this particular setting. I'm having a hard time giving it a fair description. You could call it prog, psych or jazz, but that's just part of the truth. In a way it doesn't belong to any of those genres but stands as sufficient in itself. There's no easy roads or simple solutions here - as it seems put together without any commercial interest. A bunch of strange ideas and writings boiled down and spiced, then re-shaped to something equibrilistic, melodic and beautiful. It was fresh and outstanding back then and still is. Every track is an adventure and all are favorites, but to mention a few - the entire side two suite with Jon Anderson guesting on vocals and "Cirkus" - where synth, acoustic guitar, jazzy licks and odd lyrics ("...bareback ladies have fish") blends to a prog masterpiece. I could go on for hours about it, but we don't want that so I'm just saying - don't miss it! First US on Atlantic (SD 8278), also as mono promo. Premiere UK had label as shown here, laminated fold/out cover and Island custom blue inner. (KYK*)
Masterpiece. I probably prefer this to Poseidon, which is a great record..
SvaraRaderaFunny enough, I quite often bump into cheap UK pink rim copies. Maybe I'm just lucky? Had this first come out on the pink label, I'm sure an original would have been worth three times as much as this. But as it is, seemingly people do not always recognize it for what its worth.
It was pressed for a long time on pink rim. The ones sold dearly are mostly early copies. Apart from 1:st matrixes those are on thicker vinyl and have "STEREO" printed on label. Island omitted that from around 1972.
RaderaA masterpiece it is. Still tickled everytime I listen to Cirkus, Indoor Games and Happy Family...they keep on giving :)
You're right. I don't understand why 'In The Court...' on Pink Island is such a terrible expensive. With matrix A2/B2 is even more expensive.
RaderaI agree it's much overpriced. I guess because of the label collectors. There are many collecting Island issues and they want all different presses. So when the rarer variations show up on auction the prices go up...and then other dealers tag along. Just think about Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left.
RaderaI think collectrors want earliest press. Typical version of 'In The Court....' on Pink Label has matrix A2/B4. And when collectors see earlier version (A2/B3 or A2/B2) they are trying to get it for any cost.
RaderaNick Drake's albums are real unique. I suppose his records had tiny issues.
Yes he probably didn't sell a lot from the first issues, but I bet if it had been a less collectible label the prices would be lower today. The same with Vertigo Swirl - the price more connected to label design than music or audio.
RaderaYes - collectors prefer first issue than later press and very often value of records are overpriced. OK, I understand when record had just one press, never have been reissue at the period etc. But when album was sold in million copies or when it have been reissue many times - large price is very strange to me.
RaderaFirst Crimson and Zeppelin these are very good examples.
Strange yes. Also there's a lot of hype for some albums created by sellers. The UK Sgt. Pepper mono was highly priced some decades ago in spite of it being sold in millions and the first press stereo was much rarer.. We called it a "turist trap" because the UK sellers had thousands of them and still got overprice every time.
Raderaone of my top ten, maybe even top five, favorite records
SvaraRaderaand my favorite KC record for sure, with Red being a close second
SvaraRaderaI agree Red is a killer too...certainly their most consistent. Hard rock prog at its very best...it would be impossible to do that better..
Radera