King Crimson vs Yes

[VanDerGraaf]

Not a poll, just trying to define the divide between the two greatest and most stylistically opposing bands in progressive music. thoughts? comments?

Bill Bruford described leaving Yes to join King Crimson as "going over the Berlin Wall into East Germany". To a listener like me that sounds just as true as it is epic.

[cLoCkWeRk]

King Crimson is one of the best bands in the universe, nobody else sounds like them. King Crimson is more technical where as Yes has some types of mainstream sounding music. If you factor in the live albums that king crimson offers Yes doesnt even compete. Although Yes is fantastic King Crimson is the better band. I own every King Crimson album including live shows and bootlegs and I could listen to them over and over. After you listened to the King Crimson albums you could venture into the Robert Fripp solo albums, the Adrian Belew solo albums, the Tony Levin solo albums and Bill Bruford's solo albums.

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by VanDerGraaf

Not a poll, just trying to define the divide between the two greatest and most stylistically opposing bands in progressive music. thoughts? comments?

Bill Bruford described leaving Yes to join King Crimson as "going over the Berlin Wall into East Germany". To a listener like me that sounds just as true as it is epic.

One of the better versus threads and I'm surprised that these two haven't gone head to head before.

Originally Posted by cLoCkWeRk

King Crimson is one of the best bands in the universe, nobody else sounds like them. King Crimson is more technical where as Yes has some types of mainstream sounding music. If you factor in the live albums that king crimson offers Yes doesnt even compete. Although Yes is fantastic King Crimson is the better band. I own every King Crimson album including live shows and bootlegs and I could listen to them over and over. After you listened to the King Crimson albums you could venture into the Robert Fripp solo albums, the Adrian Belew solo albums, the Tony Levin solo albums and Bill Bruford's solo albums.

Basically you're being over biased towards King Crimson here. Yes may have put out some mainstream material on albums such as 90125 and some songs off the Yes Album etc and these songs could be radio friendly but they were hardly mainstream and describing KC as being more technical than Yes is really like discussing which shade of black is darker. Again I'm guessing when it comes to live albums you haven't heard Yessongs one of the best live albums of the 1970s.

[Anteater]

Thing is, having King Crimson face off against Yes doesn't make any sense: both bands took the "progressive" idiom into completely different yet distinct sonic territories, and there's a lot to love on both sides of the wall.

Now VDGG or perhaps Antonius Rex versus King Crimson....there's a real kicker.

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by Anteater

Thing is, having King Crimson face off against Yes doesn't make any sense: both bands took the "progressive" idiom into completely different yet distinct sonic territories, and there's a lot to love on both sides of the wall.

Now VDGG or perhaps Antonius Rex versus King Crimson....there's a real kicker.

They're a good match, as they're two of the biggest ever prog bands from the 1970s and usually amongst the two most respected by both the purists and the average music listener. VDGG are a good comaprison to KC but vocalist Peter Hammill is not always everybody's cup of tea.

[Screen13]

Originally Posted by Anteater

Thing is, having King Crimson face off against Yes doesn't make any sense: both bands took the "progressive" idiom into completely different yet distinct sonic territories, and there's a lot to love on both sides of the wall.

Now VDGG or perhaps Antonius Rex versus King Crimson....there's a real kicker.

Agree on both points!

In this thread, I would side with Crimson. I'm not too much a Yes listener, but they have moments, and I will say that the instrumental blocks of Tales From Topographic Oceans have some mighty fine playing. Some dig Jon Anderson's singing, I will respect that, but for me it's the speed bump from enjoying their music at full level, but I only don't like it in my more critical moods. 90125 did have at least an iconic Early 80's single, "Owner of a Lonely Heart," with a great video that I think was Directed by Peter Christopherson.

[cLoCkWeRk]

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

One of the better versus threads and I'm surprised that these two haven't gone head to head before.



Basically you're being over biased towards King Crimson here. Yes may have put out some mainstream material on albums such as 90125 and some songs off the Yes Album etc and these songs could be radio friendly but they were hardly mainstream and describing KC as being more technical than Yes is really like discussing which shade of black is darker. Again I'm guessing when it comes to live albums you haven't heard Yessongs one of the best live albums of the 1970s.

I will agree that my previous statement was biased, in my eyes King Crimson is better. I advise any given individual to check out their more rare live shows I think any "prog" fan would love them.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxGvVtTMNkE

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by cLoCkWeRk

King Crimson is one of the best bands in the universe, nobody else sounds like them.

No especially early.... Thier first 2 albums kick ass!!!

[VanDerGraaf]

i think one thing yes has over king crimson is the group dynamic, they play together so well its like one machine rather than seperate parts (similar to pink floyd)

[Neapolitan]

Originally Posted by VanDerGraaf

Not a poll, just trying to define the divide between the two greatest and most stylistically opposing bands in progressive music. thoughts? comments?

Bill Bruford described leaving Yes to join King Crimson as "going over the Berlin Wall into East Germany". To a listener like me that sounds just as true as it is epic.

I heard Bill Bruford wanted to join King Crimson because he thought it would be more popular band. Yes is Chris Squier's band - it can only be called a Yes album if he appears on it. It's a revolving door with band members, Chris thought it kept the band always sounding fresh. But from pov where I have a definite favourite line-up it limits the albums by that line-up. I'm more of Steve Howe & Bill Bruford fan.

Bill's genius is his subtly, he can do more with Jazz inspired odd timing or a well placed drum roll than most Rock drummers can going ape-**** on 16 piece drum kit.

Steve is true musician he's a well versed guitar player and one can hear in his playing his influences - Wes, Les, Chet, and Hank. He is also a versatile multi-instrumentalist. Almost every Prog rock guitar players explored the guitar beyond the typical Blues style of playing, each taking the guitar into different directions. Steve Howe is probably the most traditional guitar player in Prog. in the fact that he incorporates Jazz, Folk early Rock and Roll styles of playing.