Posts tagged King Crimson

(Info from sleeve)

The recently opened Rosemont Theater in Chicago was just short of a sellout on Nov 29th, 1995. This was the final show of a long year of touring and it would be the present lineup’s (the double trio) 100th performance.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, voice
- Robert Fripp / guitar, soundscapes
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar
- Tony Levin / bass, stick
- Pat Mastelotto / acoustic & electronic drums, percussion
- Bill Bruford / acoustic & electronic drums, percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Conundrum – 1:46
02. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 6:42
03. Red – 6:55
04. Frame By Frame – 5:08
05. Dinosaur – 7:07
06. One Time – 5:54
07. VROOM VROOM – 4:54
08. B’Boom – 6:36
09. THRAK – 6:34
10. Neurotica – 4:38
11. Three Of A Perfect Pair – 4:31
12. Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream – 4:47
CD2
01. Improv: Two Sticks – 1:59
02. Elephant Talk – 4:10
03. Indiscipline – 9:22
04. Walking On Air – 5:01
05. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part II – 7:10
06. Prism – 4:15
07. Free As A Bird – 3:04
08. VROOOM – 3:51
09. Coda: Marine 475 – 2:51

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC41 Live in Zurich (1973) (@256)

23 May 2011

14 comments

(Info from projekction.net)

For the 1972-1974 version of King Crimson, developing and writing new material was, as Bill Bruford memorably noted in his autobiography, excruciating, teeth-pullingly difficult music-making.

When “The Mincer” appeared on “Starless & Bible Black”, it represented a new way of approaching the process for Crimson; taking live improvisations and then editing and over-dubbing new parts to create an interesting hybrid.

Although parts of this show recorded at Zurich’s Volkhaus on the 15th November 1973 have been previously released on disc 4 of the Great Deceiver box set, this is the first time the entire performance that night has seen the light of day.

This is an evening of music which underscores Crimson’s reputation as one of the classic must-see live acts of the 70s.

Line-up:
- David Cross / violin, mellotron, electric piano
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, electric piano
- John Wetton / bass guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Walk On No Pussyfooting – 0:57
02. Improv Some Pussyfooting – 2:22
03. Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt I – 8:13
04. RF Announcement – 2:35
05. Lament – 4:10
06. Peace A Theme – 0:51
07. Cat Food – 4:15
08. The Night Watch – 5:59
09. Fracture – 11:27
CD2
01. Improv The Law Of Maximum Distress Pt I – 6:41
02. The Mincer – 4:21
03. Improv The Law Of Maximum Distress Pt II – 2:33
04. Easy Money – 7:49
05. Exiles – 6:44
06. Improv Some More Pussyfooting – 5:54
07. The Talking Drum – 5:58
08. Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt II – 10:06
09. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 8:50

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Bill Bruford, David Cross, John Wetton, King Crimson, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC40 Live in Boston (1972) (@256)

28 Dec 2009

(Review from collectorsmusicreviews.com)

This archival live recording once again revisits the “Islands” era line up who played together in 1971 and 1972. The March 27th Boston gig was at the end of their second visit to the US and were supporting Yes, who were touring for Fragile. Such a situation was precipitated, according to the liner notes, by the instability of the band in their formative years. Nearly two years later in 1971 that the band returned to the USA. Having lost the momentum that a speculative tour during 1970 might have gained them, King Crimson were once again forced to “pay their dues” supporting bands such as Procol Harum and Yes.

This date survives in progressive rock mythology as the day when Bill Bruford (Yes drummer at the time) approached Robert Fripp about joining Crimson with Fripp’s famous reply “I think you’re about ready now, Bill…”.

The show itself is the perfect illustration of the band going in two directions. It is well known that Robert Fripp disbanded this line up in January only to be coerced into this final tour. The joy of playing this material is evident in the band except for the guitarist who voices his protest through his instrument.

The scorching “Pictures Of A City” starts the set. Mellotron tuning precedes the gentle “Forementera Lady” and in the long improvisation Mel Collins takes the lead saxophone. Fripp responds by playing the nasty angular riff that would used later in the year in “Larks Tongues In Aspic Part I”. The improvisation leads directly into the jazzy “A Sailor’s Tale”.

“Cirkus” from Lizard is one of the constants during these tours. Although it began as the opener by this time it was played in the middle of the set as a respite from the endless jams. “Groon”, which on a good night could push fifteen minutes lasts about nine in Boston. “21st Century Schizoid Man”, the only song from the classic first album to survive in the set, is segued with the preceding number. A seven minute funky improvisation lead by Boz serves as an introduction to “Cadence And Cascade” featuring a gorgeous flute melody before the tape cuts out.

This is another fantastic document from the most intriguing King Crimson line up.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron
- Mel Collins / saxes, flute, mellotron
- Boz Burrell / bass, lead vocals
- Ian Wallace / drums, vocals

Track List:
01. R.F. Announcement – 1:35
02. Pictures Of A City – 8:44
03. Formentera Lady – 8:33
04. The Sailor’s Tale – 7:26
05. Cirkus – 8:43
06. Groon – 10:18
07. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 10:03
08. Improv – 7:45
09. Cadence And Cascade – 4:16

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Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Live, Mel Collins, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC39 Live in Milan (2003) (@256)

23 Dec 2009

11 comments

(Review from allaboutjazz.com)

This archival live album captures the last commercially recorded incarnation early into its final European tour before Warr touch guitarist Trey Gunn’s departure and, while it may have a few more warts than other KCCC recordings, they only serve to make Crimson more human.

Amongst the more noticeable warts: a barely perceptible ungluing of the interlocking guitars near the end of the Neuvo Metal anthem, “Level Five”; a false start into “The ConstruKction of Light” before a gritty “ProzaKc Blues,” despite featuring one of guitarist Adrian Belew’s best vocals; and momentary sonic glitches during what are meant to be silent sections during the power-pop “Dinosaur” and pulsing complexity of “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic: Part Four,” the latter just before Belew delivers one of the most blistering solos of any documented version.

The show is similar in structure to many other shows around that time, weighing heavily on material from the then recently released “Power to Believe”. Still, a special energy imbues some of the material, and a particularly gossamer-like feel to the intersecting guitars of “The ConstruKction of Light.” “Elephant Talk” — a favorite dating back to the 80s Crim with Fripp, Belew, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Bill Bruford — plods along more, well, elephant-like, courtesy of the overdriven bottom end of Gunn’s touch guitar and sports a simply stunning, never-before-documented Middle Eastern-inflected solo from Belew that also layers either his radically processed voice or an effect applied to his guitar that’s unique, even in his seemingly infinite sonic palette.

There have been briefer “Introductory Soundscapes” on other Crimson live recordings of the period, but this is the first time a full-length opening set by Fripp, nearly 26 minutes long, is included. Ethereal and tranquil, it’s the calm before the storm as it segues into the equally rarified miniature, “The Power to Believe I,” before Crimson—with drummer Pat Mastelotto’s acoustic/electric kit thundering across the stereo landscape—hits the crowd with the one-two punch of “Level Five” and “ProzaKc Blues.”

Other highlights are an especially poignant “The Deception of the Thrush,” a screaming, frantically strummed Fripp solo over the head-banging riff of “Facts of Life” and the texturally rich, part Gamelan “The Power to Believe II.”

“Live in Milan” may not be essential Crimson, but there are plenty of rewards to differentiate it from others in the series, and the warts-and-all approach just cements Crimson as a group that takes risks and isn’t afraid to show its tremendous strengths…and very occasional weaknesses.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar & vocals
- Robert Fripp / guitar, soundscapes
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar
- Pat Mastelotto / acoustic and electronic drumming

Track List:
CD1
01. Introductory Soundscape – 25:57
02. The Power To Believe I – 0:43
03. Level Five – 7:26
04. ProzaKc Blues – 5:27
05. The ConstruKction Of Light – 8:40
06. Facts Of Live – 5:34
07. EleKtriK – 7:51
08. The Power To Believe II – 7:32
09. Dinosaur – 6:18
CD2
01. One Time – 6:33
02. Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With – 3:59
03. Dangerous Curves – 5:41
04. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, Part Four – 13:07
05. The Power To Believe III – 7:39
06. Elephant Talk – 6:45
07. Red – 6:23

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Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC38 Live In Philadelphia (1996) (@256)

22 Dec 2009

(Review from allaboutjazz.com)

As ever, the Crimson Double Trio culled its set from a larger pool of material with certain consistencies, including the proto-nuevo metal of “Red,” the elliptically grooving “Elephant Talk,” the weighty stream-of-consciousness “Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream” and power-pop “Dinosaur.” But this is the only officially released recording of the sextet playing the stylistically hybridized, wood drum-driven “Sheltering Sky,” making it of clear interest to committed Crimson followers.

This final (ever) performance of the Double Trio finds a band that is undoubtedly tired and feeling the strains of such intensive energy-consuming dates. Adrian Belew whips through the beat poetry of “Indiscipline” faster, perhaps, than any live version on record, but it sure doesn’t feel tired. Instead, there’s a different kind of energy at play, of a group sprinting with last-minute energy to the finish line.

If there’s a star of this show, it has to be Belew, who’s particularly vicious during his solos on “Elephant Talk,” the perennial “21st Century Schizoid Man” and relentless “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic Part II.” Drummer Pat Mastelotto, who didn’t really get the chance to blossom in this incarnation, is more a foil to longstanding Crimson drummer Bill Bruford’s precision grooves. Meanwhile, touch guitarist Trey Gunn doesn’t stand out as much as the group’s ineffable groove-meister, bassist/stick man Tony Levin. But they both add to the jagged density that was a differentiator of this line-up, as it reaches out for greater improvisational territory on the complex head-banger, “THRAK”.

“Live in Philadelphia” may not be the Double Trio’s best show, but it’s still a fine one, and a worthwhile document for those who continue to follow this group’s every move.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / Guitar, Vocals
- Robert Fripp / Guitar, Soundscapes
- Trey Gunn / Touch Guitar
- Tony Levin / Basses, Stick
- Pat Mastelotto / Acoustic & Electronic Drums And Percussion
- Bill Bruford / Acoustic & Electronic Drums And Percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Conundrum – 1:32
02. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 6:00
03. Red – 6:19
04. Dinosaur – 6:49
05. One Time – 5:55
06. VROOOM VROOOM – 4:56
07. Waiting Man – 4:32
08. Neurotica – 4:34
09. Elephant Talk – 4:59
10. Sheltering Sky – 6:52
CD2
01. B’Boom – 5:44
02. THRAK – 8:39
03. Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream – 4:47
04. Indiscipline – 6:04
05. Lark’s Tongues in Aspic Part II – 7:01
06. Prism – 5:11
07. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 7:16
08. VROOOM – 3:52
09. Coda – 3:33

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC37 Live At The Pier (1982) (@256)

21 Dec 2009

(Review from allaboutjazz.com)

“Live at the Pier” is a crisp and clear recording that finds 1980s Crims about half-way through its near four year run. And it’s a hot one.

With five of the ten tunes culled from the group’s just-released second album, “Beat”, the new wave edge-meets-gamelan-meets-minimalism ethos of 1980s Crim had evolved considerably from its early days as “Discipline”. This may be the least expansively improvisational Crimson line-up, with no extended group improvs heard in prior and subsequent incarnations. But that doesn’t mean that this more song-friendly, groove-happy Crimson didn’t take risks each and every night. The differences could be as subtle as Robert Fripp’s gradually evolving elliptical patterns behind fellow guitarist Adrian Belew’s solo of reckless abandon on “Waiting Man” or more direct during drummer Bill Bruford’s lengthy electro-acoustic solo at the beginning of the lyrically obtuse “Indiscipline”.

The group stretches out a little more with Belew’s ad lib of “New York, New York” on “Indiscipline”, some added mayhem on a slightly longer take on one of the few pre-1980s songs this Crimson would perform, “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic: Part II” and a lengthier solo from Fripp on the log drum-driven “The Sheltering Sky”. What made 1980s Crimson so unique was its ability to challenge even the committed progressive fan, but in a most approachable way; it was music that you could dance to… as long as you weren’t challenged by moving your feet in 21/8.

It’s also a performance that helps dispel a common (and unfounded) misconception that Belew, the singer, was merely aping Talking Heads’ David Byrne. As good as Byrne was and is, he could never match Belew’s gritty delivery of a definitive version of “Neal and Jack and Me” that’s more open-ended than Beat’s considerably more concise studio take.

Live at the Pier, with its greater emphasis on Beat’s repertoire and with equally excellent sound, deserves to be heard by more than just undying Crimheads.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / Guitar, Vocals
- Robert Fripp / Guitar
- Tony Levin / Stick, Bass Guitar
- Bill Bruford / Drums, Percussion

Track List:
01. Waiting Man – 7:40
02. The Howler – 4:53
03. Frame By Frame – 5:31
04. The Sheltering Sky – 11:05
05. Neal And Jack And Me – 6:09
06. Neurotica – 5:42
07. Elephant Talk – 5:14
08. Indiscipline – 12:22
09. Sartori In Tangier – 5:02
10. Lark’s Tongues In Aspic- Part II – 7:17

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – KCCC36 Live in Kassel (1974) (@256)

20 Dec 2009

(Review from planetmellotron.com)

Live in Kassel, April 1, 1974 is anything but an April Fool; a slightly unusual set for the time, featuring four “Starless & Bible Black” pieces, and another “Dr Diamond” (so why didn’t they record this for Red, anyway?), with only two from “Larks’ Tongues”, although it’s truncated a few minutes into “Fracture”, probably missing a closing “Larks’ Tongues II”.

Previous KCCC releases have diligently given retrospective titles to thirty year-old jams, but all we’re given here is Improv I/II/III. I is essentially an extended intro to Dr Diamond and II performs the same function for Exiles, only more extended, leaving the brief guitar/violin duet III as the only one of the three worthy of particular mention.

There is a reasonable helping of mellotron, with the customarily short flute part on opener “Great Deceiver” and the standard segments on “Exiles”, “Night Watch”, “Lament” and “Starless”.

Line-up:
- David Cross / Violin, Mellotron, Electric Piano
- Robert Fripp / Guitar, Mellotron, Electric Piano
- John Wetton / Bass Guitar, Vocals
- Bill Bruford / Drums, Percussion

Track List:
01. The Great Deceiver – 3:55
02. Improv. I – 2:11
03. Doctor Diamond – 5:00
04. Improv. II – 6:08
05. Exiles – 6:00
06. The Night Watch – 4:53
07. Lament – 4:16
08. Starless – 12:13
09. Improv. III – 2:04
10. Easy Money – 7:01
11. Fracture – 4:00

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Bill Bruford, David Cross, John Wetton, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC35 Live in Denver (1972) (@256)

19 Dec 2009

(Review from planetmellotron.com)

Six months before the Mark 2 lineup dissolved, the band sound like they were having a whale of a time the night Live in Denver, March 13, 1972 was recorded.

“Ladies Of The Road” has Boz Burrell introducing “Fingers Fripp, playing his blues licks”, while various members are laughing too hard to sing their backing vocal parts. The rest of the set is at least played properly, but is a case-book study as to why Fripp eventually tired of their approach.

Apart from the evergreen Schizoid Man, the two tracks containing mellotron standout with a fine The Sailors Tale and a ripping Cirkus.

It’s a great shame Fripp threw the repertoire baby out with the bathwater for his next version of the band, as that line-up would’ve more than done the song justice.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron
- Mel Collins / saxes, mellotron
- Boz Burrell / bass, vocals
- Ian Wallace / drums

Track List:
01. Formentera Lady – 9:27
02. The Sailor’s Tale – 6:41
03. Circus – 10:00
04. Ladies Of The Road – 6:33
05. The Letters – 6:35
06. Groon – 17:16
07. 21st Century Schizoid Band – 11:42
08. Cadence And Cascade – 4:56

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Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Live, Mel Collins, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – Live in Park West, Chicago, August 7th (2008) (@256)

30 Jul 2009

11 comments

Request of anonymous.

(Review from dgmlive.com)

Regarded as a show in which the energy of the Crimbeast made itself felt, particularly by Fripp and Levin, it nevertheless takes the group a couple of numbers to get up to speed. But when they do the power really builds up.

Highlights? Where to start! “Level 5″ is totally monstrous sounding like it was always waiting for this line-up to come along and play it; a stately-sounding “Larks Tongues” crushes all in its path and the version of “Sleepless” appears to be channelling the 12 inch remix.; “One Time” sails sublimely with the inclusion of a poignant guitar solo by Fripp and the coda to “Vrooom” has the shiver factor set to max (including some sly samples courtesy of Mastelotto) and just when you thought you’d never need to hear another rendition of “Indiscipline”, well you’re wrong. You really need to hear this version.

For connoisseurs of Crimson clams there are a few here for you to savour, and of course this being a soundboard means that third cymbal from the left on Harrison’s kit may not be quite where you either remember it or even where you would want it, but hey this is Crimson on uber-savage form, white hot at Park West with a crowd that was willing them to go all the way — which they did.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Adrian Belew / guitar & vocals
- Tony Levin / bass, stick & vocals
- Gavin Harrison / drums & percussion
- Pat Mastelotto / drums & percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Introductory Soundscape – 3.10
02. Drum Duet – 2.27
03. The ConstruKction Of Light – 8.47
04. Red – 6.45
05. Frame By Frame – 5.28
06. Neurotica – 4.41
07. Three Of A Perfect Pair – 4.12
08. The Talking Drum – 3.10
09. Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt II – 7.44
10. One Time – 7.06
11. BBoom – 2.44
12. Dinosaur – 5.44
13. Level Five – 6.48
CD2
01. Sleepless – 7.06
02. VROOOM – 4.41
03. Coda Marine 475 – 6.02
04. Drum Duet – 4.26
05. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 8.57
06. Elephant Talk – 5.03
07. Indiscipline – 8.35

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Adrian Belew, Gavin Harrison, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – KCCC34 ProjeKct Three Live in Alexandria (2003) (@256)

19 Aug 2008

The concert in Alexandria was actually planned as a King Crimson concert but when Belew didn’t show up, the band played as ProjeKct Three.

