Islands is the fourth studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 3 December 1971 by Island Records in the United Kingdom, and in January 1972 by Atlantic Records in the United States and Canada. Islands is the only studio album to feature the line-up of Robert Fripp, Peter Sinfield, Mel Collins, Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace. Of these five members, only Fripp would still be in the band by the time of their next studio album, 1973's Larks' Tongues in Aspic.
Like its predecessor, Islands incorporates elements of jazz improvisation. The album reached number 30 in the UK Albums Chart. It received a mixed response from critics and fans.
Background and release history
Sinfield was fired by Fripp following Islands, after what the latter musician viewed as a year and a half of increasing hostility. While Sinfield believed creative tensions were essential for the creativity of the band, he has since opined that his suggestions on the band's future being so unlike Fripp's sowed the seeds of the discontent, saying: "I think the famous 'big' problems really occurred leading up to Islands, where I musically wanted to find a softer, Miles Davis-with-vocals sexy package." Over time, Sinfield has been quoted as referring to the album as "my Islands", an assertion denied by Fripp who has said: "I'm not sure why Peter Sinfield would consider Islands to be his album, although it became clear at the time that Peter was increasingly using KC as a vehicle for his personal ambitions, rather than a joint/group undertaking. [...] But realistically, how was Islands Peter's album? Peter didn't compose or play music."
Music and lyrics
Musically, the album expands on the improvisational jazz leanings of King Crimson's previous album, Lizard.
The harmonic basis for the tune "The Letters" is derived from the Giles, Giles and Fripp song "Why Don't You Just Drop In", available on The Brondesbury Tapes compilation. The bridge section is also taken from the King Crimson version of the song, performed by the original line-up, titled simply "Drop In" and later released on the live album Epitaph.
The lyrics to "Ladies of the Road" are a series of male sexual fantasies revolving around "girls of the road", i.e. groupies. Lyricist Peter Sinfield later commented on the song: "... everybody writes at least one groupie song. We shouldn't. But we do. It is the ultimate sexist lyric of all time. I couldn't imagine anyone taking it too seriously, because in those days you were still able to say things like 'my lady' with a capital M and a capital L." [emphasis in original]
left|thumb|King Crimson in 1971. From left: Fripp, Collins, Wallace, Burrell, Sinfield
The original basis for the song "Prelude: Song of the Gulls" is derived from the Giles, Giles and Fripp song "Suite No. 1".
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Retrospective reviews have been mixed, with critics generally praising the band's performances while finding the compositions and album structure aimless. AllMusic called it "the weakest Crimson studio album from their first era" that "is only a real disappointment in relation to the extraordinarily high quality of the group's earlier efforts." In his book A New Day Yesterday: UK Progressive Rock & the 70s (2020), Mike Barnes describes Islands as "another oddity, encompassing sleazy R&B, pastoralia and pseudo-baroque", and deems it "generally more direct than Lizards", despite expansive moments like "Formentera Lady". Martin C. Strong pinpoints Islands as the third in a four-album run from 1970 to 1973 in which King Crimson moved into avant-jazz territory.
- Uncredited musicians – strings <small>(1, 5, 6 (hidden track only))</small>
- Andy Hendrikson – recording engineer
- Vick & Mike – equipment
- Robert Ellis – band photography
- The Institute of Technology and Carnegie Institution of Washington – cover photographs
Charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (1971–72)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
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! scope="row"|Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)
| style="text-align:center;"|49
|-
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! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)
| align="center"| 21
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)
| align="center"| 21
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)
| align="center"| 61
|-
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