King Crimson update (1 Viewer)

[Mike Broadman]

For anyone who is interested, here is an update in the the world of the greatest band of all time:
- Crimson's first two official live albums, Earthbound and USA, are finally being released. Like their other albums, they will be packaged in a gatefold sleeve, limited edition, and then released in a jewel case.
Earthbound features the '71 lineup, with:
Robert Fripp: guitar
Ian Wallace: drums
Boz Burrell: bass, vocals
Mel Collins: sax, flute
Peter Sinfeild: lyrics, miscellany
This album is infamous for its supposed poor sound quality, which is probably why it was never released on CD.
This is generally considered Crimson's worst lineup, which I agree with, however, we've all heard the old joke that pizza is like sex: even when it's bad, it's still good. So with Crimson. Mel Collins is an amazing sax player, very Coltrane/Dolphy influenced. Wallace is a fine drummer (though his solos can be boring, as most drum solos are). This group is the most jazzy thing Crimson has done.
I probably wouldn't recommend this for Crimson newbies, but it's a much desired item for fans.
There is some excellent live material from this band sold exclussively through their web site, www.disciplineglobalmobile.com as part of their collector's club series.
USA features the classic mid-70s lineup:
Robert Fripp- guitar
John Wetton- bass, vocals
David Cross- violin
Bill Bruford- drums
With this group, Crimson evolved from a great rock to gods. A good mix of written material and improvisation, elements of jazz and heavy metal, and boy were they loud.
There is already a ton of material out there by this group (Great Deciever, Nightwatch), but every note is worth hearing. The improvisation on this disc is legendary amongst Crim-heads.
As a young Crim-fanatic, I have never heard these two albums, so this is indeed wonderful news.
- The videos "Three of a Perfect Pair" and "The Noise- Live at Frejus" will be released on DVD. Both are from the 80s lineup:
Robert Fripp- guitar
Andrian Belew- guitar
Tony Levin- bass, Chapman stick
Bill Bruford- drums
I have the VHS of Three of a Perfect Pair and it's great. It does look very "80s." The first song has lots of awful MTV type editing and graphics, which had me worried when I first watched, but the rest of the video is regular concert footage. Worth it just to see Belew and Bruford play percussion duets on "Waiting Man.'
The Noise came out after the "Beat" album and is shorter than the TOAPP. I tried ordering the VHS, but I kept getting bad copies, so I gave up. Having all this stuff on DVD will be a real treasure.
- King Crimson has just started recording their new album. Last I heard, it was going to be called "Nuovo Metal." I think they're looking at a January release, but you know how these things change all the time.
Of course, this is the most exciting Crimson news.
IMO, the current Crimson lineup is the best one so far: yes, even better than the Wetton stuff. Anyone that has seen them perform recently or heard their concert Level 5 EP has been fortunate to track the creative progress of this group. Supposedly, the new material has changed since it was last performed.
As a side note, I've been getting into Trey Gunn's (current Warr guitar player for Crimson) music. You can tell this guy was student of Fripp: highly discipline intricate music, but very fun to listen to.
NP: Frank Zappa, Shut Up And Play Your Guitar, disc 2, CD

 

[Rachael B]

I have EARTHBOUND & U.S.A. on vinyl. Enquiring minds want to know when the alledged SACD of IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING will appear? Best wishes!

 

[Philip Hamm]

The videos "Three of a Perfect Pair" and "The Noise- Live at Frejus" will be released on DVD.

I have "Pair" and it's fantastic. I love that version of "Indiscipline", amazing work.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Rachael, the rumour of the Court SACD was a long time ago and nothing has been said of it since. I would not put any hopes on it. I don't use the smilies often, but this calls for one: :frowning:
Lee Scoggins, you have connections to the SACD world, right? If you get them to release Court, I will name my first born after you. Wouldn't you like to have a Lee Scoggins Broadman running around someday?
NP: John Coltrane, Live At Birdland, CD

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Wouldn't you like to have a Lee Scoggins Broadman running around someday?

No doubt Broadman is a noble name, but I think the addition of Scoggins creates a mouthfull.
I actually don't know anyone connected to King Crimson, but I will keep my ears to the ground.

NP: Trey Anastasio self-titled debut album

 

[Mike Broadman]

No doubt Broadman is a noble name

Like many immigrants, my grandparent's name was changed upon coming to America: I think it used to be Brondman or Bronsman or something like that.

My uncle spells it Brodman. Go figure.


Rachael, how do those albums sound on vinyl?

Crimson update: Earthbound and USA will be released in September. Thrak will also be released with the gatefold packaging.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Is Bill Bruford back? IMO, Crimson isn't Crimson without him...

