For some of you this may be “Progressive Music 101”, but please stick around.  I think you will be intrigued by what you hear.

I have talked about my music listening habits, starting with exposure to my older sibling’s music, and the AM radio Top 40 formats of my youth.  As I grew into my teen years the FM radio “album” or “free form” formats” gained popularity.  This was a quantum leap in terms of the kinds of music I had access to – artists and songs that were not Top 40 chart material, or limited to the two and a half minute limit for AM radio play.  FM radio is where I first heard so-called “alternative” or “progressive” rock music, such as YES, Emerson Lake & Palmer and Pink Floyd to name a few.  This music was far from the typical popular music formula of the day, the songs were less songs and more extended musical “suites”, with fantasy themed or  philosphical lyrics and 10,20 minutes or more in length.  Today’s song is one of the seminal progressive rock song by the band whose name is synonymous with the genre.  Any guesses?  If you’re not a progger then you have no idea.

The band is King Crimson and the song is “In The Court Of The Crimson King”.  Oddly enough, it was released as a single and reached #80 on the US charts in 1969.  Give a listen:

Very interesting and slightly unsettling, no?  The music of this era fostered many a discussion over the songs’ meanings, and as you may imagine many a discussion was had about this song.  Class Dismissed.