Recorded March 3, 2003 at Birchmere Theatre, Alexandria.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – guitar
* Trey Gunn – touch guitar, talker
* Pat Mastelotto – electronic traps and buttons

Track List:
01. Introductory Soundscape – 8:46
02. Improv I – 6:53
03. Level 5 – 5:00
04. Improv II – 6:49
05. The Power To Believe II – 14:10
06. Facts Of Life – 3:17
07. Sus-tyan-Z – 10:49
08. The Deception Of The Thrush – 12:29
09. VROOOM – 4:47
10. Q & A – 3:14

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King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC33 ProjeKct Two Live in Chicago (1998) (@256)

18 Aug 2008

Recorded on June 4, 1998 at Park West, Chicago, USA.

Line-up:
* Adrian Belew – V-drums
* Robert Fripp – guitar
* Trey Gunn – touch guitar, talker

Track List:
CD1
01. Vector Shift – 2:02
02. House – 9:31
03. X-Chayn_Jiz – 7:19
04. Vector Shift To Planet Belewbeloid – 2:47
05. Light ConstruKction – 6:20
06. Heavy ConstruKction – 7:28
CD2
01. Sus_tyan-Z – 9:29
02. House 2 – 9:52
03. Contrary ConstruKction – 7:02
04. The Deception Of Thw Thrush – 13:17
05. Acoustic Dinosaur – 6:40
06. Lounge VROOOM – 6:04

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Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC32 Live in Munich (1982) (@256)

14 Aug 2008

(Review from dgmlive.com)

Tight, complex, startling and sonically ambitious, this is a King Crimson full of energy.

The sound is very compressed, like from out of TV speakers; but it also has a slightly distorted quality that makes for a cool variation on that heavily chorused 80′s sound. Belew’s solos in particular sound like 3-D, and Levin’s bass sound is super clean and sharp as well.

A fine companion to the other 1982 concerts.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar & vocals
- Robert Fripp / guitar, vocals
- Tony Levin / bass guitar & Chapman Stick
- Bill Bruford / drums & percussion

Track List:
01. Waiting Man – 10:00
02. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 6:54
03. Frame By Frame – 5:59
04. Matte Kudasai – 3:46
05. The Sheltering Sky – 10:40
06. Neal And Jack And Me – 5:49
07. Elephant Talk – 5:00
08. Indiscipline – 11:06
09. Heartbeat – 4:16
10. Larks Tongues In Aspic II – 7:00

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – KCCC31 Live at the Wiltern (1995) (@256)

13 Aug 2008

Thanks to Bragi Taliesin for the contribution.

(Review from stagerat.com, dgmlive.com)

Fripp believed the Wiltern gig to be a major show and wanted to release it straight away. Belew agreed and a mix was partially completed but the tapes were lost. The planned record was shelved; superseded by B’Boom and the all-improv album, THRaKaTTaK.

With the tapes recovered, here we have the whole show — it may yet be the most powerful live album of the double-trio line-up.
The band is very clearly enthusiastic and excited to play, and it shows throughout every piece in the set. Perhaps it’s that “last night of the tour” mindset that allows for this. Whatever the case, this is a show not to be missed.

One of the interesting aspects of this show is “Prism”, the percussion piece that featured Bruford, Mastelotto, and Belew. Most versions featured all three in front of a percussion table at stage front, playing together. However, the version in this concert has Bruford playing from his kit. It sounds as if Mastelotto is at least doing some of his percussion from the kit as well (if not all of it), and he even appears to throw in some samples of soundscapes in the midst of it!

The concert features the brilliant arrangements and master mind of a sextet perfectly executing counter rhythms while avoiding the usual mindless cluster of notes and nuances before it becomes inaudible and indistinguishable between all the players.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, voice
- Robert Fripp / guitar, soundscapes
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar
- Tony Levin / basses, stick
- Pat Mastelotto / acoustic & electronic drums and percussion
- Bill Bruford / acoustic & electronic drums and percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Introductory Soundscape – 6:16
02. VROOOM VROOOM – 5:22
03. Frame by Frame – 5:23
04. Dinosaur – 7:17
05. One Time – 5:52
06. Red – 6:36
07. B‘BOOM – 6:36
08. THRAK – 5:52
09. Matte Kudasai – 3:47
10. Walking on Air – 8:36
CD2
01. People – 6:22
02. Improv: Two Sticks – 2:42
03. Elephant Talk – 4:33
04. Indiscipline – 8:51
05. Prism – 2:27
06. The Talking Drum – 3:04
07. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic: Part II – 8:12
08. VROOOM – 3:56
09. Coda: Marine 475 – 4:16
10. Walking on Air – 8:36

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC30 Live in Brighton (1971) (@256)

12 Aug 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

Music is great, it’s just one brilliant King Crimson concert more. But the whole problem is sound quality, which makes this album not very listenable.

There are two rare live tracks : “Islands” sounds good, even if not as perfect as in studio version. “Letters” is played and especially sung very impressing.

Line-up:
* Boz Burrell – bass, lead vocals
* Robert Fripp – guitar, mellotron
* Mel Collins – saxes, flute, mellotron
* Ian Wallace – drums, vocals
* Peter Sinfield – words, sounds & visions

Track List:
CD1
01. Cirkus – 11:02
02. Pictures Of A City – 11:04
03. Formentara Lady – 7:14
04. The Sailor’s Tale – 5:30
05. The Letters – 8:05
06. Islands – 7:00
CD2
01. Ladies Of The Road – 6:52
02. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 24:55
03. Groon – 12:00
04. Mars – 10:11

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Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Live, Mel Collins, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC29 Live in Heidelberg (1974) (@256)

11 Aug 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

This show was recorded in Heidelberg at 29th of March in 1974. The sound quality is excellent, just as the concert itself.

The recording starts with an improv, which is more or less an intro to Dr Diamond. This track was never released on a studio album but Crimson played this song a lot during the first months of 1974. It is a dark track about a driver of an underground train. Next is a long version of Exiles with excellent mellotron and violin interplay. This is followed by the second improv of this show. It starts heavy but ends in the vain of Trio, which is a nice bridge to the wonderful Starless. This is one of the classic Crimson tunes. It starts as a ballad and then developes through some heavy bass lines to an excellent epic. Next are two melodic tracks: Night Watch, about Rembrandt’s painting and Lament. Then comes the heavy Easy Money and the album ends with the opening bars of Fracture.

The only flaw on this album is that the tape runs out during Fracture, so only the first three minutes appear on this album.

Line-up:
* David Cross – violin, mellotron, electric piano
* Robert Fripp – guitar, mellotron, electric piano
* John Wetton – bass guitar, vocals
* Bill Bruford – drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Improv: Heidelberg I – 2:43
02. Dr. Diamond – 7:03
03. Exiles – 10:04
04. Improv: Heidelberg II – 6:48
05. Starless – 12:46
06. The Night Watch – 4:39
07. Lament – 4:19
08. Easy Money – 6:35
09. Fracture – 3:08

Links in comments.

Bill Bruford, David Cross, John Wetton, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC28 Live in Warsaw (2000) (@256)

09 Aug 2008

This concert was recorded on June 11, 2000 at “Roma” in Warsaw, Poland. Some parts of it was also included on the mainstream “Heavy ConstruKction” live album.

Line-up:
* Adrian Belew – guitar & vocals
* Robert Fripp – guitar
* Trey Gunn – touch guitar, ashbory bass, talker
* Pat Mastelotto – electronic drums

Track List:
CD1
01. ProzaKc Blues – 6:09
02. The ConstruKction of Light – 8:43
03. The World’s My Oyster Sout Kitchen Floor Wax Museum – 7:42
04. Improv-Warsaw – 12:35
05. Dinosaur – 5:27
06. One Time – 5:52
07. VROOOM – 4:46
08. Cage – 5:27
CD2
01. Into the Frying Pan – 6:40
02. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic-Part Four – 13:54
03. Three of a Perfect Pair – 4:01
04. The Deception of the Thrush – 10:18
05. Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream – 7:12
06. Heroes – 7:17

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC27 ProjeKct Three Live in Austin (1999) (@256)

08 Aug 2008

(Info from progarchives.com)

ProjeKCt Three played on the University of Texas campus in the basement of the student union in a sweet little wood-paneled club called the Cactus Cafe. This little boho, campus box of a bar room usually hosts the likes of open-mic singer/songwriters or Texas acoustic troubadours. The concert was overbooked and about 200-250+ rabid Crim fans piled in, to imbibe ProjeKCt Three’s sonic mayhem. The little wooden box of the Cactus Cafe and the 200 sweaty fans were the perfect acoustic sound chamber for the assault of sound and ideas wrangled ProjeKct Three.

Here we are treated to a symphony of electronically treated guitars, drums & samples that the Fripp/Gunn/Mastelotto could wrench out of their musically fervent minds. Imagine the rock monstrosity that the Lark’s Tongue In Aspic is and cram it through Fripp’s mind, a bank of computer/samplers, and then stir well with improvised musical chops and the nuance of King Crimson’s legacy.

This is music performed by interdimensionally-minded virtuosos with their latest toys and then amped up to 11 by an enthusiastic crowd all up in the band’s face.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – guitar
* Trey Gunn – touch guitar, talker
* Pat Mastelotto – electronic traps and buttons

Track List:
01. Masque 3 – 15:37
02. Masque 11 – 7:25
03. X-chayn-jiZ – 8:29
04. Hindu Fizz – 2:32
05. Heavy ConstruKction – 4:44
06. Introductory Soundscape – 3:35
07. Masque 8 – 7:13
08. Light ConstruKction – 1:43
09. Masque 2 – 7:17
10. CCCCCCs – 9:02
11. ProjeKction – 4:41
12. The Deception Of The Thrush – 6:37

Links in comments.

King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC26 Live in Philadelphia (1982) (@256)

07 Aug 2008

Recorded at the Mann Music Centre, Philadelphia, USA, July 30, 1982.

Line-up:
* Adrian Belew – guitar & vocal
* Robert Fripp – guitar
* Tony Levin – bass guitar & Stick
* Bill Bruford – drums & percussion

Track List:
01. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 7:14
02. Red – 5:56
03. The Howler – 4:45
04. Frame by Frame – 4:55
05. Matte Kudasai – 3:40
06. The Sheltering Sky – 9:28
07. Discipline – 5:22
08. Elephant Talk – 5:07
09. Indiscipline – 11:12
10. Neurotica – 6:29
11. Heartbeat – 4:18
12. Sartori In Tangier – 4:20
13. Lark’s Tongues In Aspic Part II – 6:43

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – KCCC25 Live at Filmore East (1969) (@256)

06 Aug 2008

(Info from progarchives.com)

This album contains two back-to-back gigs from November 21&22, 1969. The sound quality is quite good and the performances are decent. The gig from 21 November was previously released as Vol. 1 of the Epitaph Live Box Set (with the exception of The Court of Crimson King).

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – guitar
* Ian McDonald – flute, saxophone, mellotron, vocal
* Greg Lake – bass guitar, lead vocal
* Michael Giles – drums, percussion, vocal
* Peter Sinfield – words and illumination

Track List:
01. The Court Of The Crimson King – 2:36
02. A Man A City – 12:21
03. Epitaph – 8:03
04. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 8:05
05. The Court Of The Crimson King – 2:16
06. A Man A City – 12:19
07. Epitaph – 8:31
08. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 7:56

Links in comments.

Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, King Crimson, Live, Michael Giles, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC24 Live in Guildford (1972) (@256)

05 Aug 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

“Live in Guildford, 1972″ presents us the concerts which established the Wetton / Cross / Muir line-up of King Crimson and also show up the birth process of their classic “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic” album. Its sound quality is better than the previous KCCC releases with Muir.

The show opens with a very aggressive version of “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic – part one”, and that distorted tone of Fripp’s guitar is just a pure killer. The two second movements after the violent main theme are here quite similar, later the bass and drum patterns evolved separating these moments as more different from each other. The number is also here longer than in the Beat Club performance, having the violin “Larks’ Ascension” solo part, missing only the nightmarish coda, which ends the studio version and later performances of this brilliant avant-garde number. The violin tunes are followed with “Book of Saturday”, creating a nice contrast and a calm moment to the more violent and chaotic moments here. Here the song has some tambourine backing it up, usually it doesn’t have much percussions played over it. The name of the song is also yet “Daily Games” according to Fripp’s following polite and disciplined speech. The speech also reveals that the set should end up with “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic – part two”, which sadly didn’t got on this recording, as the tape ran out too quickly.

The next “attack towards culture” is a freeform collective improvisation which is built up by the same principles as the long improvisation of the era-concerts. It opens up with really loud and violent communal crashing of the instruments, and then stage is free, players presenting themes and demanding reactions from others. If you like interactive jamming and old rock sounds with Mellotrons, here’s a gourmet dish of this for you!

The record ends to the beginning of the harmonic “Exiles” rising up from the “Mantra” theme, which was used also in the 1969 concerts as an opener for other musical ideas. The version here is incomplete, and the tape runs out after three minutes, which is a really sad thing but from the documentary point of view it’s good to have it here, as it’s nice to hear how Muir coloured the beginning with his bird whistles.

Line-up:
- David Cross / violin, flute, mellotron
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron
- John Wetton / bass guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums
- Jamie Muir / percussion & allsorts

Track List:
01. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic (Part I) – 8:58
02. Book Of Saturday (Daily Games) – 4:23
03. Improv- All That Glitters Is Not Nail Polish – 25:38
04. Exiles – 3:40

Link in comments.

Bill Bruford, David Cross, Jamie Muir, John Wetton, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC23 Live in Orlando (1972) (@256)

04 Aug 2008

7 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

Recorded on February 27, 1972 at the Kemp Coliseum; this performance took place one day after the Jacksonville concert. The sound quality of this (double) album is much better than the Jacksonville album and the playing is more inspired.

This incarnation is said to be more of a jam band and that may be true. That doesn’t mean however that they didn’t make some interesting, challenging music. Because they did. The jamming side is at its best in the jazzy rendition of Schizoid Man and in Earthbound. But this version of the band was also capable of more structured music, as in Cirkus.

Line-up:
* Boz Burrell – bass, lead vocals
* Robert Fripp – guitar, mellotron
* Mel Collins – saxes, flute, mellotron
* Ian Wallace – drums, vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Pictures Of A City – 10:12
02. Formentera Lady – 8:24
03. The Sailors Tale – 6:57
04. Cirkus – 9:20
05. Ladies Of The Road – 6:07
CD2
01. Groon – 16:09
02. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 11:05
03. Earthbound – 6:31
04. Cadence And Cascade – 4:24

Links in comments.

Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Live, Mel Collins, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC22 ProjeKct One Jazz Cafe Suite (1997) (@256)

03 Aug 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

This album contains 50 minutes of improvised music by four members of King Crimson, divided in three suites. Some parts may sound familiar, since small bits and pieces were released on the album “Live at the Jazz Cafe”. It was the last time Bill Bruford was a member of King Crimson.

The album opens with a soundscape and after a few minutes the band starts to play. This means the distinctive rhythm provided by Bruford / Levin, complemented with guitar parts from Fripp / Gunn. The music that follows is very groovy, lively, sometimes boring, but more often fascinating. It changes between fast and slow, has great soloing (especially from Gunn) and some strange sounds. The second suite also starts slow. As its main attraction it has some trademark Fripp solos. After a while it sounds a lot like the space rock of ProjeKct Two. The shortest and third suite starts with the xylophone sounds where the second suite ended with, but soon picks up a groove with bass sounds everywhere.

ProjeKct One wasn’t the first of the ProjeKcts, it also probably wasn’t one of the best of the ProjeKcts. When a band plays improvised music it can both create magical moments and boring times. That also happened with this release. It is a joy to listen to the Bruford / Levin tandem, but the music that is played is not from the highest order.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – guitar
* Trey Gunn – Warr guitar
* Tony Levin – bass guitar, Stick, synth
* Bill Bruford – drums and percussion

Track List:
01. Suite One – 29:02
02. Suite Two – 15:13
03. Suite Three – 6:25

Link in comments.

Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC21 Champaign-Urbana Sessions (1983) (@256)

02 Aug 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

The new 80s incarnation of King Crimson made a head start. In 1981 the excellent “Discipline” was released and this was followed by “Beat” in 1982. Touring went well and when it became 1983 it was time to think about yet another album. From January 17 until 30 they went to C.V. Lloyd Music in Champaign-Urbana to rehearse for the next album. In the end, no album was released in 1983 by King Crimson and this album consists of those sessions.

The music is more experimental than on their next album, “Three of a Perfect Pair”. Of course most of the material is rather fragmented, but since some of the tracks segue into each other this doesn’t bother. There are some nice heavy, groovy tracks (“San Francisco”, “Tony bass riff”, “Not one of those”). You can also find complete tracks that could easily have been included on a regular album (Steinberger Melody” and “Grace Jones”). The track “Fragmented” was re-recorded as “Industry” on their next album. A good one is also “Heat in the Jungle” (a faster and heavier “Thela Hun Ginjeet”).

Line-up:
* Adrian Belew – Guitar
* Robert Fripp – Guitar
* Tony Levin – Bass Guitar, Stick
* Bill Bruford – Drums

Track List:
01. San Francisco – 2:06
02. Tony Bass Riff – 3:28
03. Sequenced – 3:55
04. Steinberger Melody – 4:59
05. Fragmented – 4:01
06. Not One Of Those – 1:45
07. Zzzz’s – 2:10
08. Reel 3 Jam – 2:34
09. Robert And Bill – 2:08
10. Say No – 2:46
11. Robert’s Ballad – 3:44
12. Heat In The Jungle – 7:07
13. Grace Jones – 5:45
14. Adrian Looped – 1:19

Link in comments.

Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – KCCC20 Live at Zoom Club (1972) (@256)

01 Aug 2008

(Review from progreviews.com)

This double album spanning nearly two hours of music with two sprawling, occasionally awe-inspiring improvisations taking up more than half of the running time. It also offers historical significance; the show documented was the first live appearance by the Larks’-era band, and it’s one of the few recordings available showcasing the talents of madcap percussionist Jamie Muir. Given the short time that the band had had to gel at the time of this show, it’s remarkable how tight they already are and how mature some of the compositions are.

“Larks’ Tongues” is a killer way to open the set, though it stops after Cross’ violin solo and segues into a somewhat embryonic “Book of Saturday”. The latter is a little different from the final album version, but is still very nice, marred only by some surprisingly awful flute playing from Cross. “Easy Money” is a really great surprise; it lacks the aggression of both the studio cut and subsequent live versions, instead offering Cross space for a soothing violin solo — even Wetton steps back and plays a soft, relaxed supporting role. The end result is unexpected but undeniably pretty.

