‘Discipline’ (1981) charted on
release in many countries - including the UK & USA - and songs written for
the album such as ‘Matte Kudasai’ have become established favourites in the
band’s repertoire. The album remains
one of the key albums of the early 1980s and one of King Crimson’s most popular
and best-selling.
‘Beat’ (1982) was released just eight
months after the quartet’s recording of ‘Discipline’ and marked the first
occasion where a KC line-up had remained intact for a two album stretch and the
first album by the band to employ a separate producer – Rhett Davies. The album also charted upon release in the US
and the UK with compositions such a ‘Waiting Man’, ‘Neal and Jack and Me’ and
‘Heartbeat’ becoming firm favourites with fans and concert goers.
‘Three Of A Perfect Pair’ (1984) was the
first of the 80s albums to reach Top 30 in the UK album charts, signalling the
increasing popularity of the 80s line-up and helping to ensure the group’s
status as one of the most interesting and innovative bands of the decade.
King Crimson’s 1980s studio trilogy is now
celebrated as a classic period, the intricacies of the playing and details in
the compositional style became a key influence on sub-genres such as math rock.
