Week of September 21^st, 2026

King Crimson - Discipline (1981)

Turning 45 this week is King Crimson's return after a 7-year hiatus, Discipline. Released on September 21st, 1981, this album takes on a less progressive/psychedelic feel and leans more into art rock, punk rock and new-wave. The only original member still with King Crimson by this point is Robert Fripp who is joined by Bill Bruford (easily King Crimson's best drummer), who had appeared on the previous three records. New additions to the band include frontman Adrian Belew (formerly of Frank Zappa and David Bowie) and session musician Tony Levin. The addition of Levin introduced a new sound produced by his main instrument, the Chapman Stick, a percussive pseudo-bass-guitar-piano type stringed instrument where the sound is produced by tapping the fingerboard rather than plucking or strumming the strings. 

The first single on the record, "Matte Kudasai" (wait, please in Japanese) is a straight-forward progressive pop ballad. The second single, "Thela Hun Ginjeet" had a more new-wave and funk feel. This was mainly due to the large number of polyrhythms. The main guitar riff was in 7/8 while the drums are in 4/4. My personal favorite on the album, "Elephant Talk", was the B-side for both singles.

The album may have a less progressive rock feel, but that didn't stop Crimson from including the penultimate track, an 8-and-a-half minute long progressive instrumental, "The Sheltering Sky". All in all, the album is a great introduction to not only King Crimson, but also for those who wish to dip their toe into progressive rock in general. The album is frequently cited among the Top100 albums of the 1980s and has influenced many rock, pop and progressive artists in the 45 years since its release. Highly recommend it.