Of course, the real attraction point of this set are the improvs. The two shorter ones on disc 2 are easily approached: “Easy Money” goes straight into what would end up being the central guitar riff for “Fallen Angel” on Red, and of course it’s fascinating to hear how the riff originated and what the other bandmembers do around it. Between improvs on disc 1, comprise nearly 70 minutes of spontaneous music. It’s beyond power to satisfactorily describe such a beast, but suffice it to say that — to surprise — the band keeps up the intensity throughout. The interplay between Fripp and Wetton is particularly fun, as is the first half of “Zoom” which features Wetton scat-singing along to his bass playing, with Fripp interjecting accents here and there and the rest of the band mostly just taking a back seat and letting Wetton do his thing. Cross gets more of a chance to shine the latter half of “Zoom”, after a long and seriously intense Fripp solo. “Zoom Zoom” is impossibly long, and the band hits on countless themes; while admittedly it begins to sound samey after a while (46 minutes is a long time!), these guys have a good feel for pacing and there’s always something interesting happening.

Line-up:
- David Cross / violin, flute, mellotron
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron
- John Wetton / bass guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums
- Jamie Muir / percussion and allsorts

Track List:
CD1
01. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic (Part I) – 8:22
02. Book Of Saturday – 3:16
03. Zoom – 22:03
04. Improv: Zoom Zoom – 44:48
CD2
01. Easy Money – 4:08
02. Improv: Fallen Angel – 4:12
03. Improv: Z’Zoom – 4:48
04. Exiles – 8:36
05. The Talking Drum – 6:13
06. Lark’s Tongues In Aspic (Part II) – 8:37

Links in comments.

Bill Bruford, David Cross, Jamie Muir, John Wetton, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC19 Live in Nashville (2001) (@256)

31 Jul 2008

This concert was recorded at 328 Performance Hall, Nashville, USA, November 9-10, 2001.

Line-up:
* Adrian Belew – Guitar and Vocals
* Robert Fripp – Guitar
* Trey Gunn – Warr Guitar
* Pat Mastelotto – Drums

Track List:
01. Dangerous Curves – 4:52
02. Level Five – 7:50
03. The ConstruKction Of Light – 8:49
04. ProzaKc Blues – 5:58
05. EleKtriK – 8:13
06. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 5:46
07. Virtuous Circle – 7:04
08. Elephant Talk – 4:16
09. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic: Part IV – 10:30
10. The Deception Of The Thrush – 8:09
11. Red – 5:42

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC18 Live in Detroit (1971) (@256)

30 Jul 2008

“Live in Detroit” was recorded at East Town Theatre, November 13, 1971.

Line-up:
- Boz Burrell / bass, lead vocals
- Mel Collins / flute, saxophone, mellotron
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron
- Ian Wallace / drums, vocals
- Peter Sinfield / words, sound & visions

Track List:
CD1
01. Pictures of A City – 9:02
02. Formentera Lady – 9:08
03. Sailor’s Tale – 5:59
04. Cirkus – 9:14
05. Ladies of the Road – 7:54
06. Groon – 17:49
CD2
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 13:21
02. Mars – 13:22
03. In the Court of the Crimson King – 3:31
04. Lady of the Dancing Water – 2:25

Links in comments.

Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Live, Mel Collins, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC17 ProjeKct Two Northampton (1998) (@256)

29 Jul 2008

This is a live album from ProjeKct Two, a fraKctal of King Crimson. It was recorded on July 1, 1998 in Northampton, USA.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / V-drums
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar, talker

Track List:
01. Vector Shift – 10:45
02. X-chayn-jiZ – 5:54
03. Vector Shift – 2:04
04. Vector Shift to Planet Belewbeloid – 0:28
05. Light ConstruKction – 5:29
06. Heavy ConstruKction – 6:02
07. The Deception of the Thrush – 8:31
08. Sus-tayn-Z – 6:41
09. Vector Shift – 7:39
10. Contrary ConstruKction – 7:22

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC16 Live in Berkeley (1982) (@256)

28 Jul 2008

(Review from progreviews.com)

The 80s line-up of King Crimson wasn’t as much an improvising band. However, they rarely resist the opportunity to rework their stuff live, which can be interesting too. This concert was recorded at the Greek Theatre, Berkeley, USA, August 13, 1982.

The material from Discipline is so well developed and still short of over-treated, its like getting the whole album redone. We have an especially manic and actually just plain crazy rendition of “Indiscipline” (where on the studio album it sounds like a suitably tense but light-hearted expression of what it feels like to be obsessive compulsive). At the end of the song the entire band applies such a force and energy toward the main theme. Its really a tangle between Fripp and Belew, with Levin keeping time and Bruford battering away, buried by the hectic sound of angels descending from heaven on silver lightning bolts playing electric trumpets. At least at that moment, it all came together. The song (and set) ends with the announcement that “I like it!” — I did.

There also is a rare live performance of the “Sheltering Sky” which is louder and more chaotic than its studio counterpart; the drums are louder, the bass fatter and more dominant, and the original organized, upward spiraling lead lines are replaced with some fiery and erratic improvisation (still using the strange “pipe” guitar synth sound though). The live versions of “The Howler” and “Neurotica” are great to hear; it is especially fun hearing Adrian Belew making all those crazy noises that sound like sirens and traffic and other assorted city-like noises.

Line-up:
* Adrian Belew – Guitar, Vocal
* Robert Fripp – Guitar
* Tony Levin – Stick, Bass Guitar
* Bill Bruford – Drums, Percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Waiting Man – 9:49
02. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 8:00
03. Red – 6:33
04. The Howler – 5:10
05. Frame By Frame – 5:10
06. Matte Kudasai – 3:39
CD2
01. The Sheltering Sky – 9:36
02. Discipline – 5:42
03. Neal and Jack and Me – 6:03
04. Neurotica – 5:48
05. Elephant Talk – 5:36
06. Indiscipline – 11:10

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – KCCC15 Live at Mainz (1974) (@256)

27 Jul 2008

(Review from wikipedia, progarchives.com)

This show took place at Elzer Hof, Mainz, Germany, March 30, 1974. Like other concerts from the European tour of early 1974, it was recorded directly from the soundboard. “Live at Mainz” is actually a very good supplement for any serious collection of King Crimson’s 1972-1974 era albums. There is a heavy does of instrumental improvised material here, and also many special versions of their basic tracks.

The first three of the songs are pleasantly extended with impressionistic free form sound wall openings, from where the composed songs then emerge. The starter “Improv: The Savage” / “Dr Diamond” is an excellent performance, clearly the best version of this song so far I have heard. This composition didn’t do it on any of the band’s studio albums, but it’s present on many of their live recordings of years 1973- 1974. “Improv: Arabica” opens “Exiles” with nice layers of percussions, and the performance is a a very good, lasting 10 minutes. “Improv: Atria” has some good parts, but there seems to be some problems to find a common direction in some moments too.

Upcoming “Night Watch” is perfect with no edits or switches from one performance to other. “Starless” is a good song, and this is a decent version, featuring those a bit clumsy early lyrics which may be interesting to spot if they not yet familiar. “Lament” is a good track too, and the next song “Improv: Trio” is an interesting track, as it isn’t technically a complete improvisation anymore, it’s more like a reprise of an earlier improvisation from the Amsterdam concert 1973. It has maybe evolved as a jam pattern, and a small embryo of composition growing up from it. Some themes of the songs “Lament”, “Dr. Diamond” and “Fallen Angel” can be witnessed in the live recordings of the Muir-era line-up at 1972 in similar manner. And it’s a pretty tune, a relieving contrast for the aggressive material done by this band. The final tune “Easy Money” is a good version too, and it also has a bit different lyrics on stage as it had on the studio album.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, electric piano
- David Cross / violin, mellotron, electric piano
- John Wetton / bass guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Improv: The Savage – 2:12
02. Dr Diamond – 5:48
03. Improv: Arabica – 2:29
04. Exiles – 7:01
05. Improv: Atria – 6:14
06. The Night Watch – 5:07
07. Starless – 12:27
08. Lament – 4:20
09. Improv: Trio – 4:36
10. Easy Money – 7:51

Links in comments.

Bill Bruford, David Cross, John Wetton, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC14 Live at Plymouth GuildHall (1971) (@256)

26 Jul 2008

Thanks to Bragi Taliesin for the contribution.

(Review from wikipedia)

Live at Plymouth Guildhall is a double live album, recorded at the Guildhall in Plymouth, UK on May 11, 1971. This concert was the fifth ever live performance by the Islands version of King Crimson. The CD release was adapted from the original soundboard tape, mixed by Peter Sinfield. An audience bootleg was added to repair the missing introduction to “Get Thy Bearings”.

“21st Century Schizoid Man” is sung by Boz with this line-up and his distorted voice sounds really demonic. It is surprising that a song like “Cirkus” (from Lizard) is performed on stage — it’s really tremendous that they would manage to re-create it on-stage, not losing it’s power, mystery and all the rest… Biggest surprise here is an early (pre-”Islands”) 15-minutes long version of “Sailor’s tale”, very different from the later one. We also have “Lady of the dancing water” and “Get thy bearings” (which is in fact rather an improvisation, with a slight hint to “get thy bearings”). Later on they delated “Get Thy Bearings” and played “Groon” instead. But in fact both are very free-form improves.

Line-up:
* Boz Burrell – Bass, Lead Vocals
* Mel Collins – Flute, Sax, Mellotron
* Robert Fripp – Guitar, Mellotron
* Ian Wallace – Drums, Vocals
* Peter Sinfield – Words, Sounds & Visions

Track List:
CD1
01. Cirkus – 10:08
02. Pictures of a City – 8:53
03. Sailor’s Tale – 15:32
04. The Letters – 4:48
05. Lady of the Dancing Water – 2:52
06. Cadence and Cascade – 4:24
CD2
01. Get Thy Bearings – 13:24
02. The Court of the Crimson King – 8:09
03. Ladies of the Road – 9:05
04. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 8:58
05. Mars – 9:12

Links in comments.

Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Live, Mel Collins, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC13 Nashville Rehearsals (1997) (@256)

25 Jul 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

After the studio album Thrak, which was released in 1995, and a series of concerts, King Crimson was back in a recording studio to work out some ideas for the next release. They went to SIR studios in Nashville in May 1997. As we all know another release of the double trio would never be released. Some ideas that were rehearsed in Nashville would however resurface in some sort of form in the ProjeKcts and on the first release by the double duo (“The ConstruKction of Light”).

The overall sound of these tracks has more in common with the sound of the ProjeKcts than with THRAK. The problem with this release is that it is very fragmented. You mainly hear bits and pieces that could have ended up in a song. Most of the tracks lack any form of structure. Exceptions are the groovy “Presidents”, the heavy “Snugel”, the eerie “Jimmy Bond” and the melodic “Sad Woman Jam”. Another interesting track is the closer “Tony’s Jam”. This is a long jam with a rhythm that changes faster than you notice.

This release is of interest for the KC aficionado who is interested in the working process of the band and who is curious how some of the tunes were born. If you like the ProjeKcts than this album will also not be a disappointment.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – Guitar, Soundscapes
* Adrian Belew – Guitar
* Trey Gunn – Warr Guitar
* Tony Levin – Basses, Stick
* Pat Mastelotto – Acoustic & Electronic Drums & Percussion
* Bill Bruford – Acoustic & Electronic Drums & Percussion

Track List:
01. Presidents – 7:04
02. Scapeplay – 3:37
03. Snugel – 5:45
04. Off Sets – 4:23
05. Big Funk – 3:29
06. Jimmy Bond – 7:06
07. Have U Got? – 1:05
08. Mulundrum – 0:38
09. Too many eeee’s – 1:11
10. Nice To Start – 0:12
11. Pat’s Meckanical Fives – 3:03
12. Seizure – 0:51
13. Circulation – 1:03
14. KCF – 0:31
15. Ragin’ Drone – 3:40
16. JB in 7 – 2:41
17. Split Hands – 4:36
18. Sad Woman Jam – 2:35
19. Tony’s Jam – 12:57
20. Trey, Pat & Bill – 0:47

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC12 Live in London (1969) (@256)

24 Jul 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

On this album we can hear the famous Hyde Park concert, where King Crimson played in front of some 500,000 people as opening act for the Rolling Stones. It all happened on July 5, 1969.

The concert opens with two tracks from their debut album, which at the time of this concert had yet to be released. First “21st Century Schizoid man” and then the mellotron drenched “In the Court of the Crimson King”. The next track, “Get thy bearings” was written by Donovan. It’s a jazzy track with great soloing by McDonald and a bluesy, guitar led ending. Next is a short and beautiful version of “Epitaph”. This is followed by “Mantra”, also a short tune. It sounds spooky and has a beautiful flute sound. Without noticing this track turns into the next track, “Travel Weary Capricorn”. This is also a very jazzy tune. The concert ends with “Mars” (written by Holst). This music would be used for the track “The Devils Triangle” on the album “In the Wake of Poseidon”.

As bonus tracks there is an interview with the members of the first King Crimson incarnation at the time the live album Epitaph was released (March 15, 1997). But even more interesting there is an instrumental version of “21st Century Schizoid Man”, recorded at Morgan Studio on June 12, 1969.

The sonic quality of this release is acceptable and comparable to the mainstream Epitaph live set.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – Guitar
* Ian McDonald – Flute, Saxophone, Mellotron, Vocal
* Greg Lake – Bass Guitar, Lead Vocal
* Michael Giles – Drums, Percussion, Vocal
* Peter Sinfield – Words and Illumination

Track List:
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 6:37
02. In The Court Of The Crimson King – 6:31
03. Get Thy Bearings – 9:41
04. Epitaph – 4:28
05. Mantra – 3:04
06. Travel Weary Capricorn – 5:37
07. Mars – 3:59
08. Band Reunion Meeting (Bonus 1997) – 15:20
09. 21st Century Schizoid Man (Bonus Instrumental 1969) – 6:48

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Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, King Crimson, Live, Michael Giles, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC11 Live at Bath (1981) (@256)

23 Jul 2008

(Review from progreviews.com)

On April 30, 1981, the Moles Club in Bath did not host a band named King Crimson. At that point, the precocious four-piece band was still known as Discipline – but for all intents and purposes, of course, this is King Crimson. One can only wonder what the lucky folks in the audience were thinking as they were regaled with “Red”, “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic Part 2″, and a whole slew of new waveish dual-guitar stuff with Adrian Belew on vocals (the album Discipline was, at this point, still unfinished, of course). Did they recognize history in the making?

Oddly, despite this being Crimson’s first 80s live appearance, most of the new songs are largely in their final form. “Discipline”, “Indiscipline”, and “The Sheltering Sky” are all basically finished products, and are all performed with the blazing intensity typical of this incarnation of the band (“Discipline” in particular sounds great). Some quirks pop up in “Thela Hun Ginjeet” – Belew’s vocals are markedly different from the album version – and “Frame By Frame” sounds pretty rough, but for the most part the songs here sound much like we expect them to, if a little less polished. The two songs from the previous Crimson era are well-represented with solid, if not particularly notable, performances.

As a true live album, King Crimson has countless better ones than this (the definitive from this incarnation of the band being Absent Lovers); but as a historical document, Live at Moles Club is a valuable curiosity for die-hard KC fans. It’s certainly neat to hear the band in its embryonic stages. The band was only three weeks old at the time of this show, which is utterly remarkable given the state of the compositions and the tightness of the group interplay.

The sound quality of the show is about on the level of a good bootleg.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – Guitar
* Adrian Belew – Guitar & Vocal
* Tony Levin – Stick, Bass Guitar
* Bill Bruford – Drums & Percussion

Track List:
01. Discipline – 5:57
02. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 5:42
03. Red – 6:11
04. Elephant Talk – 4:45
05. Matte Kudasai – 3:43
06. The Sheltering Sky – 8:48
07. Indiscipline – 7:02
08. Frame By Frame – 4:58
09. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic (Part II) – 6:37

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – KCCC10 Live at NYC (1974) (@256)

22 Jul 2008

(Review from progreviews.com progarchives.com)

This concert was recorded at Central Park, New York, USA, July 1, 1974.

The show begins with a tape playing then recent Fripp & Eno collaboration “No Pussyfooting”, and then the band kicks in with a fine version of “21st Century Schizoid Man” featuring a Fripp on fire. The following “Lament” is also a good version of the song, there’s a furious interplay going on between Bruford and Wetton especially! The tuning before “Exiles” morphs into a very oppressive and chaotic improvisation, which then transmutes to the mantra and then as the main song. The contrasts are exceptionally fine here, the beautiful minor ballad rises from the maelstorm of a violent nightmare. Then comes the full-improvised number, named as “Cerberus”, which is an OK number. The quarrels within the band had escalated, and it can be heard in these “blows”, the rhythm section dominates the playing, and Fripp and Cross try to punch in their melodic passages desperately.

On “Fracture”, Wetton’s bass performance is stunningly virtuosic (or maybe just really, really loud), and gives the piece an almost funky flavor here that I’ve never heard on any other recording. Definitely one of my favorite renditions of this piece. The performance of “Starless” is blazing, and pretty close to the version that ended up on Red, although unfortunately the volume level seems to peter out a bit just as the climax hits. David Cross’ performance on “The Talking Drum” is definitely notable, and this piece in general is quite brutal here. “Larks’ Tongues Part 2″ is almost anticlimactic as a closer, but still has sections that burn.

Robert Fripp claimed that this concert, the last concert King Crimson played in the 1970s, was the only one that matched the fury and intensity of the 1969 live band. Unfortunately the sound quality of this release is average, but still pleasurable.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, electric piano
- David Cross / violin, mellotron, electric piano
- John Wetton / bass guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Walk On ,,, No Pussyfooting – 2:11
02. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 7:58
03. Lament – 4:49
04. Exiles – 7:53
05. Improve: Cerberus – 8:27
06. Easy Money – 6:26
07. Fracture – 11:20
08. Starless – 12:31
09. The Talking Drum – 5:30
10. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic: Part 2 – 6:57

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Bill Bruford, David Cross, John Wetton, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC09 Denver Live at Summit Studios (1972) (@256)

21 Jul 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

You can always rely on King Crimson to challenge your expectations, even in a 30-year old archive recording from arguably the least popular line-up of the band. If you only know this Crimson from their somewhat austere 1971 album “Islands”, prepare to have your eyes and ears belatedly opened, and better late than never.

