Dan and Carl dive into Discipline by King Crimson for a Convince Me! episode. Dan brings the 1981 reinvention-era Crimson to Carl, who’s heard of the band more than he’s actually heard the band. What follows is a deeply nerdy, musically technical, and surprisingly heartfelt discussion about prog rock, mis-buying albums as teenagers, King Diamond confusion, interlocking guitar madness, Adrian Belew’s vocal chops, Fripp’s strict musical geometry, and why this seven-track album still hits like a brick of ideas.

They break down each song, calling out rhythmic trickery, Chapman Stick wizardry, Talking Heads DNA, Zappa-esque spoken-word chaos, unexpectedly gorgeous balladry, and the political undercurrent inside “Thela Hun Ginjeet.” Carl even makes a compelling case that the entire record functions as a narrative arc.

By the end, Carl is fully convinced: Discipline outperforms a chunk of the official Rolling Stone list.

Key Points

• Album Setup: Dan chose Discipline as a non-500-list entry he suspected Carl would appreciate due to Carl’s love of complex, groove-heavy music.


• King Crimson Primer: Quick history lesson — original late-60s/70s Crimson, the Red era, the 1980 breakup, and the 1981 rebirth with Fripp, Belew, Levin, and Bruford.


• Why This Era Matters: This lineup shifted from mystical/psychedelic prog to interlocking rhythmic systems, polyrhythms, and angular art-rock.


• Musicianship: High-level execution across all instruments, especially the dual-guitar architecture and Levin’s Stick work.


• Production Notes: For 1981, the album sounds crisp, detailed, and roomy; the only minor nitpick is the lower-end punch by modern standards.


• Carl’s Verdict: Strong yes — he’d buy it, he’ll revisit it, and it outshines many albums on the official list.

Music Referenced

• Discipline by King Crimson


• Red by King Crimson


• In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson


• Beat by King Crimson


• Three of a Perfect Pair by King Crimson


• King Diamond


• Jefferson Airplane


• Talking Heads


• Frank Zappa


• David Bowie


• Steve Vai


• Fear and Innoculum by Tool


• Chocolate Chip Trip by Tool


• 46 & 2 by Tool


• Mars Valta


• Tony Levin


• S.C.I.E.N.C.E. by Incubus


• Money by Pink Floyd