CRIMSON OBSERVATIONS REPUBLISHED

The definitive biography is back – double the size and now “a field guide to King Crimson”.

Sid Smith’s feted band biography, In The Court Of King Crimson, will be republished on November 15 in revised and expanded form with the new subtitle An Observation Over 50 Years.

Originally published in 2001, the book has long been out of print, but after being approached by Crimson’s Panegyric label, Smith has now taken the story up to 2019 through new interviews with principals.“Everyone has been incredibly helpful and I try to let their voices come through,” he tells Prog.“I had no editorial guidance and didn’t try to meld their opinions into some grand, unified theory of King Crimson.”

This new edition includes a track-by-track guide to the band’s recordings and an “annotated gigography”, and at 600 pages it is twice the length of the original book. “It’s like a handbook, a field guide to King Crimson,”says Smith.“I think I bring a lot of insight into their world.” Pre-order your copy at www.burningshed.com and read our review in next month’s issue. MB