This selection was picked by Gen Z son.

Gen X dad says… my preference is for the 1980s incarnation of King Crimson, but there’s no denying that the band’s 1969 debut is a landmark, seminal album of the progressive rock genre. Its expert blend of jazz, classical, and symphonic music is a remarkable achievement even today. That being said, side two’s Moonchild is a bit of a noodling slog and doesn’t sit well between a solid side one and the closing The Court of the Crimson King. Other highlights for me are 21st Century Schizoid Man, Epitaph, and Barry Godber’s iconic cover artwork.

Gen Z son says… This album definitely is a classic. While Moonchild‘s long ambient-jazz interlude is a bit lackluster, the rest of the album is an energetic, head-banging prog-rock burst, from the tempo-changing 21st Century Schizoid Man, to the operatic, symphonic epic that is The Court Of The Crimson King. King Crimson’s ’69 debut is considered a staple in rock history – and it deserves to be, because it, for the most part, is astonishing.