On December 3, 1971, "Islands" was released. A quiet and subdued
album, it is less of a statement and more of a diary of what the new band
was all about. From the original, only Fripp and Sinfield remained. Added
to the fold were Mel Collins, who had guested on "Lizard" as flute and saxman, Boz Burrel on bass and vocals, and Mel Collins on drums. This quartet, now aided onstage from time to time by lyricist Sinfield on the VCS3 synthesizer, toured extensively prior to the album's release. Fripp had already gone public with his conviction that record albums were of only secondary importance; the real enjoyment for Fripp, the musician,
 

 
 
  The Songs:
  Formentera Lady
  The Sailor's Tale
  The Letters
  Ladies of The Road
  Prelude: Song of The Gulls
  Islands
 
was live performance. The music for "Islands", like "Lizard", was composed entirely by him. Few doubted at this point that Crimso was Fripp's band. Perhaps this is why the British Rock Press was not too
surprised to report at the beginning of the new year that Sinfield was leaving King Crimson. Undaunted, the band prepared to carry on with an American tour that spring. One of the gigs played, on March 27, 1972, was in support of Yes. This would prove to be the last concert that drummer Bill Bruford would play with his Yes band-mates, and, as such, would become an important milestone in King Crimson history.
 

 
 
 
  Musicians:
  Robert Fripp: Guitar & Mellotron
  Mel Collins: Saxes
  Boz: Bass Guitar & Lead Vocal
  Ian Wallace: Drums
  Peter Sinfield: Words & Sounds
 
Copyright 1971 by EG Records