McDonald and Giles: McDonald and Giles (1971)
Following the release of the spellbinding debut, In The Court of the Crimson King, the band splintered. Guitarist Robert Fripp kept the name, continuing to record King Crimson albums with a rotating cast of colleagues (both through the first half of the 70s, and then in its later reconfigurations in the 80s and right on up to the present). But the band's co-founders, multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald and drummer/vocalist Michael Giles, split off and recorded their own album. Alas, it turned out to be a one-off, McDonald going on to presumably make a shit-ton of money with (yecch) Foreigner, Giles to a long career as a session musician.
But McDonald and Giles is a terrific little one-off. It lacks Court's heavier aspects (i.e. "20th Century Schizoid Man") and darker psychedelia, but retains the extended jazzy free-form experiments, while adding some catchy pop hooks. In addition to its namesakes, Giles' brother Peter played bass, as he had on Court, and King Crimson lyricist Peter Sinfield provided lyrics for a couple of the tunes, arguably making this a more fulsome successor to Court than Crimson's own contemporaneously-released In The Wake of Poseidon. Indeed, Wake highlight "Cadence and Cascade" is essentially the same song as this album's "Flight Of The Ibis," albeit with different lyrics.
The album's highlight is opening track "Suite In C," which starts and ends with a jazzy little pop jaunt, studio-tweaked vocals and a catchy hook, with a long instrumental break in the center. It's a great example of prog in all its glory and excess, as good as anything the post-Court Crimson would record. Equally great is "Tomorrow's People," offering another terrific guitar & woodwind hook in the main section, as well as another enthralling instrumental jam.
The album isn't perfect. As a vocalist, Giles isn't on the same plane as Greg Lake (though Lake was no longer part of King Crimson after the first album either, heading off into the wasteland of ELP). And the side two extended "Birdman" suite is a little aimless, at times venturing into the more twee Brittania of the fun but dated pre-Crimson Giles, Giles & Fripp album. Still, this is as worthy an entry in the Crimson canon as Fripp's far-better-known 70s work.
Here's a fantastic (after a long lead-in) live version of "Tomorrow's People" from a later McDonald/Giles reunion (performing as the 21st Century Schizoid Band):
Great review of a under appreciated album/band
ReplyDeleteSomething strange happened to all the original members of King Crimson. Like a jinx.
ReplyDeleteThey all went on with the exception of Fripp to join bands that unashamedly were more commercial and far less innovative.
Although Giles had occasionally popped his head above the parapet with Keith Tippett and KC tribute bands playing in Japan no doubt for a generous fee. I don't think Giles likes the showbiz life very much.
McDonald joining Foreigner. Greg Lake formed Emerson Lake and Palmer, they started out sounding promising but became a monster towards the end. Greg Lake admitted in his biography before he died that he never out did King Crimson's first album. It was truly timeless and ground breaking.
After Peter Sinfield was eventually chucked out. Sinfield produced Premiata Forneria Marconi. A sort of Italian Emerson Lake and Palmer on their label Manticore. Sinfield released his solo record "Still" the lyrics were wonderful and many of the musicians were former King Crimson members but Sinfield sang the lyrics and destroyed any chance of the record selling. Sinfield knew he couldn't sing but he thought he could get away with it like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.
Then it was all downhill for Peter Sinfield eventually anonymously writing a pop song for the pop group Bucks Fizz. For the Eurovision song contest "In the land of make believe".
It all felt demeaning like in the film "The Killing of Sister George" Where the character sister George once a successful actress is demeaned into becoming a voice over for a 🐄 cow. Or like if Ella Fitzgerald becoming a voice over for a telly tubbies character on a children's cartoons because the career was wrecked.
This McDonald and Giles album although charming at times avoided sounding like King Crimson in order to sound more like a Paul McCartney solo album. A lot of people said that at the time of its release. Had the original King Crimson lineup continued although Peter Sinfield did write most of the lyrics for the McDonald Giles album there would have been an edge to the music that was lacking without Robert Fripp and Greg Lake.
These earth shattering groups break up and lose their mojo because their strength is in their collective efforts. Individually there is something missing. I think this was very much part of this era precedented by the Beatles. The group's collective efforts were the most powerful.
That Sinfield record is pretty unlistenable, sadly. And while I desperately tried to enjoy ELP during my high school prog phase, there was just too much dreck. I tried to make myself a single-CD collection of favorites a few years ago, and could only fill 80 minutes by adding in some Nice tracks and a cover of 20th Century Schizoid Man.
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