What does it sound like?:
After 1974’s Red album, there was a seven year hiatus in studio activity, before Robert Fripp eventually reconvened Crimson to produce the Discipline set in 1981 followed by Beat the following year. Only Fripp and Bruford remained of the Red line up, being supplemented by Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, and the music they produced had a very different sound, influenced in part by the energy of the new wave scene Fripp had witnessed whilst living in New York. The 1982 European dates were joint shows with Roxy Music (their set, taken from the same night as this recording, can be heard on their Heart Still Beating album). Crimson were already well honed and in top form after US shows, and the enthusiastic crowd lap up fierce renditions of pieces drawn mostly from the most recent two records, with just two older efforts, Red and Larks Tongues, being performed. Whether you like this album or not is very much determined by your feelings about this line up of the band, which certainly wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The music is angular and almost industrial in sound and certainly isn’t an easy listen, but the players virtuosity and technique can’t be denied. This show, from Frejus on 27 August 1982, was originally recorded for a video release, and this is the first time it’s been issued in a standalone format. It’s a good representation of where the band were eighteen months and two albums into this strange and bold new era, with Fripp as ever pushing the boundaries and stretching the envelope to its limits in this brave new musical world. Enter at your own risk!
What does it all *mean*?
Currently out on a US tour is Beat, a Fripp endorsed outfit featuring Belew, Levin, Steve Vai and Tool drummner Danny Carey, which is performing selections solely from this remarkable era of Crimson history. I wonder if they’ll make it to these shores eventually.
Goes well with…
A strong drink.
Release Date:
out now
Might suit people who like…
The eighties Crimson albums, Fripp’s solo offerings.
I recall disputing with the late James Blaast, regarding this iteration of Crimson. We agreed that though this was a good band the Starless And Bible Black/Red band was more interesting musically. However I contended that Adrian Belew’s voice was a lot better than John Wetton’s and more in keeping with the original Crimson aesthetic. Wetton’s voice being the Starless/Red era’s weakest point.
Basically, Mr. Blaast could not take to Adrian Belew and that was reason enough for him to dislike this era’s band.
I found the next iteration of Crimson to be more satisfying, when the Discipline/Beat band reformed, after yet another hiatus, as a “double trio” with the addition of Trey Gunn on Warr Guitar* and Pat Mastellotto on additional drums/percussion. Some good new material was performed, along with some of the Discipline/Beat and older material, but with a much fatter yet intricate sound. Improvisation came back into their live sets too, with some interesting results.
*8-string touch guitar covering the bass and baritone ranges, tonally. Functionally similar to a Chapman Stick.
I’m with Blaast…
Me too!
I enjoy the “King Heads/ Talking Crimson” era, though “Red/ Starless..” are insurmountable achievements. If this tour comes to the UK and in Brighton or Nottingham, I’m there.
I had a similar exchange with JB. My favourite KC is ‘Discipline’.
I think the discussion with JB went into direct messaging, as at the same time, he was trying to get his Mac partioned into two volumes, to dual-boot into two different versions of the OS.
KC played at my college when they reformed, originally as ‘Discipline’. I was on a field trip in the Lakes that night. Booger…
Saw that incarnation of KC (then still called Discipline) at Manchester Poly in early 1981. Remember them as being very, very good.
I’m listening to this as I type and it’s a bit “Adrian Belew featuring King Crimson”, which I suppose is the problem with this version of Crimson for Belew-haters.
The balance was restored somewhat when the double trio iteration emerged.
Vrooom Vrooom (Live 1995/1996) is one to give a listen to.
I concur entirely with your analysis.
The Belew era sounds like Talking Heads which is enough to put me off
Damn right. That time in New York eh?
Ditch that blathering yank bugger with ‘is noisy playin’. Get yourself baaack to Doooooorset moi bewty, learn sum noo choons and staaart again. Right ‘ansome.
‘Fierce renditions’, ‘not everyone’s cup of tea’, ‘ angular and almost industrial’, ‘enter at your own risk’.
You’ve sold it to me. Where do I sign?
It’s the door on the right, over there. Have you fitted your approved ear-plugs yet? You’ll need them before you go in.
Ah but you see, I’m not with Blaast. If push came to shove ha’penny, I’m a Starless and Bible Black man, but I still think Discipline is top notch and Beat is KC-worthy. I do think that Three of a Perfect Pair was a surprising lapse of quality control, mind.
