When I listen to it, I hear a profound debt to Bela Bartok, an acknowledged influence on Robert Fripp. It is darkly, baroque in its soundscape. The three tracks are "Sailor's Tale," "Ladies of the Road" and the title track "Islands."
This is the third entirely new lineup for the band, featuring:
Robert Fripp: electric and acoustic guitars, mellotron, organ and devices.
Boz Burrell: bass, lead vocal.
Mel Collins: saxophone, flute, backing vocals.
Ian Wallace: drums, percussion, backing vocals.
Pete Sinfield: lyrics.
Boz Burrell would later go on to play bass for Bad Company. Fripp reputedly taught him to play bass, when they hired him on to sing lead vocals.
Additional musicians include:
Harry Miller: double bass.
Keith Tippett: piano.
Robert Miller: oboe.
Mark Charig: cornet.
Wilf Gibson: violin.
Paulina Lucas: soprano.
Formentera Lady (10:18)
Hate to say it, but the song itself is somewhat forgettable. Not bad, but not something that necessarily sticks with you. Still it sets that darkly classical feel defining this album.
Sailor's Tale (7:29)
This is one of those great King Crimson instrumentals that defines them as a band. I've read someone describe the King Crimson/Robert Fripp aesthetic as an exploration and synthesis of order and chaos in music. That's what this instrumental is. This song is a frantic jam notable for its driving, insistent drum tattoo, blaring sax and screeching, yet musical, guitar drone.
Letters (4:28)
This is a rinse-and-repeat of "Formentera Lady." Of some interest, but largely forgettable.
Ladies of the Road (5:31)
This is the only really blues-influenced track you will find in the King Crimson catalog. Uncharacteristic of Robert Fripp, but inspired. It's King Crimson's "Squeezebox" or "Fat Bottom Girls," something of a dirty musical joke. The subject of the song is the groupies that follow bands and how they throw themselves at the band and get used.
Two-fingered levi-ed sister
Said "Peace," I stopped and kissed her.
Said "I'm a male resister."
I smiled and just unzipped her.
Of course, the song is probably problematic now. But it's still a song that has groove -with its bluesy guitar and raunchy sax
Prelude: Song of Gulls (4:14)
Basically a string quartet composition with flute. Nothing more.
Islands (11:51)
A sweet, mournful song. One of King Crimson's characteristic showpieces. A lyrical passage followed with a complex, significantly developed instrumental coda which turns out to be the heart of the song itself. The lyrics take a turn at the John Donne conceit implicit in his poem Meditation XVII: "No man is an island."
Earth, stream and tree encircled by sea
Waves sweep the sand from my island.
My sunsets fade.
Field and glade wait only for rain.
Grain after grain erodes my
High-weathered walls which fend off the tide,
Cradle the wind
To my island.
. . .
Beneath the wind-turned waves
Infinite peace
Islands join hands
'Neath heaven's sea.
The instrumental is an ecstatic and melancholic jam between Charig's brilliant cornet, Miller's contemplative oboe, and Tippett's jazzy, yet restrained piano. Sublime.
Grade: As I said, this album was my fifth KC album for quite some time. But on the strength of just three tracks. Given that, I think I actually have to give it a B-.
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