At this point in the band’s history the signature King Crimson spirit of “energy, intensity, and eclecticism” had been all but reduced to just the eclecticism. But this live-in-the-station radio broadcast, recorded in Colorado during their final U.S. tour, offers a candid and surprisingly playful portrait of a group supposedly in disarray, and as a welcome bonus it sounds a heck of a lot better than the sub-bootleg concert tapes on the posthumous “Earthbound” album.

Forget everything you might have read about this being an unhappy quartet of mismatched talents, split by creative frictions: this set captures them in peak form and high spirits. Evidence of the informal nature of the gig can be heard in some of the goofy but affectionate banter between songs, including (in “My Hobby”) Ian Wallace doing his best Mr. Gumby impersonation, for an audience not yet acquainted with Monty Python (this from a drummer, keep in mind, who according to band biographer Sid Smith once performed for the goggle-eyed comedian Marty Feldman, while dressed as a duck).

Elsewhere the band’s enthusiasm (yes, even from the normally taciturn Fripp) must have been contagious, as more than half of their performance here was clearly unscheduled. The original four-song set opens with a tight, swinging variation of “Pictures of a City” (miles removed from the “21st Century Schizoid Man” similarity on the “Wake of Poseidon” album), and was meant to conclude with “Schizoid Man” itself, here in a more circumspect version played at a somewhat lachrymose pace, no doubt to accommodate the rookie bass guitarist.

But just as the studio host begins his closing acknowledgements and thanks, an irrepressible Ian Wallace starts a spontaneous drumbeat and the band kicks into another impromptu jam. “…Looks like we’re gonna get an encore”, drawls the DJ, and not for the last time that evening. There are at least two more false endings before the true final number: a long freeform arrangement of the Leon Thomas / Pharaoh Sanders composition “The Creator Has a Master Plan”.

The variable mix of this track suggests it might have actually been a pre-show microphone check. After 15 minutes the whole thing finally unravels (with unaccountable tape splices spoiling the continuity), but not before another surprise, when the upbeat melody suddenly breaks into a filthy blues riff, inspiring even Fripp to throw his guitar (all too briefly) into some unlikely sonic contortions.

The unexpected and wholly American blues-funk flavor of this line-up still doesn’t sit well with doctrinaire Crimheads, and was never quite to Fripp’s own taste either. The guitarist himself is often the odd man out here, but it’s fascinating to hear him beginning to move away from the jazzier sound of earlier King Crimson albums toward the harder, more aggressive style soon to reach fruition only a few short months later with the “Larks Tongues” crew.

Some tantalizing hints of that uncompromising musical future are already evident. At the end of the “Summit Going On” improv you’ll recognize what would become the opening motif to “Night Watch” and the guitarist can later be heard test-driving some of the white-lightning riffs of “Larks Tongues In Aspic, Part One”, almost daring the rest of the band to follow him.

Some of this show would later appear on the haphazard “Ladies of the Road” collection, but the entire set, warts and all, might go a long way toward rehabilitating the undervalued reputation of this Crimson. For diehard fans in particular, this album fills in the blanks of an only half-sketched and long neglected chapter in the ongoing King Crimson biography.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – Guitar, Mellotron
* Mel Collins – Sax, Flute, Mellotron
* Boz Burrell – Bass Guitar, Lead Vocal
* Ian Wallace – Drums, Backing Vocal

Track List:
01. Pictures of a City – 9:38
02. Cadence and Cascade – 4:46
03. Groon – 13:49
04. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 10:10
05. Improv: Summit Going On – 11:39
06. My Hobby – 1:31
07. Sailor’s Tale – 6:52
08. The Creator Has a Master Plan – 15:26

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Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Live, Mel Collins, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC08 VROOOM Sessions (1994) (@256)

20 Jul 2008

(Review from progreviews.com)

The eighth edition in the King Crimson Collector’s Club presents outtakes from the first series of rehearsals of the ‘double trio’ of the band in 1994.

The sessions heard here are largely an exhibit of six musicians just beginning to oil their joints as a unit with no firm material yet established. So, one can’t fault Fripp and company too much for stretching out in what is clearly a rehearsal setting not recorded with an eye towards release.

Still, even in these simple jams, there’s a slightly detectable forced ‘descent into busywork’ that seemed to dog this lineup at the expense of a more focused simplicity. Eventually this led to the oversaturation and the band moved towards partitioning into ‘fraKctals’.

That’s not to say there aren’t some interesting moments to be found here. The aptly titled “Monster Jam”, with Fripp’s sinister soundscapes and Bruford’s thundering drumwork, shows the tremendous force that this band could summon with little difficulty. Among the other tracks, “Bill & Tony” recalls “Waiting Man” from Beat, and there are instrumental run-throughs of “One Time” and an embryonic version of “Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream” (here entitled “No Questions Asked”). Also, “Krim 3″ would eventually see light as a track on Adrian Belew’s solo album under a different name.

Obviously one wouldn’t expect to hear anything inspiring, though it provides insight into this particular time slot in Crimson’s history for the interested.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – Guitar, Soundscapes
* Adrian Belew – Guitar
* Trey Gunn – Stick
* Tony Levin – Basses, Stick
* Pat Mastelotto – Acoustic & Electronic Drums & Percussion
* Bill Bruford – Acoustic & Electronic Drums & Percussion

Track List:
01. Bass Groove – 4:34
02. Fashionable – 4:59
03. Monster Jam – 8:38
04. Slow Mellow – 2:57
05. Krim 3 – 3:20
06. Funky Jam – 4:57
07. Bill & Tony – 1:36
08. No Questions Asked – 3:24
09. Adrian’s Clouds – 1:39
10. Calliope – 5:58
11. One Time – 5:24
12. Booga Looga – 3:46

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC07 ProjeKct Four San Francisco (1998) (@256)

19 Jul 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

This release is subtitled “The roar of P4” and that’s just what it is. It was recorded on November 1, 1998 at the 7th Note in San Francisco. It is a heavy and dark album.

The album opens with “Ghost”. It starts with a spacy sound, but this is soon supported by a fast beat and extensive soloing by Fripp. An energetic track. This followed by “Heavy” and “Light ConstruKction”. These two tracks were previously performed by ProjeKct Two (they can be found on the album “Live Groove”) and were later performed by ProjeKct Three (on the album “Live in Austin”). The track “Deception of the Thrush” was later adopted by King Crimson. “Seizure” can also be found on the improve disc of the triple album “Heavy ConstruKction”. Again a very dynamic track, not much melody but mainly rhythm. The album closes with “Ghost 3”, which is a slow and heavy track and “ProjeKction” that resembles the space sound of ProjeKct Two.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / Guitar
- Tony Levin / Basses, Stick
- Trey Gunn / Touch Guitar, Talker
- Pat Mastelotto / Electronic Traps And Buttons

Track List:
01. Ghost – 8:50
02. Heavy ConstruKction – 9:14
03. Light ConstruKction – 8:32
04. Deception Of The Thrush – 9:04
05. Seizure – 13:36
06. Ghost 3 – 12:13
07. ProjeKction – 10:10

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King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC05-06 Broadway (1995) (@256)

18 Jul 2008

(Info from wikipedia)

The tracks on the album were recorded at the Longacre Theater in New York City, USA, on November 20, 21, 22, 24 and 25, 1995, as the band was touring to promote the album Thrak.

“Vrooom Vrooom” live album features one disc with recordings from the Broadway concerts. The final track, “Fearless and Highly THRaKked”, is also featured on the live album THRaKaTTaK. An alternative version of this track, entitled “Biker Babes of the Rio Grande”, is featured on the “Vrooom Vrooom” live album.

Lead singer and guitarist Adrian Belew performed John Lennon’s “Free As A Bird” as a solo piece throughout the Broadway engagement. This was not included on King Crimson On Broadway, but was released on Belew’s solo album Belewprints and on the “Vrooom Vrooom” live album.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – guitar
* Adrian Belew – guitar, vocals
* Tony Levin – bass guitar, Chapman stick
* Trey Gunn – Warr guitar
* Bill Bruford – drums, percussion
* Pat Mastelotto – drums, percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Conundrum – 1:57
02. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 6:43
03. Red – 6:29
04. Dinosaur – 7:16
05. Vrooom Vrooom – 4:48
06. Frame By Frame – 5:10
07. Walking On Air – 5:28
08. B’Boom – 5:35
09. Thrak – 6:31
10. Neurotica – 4:34
11. Sex,Sleep,Eat,Drink.Dream – 4:58
CD2
01. People – 6:14
02. One Time – 5:55
03. Indiscipline – 7:16
04. Improv: Two Sticks – 2:02
05. Elephant Talk – 4:17
06. Prism – 3:56
07. Talking Drum – 2:59
08. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic (Part II) – 7:27
09. Three Of A Perfect Pair – 4:22
10. Vrooom – 3:54
11. Coda: Marine 475 – 2:41
12. Fearless And Highly THRaKked – 2:31

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – KCCC04 Live at Cap D'Agde (1982) (@256)

17 Jul 2008

9 comments

Tracks 1-6 recorded at the Arena, Cap D’Agde, France, August 26, 1982. Tracks 7-9 recorded at the Arena, Frejus, France, August 27, 1982.

The quality of the recording is astounding, rivaling the ‘mainstream” release of “Absent Lovers”.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp / guitar
* Adrian Belew / guitar, vocals
* Tony Levin / bass guitar, Chapman stick
* Bill Bruford / drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Waiting Man – 7:09
02. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 4:30
03. Matte Kudasai – 3:58
04. The Sheltering Sky – 9:48
05. Neil And Jack And Me – 5:38
06. Elephant Talk – 4:57
07. Indiscipline – 12:31
08. Heartbeat – 4:05
09. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic II – 7:50

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – KCCC03 Live at Bremen (1972) (@256)

16 Jul 2008

9 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

This concert was recorded on the German programme Beat Club, in Bremen, Germany, on October 17, 1972.

The first track is named as “The Rich Tapestry Of Life”, which I recall is Fripp’s quotation from a letter he got from Jamie Muir. So this one begins with few minutes of anxious waiting, there’s some muffled speaking, tuning and such going on, and strangely it works as a nice contrast to the chaotic improvisation, which suddenly begins after two and a half minutes. The chaotic one minute blast clams down to beautiful tones of the mellotron, violin and bass guitar. Wetton begins to form a funky rhythm which the others join, and the famous King Crimson musical improvisation begins to blow, creating long layers of both calm and aggressive musical sequences. There also a funny anecdote here, as Cross plays some real flute in some parts of this track. If you are in to free jazz and old heavy rock of the 70′s, this is a must material for you, as it combines both of these elements. The players are very bold, and they are not afraid of small “mistakes” or “misjudgments” which shall most surely occur in this kind of collective musical adventuring. Considering this, one can also find a nice metaphoric idea in Fripp’s name selection for this piece! The half hour long jam most surely contains the full scale of life’s all emotions!

After the final waves of the massive improvisation begins to fade, the beautiful forms of sounds emerge from the sea of chaotic turbulence, and the music changes straight as the song “Exiles”. The version of “Exiles” it self is a bit clumsy, but if you are interested how these numbers evolved during time, this is an essential document of that process. Cross also does some singing on this one. The final number on this concert is “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic – part one”, which is a decent version but not essential. It’s a bit shorter version, as it ends in the part where the violin solo begins.

The sound quality is not remarkable, but good. There’s also some tuning problems with mellotrons, singers and the violin… More matured versions of “Exiles” and “Larks’” are also available in other releases, but they have historical values, and the big improvisation (taking up two-thirds of the album) is great.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – guitar, mellotron
* John Wetton – bass guitar, vocals
* David Cross – violin, mellotron
* Bill Bruford – drums
* Jamie Muir – percussion

Track List:
01. Improv: The Rich Tapestry Of Life – 29:49
02. Exiles – 7:53
03. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic (Part I) – 6:53

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Bill Bruford, David Cross, Jamie Muir, John Wetton, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC02 Live at Jacksonville (1972) (@256)

15 Jul 2008

This concert was recorded at the Baseball Park, Jacksonville, Florida, USA, February 26, 1972.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron
* Boz Burrell / bass guitar, vocals
* Mel Collins / saxophone, flute, mellotron
* Ian Wallace / drums, vocals

Track List:
01. Pictures Of A City – 9:46
02. Cirkus – 9:08
03. Ladies Of The Road – 6:39
04. Formentera Lady – 10:21
05. The Sailor’s Tale – 14:05
06. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 10:28

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Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Live, Mel Collins, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – KCCC01 Live at Marquee (1969) (@256)

14 Jul 2008

(Review from wikipedia, progarchives.com)

In 1998, King Crimson Collectors’ Club (KCCC) were founded, a service that regularly releases live recordings from concerts, studio sessions and radio sessions throughout the band’s career.

Live at The Marquee is the first of many KCCC albums. Tracks 1-7 believed to be recorded at the Marquee Club, London, UK, July 6, 1969. Track 8 was recorded at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, UK, October 17, 1969.

Fripp is absolutely marvelous on this record, and his harmonizations and arpeggios are flawlessly executed, as well as the occasional shreds. Greg Lake’s vocals here are awfully forced and there’s hardly any modulation in his voice, often just shouting. Giles is Giles as always, a very underrated drummer, although this album is probably not the best way to be introduced to his talents; studio albums will do much better. Ian McDonald’s flute sounds flowing as always, especially on “Travel Weary Capricorn”: a very jazz-flavoured piece, in which he pulls out a “Ian Anderson”.

This album has the worst bootleg quality you could find anywhere, but if you’re not an audiophile or a sound quality freak, then this will present no problem. Proceed with caution though… this albums has as much flaws as virtues.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp / guitar
* Greg Lake / bass guitar, vocals
* Ian McDonald / woodwinds, keyboards, mellotron, vocals
* Michael Giles / drums, percussion, vocals
* Peter Sinfield / illumination

Track List:
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 6:21
02. Drop In – 5:41
03. I Talk to the Wind – 5:17
04. Epitaph – 3:20
05. Travel Weary Capricorn – 11:06
06. Improv (including Nola and Etude no. 7) – 12:29
07. Mars – 8:29
08. Trees – 18:44

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Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, King Crimson, Live, Michael Giles, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – ProjeKct Six East Coast (Live 2006) (@256)

11 Jul 2008

Thanks to Bilek for the contribution.

(Review from king-crimson.com)

The latest projeKct of King Crimson, ProjeKct Six consists of only Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew. Compiled from three different gigs while opening for the band Porcupine Tree, this album is an amazing journey into the world of new sounds from both Fripp and Belew. The end result sounds like a cross between ProjeKct Two (as Belew is reprising his role on the electronic V-drum kit) and the more recent activity of King Crimson themselves.

Despite all the technology involved this is a pared-back sound compared to previous projeKcts, and there’s a tentative, exploratory quality about much of the music; two players in search of that often elusive moment, an intriguing aspect which provides much of the tension and appeal.

As well as the big set pieces there are some little jewels to be found in small places; the Frippertronics-like ending of Berklee Strut and the beginning of End Time Boston. With Belew pounding on an electronic drum kit, Fripp tore into a set of improvised sound sketches, mixing in hints of electronic programming under his searing guitar explorations.

Both Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew have played effortlessly together for many years as guitarists. Even here, with Belew away from his guitar and beating the drums instead, they still play off each other like as if they were one.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / Guitar
- Adrian Belew / V-drumming

Track List:
01. Threshold Knock Knock Who’s There Boston
02. Time Groove Boston
03. Queer Jazz Boston
04. Threshold P6 Boston
05. Berklee Strut Boston
06. End Time Boston
07. Threshold Knock Knock Who’s There NYC
08. Time Groove NYC
09. Mission Possible NYC
10. Space Threshold NYC
11. Queer Jazz NYC
12. Threshold Knock Knock Who’s There Keswick
13. Persian E Keswick
14. Time Groove Keswick

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Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – Happy with What You Have to be Happy With (EP 2003) (@256)

11 Jul 2008

(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)

As Vrooom was to Thrak, so too is Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With to The Power to Believe. This 32-minute mini-album was only meant as a teaser for the upcoming King Crimson album “Power to Believe”, so it might not rate more than a passing mention in retrospect.

There are four substantive tracks which are surrounded by brief interludes. A majority of the interludes (“Bude”, “She Shudders”, “I Ran”, “Clouds”) are synthesized-vocal poetry segments by Belew, an idea that would be passed on to the upcoming “Power to Believe”. Other interludes include a soundscape passage from Fripp (“Mie Gakure”) and a jimble-jamble of tuned percussion (“Shoganai”) that is in the vein of the opening of “Larks’ Tongues I”.

And the four substantive tracks? “Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With” was written ostensibly as a parody, but practically ends up as self-parody in the process. The meta-lyrics, singing about the process of writing the verses within the actual verses and the chorus within the actual chorus, etc., are intended to be a joke poking fun at the vacuity of the nu metal of the time.

While the title track is certainly nothing new coming for the band, in its favor it at least crunches along with some degree of energy and attitude. Pat Mastelotto, who is a kind of Alan White counterpoint to Bill Bruford in King Crimson, provides some of the more interesting contributions here, walloping the drum kit and inserting some fresh fills.

The EP contains an acoustic version of “Eyes Wide Open”, which also later appeared on “Power to Believe”. This is a gentle song merging the mellow vibe of “One Time” with the desert caravan percussion of “Walking on Air” from Thrak. “Potato Pie” is another Crimson-warps-the-blues piece as was “ProzaKc Blues” for “ConstruKction of Light”. There is a version of “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic IV” sounds a diluted, hybridized rehash of “Larks’ Tongues II”, “Red” and “THRAK”. The EP finally fizzles out with the hidden track “Einstein’s Relatives”, an amalgamation of studio banter and outtakes.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Adrian Belew / guitar, vocals
- Trey Gunn / warr guitar, rubber bass, fretless warr
- Pat Mastelotto / drums

Track List:
01. Bude – 0:26
02. Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With – 4:12
03. Mie Gakure – 2:00
04. She Shudders – 0:35
05. Eyes Wide Open – 4:08
06. Shoganai – 2:53
07. I Ran – 0:40
08. Potato Pie – 5:03
09. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic (Part IV) – 10:26
10. Clouds – 4:10

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Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – Level Five (Live EP 2001) (@256)

09 Jul 2008

10 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

The new period (with its amazingly various flashes) of King Crimson isn’t just about “THRaK”, “ConstruKction Of Light” and “Power To Believe” (pivotal, but sole-blistering role), it’s yet about many other sides, recordings, influences, powers, gown states and purified energies, eclectic touches and dark permanent transitions (etc). Albums and side loops merely contemplate the great fusion of taste, passion, dark, drought, rock, math, cycle, groon or dim-stem elements have an equal share of treat, vituperance and fun-based Crimson energy. Well… here is “Level Five”.

