Islands
by King Crimson
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Condition: Used
King Crimson bestography
Islands is ranked 8th best out of 94 albums by King Crimson on BestEverAlbums.com.
The best album by King Crimson is In The Court Of The Crimson King (An Observation By King Crimson) which is ranked number 25 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 27,844.
(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).
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Islands track list
The tracks on this album have an average rating of 81 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).
Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.
Islands rankings
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Islands ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 313 ratings for this album.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Album ratings | Avg. album rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 02/11/2026 12:37 | kinginsomniac12 | 517 | 99/100 |
| ! | 01/09/2026 22:55 | matterhornrider | 4,902 | 81/100 |
| ! | 01/08/2026 13:16 | MarkusKosmo | 610 | 85/100 |
| ! | 01/03/2026 23:26 | Exist-en-ciel | 7,560 | 70/100 |
| ! | 12/27/2025 08:38 |  nextorgd | 1,158 | 84/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)
This album is rated in the top 5% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 75.9/100, a mean average of 75.9/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 76.0/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.4.
Islands favourites
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Islands comments
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Jboy56 01/12/2023 12:13 | #292742
Islands did not grab me, and the recording or mixing lacked dynamics on earphones
Please leave jazz instruments to jazzmen..
IlMala 01/23/2022 21:50 | #279948
Frankly i really fo not understand why that's not considerated as a peak from King Crimson; after "In the Court" and "Red" is definitely my favourite: easier to listen respect others, but so lovely; hundred times prefer this kind of King Crimson respect the Discipline ones, and even respect the "Lark's Tongue" or "Starless" ones (tastes are tastes...)
Few bands know to change their sound as often as King Crimson. This is their 4th album and their 2nd departure from earlier sounds.
The impressive thing is, they pull it off! This is a fantastic Jazz-influenced album. Listening is a journey, an experience.
Highlights: Formentera Lady, Sailor's Tale, The Letters, Islands
The weakest of the first seven albums. However it is an album that still shows a willingness to experiment, and this is what we value in King Crimson.
I like The Letters, a sombre ballad. And Ladies of the Road has a very "Gentle Giant" feel to it.
But the title track "Islands" is probably the strongest on the album. Also nice touches sprinkled throughout from virtuoso Mel Collins.
Grouse 03/03/2019 16:02 | #232948
Might not be their best and it doesn't really take a hold of you like some of their other albums do but it's still a good mellow album.
anandrajan 10/09/2017 00:48 | #199284
Sailor's Tale is my favorite on this album along with Formentera Lady, Prelude: Song of the Gulls and Islands. I don't know why but Radiohead's The National Anthem (from Kid A) keeps reminding me of Sailor's Tale. King Crimson has been playing this on their last two tours.
LedZep 06/08/2017 15:44 | #192236
One of the overlooked King Crimson records, it's a perfect background music as well as a great chill album. Beautiful piano in many songs, love it
The mellowest album ever
nitomano 11/24/2016 21:07 | #179081
Favoritas: Prelude: Song Of The Gulls, Islands,Ladies Of The Road
One can hardly accuse King Crimson to be coquettish and play on safe keys. Very often the group has given even the most beautiful melodies a twist or edge which contrasts the ugly and the beautiful. This tendency, or intention, is also very evident in this, the group's fourth album.
The group mixes genres in new and challenging ways, and while some passages may be an ordeal for many to give ear to, other pieces of the same track can be melodic beauty and sheer pleasure.
On this album, my two biggest favorites both have these extremes. The opening track "Formentary Lady" has a nice, slightly gloomy intro, played on cello and it builds up very classically inspired. The actual song is melodic, and you easily find yourself humming lines from the delicate and catchy melody. The song gradually develops towards the more discordant, and towards the end the saxophone play notes that may behard to grasp. Although many probably would feel it an assault on the track, I have chosen to make my own edited version - down to about five minutes; then my family wil also be able to be nearby when the track is playing.
The same thing could be done to "Ladies on the Road" which is my absolute favorite. Like "Formentary Lady" the song takes a similar turn towards the end. Still "Ladies on the Road" has everything you could ask for: a bluesy half-acoustic intro, great electric "Come Together" verses, and a beautiful chorus, which reminds me a lot of Pretty Things' "Parachute" album. The saxophone takes over towards the end, and "ruins" some of the song's beauty - some would feel
There are two instrumental, with the "Sailor's Life" as the most exciting, but also the most challenging for the listener. Again experiments on saxophone and later the electric guitar playing notes I have never heard other places.
"Prelude: Song of the Sea" is a very quiet classical number, which could very easily be overlooked. Nice but not really memorable
The title track is another quiet number which is really very nice, but which perhaps lacks a real memorable melody.
"The Letters" has good element but the song does not really hit me.
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