King Crimson - Islands

Islands is the fourth studio album by progressive rock band King Crimson, originally released in December 1971 via Island Records.

All the songs on the album were written by Robert Fripp and lyricist Pete Sinfield. This would be the last album to feature lyrics by Sinfield.

The album also showed signs of a difference in styles between Sinfield (who favoured the softer and more textural jazz-folk approach and wanted the band to move in a Miles Davis direction) and Fripp (who was drawn more towards the harsher instrumental style exemplified by the instrumental "Sailor's Tale", with its dramatic Mellotron and banjo-inspired guitar technique). Islands also featured the band's only experiment with a string ensemble on "Prelude: Song of the Gulls" and the raunchy rhythm-and-blues-inspired "Ladies of the Road".

The album reached #30 on the UK and #76 on the US albums charts.

The album was received with mixed reviews by music critics at the time.

Members of King Crimson that recorded this album were:

• Robert Fripp – guitar, keyboards
• Peter Sinfield – lyrics, sounds and visions, cover design and painting
• Mel Collins – saxophones, flutes, backing vocals
• Ian Wallace – drums, percussion, backing vocals
• Raymond “Boz” Burrell – bass, lead vocals

This album is a Robert Fripp approved reissue on 200 gram black vinyl with a printed insert, pressed in Europe via Discipline Global Mobile, Panegyric and Inner Knot.