Sid Smith

Sid Smith

Sid's feature articles and reviews have appeared in numerous publications including Prog, Classic Rock, Record Collector, Q, Mojo and Uncut. 

A full-time freelance writer with hundreds of sleevenotes and essays for both indie and major record labels to his credit, his book, In The Court Of King Crimson, an acclaimed biography of King Crimson, was substantially revised and expanded in 2019 to coincide with the band’s 50th Anniversary. Alongside appearances on radio and TV, he has lectured on jazz and progressive music in the UK and Europe.  

A resident of Whitley Bay in north-east England, he spends far too much time posting photographs of LPs he's listening to on Twitter and Facebook.

Articles by: Sid Smith

Elephant9

“Massive. Exploring. Space travel.” After ELP’s Tarkus inspired the purchase of a Hammond organ, Elephant9 have defined and refined their experimental sound with help from across the Norwegian music scene

By Sid Smith published

Latest album Mythical River has artistic tributaries including John Paul Jones, Motorpsycho, Hedvig Mollestad Trio, Dungen, Red Kite – and also coffee

Kevin Ayers - All This Crazy Gift Of Time

“An absolute delight… the radio sessions and live sets are completely priceless”: Kevin Ayers’ All This Crazy Gift Of Time box set

By Sid Smith published

Lavish 10-disc package celebrates the Canterbury legend, with hard work done to deliver contemporary commentary and revitalize his 1970 Hyde Park show

Steve Howe - Guitarscape

“Curiously retro, reminiscent of Vangelis… these tunes are mostly short and to the point”: Steve Howe’s Guitarscape

By Sid Smith published

Inspired by a new synth, the Yes veteran has created something of a taster showreel in his latest outing with son Dylan

King Crimson - Red

“It was extremely hard to deal with. But if you impose incredibly hard obstacles to making something, and people stay in the room, you might just get there”: The radical neutrality that gave birth to King Crimson’s Red

By Sid Smith published

Robert Fripp, Bill Bruford, John Wetton and guests struggled to deliver the 1974 album that, for many years, remained severely underrated

“We were torn between trying to make it big and making our music more crossover, but failing… that happened because we became conscious of what we were doing”: The Power And The Glory signalled the beginning of the end for Gentle Giant

By Sid Smith published

They’d reasserted themselves after a line-up change and enjoyed the results – but the surprisingly polarised response to their sixth album led them to start second-guessing their own work.

King Crimson

“Even with tensions rife, this music showcases the breathtaking musical telepathy they’d developed”: The best King Crimson songs of the 1970s

By Sid Smith published

They were only around for half of the decade before splitting – but left an indelible mark with six albums of bold, visionary work

King Crimson

“All I can remember was Robert Fripp giving up completely, saying, ‘There’s no hope’”: King Crimson’s torturous journey through fourth album Islands – and its 30-year fallout

By Sid Smith published

How King Crimson fractured, regrouped and fractured again as they made 1971 album Islands

Dave Bainbridge

“We found out Robert Fripp listened to our music while soaking in the bath, so we asked him to play”: Dave Bainbridge on the life and times of Iona

By Sid Smith published

Guitarist, keyboardist, Strawbs and Lifesigns member on splitting with Troy Donockley, guilty pleasures with a Minimoog, and why ‘Christian rock’ label was inaccurate

Andy Mackay

“I’m not a classical composer… but with a 16-piece orchestra you get a big lift that you can’t reproduce on anything else”: When Andy Mackay took Roxy Music tracks on a new journey

By Sid Smith published

The Roxy Music saxophonist reflects back on an eclectic career...

Sandy Denny

“There are qualities of grandeur and flight in her music, yet it comes across as totally unpretentious and emotionally grounded”: Remembering Sandy Denny

By Sid Smith published

Tragically silenced at 31, she only had a decade to demonstrate her talents – but her persona and performances remain indelible after more than 40 years

No-Man

“Our failure got us dropped by our label, manager and publisher – and led to us rediscovering what we really wanted to do musically”: How No-Man learned to confound their expectations without offending each other

By Sid Smith published

Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson’s mutual respect and passion has kept their art-pop collaboration alive – despite the constant distractions of their other projects

Carmen – the Albums

“Decent material, often trampled by shoehorning in flamenco motifs, fancy footwork and an over-the-top macho swagger”: Carmen’s The Albums collection

By Sid Smith published

Three-disc retrospective illustrates the promise of a mid-70s band supported by David Bowie and Tony Visconti

Robert Fripp holding a guitar

“My discipline is doing what needs to be done, whether you like it or not… Robert decides what to do and Fripp has to go and do it”: How to survive over 50 years of King Crimson, by the only person who’s been there