This is a live recording from 2001 when King Crimson toured with Tool. As the band often does, they allow the audience to hear some new material that will be released on their next album (“Power To Believe”).

Like Tool’s music,this is dark and very heavy. “Dangerous Curves” features synths-like sounds and drums. “Level Five” is another “Power To Believe” song at at over 8 minutes in length. It opens with screaming guitar,and check out the outbreaks of bass that comes and goes several times. “Virtuous Circle” was changed a bit to become “Power To Believe II” on that record. Lots of percussion as the guitar joins in. The sound does lighten as percussion continues. The waves of synths-like sounds are majestic.

“The ConstruKction Of Light” from the album of the same name is over 13 minutes long. Drums open the song as relentless angular guitar melodies play throughout. Great bass lines again,and vocals 6 minutes in. “The Deception of Thrush” from various ProjeKcts starts with a monologue of processed vocals for 2 minutes. Then a dark,heavy soundscape rises from the depths. It does lighten up as synths-like waves come in with guitar melodies.

Un-critical and un-measurable, yet as a secondary kind of release and stage act, “Level Five” is almost beyond the normal drought of such albums.

Line-up:
* Adrian Belew – Guitar, Vocals
* Robert Fripp – Guitar
* Trey Gunn – Warr Guitar
* Pat Mastelotto – Drums

Track List:
01. Dangerous Curves
02. Level Five
03. Virtuous Circle
04. The ConstruKction Of Light
05. The Deception Of The Thrush

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Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – ProjeKct X : Heaven and Earth (2000) (@256)

08 Jul 2008

14 comments

Thanks to Bragi Taliesin for the contribution.

(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)

Heaven and Earth was taken from the rehearsals and recording of King Crimson’s “ConstruKction of Light” album. Basically, this is a hodgepodge of improvisations, jams, studio conversations and robotic whispers by Belew, all whirled around and thrown together with techno hyper-beat programming of Mastelotto.

You may have already heard the sultry title track, added as an epilogue to the “ConstruKction of Light” album. But by itself it doesn’t give an altogether accurate impression of the adrenalin-driven, hyperspace grooves on display here. Crimson’s 2003 studio album, “Power To Believe”, may have better integrated the ProjeKct X ethos into an actual song-based format, but this is Mastelotto’s Crimson King in all its unexpurgated glory, at last fulfilling the promise of the post-Double Trio research and development fraKctals in brilliant, no-holds-barred fashion.

Exactly how state-of-the-art is it? Consider that the running time of each track, as listed in the CD booklet, is broken down to a ridiculous 1/100th of a second, something only a true music nerd could appreciate.

Line-up:
* Adrian Belew – Guitar, additional ‘V Drumming’ (3)
* Robert Fripp – Guitar, Soundscapes
* Trey Gunn – Bass Touch Guitar, Baritone Guitar
* Pat Mastelotto – Traps, Buttons

Track List:
01. The Business of Pleasure
02. Hat in The Middle
03. Side Window
04. MaximIzer
05. Strange Ears (aging rapidly)
06. Overhead Floor Mats Under Toe Real Audio
07. Six O’Clock
08. Superbottomfeeder
09. One E And Real Audio
10. Two Awkward Moments
11. Demolition
12. Conversation Pit
13. Cin AlayI
14. Heaven And Earth
15. Belew Jay Way

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Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – ProjeKct Four West Coast (Live) (1998) (@256)

08 Jul 2008

(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)

West Coast Live, is very ambiguous and quite the opposite of conserved state. Just like ProjeKct Two, it’s chaotic, a heavy surplus, and a very dynamic explosion. It sounds like “Ozric Tentacles meets Soundscapes”. The Ozric feeling comes from electronic “twiddly bits” that help to propel the rhythm section.

Like ProjeKct Two, this one seems more composed than other parts of the set. “West Coast Live” opens with a song in four sections (with the sections sounding like four different performances spliced together) called “Ghost (part 1)”. The album also includes a version of “Deception of the Thrush”, this time with a booming, pounding rhythm section. “Hindu Fizz” and “ProjeKction” follow, and finally the album ends with the five-track song, “Ghost (part 2)”. This last song begins with Fripp and Levin trading scratchy low notes and getting some laughs from the audience.

Perhaps ProjeKct Four has too much power that isn’t perfectly handled, but that goes well in the context of sheer wild insanity.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar, talker
- Tony Levin / basses, Stick
- Pat Mastelotto / electronic traps and buttons

Track List:
01. Ghost (part 1) 1 – 9:14
02. Ghost (part 1) 2 – 4:07
03. Ghost (part 1) 3 – 5:55
04. Ghost (part 1) 4 – 5:06
05. Deception of the Thrush – 7:12
06. Hindu Fizz – 4:46
07. ProjeKction – 5:29
08. Ghost (part 2) 1 – 1:39
09. Ghost (part 2) 2 – 2:43
10. Ghost (part 2) 3 – 3:53
11. Ghost (part 2) 4 – 1:48
12. Ghost (part 2) 5 – 4:57

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King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – ProjeKct Three Masque (Live) (1999) (@256)

06 Jul 2008

(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)

ProjeKct Three’s Masques, is generally considered the projeKct masterpiece, containing delightful King Crimson moments.

The source material for it came mainly from live improv performances, but then the music was edited with bits and pieces moved here and there to “make a better flow and cover a few, but not all, brown spots”. The result is an album that sounds more “studio” than the others, but still retains the energy and experimentation of the live shows.

In the band we have Mastellotto as drummer, which is perfect for charismatic percussion. Correlation can be made with ProjeKct One, in the sense that it’s very educated standard of music, abstract and intelligent without growing too much chaos or music extreme. Very refined, somber and introspective in prevalent shapes, subtle and well-outlined. Thirteen movements of improvisatorial educated wonder.

The linear notes suggest you play the album in random mode to continue the improvisation.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar, talker
- Pat Mastelotto / electronic traps and buttons

Track List:
01. Masque 1 – 5:40
02. Masque 2 – 3:13
03. Masque 3 – 6:17
04. Masque 4 – 3:10
05. Masque 5 – 3:19
06. Masque 6 – 0:45
07. Masque 7 – 3:21
08. Masque 8 – 4:26
09. Masque 9 – 2:40
10. Masque 10 – 6:11
11. Masque 11 – 6:23
12. Masque 12 – 3:51
13. Masque 13 – 5:08

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King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – ProjeKct Two Live Groove (1998) (@256)

05 Jul 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

Live Groove, is a reference to the double album Space Groove, released one year before this, and it’s actually a prevalent interpretation of Space Groove’s repertoire or, least of all, essence.

It’s a guitar sense, as only Fripp, Belew and Gunn form this frakctal of King Crimson. That means slight soundscapism, chords refinement and the casual construction of such an imposing feature. The play is virulent, in a chaos of sensations, in several senses. Perhaps not intact as speech, but a pill of shock therapy. Energic, yet perhaps too close in its sharp form.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Adrian Belew / V-drums
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar, talker

Track List:
01. Sus-tayn-Z – 8:05
02. Heavy ConstruKction – 5:11
03. The Deception Of The Thrush – 7:33
04. X-chayn-jiZ – 6:01
05. Light ConstruKction – 5:17
06. Vector Shift To Planet Detroit – 3:41
07. Contrary ConstruKction – 4:55
08. Live Groove – 10:50
09. Vector Shift To Planet Belewbeloid – 1:24
10. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 11:50

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Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – ProjeKct Two Space Groove (1997) (@256)

04 Jul 2008

Thanks to Bragi Taliesin for the contribution.

(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)

Considering that many bands that tackle the double disc format spend a long time writing and recording only to turn out a mediocre product, ProjeKct Two’s attempt to produce a double album in three days seems foolhardy. Space Groove, written and performed by half of King Crimson (Adrian Belew, Trey Gunn and Robert Fripp) is surprisingly decent, then, and even good considering the time constraint and amount of material.

The pieces have a jazzy space feel to them; the choice of futuristic-sounding instruments and sounds no doubt plays a major part in this. Overall, the music is very subtle; enjoyable. The pieces don’t seem to be in any particular order, and could just as easily be rearranged with the same effect.

Fripp is the sole lead guitarist, and it is refreshing to hear him leading from the front for once. Gunn’s WARR guitar has a huge range of notes, enabling him to function as either bass or second guitar as rquired, and the V drums can trigger bass lines and samples, so at times it sounds like a lot more than 3 musicians.

CD1 features 2 lengthy, jazz inflected improvs and one much shorter piece. The shorter pieces on CD2 are often excellent, with a much sharper focus — probably because it uses the better excerpts of long jams instead of the long jams themselves.

Adrian Belew wrote an accompanying short science fiction story (included in the packaging) that tries to make some sense out of the improvisational chaos. The second disc, “Vector Patrol”, seems to follow this narrative, as it consists of fourteen smaller pieces of music whose titles indicatic thematic flow.

Space Groove are for those who enjoy improvisational, low-key space music.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Adrian Belew / V-drums
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar, guitar synth

Track List:
CD1
01. Space Groove II
02. Space Groove III
03. Space Groove I
CD2
01. Happy Hour on Planet Zarg
02. Is There Life on Zarg
03. Low Life in Sector Q-3
04. Sector Shift
05. Laura in Space
06. Sector Drift
07. Sector Patrol
08. In Space There Is No North, In Space There Is No South, In Space There Is No East, In Space There Is No West
09. Vector Patrol
10. Deserts of Arcadia (North)
11. Deserts of Arcadia (South)
12. Snake Drummers of Sector Q-3
13. Escape from Sagittarius A
14. Return to Station B

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Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – ProjeKct One Live at the Jazz Cafe (1997) (@256)

03 Jul 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

Improvisatorial, non-conformist, heavy experimental, sound chaser King Crimson has become by the end of the millennium more than a fact, an affinity or a special side of them. It has become a genuine character, a strong brand and an always intriguing viewpoint of their music.

King Crimson delved into more research and development, exploring the capabilities of the six member line-up by forking into four subsets (frakctals). What they did to do some experimental, mostly live, mostly improvisational music in pairs.

ProjeKct One’s “Live At The Jazz Cafe”, is impressive through clear scales, rigorous composition, keen adaptation. Less abstract, more melodic; less wild, more pragmatic; stable in a convenient form. Music goes enchanting (though this word can seem out of King Crimson definition, if you think about it), being a complete of a speech done to perfect value and minute form. Serves as a good reference. Does a great impression. Speaks a veridical language. Good, simple, clean, pure, light in the meaning of fluency, nonetheless of the right mood and the right approach. A titled hint of style, a conserved and understandable crimsonian movement.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion
- Trey Gunn / touch guitar
- Tony Levin / basses, Stick, synth

Track List:
01. 4 i 1 – 6:11
02. 4 ii 1 – 3:29
03. 1 ii 2 – 4:27
04. 4 ii 4 – 7:58
05. 2 ii 3 – 4:27
06. 3 i 2 – 8:14
07. 3 ii 2 – 6:32
08. 2 ii 4 – 4:27
09. 4 i 3 – 4:32

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Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – Vrooom Vrooom (Live 1995-96) (@256)

02 Jul 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

For a line-up which released only one studio album (Thrak) , there’s an awful lot of material by the double trio available, especially if you count in the ProjeKcts. This double set gives a good selection of live versions of 90s material, updated versions of older material, some improv and a cover version thrown in for good measure. King Crimson has always come alive on stage, and these double album show just how powerful they can be when they’re firing on all cylinders.

The two discs were recorded during different concerts, in Mexico City (disc 1, and New York (disc 2). Somewhat confusingly disc 1 was recorded 9 months after disc 2, which means that the band sounds slightly less polished on disc 2 if you listen to them in order. Although they were drawing on the same repertoire for these shows, only one piece (Thrak) crops up twice.

Disc 1 sees the mighty Crim beast launch a non stop, no holds barred assault on their audience, 60 minutes of the kind of high intensity few other bands can deliver. The first five selections come from Thrak, including a storming version of Dinosaur with Belew in fine voice. This is followed by a blast from the past as they give us The Talking Drum and LTIA II, with Bruford and Mastelotto almost matching the Muir/Bruford partnership for manic interplay. Neurotica is another bravura vocal from Belew, a white knuckle ride on a piledriving rhythm that constantly threatens to fall apart but somehow holds together. Two other oldies get the double trio makeover; Red, which sounds a bit messy compared to the version on “Absent Lovers”, and a nu-metal reworking of 21st Century Schizoid Man which works surprisingly well once you get over the initial shock.

Disc 2 is a slightly looser affair which draws mainly on Thrak and the 80s albums. The 80s material is reworked by the expanded line up to great effect, especially Elephant Talk which gives Gunn and Levin an opportunity to trade licks at lightning speed. Indiscipline shows the bands mastery of wildly fluctuating dynamics and stop/start rhythms, while the gentler songs show that the double trio was also capable of great subtlety and restraint, particularly the the closer, Walking on Air. An unexpected surprise is a cover version of the Beatles’ “Free as a Bird”, which was released at the time of these concerts. Belew does a remarkably fine job as a Lennon impersonator, and you can hear the band and audience audibly cracking smiles during this performance.

Vrooom Vrooom is a great Crimson live album, it gives a good overview of a remarkable line-up in full flight.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar, soundscapes
- Adrian Belew / guitar, voice
- Trey Gunn / Warr touch guitar
- Tony Levin / basses, Stick
- Pat Mastelotto / acoustic drums, electronic drums, percussion
- Bill Bruford / acoustic drums, electronic drums, percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Vrooom Vrooom – 5:01
02. Coda: Marine 475 – 2:44
03. Dinosaur – 5:05
04. B’Boom – 4:51
05. Thrak – 6:39
06. The Talking Drum – 4:03
07. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic [Part II] – 6:13
08. Neurotica – 3:40
09. Prism – 4:24
10. Red – 7:03
11. Biker Babes of the Rio Grande – 2:27
12. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 7:37
CD2
01. Conundrum – 1:57
02. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 6:44
03. Frame By Frame – 5:12
04. People – 6:12
05. One Time – 5:52
06. Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream – 4:55
07. Indiscipline – 7:16
08. Two Sticks – 1:50
09. Elephant Talk – 5:14
10. Three Of A Perfect Pair – 4:16
11. B’Boom – 3:47
12. Thrak – 6:43
13. Free As A Bird – 3:03
14. Walking On Air – 5:35

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – B'Boom Live in Argentina (1994) (@256)

01 Jul 2008

(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)

B’Boom is exactly what it says it is, an “official bootleg”. Fripp apparently isn’t that fond of people bootlegging shows, because it allows bad shows to be heard by more people (so he says). So, in an effort to let the band tap into bootlegging for the band, B’Boom came to be. As one of the first shows of the Thrak tour, it was recorded live at the Broadway, Buenos Aires, Argentina in October 1994

The concert was digitally recorded from the mainboard. Because of this, the recorded sounds are exactly how the microphones heard the performance, not how the audience heard it. This produces a very detailed live record due to the sound engineer’s unique talent.

There is a good helping of Thrak material but the real fun is listening to what this double-trio lineup does with the older material. “Indiscipline” is downright scary it’s so good: just the right mix of anger and whimsy. “The Talking Drum” and “Larks’ . . .” are really something. Some of the other Discipline-era material sounds a bit congested with the six piece group but it doesn’t detract significantly from the performance. Of course there is some improv here, notably around “B’Boom” and “Thrak”, but it doesn’t go on too long or go off on too many tangents.

This is the triumphant return of King Crimson to the live stage in the 90s.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / vocals, guitar
- Bill Brudord / drums, percussion
- Robert Fripp / guitar, soundscapes
- Trey Gunn / Warr guitar
- Tony Levin / Stick, basses, vocals
- Pat Mastelotto / drums, percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. VROOOM – 7:06
02. Frame By Frame – 5:24
03. Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream – 4:48
04. Red – 6:08
05. One Time – 5:35
06. B’Boom – 6:48
07. THRAK – 6:28
08. Improv – Two Sticks – 1:25
09. Elephant Talk – 4:25
10. Indiscipline – 7:20
CD2
01. VROOOM VROOOM – 6:18
02. Matte Kudasai – 3:36
03. The Talking Drum – 5:44
04. Lark’s Tongues In Aspic Part II – 7:31
05. Heartbeat – 3:51
06. Sleepless – 6:05
07. People – 5:22
08. B’Boom (Reprise) – 4:16
09. THRAK – 5:33

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – Vrooom (EP 1994) (@256)

01 Jul 2008

(Review from allmusic)

To reward longtime King Crimson fanatics who waited ten long years (1984-1994) for new studio material, the band issued this EP of six tracks that would (for the most part) later appear on the full-length Thrak.

The band is caught at its rawest and most passionate, erasing any doubts that may have surfaced concerning whether the regrouped King Crimson could still cut it. They haven’t rocked this hard in years, the proof being in the first two songs — the long and winding instrumental title track and “Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream,” which contains some classic paranoid Adrian Belew vocals. “Cage” is a not-so-distant ancestor to their old track “Neurotica” (off 1982′s Beat), due to its message and approach. And as for the three other songs, “Thrak” is as primal as King Crimson have ever gotten; “When I Say Stop, Continue” is moody background music; and “One Time” is a slow, pretty number.

As on past releases, King Crimson are not scared to use cacophony to create musical tension — there’s lots of it on VROOOM.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, vocals, words
- Bill Bruford / acoustic & electronic percussion
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / Stick
- Tony Levin / Stick, basses
- Pat Mastelotto / acoustic & electronic percussion

Track List:
01. VROOM – 7:34
02. Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dram – 4:42
03. Cage – 1:35
04. Thrak – 7:18
05. When I Say Stop, Continue – 5:20
06. One Time – 4:27

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – Absent Lovers : Live in Montreal (1984) (@256)

29 Jun 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

“Absent Lovers” showcases the ground-breaking potential of the much-maligned (and equally praised) 80s line-up of this legendary band, whose final performance was captured in this double album.

