Mcdonald & Giles MCDONALD & GILES

MCDONALD AND GILES is a 1970 reissue that features former King Crimson members Ian McDonald - who went on to join Foreigner - and Michael Giles and includes "Suite In C," "Flight Of The Ibis," and "Is She Waiting?"
Lyricist: Peter Sinfield.
Personnel: Ian McDonald (vocals, guitar, zither, flute, clarinet, saxophone, piano, organ, keyboards); Michael Giles (vocals, drums, percussion); Michael Blakesley (trombone); Steve Winwood (piano, organ); Peter Giles (bass guitar).
Audio Remasterer: Simon Heyworth.
Liner Note Author: Sid Smith .
Recording information: Island Studios (1967-1971).
Photographer: Richard DiLello.
Arrangers: Ian McDonald ; Michael Lee Gray; Michael Giles.
Following the meltdown of the original King Crimson lineup, Ian McDonald and Michael Giles brought brother Peter Giles back, which helps to account, in some ways, for the resemblance of this album to the 1968 Giles, Giles & Fripp recordings -- though the songs here tend to go on at some length, combining prog rock's traits of length and multiple sections with some of the lighter feel of the GG&F days. The 20-minute "Birdman" tends toward self-indulgence, while "Tomorrow's People - The Children of Today" loses focus halfway and spends the next four minutes being a blithering -- if pretty -- musical idiot. The main attraction is really the performances turned in by McDonald and the Giles brothers -- they all sound fabulous, even when waffling musically, while Michael Giles has a unique drum tone that never has been duplicated (Giles himself abandoned the sound for his later career in Jackson Heights and as a session drummer). Peter Giles returned to the accounting trade, alas, while Ian McDonald eventually wound up as part of Foreigner, which is another tale entirely. ~ Steven McDonald

• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock