Islands
Studio album by King Crimson
Released	December, 1971
Recorded	1971
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	43:34
Label	Virgin Records
Producer	Robert Fripp, Peter Sinfield
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Rolling Stone (mixed) link
King Crimson chronology
Lizard (1970) Islands (1971) Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973)

Islands is an album by the band King Crimson, released in 1971.

The last King Crimson studio album before the group's trilogy of Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red, it is also the last to feature the lyrics of Peter Sinfield and the last to feature the band's 'traditional' progressive sound.

The album was not particularly well received critically, although fans have suggested that the second side of the LP is much stronger than the first, which could have something to do with the poor reviews. [1] There are four tracks with lyrics on this album, and three of them concern women, one of them in a notoriously misogynistic way: "Ladies of the Road", about groupies, although fans have suggested that the song might be a joke.

Trivia

• The original album cover was off-white with colored "islands", but was later replaced with a cover that depicts the Trifid Nebula.
• Robert Fripp taught Boz Burrell how to play bass so that he could perform the instrument as well as sing on the album. Burrell later became the bassist for the band Bad Company.
• The original LP cover did not displayed the name of the band nor the title

Track listing

1. "Formentera Lady" (Robert Fripp, Peter Sinfield) – 10:14
2. "Sailor's Tale" (Fripp) – 7:21
3. "The Letters" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 4:26
4. "Ladies of the Road" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 5:28
5. "Prelude: Song of the Gulls" (Fripp) – 4:14
6. "Islands" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 11:51

Personnel

King Crimson

• Robert Fripp – guitar, mellotron, Peter's pedal Harmonium and sundry implements.
• Boz Burrell – bass guitar, lead vocals and choreography.
• Mel Collins – flute, bass flute, saxophone, vocals
• Ian Wallace – drums, percussion, vocals
• Peter Sinfield - words, sounds and visions

Additional musicians

• Paulina Lucas – soprano vocals
• Keith Tippett – piano
• Robin Miller – oboe
• Marc Charig – cornet
• Harry Miller – string bass

External links

• Lyrics

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