Even a superficial listen should quickly disabuse those who thought the ‘trilogy’ released at the beginning of the decade was little more than King Crimson-lite. While their studio recordings may have been partly characterised by a somewhat ‘poppy’, even danceable quality, “Absent Lovers” shows quite a different story. The first of the two CDs in particular features oodles of state-of-the-art improvisation by a quartet of musicians possessed of technical chops and creative energy in equal doses.

7 out of 8 tracks of “Discipline” are featured here. While “Discipline” sounds distinctly unlike the band’s 70s output, a good deal of what can be heard on this album bears a very clear resemblance to the sound of their ’73-’74 incarnation, even though Belew’s quirky, supercharged vocal style (an acquired taste to many) is light years away from John Wetton’s alternately warm and gruff tones. The presence of two classic from that era, “Red” and “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic pt. 2” bears witness to this continuing connection.

In comparison to “Discipline”, the band’s sound is definitely darker, more metallic and spacey. Nowhere is it more evident than in the instrumental tracks included on CD 1, such as the ominous intro “Entry of the Crims”, which flows effortlessly into “Lark’s Tongues in Aspic pt. 3”, and the aptly-titled “Industry”. This CD’s highlight is probably the stunning, slow-motion, 10-minute-plus version of “Indiscipline”, in which the contrast between Belew’s spoken-word, distorted vocals and the explosive guitar riffing is used to maximum effect. On the other hand, the presence of the laid-back, atmospheric “Matte Kudasai”, the upbeat “Three of a Perfect Pair”, and the manic, intense “Thela Hun Ginjeet” provides a nice balance to the brooding heaviness of the above-mentioned tracks.

CD2 is definitely more song-orientated, from the rarefied atmosphere of “The Waiting Man” to the more energetic “Frame by Frame”, through the jagged rythms of “Sleepless” (a cracking version of a sadly underrated song) and the supreme quirkiness of vocal tour-de-force “Elephant Talk”, which closes the album in style), King Crimson prove to their audience that they are not only about instrumental virtuosity and intricate time signatures.

As is always the case with King Crimson, there is a genuine live feel to this album. The four band members are in top form, Belew and Fripp’s guitar creating all sorts of weird, intriguing soundscapes over the background provided by the stellar rhythm section of Bruford and Levin.

This is progressive music in the true sense of the word, harsh at times, soothing at others, improvisational, technically brilliant, intellectually challenging, lyrically odd, overall extremely stimulating.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / lead vocals, guitar
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion
- Robert Fripp / guitar, devices
- Tony Levin / Stick, basses, backing vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Entry of the Crims – 6:27
02. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part III) – 5:05
03. Thela Hun Gingeet – 7:07
04. Red – 5:49
05. Matte Kudasai – 3:45
06. Industry – 7:31
07. Dig Me – 3:59
08. Three of a Perfect Pair – 4:30
09. Indiscipline – 8:12
CD2
01. Sartori in Tangier – 4:39
02. Frame by Frame – 3:57
03. Man with an Open Heart – 3:44
04. Waiting Man – 6:26
05. Sleepless – 6:08
06. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part II) – 7:54
07. Discipline – 5:04
08. Heartbeat – 5:15
09. Elephant Talk – 8:55

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – Great Deceiver (Live 1973-74) (@256)

28 Jun 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

This box set features live recordings of the band from 1973 and 1974. All recordings feature the lineup of Robert Fripp, John Wetton, David Cross and Bill Bruford. Jamie Muir, who left the band in early 1973, is not featured on the set.

Throughout the four discs, the listener goes through many different concerts and ultimately is presented with many different songs (although there are a few repeats) as well as a plethora of improvs that really show the experimental nature of the group.

The first disc of this album is taken from a concert from Providence, Rhode Island, and stretches onto the second disc (for the first two songs). The set list is varied and has a stellar version of Starless with David Cross giving a superb violin part. Of the two improvs, which are Providence (which would eventually find its way onto Red with the crowd track cut out) and A Voyage To The Center of the Cosmos, the latter one really shows how the band could play completely improvised music and make it sound like it was well rehearsed and planned out… utterly stunning to put it shortly. Fracture also has a particular kick this time around, with the raw sound quality really coming and making it just a bit better than the other versions. The two songs on the second disc from this show, being 21st Century Schizoid Man (which is good, but the Night Watch version is better) and Walk Off Providence No Pussyfooting (which would act as the introduction and the closer of the show).

The second disc has a couple of rarities in Cat Food and Peace- A Theme as well as some wicked improvs (although they aren’t as spectacular as the Cosmos one on the first disc). The version of Larks’ Tongue in Aspic Part I is especially biting here with more violin presence. There’s also an abridged version of Easy Money as well as another full version on the same disc. Anyway, there’s more crowd presence on this disc, which gets a bit bothersome in the quieter pieces like Book of Saturday and Peace- A Theme. Despite that, though, it just doesn’t live up to the overall energy and feel (as well as the set list) of the first disc. It’s good, just not to that extent.

The third disc has four improvs as well as the only official release of Doctor Diamond (a song that was almost featured on Red but was cut out at the last minute) as well as another stellar version of Starless. Of the four improvs, the final one really is the best of them because of the great interplay between Bruford and Wetton (with Fripp playing excellently as well). This is also the first disc to feature a Talking Drum/Larks Tongues in Aspic Part II segue (with LTiA II being abridged) and for the most part it also comes off rather nicely. This disc also sounds wonderful with a nice overall ambience and a great balance in the instruments.

The final disc is from Toronto’s Massey Hall and a show from Switzerland. The opening four pieces range from constructed pieces (Fracture and the Night Watch) to all out improvs. The two improvs here, titled Clueless & Slightly Slack and The Golden Walnut, are a bit longer than the standard improvs on this set, but they are very captivating and really show the overall cohesiveness and intensity that the group was able to convey through their seemlessly complicated and intricate improvisational pieces that sound more like a rehearsed piece than something done completely on the fly. The rest of the disc comprises of 3 more improvs (one actually based on the No Pussyfooting theme) and a two part one titled The Law of Maximum Distress, which is probably my least favorite improv in the collection. Another strong version of Larks Tongue in Aspic part I and a rousing and sudden finale in The Talking Drum are also here, and for the most part they are pretty good.

Line-up:
* Robert Fripp – guitar, mellotron, electric piano
* John Wetton – bass guitar, vocals
* David Cross – violin, mellotron, electric piano
* Bill Bruford – drums, percussion

Track List:
CD1
01. Walk On … No Pussyfooting – 0:48
02. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, Part Two – 6:24
03. Lament – 4:38
04. Exiles – 8:57
05. Improv – A Voyage To The Centre of the Cosmos – 15:03
06. Easy Money – 7:12
07. Improv – Providence – 10:18
08. Fracture – 11:14
09. Starless – 12:03
CD2
01. 21st Century Schizoid Main – 8:26
02. Walk Off from Providence/No Pussyfooting – 2:11
03. Sharks’ Lungs in Lemsip – 2:31
04. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic – 7:49
05. Book Of Saturday – 3:02
06. Easy Money – 6:41
07. We’ll Let You Know – 4:54
08. The Night Watch – 5:17
09. Improv – Tight Scrummy – 8:58
10. Peace – A Theme – 1:01
11. Cat Food – 4:36
12. Easy Money (2) – 2:20
13. …It Is For You, But Not For Us – 9:10
CD3
01. Walk On … No Pussyfooting – 0:58
02. The Great Deceiver – 4:26
03. Improv – Bartley Butsford – 3:12
04. Exiles – 7:19
05. Improv – Daniel Dust – 4:09
06. The Night Watch – 4:39
07. Doctor Diamond – 5:11
08. Starless12:25
09. Improv – Wilton Carpet – 5:52
10. The Talking Drum – 5:29
11. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic: Part Two – 4:07
12. Applause & Announcement – 2:12
13. Improv – Is There Life Out There? – 14:49
CD4
01. Improv – The Golden Walnut – 11:46
02. The Night Watch – 4:37
03. Fracture11:51
04. Improv – Clueless and Slightly Slack – 8:12
05. Walk On … No Pussyfooting – 0:53
06. Improv – Some Pussyfooting – 2:26
07. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic: Part One – 8:16
08. Improv – The Law of Maximum Distress: Part One – 6:31
09. Improv – The Law of Maximum Distress: Part Two – 2:33
10. Easy Money – 7:32
11. Improv – Some More Pussyfooting – 5:53
12. The Talking Drum – 6:02

Links in comments.

Bill Bruford, David Cross, John Wetton, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – Night Watch (Live 1973) (@256)

27 Jun 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

Never mind the studio stuff: Crimson was and always will be at their best on stage, and this 2-disc live set from the Amsterdam Concertgebouw vividly captures what many fans consider to be the band’s best line up at their creative peak, in late 1973.

Hearing the show in its (more or less) uninterrupted entirety, and with a reconstructed sound that shames most contemporary live recordings, is nothing less than a revelation. this one performance belatedly sums up all the awesome power and ingenuity of the Bruford-Wetton-Cross-Fripp configuration.

Every song is dramatically superior to its studio counterpart, from the first sudden downbeat of “Easy Money” to the final crescendo of “Larks Tongues in Aspic Part II”. Listen to the band working its way through the spiral groove of “The Talking Drum”, gradually shifting gears upward into overdrive with near telepathic precision. Or breaking into a funky mock-rock ‘n’ roll stomp during the acerbic “Lament”, with Fripp soloing all over the auditorium (unlike his tame sustained fuzz on the later album version). Or sidestepping an unexpected technical glitch with textbook grace under pressure, after David Cross’ mellotron audibly short circuits mid-way into the second verse of the title track. A quick thinking shift to electric piano alters the entire chemistry of the song, for the better in my opinion: adding a touch of delicacy sometimes lacking in the faux-string arrangements.

However, it’s the group improvisations that have always defined the various Crimson Kings, and on this night the band was certainly firing on all cylinders, despite the claims of chronic tour burnout. You can perhaps hear their fatigue in the way each of the three improvs begins from a point of zero energy and absolute silence. But the act of spontaneous music making must have had a galvanizing effect, judging by how each one develops.

“Trio” is an oasis of calm in the often discordant sea of classic Crimson noise and fury. “Starless and Bible Black” gradually builds into a mind-frying jam of epic proportions, propelled by the Wetton-Bruford rhythm section at full steam. And in “The Fright Watch”, meant as little more than a prelude to “The Talking Drum”, John Wetton coaxes sounds from his bass guitar that need to be heard to be believed, reminding me of a slumbering subterranean dinosaur slowly emerging from some ancient primordial swamp.

The first two improvisations were both featured on the “Starless and Bible Black” album, but hearing each of them in the context of a complete show puts the music in an entirely fresh perspective.

It is, pure and simple, beyond criticism, and the next best thing to having been there in Amsterdam on that late November night.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron
- Bill Bruford / drums
- David Cross / violin, mellotron
- John Wetton / bass, vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Easy Money 6:15
02. Lament 4:14
03. Book Of Saturday 4:08
04. Fracture 11:28
05. The Night Watch 5:27
06. Improv- Starless And Bible Black 9:13
CD2
01. Improv- Trio 6:09
02. Exiles 6:37
03. Improv- The Fright Watch 6:03
04. The Talking Drum 6:34
05. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part II) 7:51
06. 21st Century Schizoid Man 10:38

Links in comments.

Bill Bruford, David Cross, John Wetton, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – Ladies of the Road (Live 1971-72) (@256)

27 Jun 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

While not perfect, this release offers a very correct-sounding of the “Island” album line-up of King Crimson.

Unsurprisingly, the track listing is mostly axed towards Island with touches into the first albums but rather sparsely. One of the biggest disappointments with this album is that the debut title track is only a 45 sec bluesy spoof, but a rare (and quite different than single or previous live version) of Groon makes this interesting.

The second disc is rather a curiosity of sorts but reserved for crimsonic monarchy absolutist since it has some 11 parts of Schizoid Man, mostly improvised parts. Interesting to a point, but rarely up for a regular spin in your deck unless you are a 21st Century Psychotic Man.

Line-up:
- Boz Burrell / bass & vocals
- Mel Collins / saxes, flute & mellotron
- Robert Fripp / guitar & mellotron
- Ian Wallace / drums
- Peter Sinfield / FOH sound & VCS3 on Volume One

Track List:
CD1
01. Pictures of a City – 8:46
02. The Letters – 4:42
03. Formentera Lady [Abridged] – 6:41
04. The Sailors Tale – 5:43
05. Cirkus – 7:58
06. Groon – 6:52
07. Get Thy Bearings – 8:33
08. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 8:57
09. In the Court of the Crimson King – 0:48
CD2
01. Schizoid Men I – 1:44
02. Schizoid Men II – 4:46
03. Schizoid Men III – 3:12
04. Schizoid Men IV – 5:15
05. Schizoid Men V – 6:22
06. Schizoid Men VI – 3:56
07. Schizoid Men VII – 5:13
08. Schizoid Men VIII – 3:18
09. Schizoid Men IX – 5:01
10. Schizoid Men X – 3:23
11. Schizoid Men XI – 11:42

Links in comments.

Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Live, Mel Collins, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – Epitaph (Live 1969) (@256)

26 Jun 2008

Thanks to Bragi Taliesin for the contribution.

(Review from rollingstone.com, wikipedia)

“Epitaph” features four hours of previously unissued live music. It covers a minute slice of King Crimson’s ongoing history: the seven months between the group’s BBC Radio debut, in May ’69, and the December Fillmore West weekend, when the founding lineup performed its last shows. The music explains much about how Fripp, McDonald, bassist Greg Lake, drummer Michael Giles and lyricist Peter Sinfield defined progression in rock.

For live performances of the first incarnation of King Crimson, look no further.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Michael Giles / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Greg Lake / bass, lead vocals
- Ian McDonald / woodwinds, keyboards, mellotron, vocals

Track List:
CD1 (BBC Radio 1969, Fillmore East Nov 1969, Fillmore West Dec 1969)
01. 21st. Century Schizoid Man
02. In The Court Of The Crimson King
03. Get Thy Bearings
04. Epitaph
05. A Man, A City
06. Epitaph
07. 21st. Century Schizoid Man
08. Mantra
09. Travel Weary Capricorn
10. Improv. Travel Bleary Capricorn
11. Mars
CD2 (Fillmore West, December 14, 1969)
01. In The Court Of The Crimson King
02. Drop In
03. A Man, A City
04. Epitaph
05. 21st. Century Schizoid Man
06. Mars
CD3 (9th National Jazz and Blues Festival, August, 1969)
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man
02. Get Thy Bearings
03. In the Court of the Crimson King
04. Mantra
05. Travel Weary Capricorn
06. Improv (including By the Sleeping Lagoon)
07. Mars
CD4 (Victoria Ballroom, September 7, 1969)
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man
02. Drop In
03. Epitaph
04. Get Thy Bearings
05. Mantra
06. Travel Weary Capricorn
07. Improv
08. Mars

Links in comments.

Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, King Crimson, Live, Michael Giles, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – EleKtrik : Live in Japan (2003) (@256)

24 Jun 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

If your a fan of “Power To Believe” record, you have to get this live album. It was recorded when they toured Japan in 2003 and most of the songs are from that record with three songs from “ConstruKction Of Light” and one from “Thrak”. Almost 75 minutes of fantastic music and most of it is incredibly heavy.

The album doesn’t start off that way though with the “Introductory Soundscape” that has over 5 minutes of spacey music. “Power To Believe 1: (A Cappella)” is Belew singing alone in this short intro tune. “Level Five” is a heavy duty song with some amazing guitar and percussion. The guitar is screaming after 5 minutes. “Prozakc Blues” from “ConstruKction Of Light” is a humerous song with Belew singing in a deep voice. More heaviness on this one as well. “EleKtriK” features some intricate and complex guitar and percussion that gets heavy 6 minutes in. “Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With” opens heavily with some incredible guitar 2 minutes in. “One Time” is almost a refreshing break, as this laid back song from the “Thrak” album is so smooth, warm and wonderful.

“Facts Of Life” just smokes, it’s so heavy! “The Power To Believe II (Power Circle)” is kind of cool as the band brings in some eastern sounds (hey,it’s in Japan). There is a lot of atmosphere and spacey sounds that again are so moving. “Dangerous Curves” slowly builds to a hypnotic rhythm. This is a powerful song! “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic IV” and the final song “The World’s My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum” are both from “ConstruKction Of Light” album.The first one is all about the band just flat out playing one instrumental from them, while the second concentrates more on the lyrics and Belew.

EleKtrifying and eleKtrified. The combination of King Crimson high moments of the “new millenium” work and thrilling scenes pulse in the situation of a mature performance. No compromises. The live expression of beautiful.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, vocal
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / Warr guitar, fretless Warr guitar
- Pat Mastelotto / traps and buttons

Track List:
01. Introductory Soundscape – 5:05
02. The Power To Believe I- (A Cappella) – 0:42
03. Level 5 – 7:22
04. ProzaKc Blues – 6:01
05. EleKtriK – 8:01
06. Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With – 4:15
07. One Time – 6:01
08. Facts Of Life – 5:29
09. The Power To Believe II – 8:44
10. Dangerous Curves – 6:02
11. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic-Part IV – 10:33
12. The World’s My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum – 6:31

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – Power to Believe (2003) (@256)

23 Jun 2008

(Review from progreviews.com, progressiveworld.net)

King Crimson exists in different bands, with different approaches, but always with a similar spirit (in composition as well as improvisation). This studio album is the second from the “Double Duo” incarnation of the band. The Double Duo unit crafts their sound with electronic percussion, MIDI guitars, touch basses, and heavily processed vocals. This is a very electronic type of music, countered with the snaky warmth so characteristic of the touch basses.

The Power to Believe has individual pieces that are similar enough to music from their history, enough to raise strong comparisons, but unique enough to stand on their own, and to be a good contribution to an ever-growing canon. Unique because this band is different, and their sound is different (more “futuristic”), and with new musical elements integrated into their sound; particularly, Pat’s techno/drum and bass techniques, a stronger metal sound, and the greater guitar vocabulary allowed by all the technology.

For example, “Level 5″ will raise comparisons to “VROOOM” and “Red”; “Dangerous Curves” will raise comparisons to “Mars” and “Talking Drum”; “Power to Believe II” to “Sheltering Sky” and “Satori in Tangiers”; “Elektrik” to “Discipline” and “Frame by Frame”; “The Facts of Life” to “Schizoid Man” and “Sailor’s Tale”; and “Power to Believe III” strongly reminds me of “Starless and Bible Black”.

