Before
you all reach for paper and pen, there
is not a spelling mistaKe in the title,
that in Crimson-speaK is something done
as a joKe, very highbrow humor, which
is also translated in their rather quirKey
music.
As King Crimson went into their third
decade of maKing music, all under the
leadership of Mr Robert Fripp (now in
his seventh decade), they showed with
this marvelous album that they had lost
none of their relevance in today's progressive-rocK
scene. This was the first studio album
from this lineup since losing the services
of Bill Bruford on Drums and Tony Levin
on Bass Guitar. Not that this was too
much of an inconvenience to the band.
As before they had been what Fripp cheerfully
called a double trio with two drummers,
two bassists and two lead guitarists.
(Get the Live album "Vroom Vroom"
to hear this lineup in all its live magic).
So, pairing down to a simple four piece
was not much of a problem, specially when
you have the caliber of musicians that
were left .
Over the years a succession of musicians
have gone through the ranKs of King Crimson
(maKing Bob Fripp the progressive rocK
equivalent of John Mayall in his BluesbreaKers),
many going on to superstardom in bands
such as 'Asia', 'Yes', 'Emerson, LaKe
and Palmer', 'Bad Company', 'U. K.', 'Foreigner',
and 'Roxy Music'. Always leaving Bob Fripp
to carry on with the band in his own style,
obviously a style that fits in with Adrian
Belew very well, as he has been playing
guitar, writing, and singing the lyrics
for over twenty years. On stage Adrian
Belew has the pleasure of being center
stage and focal of attention, as the man
in blacK (Robert Fripp) has always preferred
to watch over his musicians and play from
a seated position either at the side or
bacK of the stage, well away from the
front lights. As well as these two, we
have two other musicians featured on this
album, Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn. Pat
Mastelotto holds down all the drum parts
with renewed enthusiasm, never letting
you once yearn for the times of Bill Bruford,
replacing power with power. Trey Gunn
positively relishes being left alone to
hold down the complicated rhythm bass
worK that needs to Keep the music nailed
down; his best worK being heard when Belew
and Fripp fly off in different tangents
mid-song leaving the rhythm section to
go off in a completely different direction
till all four musicians come crashing
bacK together. Although all four are now
veterans of the rocK scene, they have
lost none of their love of good, violent,
eccentric, precise, exciting, adventurous
music.
"The ConstruKction of Light"
starts out with the rocKer "ProzaKc
Blues" in a similar fashion to "21st
Century Schizoid Man" on King Crimson's
debut album "In the Court of the
Crimson King", which they did way
bacK in 1969, with its heavy rocK guitar
tearing riffs out in heavy metal style;
with its treated vocals similar to "Iron
Man" from BlacK Sabbath; its humorous
vocals a fine way to start any album.
Next up is the title song, which comes
in two pieces and allows the guys the
chance to show off their musical bangs
on this nearly nine minute long opus,
before jumping out of the frying pan into
the fire with another classic piece of
Crimson mastery. Then with a clever twist
Fripp delves into his own past and reconstruKs
an instrumental from Crimson's 1974 album
"Starless and Bible BlacK'' and we
get 'FraKtured', the center piece of the
album, in which all the musical sKills
of the band are laid out for your admiration.
Adrian Belew gets the chance to sing
the superbly ludicrous "The World's
My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum",
which hears more tongue twisters than
round 'