Probably the most influential band from the Progressive era of Rock Music would no doubt be King Crimson. I can't think of a single Progressive group during the entire period of the 1970's that didn't point to them as a guiding light and inspiration. Probably the most logical progression and evolution from the Psych period of the mid-late 60's, mixing the technical proficiency of Jazz with thematic elements of Classical, Progressive or Prog-Rock as it became known was the music you listened to and didn't dance by and it certainly didn't adhere to the edicts of Pop music which said everything had to be done and said in three minutes or less.

And clocking in at just over 9 minutes, tonight's track The Court Of The Crimson King exemplifies what the form was all about.

Needless to say, when it was first released in 1969, In The Court Of The Crimson King was a staple in the diet of most FM underground playlists and it has gone on to achieve the reputation as being one of the milestone albums of the genre and the start for what has been a long-lasting legacy of a band which is still together (although the only original founding member Robert Fripp is still there and the band claims to be on hiatus) and still regarded as one of the great innovators in Progressive and Alternative music.

And for the next 9 minutes you'll get to hear why.

(King Crimson - Went from "The Cheerful Insanity Of Giles, Giles and Fripp" to this - and never looked back)

A special installment of the Roundtable tonight. A live performance during what is considered the heyday of one of the milestone Progressive rock bands, King Crimson. This 1970 concert, recorded by the BBC has as close to the original lineup as possible.

I've often wondered what would have happened, had King Crimson never existed in the first place. So many bands from 1969 on owe so much to the pioneering work of Robert Fripp and company. I'm sure someone would have come along, and maybe the direction would have been totally different. Or maybe it would have stayed frozen in time.

No. The nice part about music is that it constantly changes - it never quite stays the same. That's what's great about it.

And that's what was so great about King Crimson - they were constantly evolving.

as are we . .