However, the music here has different personalities. For example, where “VROOOM” and “Red” possess a heavy but jaunty forward motion, like a musical motorcycle, “Level 5″ has a personality that is a dark black, foreboding musical omen, a dead-serious Bartók/metal fusion. “Dangerous Curves” possesses the aggressive and atmospheric minimalism of similar earlier works but replaces the earthier textures (tablas, violin, buzzing guitars) with mechanical rhythms and electronic clouds.

Bartok-metal is perhaps a good description for a lot of music here; at least for “Level 5″ and “Facts of Life” but even parts of “Power to Believe III” reminds me of elements of Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta. Gamelan music is perhaps the other. Electrified gamelan music appears in the guitar writing of “Elektrik”, and shockingly, “Power to Believe II” contains a section that simulates a real gamelan orchestra. “Elektrik” has a fiery and ethereal beauty, with some intense dynamic changes.

“Power to Believe III” is simultaneously dark, alien, and beautiful. Beautiful in how there are moments of almost complete silence, just a ray of sound like light, and then sudden shocking stabs of the drums, and the rustling and rattling sounds, and the strange theremin-like guitar sounds with eerie harmonics. On a side note, this is a development of the “Deception of the Thrush”, which has appeared in many forms over the years in live recordings.

A lot of people knock “Happy With…”, but in my opinion the main riff is clearly satirical, the most obvious and trite riff occurring in nu-metal, and it is as mocking as the lyrics. But the “Happy with what you have” odd-metered vocal riff and drunken bumblebee guitar solo save this song from just being a throwaway satire or joke.

If you have ”The Power To Believe”, the music can take you anywhere.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, vocals & electronic percussion
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / Warr guitar, rubber bass
- Pat Mastelotto / drums

Track List:
01. The Power To Believe I-A Cappella – 0:44
02. Level Five – 7:17
03. Eyes Wide Open – 4:08
04. Elektrik – 7:59
05. Facts Of Life-Intro – 1:38
06. Facts Of Life – 5:05
07. The Power To Believe II – 7:43
08. Dangerous Curves – 6:42
09. Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With – 3:17
10. The Power To Believe III – 4:09
11. The Power To Believe IV-Coda – 2:29

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – Heavy Construkction (Live 2000) (@256)

22 Jun 2008

12 comments

(Review from progreviews.com)

The Heavy ConstrucKtion improvs are quite different from the THRaKaTTaK improvs of 1995. The improvs here are closer to normal “rock” music than the freeform sounds of THRaKaTTaK. In general, the individual improvs are shorter, more focused, with stronger and more consistent themes. Stylistically, all tracks are rhythmic some beastly, some almost in ambient house style, all layered on top with guitars.

Speaking of the guitars: the team of Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp offer up their most experimental playing, featuring wild textures, wild guitar effects, wild samples, and lots of dissonance mixed with almost-melodies. Pat Mastelotto is a real monster here, with an array of whacking styles that range from a highly industrialized take on drum ‘n bass, to a more ambient house drumming style, whichever feels appropriate for the improv. He is a real master of sound here, with drum sounds that come out of a monster movie: pows, whacks, bangs, thunder crashes, gun shots, deep dark rumbles, heartbeats, all manner of crazy sounds, sometimes even carefully placed silent stretches for drama. On “Thrush” he even breaks out the crazed rattle of the tambourine. And Trey Gunn provides some funky, almost Primus-like basslines, when he can be heard. He gets the chance to shine with a lovely solo during the “Deception of the Thrush”.

The first few tracks are beastly rhythmic rockers with a funk-like sense in the bass work. Around tracks five and six, the Crim veer into a more exclusively techno/drum ‘n bass territory, where Pat is the highlight. In the middle part of the album, they delve into ambient-house like rhythms overlaid with immense guitar fantasias, delving into a surreal, psychedelic territory. There is the surreal beauty of “Beautiful Rainbow”, with its synthesized bamboo flute like sounds, deep chant like effects, and prismatic guitar playing so elusive and textured it is difficult to pinpoint the actual notes. “7 Teas” is the poison underbelly of this experience.

Then, there is the voyage into complete darkness, with tracks like “Tomorrow Never Knew Thela”, “Uboo”, “Deception of the Thrush”, and “The Arena of Terror”. “Tomorrow Never Knew Thela” consists of what seems like two sinister radio stations fighting it out over a beat ripped from the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows”. My favorite is “Uboo”, which starts with subsonic heartbeats and builds into a juggernaut with weapon-like rhythms and skronking guitars. Next up is yet another unique version of “Deception of the Thrush”. Finally, we have “Arena of Terror”, with the mad tambourine and the theremin-like guitar solo, with delirious crowd echoes mixed in.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, vocals
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / Touch guitar, bass, talk
- Pat Mastelotto / electronic drums

Track List:
CD1
01. Into The Frying Pan – 6:20
02. The ConstruKction Of Light – 8:29
03. ProzaKc Blues – 5:25
04. Improv Munchen – 8:35
05. One Time – 5:44
06. Dinosaur – 5:24
07. VROOOM – 4:44
08. FraKctured – 8:46
09. The World’s My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum – 7:38
10. Improv Bonn – 9:20
CD2
01. Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream – 4:30
02. Improv: Offenbach – 6:30
03. Cage – 3:54
04. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic: Part Four – 12:51
05. Three of a Perfect Pair – 3:42
06. The Deception of the Thrush – 8:26
07. Heroes – 6:09
CD3
01. Sirap – 5:40
02. Blastic Rhino – 4:13
03. Light Please, Pt. 10:56
04. cccseizurecc – 6:02
05. Off and Bank – 4:11
06. More (And Least) – 3:13
07. Beautiful Rainbow – 6:59
08. 7 Teas – 4:07
09. Tomorrow Never Knew Thela [Including Tomorrow Never Knows] – 4:49
10. Uböö – 7:59
11. The Deception of the Thrush – 10:42
12. Arena of Terror – 3:22
13. Lights Please, Pt. 2 – 4:51

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – Construkction of Light (2000) (@256)

22 Jun 2008

(Review from progreviews.com, wikipedia, amazon)

The grandiose project of having King Crimson with six band members did not last for long. King Crimson produced side projects. ProjeKcts One, Two, Three, and Four, were each a splinter group (a “fraKctalisation”, according to Fripp) of King Crimson. They released various recordings, demonstrating the improvisational musical high wire act that the constituent musicians are able to produce.

By the time the ProjeKcts were complete, Bruford and Levin had ceased to be involved with King Crimson. Belew, Fripp, Gunn, and Mastelotto remained, releasing the studio album The ConstruKction of Light in 2000. The band this time brings together the heaviness and power of the 70s group with the intricate multiple-guitar interplay of the 80s band and the electronic textures of the ProjeKcts.

Before its release, Fripp had hinted to fans that this album would be something completely new, integrating the lessons learned from the various ProjeKcts. Instead, what we got was an album that sounds only superficially like the ProjeKcts while leaning heavily on Crimson’s past glories. There are even two “remakes” of earlier songs, and Adrian Belew namechecks other Crimson works in the lyrics.

Bruford’s departure was greeted with horror by the faithful but, to my mind, Mastelotto finally comes into his own on Construkction. Out of Bruford’s shadow he becomes a monster, adding new dimensions to the sound and giving the percussion an electronic backup of effects that augment the traditional drums rather than detracting from it. He understands how to use rhythms more commonly found in dance environments in this fields and the effect can be mesmerising.

The band offers up a curiously lugubrious mockery of rootsy Delta despair (“Prozac Blues”) before venturing into the familiar, hypnotically polyrhythmic soundscape of the title track, the challenging harmonics of “Into the Frying Pan,” and the delicate, spacious constructions of “FraKctured.” “The World Is My Oyster” is almost Floydian in feel and scope, though the Pink brigade haven’t made music this oddly compelling since the ’70s. There are monster chops throughout, as well as some heavy riffing that underscores Crimson’s continued influence on bands like Tool, Marilyn Manson, and Nine Inch Nails.

ConstruKction is as restless as it is modern–and progressive in all the right ways.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, vocals
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Trey Gunn / bass touch guitar, baritone guitar
- Pat Mastelotto / drums

Track List:
01. ProzaKc Blues – 5:28
02. The ConstruKction of Light 1/2 – 5:49
03. The ConstruKction of Light 2/2 – 2:50
04. Into the Frying Pan – 6:54
05. FraKctured – 9:06
06. The World’s My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum – 6:24
07. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic-Part IV 1/3 – 3:41
08. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic-Part IV 2/3 – 2:50
09. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic-Part IV 3/3 – 2:36
10. Coda: I Have a Dream – 3:55
11. Heaven And Earth (Bonus) – 7:46

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Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – Thrakattak (Live 1995) (@256)

20 Jun 2008

7 comments

(Review from progreviews.com)

In King Crimson’s long history they never put an album out quite like this one. Consisting of eight improvisations tacked together in a seemingly random manner, THRaKaTTaK is not for the faint of heart. There are moments of great violence followed by lengthy soundscapes and sparse percussion. There are a couple of moments that might sound somewhat avant, but on the whole this doesn’t quite make it up there with the mindset of RIO. It’s still rooted in Fripp and Crim’s ethos, which precludes the kind of alien quality most really good avant-prog seems to have.

Nevertheless, this is a release that is worth exploring for Crimson fans who would like to hear something different. On the one hand, you have to admire the bravery of the band to release something like this at this point in their career. At times they approach the searing success of their 70s improv efforts, except from a less accessible end.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford / acoustic & electronic drums, percussion, marimba
- Robert Fripp / guitar, soundscapes
- Trey Gunn / Warr guitar
- Tony Levin / NS Upright bass
- Pat Mastelotto / acoustic & electronic drums, percussion

Track List:
01. THRAK – 2:20
02. Fearless and Highly THRaKked – 6:35
03. Mother Hold The Candle Steady While I Shave The Chicken’s Lip – 11:18
04. THRaKaTTaK Part I – 3:42
05. The Slaughter of the Innocents – 8:03
06. This Night Wounds Time – 11:16
07. THRaKaTTaK Part II – 11:08
08. THRAK reprise – 2:52

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – Thrak (1994) (@256)

19 Jun 2008

7 comments

(Review from progarchives.com, progreviews.com)

In 1994, Fripp woke King Crimson from the netherworld once more, with another evolution in the line up, this time the formulation of six members which breaks down rhythmically as two trios to blend a very interesting construction of soundscapes. The previous band would return along with Trey Gunn, as well as Pat Mastellotto on drums. Both had played with Fripp in a collaboration with avant-garde artist David Sylvian.

The sound harkens back to the Red-period band, with aggressive instrumentals and some fiery improvisations. The new marque of this heavy instrumental music displayed more musical maturity and finer execution over mainstream heavy metal to “117 guitars almost hitting the same chord simultaneously”. Expansive arrhythmic soundscapes which drew from “Frippertronics” concepts give imposing auras which were generated by the mellotron in the King Crimson of the early 70s.

The title track is possibly as overtly dissonant and aggressive as the band has ever sounded, while “VROOOM” and its pseudo-reprise are uptempo workouts that fit nicely in the band’s canon. Adrian Belew returns as frontman, and doesn’t miss a beat incorporating his modern-rock take on the Beatles and Talking Heads into the Crimson sound.

The lively opener “VROOOM” prooves that the band can still rev it up. The classic King Crimson formula of juxtaposing raging, rockish sections with softer, understated sections is put to use here, as is the new double trio lineup. The two drummers shine especially, with Mastelotto laying down the basic groove and Bruford dancing around him. For further evidence, check out their drum feature/intro “B’Boom”.

“Dinosaur”, a Belew-penned tune is about, of all things, getting older. Imagine the mid-life crisis of the world’s alltime greatest fan of Magical Mystery Tour, beef up the metallic guitars, and you’ve got this slab of prog-pop. Heavy yet nerdy.

Welcome to the King Crimson of 90s.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, voice, vocal
- Bill Bruford / acoustic & electronic percussion
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, soundscapes
- Trey Gunn / stick, back vocals
- Tony Levin / basses, back vocals
- Pat Mastelotto / acoustic & electronic percussion

Track List:
01. Vrooom – 4:38
02. Coda- Marine 475 – 2:41
03. Dinosaur – 6:37
04. Walking On Air – 4:38
05. B’boom – 4:11
06. Thrak – 3:59
07. Inner Garden I – 1:47
08. People – 5:53
09. Radio I – 0:43
10. One Time – 5:22
11. Radio II – 1:03
12. Inner Garden II – 1:15
13. Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream – 4:50
14. Vrooom Vrooom – 5:50
15. Vrooom Vrooom- Coda – 3:03

Links in comments.

Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Live, Pat Mastelotto, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn

King Crimson – Beat (1982) (@256)

18 Jun 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

The album which followed in June 1982, Beat, which was largely influenced by the writings of Beatnick visionary Jack Kerouac, featured more technology and artistically went even further beyond musical comprehension. Another dose of “Discipline”, this time favoring the languid, dreamy side of the quartet’s combined powers.

“Beat” isn’t much different from their last album, so the shock value associated with “Discipline” is lost. “Neal And Jack And Me” won’t surprise anyone who’s heard “Frame By Frame”, “Heartbeat” doesn’t hold any magical treats that “North Star” didn’t already unlock years ago, “Neurotica” is a familiar indulgence of indiscipline, etc.

There are some new ideas at work here, treading into Steve Hackett’s dark forest on “Sartori In Tangier”, showcasing Frippertronics on the closing “Requiem”, exploring “Beat” imagery on “The Howler” and “Neal And Jack And Me” (hence the title).

The superlative, mathematical approach of this King Crimson attracted a whole new audience of younger listeners who viewed the band as champions of instrumental envelope pushing.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums
- Robert Fripp / guitar, organ, Frippertronics
- Tony Levin / Stick, bass, back vocals

Track List:
01. Neal and Jack and Me – 4:22
02. Heartbeat – 3:54
03. Sartori in Tangier – 3:34
04. Waiting Man – 4:27
05. Neurotica – 4:48
06. Two Hands – 3:23
07. The Howler – 4:13
08. Requiem – 6:38

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – Discipline (1981) (@256)

17 Jun 2008

(Review from progarchives.com)

In 1981, Fripp formed a band called Discipline which followed the art/rock framework in the sense that it drew ideas from foreign sources which included rhythmical elements of Javanese music combined with rock and pop stylings. In order to achieve a contrast with his own unique guitar technique he asked Adrian Belew (fresh out of Zappa band, touring with The Talking Heads at the time) to join him and former King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford along with master bassist Tony Levin (from innumerable jazz/rock band) in his latest musical endeavour.

Not only were fresh musical ideas sought out but innovations in technology were also exploited with the use of guitar synthesisers, electric drums and Levin’s use of the Chapman Stick, a multi stringed instrument on which bass lines and chords could be played simultaneously by means of a tapping technique. The resulting sound was “decidedly dangerous” and occupied a grey area somewhere between the Talking Heads and the new metal derived grunge and industrial music which was also beginning to surface in the early 80s. It embodied many aspects of the previous 1974 King Crimson entity as well, including improvisation with heavy emphasis on intricate instrumental ability in addition to, perhaps most importantly, artistic freedom within the concept of a collective group effort. Prior to the release of the group’s first album it was decided to change the name to King Crimson thus ushering in a new era of music that would continue to devastate.

The new album was appropriately entitled Discipline which accurately reflected the mindset which was required in order to execute the demanding nature of the various compositions. Their impossible time signatures, polyrhythms and hypnotic guitar phrasings would also set the norm for the two succeeding works, “Beat” and “Three Of A Perfect Pair” along with Belew’s charismatic vocals and stage presence which would also recall Jamie Muir’s antics from the early 70s.

A more pop oriented attitude along with world beat ingredients was evident on the new album and at first they didn’t sit too well with some older fans who were expecting a re-emergence of the darker more foreboding Crimson creature of 72-74. But times had changed considerably and the Crims quickly found an audience both young and old. Some ghosts of the past did indeed linger within the new music as exemplified in the title track’s evil twin , “Indiscipline”. With its overdriven power guitar chords, it was by far the heaviest track recorded by the band to date. Their fiery live performances continued to outshine the studio albums with improvisations as well as updated interpretations of earlier material.

Line-up:
- Adrian Belew / guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums
- Robert Fripp / guitar, devices
- Tony Levin / Stick, basses, back vocals

Track List:
01. Elephant Talk – 4:42
02. Frame by Frame – 5:10
03. Matte Kudasai – 3:48
04. Indiscipline – 4:33
05. Thela Hun Ginjeet – 6:26
06. The Sheltering Sky – 8:23
07. Discipline – 5:06

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Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin

King Crimson – USA (Live 1974) (@256)

16 Jun 2008

(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)

The posthumous live effort of the Larks’-era King Crimson is quite simply one of those great live album documents to emerge from the 70s. This remastered edition of the album brings the great sound quality lacking in ‘Earthbound’ with the addition of three more tracks.

With some notable exceptions, in this album melody and delicacy of touch are largely replaced by sheer strength, aggression and stunning technical proficiency. The sound is at times harsh and metallic, with John Wetton’s powerful yet intricate bass lines providing a solid background for Fripp’s angular guitar excursions. Bruford’s drumming, stellar as always, is unfortunately somewhat swamped by the bass in a mix which, while miles better than its predecessor “Earthbound”, does not enhance all the instruments in the same way. Even David Cross’s violin sounds harsher and less lyrical than on the studio albums.

To further the level of necessity for this particular live recording, “Asbury Park” is one of the best -nowhere else available- improvisational cuts ever released. Its signature and key might seem trite at first, but the energy reaches several peaks, giving it distinction above a great many of their improvised operations.

Line-up:
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion
- David Cross / violin, keyboards
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron
- John Wetton / bass, vocals
with
- Eddie Jobson / violin (2), piano (3)

Track List:
01. Walk On … No Pussyfooting – 0:34
02. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part II 6:24
03. Lament 4:21
04. Exiles 7:23
05. Asbury Park 6:53
06. Easy Money 7:11
07. 21st Century Schizoid Man 8:10
08. Fracture 11:19
09. Starless 14:53

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Bill Bruford, David Cross, Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, King Crimson, Live, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – Red (1974) (@256)

15 Jun 2008

(Review from progreviews.com, vintageprog.com, wikipedia)

With David Cross’ exit from the band, King Crimson forged ahead as a trio, and produced this, the last album Crimson would make in the 70s. Red is often cited as the strongest of the three Larks’-era albums, and sometimes of King Crimson’s entire discography. Generally, here the band is consistently heavier in force and tighter in focus than ever before, with the departure of any remaining possibility for the violin line of abandon from Cross.