I have the DVD version of this concert Absent Lovers and it still gets a regular airing. I love it. When King Crimson in this incarnation appeared on Whistle Test, I was blown away and was unaware of their earlier stuff until years later when a new kid joined our school who had their back catalogue. I didn’t like it nearly as much. While they struck me as sounding like Talking Heads, I also hadn’t identified Belew as part of the massive Remain in Light sound.
I recorded this when BBC broadcast half an hour late one evening, the recording forever ruined when my father walked in drunk muttering away, before I could shoo him out of the room. It’s an indulgence being able to watch it uninterrupted.
I’m indifferent to the two albums following Discipline and couldn’t be bothered with the stuff they recorded when they reunited though I’m sure there’s some good stuff in it. I got to see this line up (I think) in the Albert Hall in the 90s which was kind of fulfilling a wish of my younger self. While I recall enjoying it, it hasn’t lived in the memory. Having said that, I’ll be there in a Heartbeat 😉 if the Beat tour makes it here.
Looked on the map of places KC played on their website and I’m pretty sure the band has never played Ireland…
Nope and I’d be very surprised if this tour was to come to Ireland – but there’s always hope.
If “Beat” play, maybe it should be a mingle.
I hope there’ll be a loud claxon on this board.
I used to think that it was ‘Belew + King Crimson’ until I listened to the stuff Fripp did pre-Discipline. If you listen to Exposure, League of Gentlemen, and Under Heavy Manners, you can find all the strands of what was done next, and to me it looks like Belew added very thoughtfully to some already strong material. He gets so much hate, and I think it’s unfair. Probably just because of his slightly goofy character.
In common with some of you, I also love the Thrak era. The album is where they integrated the heavy stuff from Red and Exposure into the Discipline sound. Then the era of ‘projects’ (however you’re supposed to spell that… hehe.) – that was where they re-integrated the improvisation of earlier bands.
The Construction of Light (sp.?) is a bit hard to like, but the recent re-do of it with different drums, extra parts and re-amped bass changes things a lot. On this one Trey Gunn does a lot, playing both sides of the Warr guitar doing a lot of guitar parts as well as bass. This locks in to Belew and Fripp. It’s a lot to take in.
Given how much I love soul music, I am not sure why I like KC so much. They are the antithesis of soul, but that’s almost as emotionally engaging when you get into it. Hard to explain.
John Wetton gets a lot of stick as a singer. He’s really good on the KC stuff. Later with Asia, he sometimes sounded a bit like he needed a poo, and indeed he probably did given his substance issues. To me though, great bassist, great singer, and (later) great songwriter in partnership with Geoff Downes.
Other than HOTM, Asia were very weak, IMHO. HOTM works as prog-pop, but otherwise Asia’s output was weak, and dull as dishwater. I can only think that all of the constituent players must have been desperate for work due to their respective difficulties.
What a brilliant thread! Apart from Twang’s dig at Talking Heads
🙂
In mitigation I like Tom Tom Club and the bit of “Stop making sense” when Byrne flounces off stage for the hit. :-p
I’m hoping that you actually do like ‘their early stuff’ old chum; the first four studio albums are all great!
Who, KC? Of course.
Bleagh. That’s what put me off. I can’t bear his voice.
He writes the songs and deliberately pitches them just above his normal range so he is constantly straining and stretching. The idea is to give his naturally lovely tunes an edge.
The tune to Psycho Killer flows beautifully and is really approachable. The lyric and vocal state differently.
The band are excellent, it’s true.
That’s interesting. I remember noticing on Rei Mo Mo that it felt his voice had matured, had greater depth, but maybe he was no longer looking for the effect you describe.
But he isn’t, on that track anyway. It’s squarely in his range.
Have you listened all the way through?
Don’t ask him to risk that, he might end up liking them! Think of his poor wallet if he did!
Probably not. 1 minute is more than enough. Actually I have heard plenty of TH as they were very popular with my housemates BITD, unfortunately.
I see. As with most Talking Heads songs, he gets a bit frantic halfway through.
In keeping with my earlier posts on this thread, I have been of the view for at least 40 years that Talking Heads’ finest hour or so, is the Belew-heavy Disc 2 of the Name of This Band is Talking Heads (with an honourable mention for Busta Jones’ contribution).
Bad news for the ‘Giles, Giles & Fripp’ non-hit maker, his wife is out of Strictly!