In the Court of the Crimson King (subtitled An
Observation by King Crimson) is the debut studio album by English progressive
rock band King Crimson, released on 10 October 1969 by Island
Records. The album is one of the earliest and most influential of the
progressive rock genre, where the band combined the musical influences that
rock music was founded upon with elements of jazz, classical, and symphonic
music. Considered by many critics to be
one of the greatest progressive rock albums of all time, it reached number five
on the UK Albums Chart and number 28 on the US Billboard 200,
where it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA).
Barry Godber (1946–1970), a computer programmer friend of
Sinfield's, painted the design for the album cover. He used his own face,
viewed through a mirror, as the model. Godber died in February 1970 from a
heart attack, shortly after the album's release. It was his only album cover;
the original painting is now owned by Robert Fripp. Fripp had said
about Godber's artwork: “Peter
[Sinfield] brought this painting in and the band loved it. I recently recovered
the original from [managing label E.G. Records's] offices because they kept it
exposed to bright light, at the risk of ruining it, so I ended up removing it.
The face on the outside is the Schizoid Man, and on the inside it's the Crimson
King. If you cover the smiling face, the eyes reveal an incredible sadness.
What can one add? It reflects the music.”
THIS COPY is a US 1978 Presswell repressing on the Atlantic label. (See Notes, below.) The vinyl is in Very Good Plus [VG+] condition. The original textured gatefold cover is in
Excellent [EX] condition. The original
inner sleeve has one tiny tear at the top on one side (see photo), but has no
splits, writing, stains, etc. The original
inner sleeve is in Very Good Plus [VG+] condition.
Notes
Produced for E.G.
Productions, 'David & John'.
Recorded at Wessex Sound Studios, London.
Ⓒ
1969 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Reissue with new catalog number and 75 Rockefeller Plaza address
on each label.
White gatefold text.
Matrix/Runout codes are hand-etched.
Barcode and Other
Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Label Side A): ST-A-69 1699-PR
Matrix / Runout (Label Side B): ST-A-691700-PR
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A, Variant 1): ST-A-6916
99D
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B, Variant
1): ST-A-691700-F
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A, Variant 2): ST-A-6916
99D 4141 (PR)P
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B, Variant 2): ST-A
691700-F G14P (PR)P