Favourite King Crimson singer?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Madrid, May 23, 2020.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Madrid

    Madrid Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Madrid
    Who is your favourite of the King Crimson singers any why?

    Thought this could potentially be an interesting poll, at least between Lake, Wetton and Belew. Imagine the others won't get many votes at all, but who knows.

    Also - which of them have you seen live with the band and what did you think?

    Such a fascinating band with so many great members contributing - thought this could be interesting.
     
    abzach likes this.
  2. Jamsterdammer

    Jamsterdammer The Great CD in the Sky

    Location:
    Málaga, Spain
    It’s between Lake and Wetton. I’m not a big fan of Belew’s voice. I chose Wetton, because that’s the KC period I like best. Red is one of my very favorite albums.
     
    serj, garysb, bzfgt and 1 other person like this.
  3. Joe McKee

    Joe McKee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Tough call between Lake and Wetton but I have to go with Lake.
     
  4. Billy Infinity

    Billy Infinity Beloved aunt

    Location:
    US
    My favorite era is the Wetton/Bruford jawn, but Greg Lake's voice is tops for me.
     
  5. Shriner

    Shriner Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ann Arbor, MI, USA
    I went for Wetton, but Belew was in the mix for top spot.
     
    Crimson Crunch and jacethecrowl like this.
  6. Jamsterdammer

    Jamsterdammer The Great CD in the Sky

    Location:
    Málaga, Spain
    To be honest, King Crimson had some good vocalists, but never a great one. For me, this band is all about the other instruments. In that regard they are second to none. All imho of course.
     
    gd0 likes this.
  7. manxman

    manxman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Isle of Man
    Judy Dyble. (Well, she was with Giles, Giles & Fripp rather than King Crimson proper, but I wish she'd stayed with them.)
     
    SKATTERBRANE, rlp, anth67 and 3 others like this.
  8. John Wetton. I love Belew as well, but his voice tends to shine more on his solo material and when he as more melodic stuff with which to work. His vocals were really, really good on Thrak. Likewise, Wetton's best singing probably came in Asia, whether or not your really liked the material.

    I like Lake's singing through about ELPowell, but his work on the Crimson debut actually gets a bit boring for me. I pretty much skip Court of the CK and Epitaph now. Nothing new there.
     
  9. Yawndave

    Yawndave Forum Resident

    Location:
    Santa Clara CA
    Tough choice between Lake, Wetton and Belew. I like Greg's voice better, but my favorite Crimso songs are sung by John and Adrian.
     
    grbl likes this.
  10. WithinYourReach

    WithinYourReach Resident Millennial

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Similar to a poster above, I voted for Lake as my favorite singer, but followed close by Belew as he is on a lot of my favorite KC songs.
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2020
    Blue Note likes this.
  11. arthurprecarious

    arthurprecarious Forum Resident

    Location:
    North East England
    Lake cos he had the best voice....
     
    BDC, steve phillips and gillcup like this.
  12. Zongadude

    Zongadude Music is the best

    Location:
    France
    It has to be Jakko.
    The most versatile, warm, and probably capable of all.
    He can sing all the different eras and be convincing at each one.
     
  13. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.
    This is a tough call, as each brought something a little different.

    I went with Wetton; I like the gruff, weary quality he brought to the table—perfect for that era of the band.

    Belew did very well too in his 25+ years as the frontman.
     
    gd0 and MoonPool like this.
  14. Terrapin Station

    Terrapin Station Master Guns

    Location:
    NYC Man/Joy-Z City
    Belew.

    Wetton would be my second choice.
     
    Sebastian saglimbenI likes this.
  15. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    John Wetton with Boz Burrell as second
     
  16. SurrealCereal

    SurrealCereal Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    I could pretty much go either way with Lake or Wetton, but I ended up picking Lake because I think his voice is slightly better. If I was factoring in instrumental skill then I would have to go with Wetton.
     
    gillcup likes this.
  17. MarcS

    MarcS Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I went with Lake with Wetton a close 2nd. Lake had more range.
     
    sound chaser and gillcup like this.
  18. Grower of Mushrooms

    Grower of Mushrooms Omnivorous mammalian bipedal entity.

    Location:
    Glasgow
    Much as I love KC, I was never really struck with any of the vocalists.

    Now, imagine if Peter Hammill had done a stint in KC. Disengage from Exposure is a colossal track.
     
  19. G B Kuipers

    G B Kuipers Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    Easy: Jon Anderson on Prince Rupert (Lizard).

    Otherwise, Lake.

    I love the Wetton era, but his voice always sounds strained and slightly off pitch to me.
     
    Seagull likes this.
  20. Of those listed I'd say Greg Lake is my favorite singer in general. But specifically in the context of King Crimson, and all that entails, I voted Adrian Belew, particularly with the 81-84 period on mind. Belew was the perfect vocalist for that ensemble, and his often non-traditional approach to lyrics and singing paralled the experimental approach of the instrumentalists. He was a King Crimson singer, and not just a singer of King Crimson songs, if that makes any sense. Belew was never less than totally committed, and brought a level of engagement that has not always been evident in all KC singers.
     
  21. hodgo

    hodgo Tea Making Gort (Yorkshire Branch) Staff

    Location:
    East Yorkshire
    In Order.....

    1. Greg Lake
    2. John Wetton
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    3. Jakko Jakszyk
     
    gillcup and Rufus rag like this.
  22. Zach Johnson

    Zach Johnson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    All of KC's vocalists have really fit their material well, but I couldn't imagine anyone having been able to replace Wetton or Belew in their respective lineups.

    In terms of picking one over the other, Wetton era Crimson has always been my favourite, so he would be my top choice.

    But I love Adrian. His Power Trio concert that I attended is my favourite live show I've ever been to. And having met him twice, he seems like a really nice, down to earth guy.
     
    Scat Rabies, Madrid and Blue Note like this.
  23. humpf

    humpf Allowed to write something here.

    Location:
    Silesia
    First, I am not exactly a fan. It sounds to me like the vocal was always intentionally supressed on KC albums. Belew is the only one who was distinctive enough to get through. On the other hand Wetton's delivery may be the main backdraw of that era KC for me.
     
  24. Rufus rag

    Rufus rag Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Difficult to choose between Lake & Wetton but Lake edges it!
     
    steve phillips and gillcup like this.
  25. Two Sheds

    Two Sheds Sha La La La Lee

    I prefer Lake to Wetton, but it's a close one.
     
    gillcup and Rufus rag like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine