When King Crimson’s debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, was released in October 1969, it was greeted with amazement and disbelief, with the Who’s Pete Townshend hailing it as “an uncanny masterpiece”.
Its overwhelming mix of psychedelic, jazz, folk and classical influences made it a benchmark in the story of progressive rock. Peter Sinfield’s lyrics were an integral part of its success, and they teemed with imagery by turns savage, mystical or melancholy.