 

[Philip Hamm]

Is Bill Bruford back? IMO, Crimson isn't Crimson without him..

Robert Fripp decides who makes King Crimson what it is.

Have you actually heard any of the Crimson stuff with Pat Mastelotto? ConstruKtion of Light is a really great record IMO, and the live album "Heavy ConstruKtion" (and the "Level 5" EP for that matter) is no slouch either. I had the pleasure of seeing the latest four man incarnation last year and I see no reason to diss Pat Mastelotto, he's fantastic, works great in the band.

NP: Mussorgsky: "Pictures at an Exhibition" (Volgograd Symphony Orchestra - Edward Serov)

 

[Rachael B]

Mike, I always thought that U.S.A. was a good sounding live album. It's been a long time since I listened to it. EARTHBOUND is the opposite. It's one of the worst sounding albums ever. It was recorded on a cassette recorder and there are so many distorted parts.

Virgin's press release about SACD announce about a half dozen discs including KC. Have any of them come out? Or is Virgin's contribution to SACD stille only TUBULAR BELLS by Mike Oldfield? Best wishes!

 

[Mike Broadman]

What Phil said.

The beautiful thing about Crimson is how they change the personnel, keeping the band fresh. One only need to look at some other 70s "classic rock" acts to see how stale these guys can become.

Pat Mastellotto is a fantastic drummer, but very different than Bill Bruford. Bruford left Crimson because he got tired of electronic drums and wanted to get back to acoustic percussion. Fripp, on the other hand, was interested in a darker, more electronic sound. Bruford currently has a jazz band called Earthworks. The albums are on Discipline Global Mobile (Fripp's independant record label). The group is very good- smooth melodic English jazz with a kick.

The other young blood in the group is Trey Gunn (no Tony Levin). A student of Fripp, he plays a Warr guitar, which he taps. The guy is phenomenal. One of the best concert experiences you'll ever have is seeing his solo on Deception of the Thrush.

Rachael, when was that press release?

NP: Stuff Smith, Smith, Peterson, Gillespie, disc 2

 

[Rachael B]

Mike, somebody posted it to this forum about late winter/early spring...? I linked on to it via some thread. As best I can recall they announced about 6 to 10 SACD releases...? Best wishes!

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Re: No more Bill Bruford. Yes, I did get ConstruKtion of Light. I thought it was their weakest effort since the early 70's stuff. Either it was a weak album because they were due for one, or because Bill wasn't there. I just missed his creativity, and the interplay between him and the other musicians in the band. And I also think he has one of the best *acoustic* drum sounds out there. He turns the drums into a solo instrument (within the confines of the entire framework of the band) rather than just a backing instrument. Well, seeing as how the lineup changes every so often, I can always hope he comes back...

 

[Bob Turnbull]

No way! That's a lovely set isn't it? When our son was still in the zygote stages, we nicknamed him Stuff. Seemed appropriate...
The only solo Trey Gunn I've heard is The Joy Of Molybdenum and that's fabulous. Heavy and filled with grooves. Saw him live with Fripp and Belew on one of the Projekct tours (I think it was Projekct Two) and he is phenomenal to watch. I can't imagine how focused you must be to play that damn thing.

 

[James Sievers]

As a KCCC member, I feel the Live in Nashville Club Release is the best example currently available of KC's sound and Mission Statement. It is pure terror and power and the recording is superb, captured in a club in November 2001. Even the TCOL material sounds, IMHO, better than Heavy Construction, the studio TCOL, and Level 5 (which I don't think was recorded well). The Nashville CD has some material from Level 5, but the sound is clearer and less muddy than Level 5.

Jim Sievers

 

[Mike Broadman]

Bob, this is my first Stuff CD(s). I saw Dizzy's and Oscar's name on it for a decent price, so I snatched it up. My favorite tracks are the ones with Peterson.
If you like Molybdenum, you would also like The Third Star and the new live album Live Encounter. I can't imagine what kind of concentration is involved to play that stuff. That is the kind of thing they learn in Guitar Craft.
James, I absolutely adore the Nashville release.
Level Five was just so great when I first heard it (new Crimson!) that I cannot complain. I actually enjoy that performance of ConstrucKtion of Light over the one on the Nashville disc.
Did you get the latest one, the Zoom Club? Over an hour of straight improv from the Lark's Tongue line-up.

As of the album ConstrucKtion of Light, well, to each his own, I guess. I like it a lot more than Thrak, which I feel does not do justice to the wondrous noise that the double trio was capable of live. CoL has three Crimson masterpieces: the title track (best example of Fripp/Belew interlocking guitar sound so far), Lark's Tongues IV, and FracKtured, which takes the brilliant Fracture to a whole new level.
I really don't think that what Crimson is doing now can even be considered rock music anymore.