The first side is a juggernaut of solid musicianship and probably represents the most accessible and distilled album side for this era of the band. The title-track opens the album, and is as typical for this version of Crimson as it can get, consisting of a simple but yet powerful and heavy riff that carries the track all the way through. “Fallen Angel” is a strong vocal-track with the mellotron mixed very far back in the sound on the verse, while the chorus is a far heavier and more electric thing. “One More Red Nightmare” is another prime example of how Fripp could use a very simple riff to create a really powerful and enjoyable progressive rock track.

The masterpiece of Red, however, is doubtlessly the album’s closer “Starless”. It’s hard to find a more emotional, down-to-earth moment in Crimson’s repertoire than Wetton’s weary voice clutching for a ray of hope as it enters past the melancholic, mellotron-drenched opening: “Sundown, dazzling day…” The thunderous climax (in 13/8) and sweepingly powerful ending of the song closes the chapter on 70s Crimson like an unstoppable (and unforgettable) deluge.

Robert Fripp, increasingly disillusioned with the music business, was turning his attention to the writings of the mystic George Gurdjieff, and did not want to tour as he felt that the “world was coming to an end”. The Red line-up never toured, and two months before the album’s release Fripp announced that King Crimson had “ceased to exist” and was “completely over for ever and ever” and the group officially disbanded on late September 1974.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitars
- Bill Bruford / drums
- John Wetton / bass, vocals
with
- Mark Charig / cornet
- Mel Collins / soprano saxophone
- David Cross / violin
- Ian McDonald / alto saxophone
- Robin Miller / oboe

Track List:
01. Red – 6:17
02. Fallen Angel – 6:04
03. One More Red Nightmare – 7:07
04. Providence – 8:11
05. Starless – 12:18

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Bill Bruford, David Cross, Ian McDonald, John Wetton, King Crimson, Mel Collins, Robert Fripp, Sakalli's Pick

King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black (1974) (@256)

14 Jun 2008

(Review from progreviews.com)

With a bang, this album starts and doesn’t let up for air until about mid-way through. Of all the King Crimson mid-period, this one perhaps is there most consistently breathless — let’s see: we’ve got hyped-up blues-prog in “Great Deceiver”, the schizophrenic narrative “Lament”, marvelously cohesive improv in “We’ll Let You Know”, “Trio” and the title track, the symphonic ballad “The Night Watch”, the spooky, atmospheric “The Mincer”, and arguably Fripp’s finest masterpiece, “Fracture.” If ever a progressive band was lean, mean, and ready to fight, it was this one.

Fripp has stated that he always thought his drummer and bassist of this period were great players, but never sure if they were a great rhythm section. In any case, Bruford and Wetton set the tone for many of the pieces on this album. Tightly wound, precise punches and jabs; bladed, metallic bass figures rip through thin layers of mellotron and violin, while high-tuned toms and snare keep ahead of the beat and make no room for error, or even diversion. This is not to say the two men weren’t sympathetic performers, but driven.

While the whole-tone adventures of “Fracture” and later pieces such as “Red” and “One More Red Nightmare” have captured the attention of many progressive fans, the most distictive aspect of this band may have been its willingness to step out of its structured pieces into improvisation. The mid-period King Crimson were doubtlessly the *most* popular proponents of free-improv in the history of prog. “Trio” is simply that: Fripp, Cross, and Wetton delicately composing in the moment; “We’ll Let You Know” is avant-funk without the burden of a dancefloor; “Starless And Bible Black” is exotic, dark, and well-timed – leading into the explosive “Fracture” in much the same way as “The Talking Drum” led into “Larks Toungue part II” on the previous album.

This album saw the band at the height of its powers, and should be a reference to all those defending progressive as something other than bombastic flower-music.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitars
- Bill Bruford / drums
- David Cross / violin, viola, kbds
- John Wetton / bass, vocals

Track List:
01. The Great Deceiver – 4:02
02. Lament – 4:06
03. We’ll Let You Know – 3:41
04. The Night Watch – 4:41
05. Trio – 5:40
06. The Mincer – 4:11
07. Starless And Bible Black – 9:12
08. Fracture – 11:14

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Bill Bruford, David Cross, John Wetton, King Crimson, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – Larks Tongues In Aspic (1973) (@256)

13 Jun 2008

(Review from wikipedia, vintageprog.com, progarchives.com)

Shortly after the Earthbound tour, that Crimson line-up completely disintegrated. Once again, Fripp began the task of looking for new members. These included improvising percussionist Jamie Muir; vocalist and bassist John Wetton, formerly of the band Family and a college acquaintance of Fripp; violin, viola and keyboard player David Cross; and drummer Bill Bruford, who had chosen to leave the commercially successful Yes for the comparatively unstable and unpredictable King Crimson. With Sinfield gone, the band recruited a new lyricist, Wetton’s friend Richard Palmer-James.

Ushering in a new era for the band, “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic” showcases the new King Crimson playing progressive rock of a kind and in a way no other band had done before them. Their new style was often based in very heavy and loud riffs built around raw and freaked-out improvisations.

The title-track bookends the album, with the first part being subtle and understated and the second almost heavy-metal in its intensity. The above-mentioned “Book of Saturdays” and “Exiles” are both wistful, moving ballads, the second punctuated by Cross’s romantic violin strains; while “Easy Money” has an interesting structure, with an almost funky feel and rather weird lyrics. The quirky “The Talking Drum” leads then the way for the monstrous riffing and complex rythmic patterns of “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic pt. 2″.

Line-up:
- Bill Bruford / drums
- David Cross / violin, viola, mellotron
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, devices
- Jamie Muir / percussion
- John Wetton / bass, vocals

Track List:
01. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part One – 13:37
02. Book of Saturday – 2:56
03. Exiles – 7:41
04. Easy Money – 7:53
05. The Talking Drum – 7:27
06. Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part Two – 7:08

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Bill Bruford, David Cross, Jamie Muir, John Wetton, King Crimson, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – Earthbound (Live 1972) (@256)

12 Jun 2008

(Review from progarchives.com, progreviews.com)

The recording quality of King Crimson’s first live album is little better than that of a bootleg with distortion aplenty, indeed, the sleeve notes actually state that the recordings were captured on a stereo cassette! To be fair, the cassette recorder was plugged into the mixer (sound board), this is not a microphone recording.

Looking through the mist, we find five tracks in total. An 11 minute rendition of “21st century schizoid man” kicks things off, the substantial lengthening of the song being due to improvisations on guitar by Robert Fripp, and sax by Mel Collins. It comes off in many ways more gloriously snaggle-toothed and mind-melting than ever.

As is clearly evident in listening to “21st Century Schizoid Man” and “Sailors Tale”; Fripp, Collins, and Wallace as a unit were none the want for instrumental earthshaking. The title track really doesn’t sound that far off from Miles Davis from the Black Beauty or Live-Evil era, the bass line at one point virtually duplicating that of his “It’s About That Time.”

The album shines an interesting flashlight on this short-lived line-up, with some of the material on here standing entirely at odds from anything any other line-up in King Crimson ever tackled. The general folklore about this line-up pursued a path devoted to more down-to-earth jamming of the blues-funk variety.

Though it has some locatable charms for the interested, the album stands very much alone in the Crimson canon.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Boz Burrell / bass, vocals
- Mel Collins / alto, baritone & tenor, saxophones, mellotron
- Ian Wallace / drums

Track List:
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man – 11:38
02. Peoria – 7:22
03. The Sailor’s Tale – 4:49
04. Earthbound – 6:14
05. Groon – 15:32

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Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Live, Mel Collins, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – Lizard (1970) (@256)

11 Jun 2008

(Review from vintageprog.com, progarchives.com)

While still struggling (unsuccessfully) to keep a permanent line-up on the road, Fripp and Sinfield managed to keep KC busy on studio recording. Their constant (and at times conflictive) flow of creativity allowed them to bring out material for a third album, “Lizard”.

“Lizard” turned out to be their most ambitious early era work. The scores and arrangements are labyrinthine, which is to a large degree due to the heavy use of wind instruments and keyboards.

The album opens with the grandiose, mellotron-drenched “Circus” that leaves no doubt what band you are listening to, and a great way to open the record. “Indoor Games” is a lighter, almost pop-jazzy track with lots of good sax-work from Collins. Though the most original and interesting track on the first side is undoubtedly the quirky “Happy Family”. The arrangement on this track is extremely complex and chaotic, but the catchy melody of the song still makes it very structured all the way through. “Lady of the Dancing Water” is a short ballad that is a pleasant and nice song.

The 23-minute title-track remains King Crimson’s only sidelong suite. Jon Anderson makes a short guest-appearance here as he sings the melodic and harmonic opening theme of the piece. The rest of the suite is largely instrumental, and includes the beautiful and very jazzy “Bolero” that gets relieved by “The Battle of Glass Tears”. This part is early Crimson at their best and most typical, featuring heavy sax-riffs and lots of dramatic mellotron.

“Lizard” is an exciting album of strongly jazz-influenced symphonic progressive rock that never gets into fusion-territory, but instead creates its own sound and style.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, electric keyboards & devices
- Mel Collins / flute & saxes
- Gordon Haskell / bass guitar & vocals
- Andy McCulloch / drums
- Peter Sinfield / words & pictures
with
- Robin Miller / oboe & cor anglais
- Mark Charig / cornet
- Nick Evans / trombone
- Keith Tippet / piano & electric piano
- Jon Anderson / vocals (5a)

Track List:
01. Cirkus (including Entry of the chameleons) (6:29)
02. Indoor games (5:39)
03. Happy family (4:25)
04. Lady of the dancing water (2:45)
05. Lizard (23:23)
a) Prince Rupert awakes
b) Bolero – The peacock’s tale
c) The battle of the glass tears
i) dawn song
ii) last skirmish
iii) Prince Rupert’s lament
d) Big top

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Gordon Haskell, Jon Anderson, King Crimson, Mel Collins, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – In the Wake of Poseidon (1970) (@256)

10 Jun 2008

(Review from vintageprog.com, wikipedia)

No matter how successful their debut was, King Crimson was a band close to a full break up in 1970. Ian McDonald and Michael Giles left to pursue a solo career. Greg Lake stayed long enough to complete the vocal-tracks for most of the songs of the new album before he went to join Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

Among the new members of the band were keyboardist Keith Tippett and the well-known saxophonist/flutist Mel Collins. Fripp’s another childhood friend, Gordon Haskell joined in to fill the void of Greg Lake — though he only sang on one track on their new album.

King Crimson’s second album is structurally and musically very similar to the debut, but that album was so good that we surely can take it a second time too! “Pictures of a City” is this album’s “21st Century Schizoid Man”, but with a funkier sax-riff and more float in the vocal-parts. The title-track is a really beautiful, mellotron-driven symphonic progressive rock track, and sounds like a cross of “Epitaph” and the title-track from the previous record. “Cadence and Cascade” is much in the same vein as “I Talk to the Wind” but the voice of new singer Gordon Haskell made it at least sound a little bit different.

The cheerful and jazzy “Cat Food” and the very sinister instrumental “The Devil’s Triangle” (based on “Mars” from Gustav Holt’s “The Planets”) are the only tracks where the band managed to do something that they already hadn’t done on the debut, and should be admired for just that.

Although the original of course is better, “In the Wake of Poseidon” is never the less among King Crimson’s best albums.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, devices
- Greg Lake / vocals
- Michael Giles / drums
- Peter Giles / bass
- Keith Tippett / piano
- Mel Collins / saxes, flute
- Gordon Haskell / vocals (3)
- Peter Sinfield / words

Track List:
01. Peace – A Beginning – 0:50
02. Pictures Of A City – 8:02
03. Cadence And Cascade – 4:38
04. In The Wake Of Poseidon – 7:58
05. Peace – A Theme – 1:15
06. Cat Food – 4:54
07. The Devil’s Triangle (i. Merday Morn- ii. Hand Of Sceiron- iii. Garden Of Worm) – 11:36
08. Peace – An End – 1:53

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Gordon Haskell, Greg Lake, King Crimson, Mel Collins, Michael Giles, Peter Giles, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King (1969) (@256)

09 Jun 2008

(Review from wikipedia, vintageprog.com)

The initial “Giles, Giles and Fripp” band was changing, as their debut record had not been particularly successful. The first musician to be added to their new line-up was the multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald on keyboards, reeds and woodwinds. McDonald had been writing songs with lyricist Peter Sinfield who also joined the new group. Fripp’s childhood friend, singer-guitarist Greg Lake, was recruited, and replaced Peter Giles on bass, also singing for the band. Shortly afterward they purchased a mellotron and began using it to create an original orchestral rock sound. The name King Crimson was coined by lyricist Peter Sinfield as a synonym for Beelzebub, prince of demons. According to Fripp, Beelzebub would be an anglicised form of the Arabic phrase “B’il Sabab”, meaning “the man with an aim”.

No serious progressive rock fan can be without a single King Crimson-album in his collection. While their output not always was the most even one, they were undoubtedly one of the most important and influential progressive rock bands ever. King Crimson’s membership has fluctuated considerably throughout their existence. Fripp, the only constant member of King Crimson, has arranged several distinct lineups, but has stated that he does not necessarily consider himself the band’s leader. He describes King Crimson as “a way of doing things” and notes that he never originally intended to be seen as the head of the group.

“In the Court of the Crimson King” is the definitive debut-album by a progressive rock band and it remains to most as King Crimson’s best album ever.

The legendary opener “21st Century Schizoid Man” is a heavy, complex, raw, angry and ultra energetic showcase of angry, sax-driven progressive rock. Greg Lake spits out the lyrics with a distorted effect on his voice to underline the aggression and anger in both the music and lyrics. Peter Sinfield’s lyrics may seems weird and hard to understand at first, but most people with a certain degree of fantasy will be able to understand most of his genius metaphors.

The rest of the record is of a much more mellow and symphonic kind, where the mellotron creates an often-sinister carpet of sound that perfectly fits the mood of the music and lyrics. “I Talk to the Wind” is actually one of the “brightest” moments here, with a pleasant and relaxed melody that is beautifully surrounded by the flute. “Epitaph” is far darker and features one of Sinfield’s best lyrics ever. Just the mellotron combined with Fripp’s mellow guitar-tones on the beginning is enough to make you shiver.

The fantastic title track is simply so beautiful and majestic that it can’t be described in words. Nobody had until then used the mellotron in a better, more powerful and symphonic way than this. Everything goes straight to heaven each time the chorus appears. Symphonic progressive rock can impossibly get any better than this.

“In the Court of the Crimson King” is one of progressive rock’s most magic moments.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Greg Lake / bass guitar, lead vocals
- Ian McDonald / reeds, woodwind, vibes, keyboards, mellotron, vocals
- Michael Giles / drums, percussion, vocals
- Peter Sinfield / words and illumination

Track List:
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man (including Mirrors) – 7:23
02. I Talk To The Wind – 6:06
03. Epitaph (including March For No Reason and Tomorrow And Tomorrow) – 8:48
04. Moonchild (including The Dream and The Illusion) – 12:12
05. The Court Of The Crimson King (including The Return Of The Fire Witch and The Dance Of The Puppets) – 9:23

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Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, King Crimson, Michael Giles, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp

King Crimson – Islands (1971) (@256)

23 Sep 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

‘Islands’, released in 1971 and was King Crimson’s fourth studio record. The band has changed a lot in the meantime and left only Robert Fripp and Pete Sinfield as original members, who signed all the tracks, but the two instrumentals together. From the more symphonic outfit of the beginnigs, the band moved into jazz rock with Mel Collins on sax, Boz Borrell on bass and lead vocals and Ian Wallace on drums, plus some guest artists from the jazz-rock field like Keith Tippet and Marc Charig. The overall athmosphere is the typical Frippish one of tension, threat and danger which he supports all through the record with his trashing biting guitar play, alternating with some sweeter passages.

‘Formentera Lady’ starts of slowly with a bowed bass, flute, piano and chimes and a first beautiful theme, alternating with a second theme over a funky ostinato bass line, that will later on be elaborated by guitar, mellotron, a sax solo and soprano vocallizes blending into….

‘Sailor’s Tale’, a syncopated up-tempo jazz instrumental with flute and sax , giving way to a slower heavy funk rhythm change over which Fripp plays thrashing razor blade chords and a threatening mellotron.

‘The Letters’ starts with a delicate guitar, a mournful melody, before the brass section and distorted guitar come crashing in, followed by a baritone sax solo and a second part with angry desperate vocals ponctuated by the guitar and an A Capella outro.

‘Ladies Of The Road’ starts a as a slow blues with guitar and tambourine, followed by a howling tenor sax and heavy drums until the chorus gives place to a Beatles like Barbershop vocal arrangement and a sax solo.

‘Gulls’ is a classical elegy for strings and oboe, a sweet melody played by the oboe over pizzicato strings.

‘Islands’ the title song presents a perfect balance of lyrics and music a masterpice of Fripp and Sinfield. A beautiful melody accompagnated by piano and flute and leaving place to a second theme played by cornet and a harmonium and then by mellotron and oboe. All the second half of the long track functions as a long outro over a distant and discret rhythm a cornet solo, harmonium and mellotron chords fading slowly out.

This vastly underrated album of King Crimson’s discography, is a great fusion of elements from their previous two albums mixing the lyrical style of “In the Wake of Poseidon”, and the orchestration and improvisation found on “Lizard”.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, pedal harmonium and sundry implements
- Mel Collins / flute, bass flute, saxes and vocals
- Boz Burrell / bass guitar, lead vocals and choreography
- Ian Wallace / drums, percussion and vocals
- Peter Sinfield / words, sounds and visions
with:
- Keith Tippet / piano
- Paulina Lucas / soprano
- Robin Miller / oboe
- Mark Charig / cornet
- Harry Miller / string bass

Track List:
01. Formentera Lady (10:14)
02. Sailor’s Tale (7:21)
03. The Letters (4:26)
04. Ladies Of The Road (5:28)
05. Prelude: Song Of The Gulls (4:14)
06. Islands (11:51)

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Boz Burrell, Ian Wallace, King Crimson, Mel Collins, Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp, Sakalli's Pick

King Crimson – Three of a Perfect Pair (1984) (@256)

08 Jun 2007