By Sid Smith published

Serious leader of a prog behemoth, hugely influential guitarist, half of the Toyah & Robert party band… who is the real Robert Fripp? He offers some tantalising hints

Roxy Music

“They’d been to university, they had bank accounts; two of them were teachers; they had a car; they’d got a bank loan to buy a PA!”: Phil Manzanera always knew Roxy Music were going to make it

By Sid Smith published

Guitarist who failed his first audition recalls making 1972 debut album for just £5,000

Eddie Jobson

“I’m 16 and they were my heroes… They started to laugh because I was also playing the echo parts. I didn’t know they were a special effect”: Obsessive attention to detail was always Eddie Jobson’s superpower

By Sid Smith published

From a backstage performance for Curved Air to being dragged onstage by Frank Zappa and out-complicating King Crimson, the UK violinist has managed to ignore distractions from making music

King Crimson sitting on an area of grass, 1969

"All of a sudden we play at blinding speed and unbearable intensity, and everyone starts to take notice and stand up": How King Crimson got started

By Sid Smith published

Recorded in just 10 days in 1969, King Crimson’s iconic In The Court Of The Crimson King has been called “the true point at which progressive rock was born”. We look at the making of a landmark album

Danny Thompson

“When I drank, I was going to be the best drinker in the bar, or take the most drugs or whatever. When I did give up the drink I was going to be the best at that:” The bottom-end drive that made Danny Thompson’s name

By Sid Smith published

Rejecting criticism from those who wondered why he bothered playing folk music, the always-in-demand bassist’s attitude led to experiences with John Martyn, Kate Bush, David Sylvian, Tim Buckley and many others

Van der Graaf Generator - Still Life and Vital

“One doesn’t so much listen as feel it deep in the bones… their stark inventiveness and originality remain outstanding”: Van der Graaf Generator’s Still Life and Vital reissues

By Sid Smith published

1976 studio album and 1978 live double album return from era of new momentum for Peter Hammill and co

King Crimson

“We were really screwing with the system, removing applause from live tracks to sound like studio tracks – the exact opposite of what people do today”: How King Crimson made stealth live album Starless And Bible Black

By Sid Smith published

King Crimson’s 1974 ”excruciating, teeth-pullingly difficult” album Starless And Bible Black sowed the seeds of their looming breakup

Photograph of Judge Smith in front of a painting

“We were making very peculiar music not particularly well played. We got a record contract because the record companies thought, ‘We better get weird’”: Inside the mind of Judge Smith, the man who named Van der Graaf Generator

By Sid Smith published

Inspired by the work of bandmate Peter Hammill and Frank Zappa, Smith aimed never to sound like them – and after working on large ensemble pieces and stage musicals, admitted he’d quite like to “just roll in with a guitar”

Van Der Graaf Generator in 1974

“Our contemporaries had numbers that got people up on their feet cheering. We didn’t… We wondered if A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers was the way to go. I thought, ‘We can’t even play this!’”: Van der Graaf Generator’s struggle through the 70s

By Sid Smith published

Keyboardist Hugh Banton on deciding not to emulate Keith Emerson’s stage persona, how he got the band signed, and why it took him so long to accept the “prog” label

Zopp

“I think the appeal was that it was just a very spacey and very unusual sound world for me." How the classic Canterbury sound inspired young UK proggers Zopp

By Sid Smith published

How Zopp, masterminded by young UK prog musician Ryan Stevenson, are making. areal impact with second album Dominion

Baker Gurvitz Army - Neon Lights the Broadcasts 1975

“Ginger Baker stamps, thumps and whacks his personality into these numbers… he sounds a bit confused and well-lubricated, much to the evident, if a little strained, amusement of his bandmates”: Baker Gurvitz Army’s Neon Lights: The Broadcasts 1975

By Sid Smith published

They own the stage in collection of five live performances which will please old campaigners and new recruits alike

a portrait of theo travis

“I suppose what’s different is me. I’ve done a lot of exploring, particularly with Robert Fripp… Working with him was very easy, which doesn’t sit well with a lot of the public’s perceptions of him!” Theo Travis looks back

By Sid Smith published

He’s worked with Soft Machine, Steven Wilson, The Tangent, Gong and more – but the saxophonist and flautist still has one collaborator on his bucket list

Magma - Une Histoire de Mekanik

“Do seven versions of one piece border on overkill? Resolutely and resoundingly no”: Magma’s Une Histoire De Mekanïk - 50 Years Of Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh

By Sid Smith published

Anniversary box set may not be cheap, but it’s immensely satisfying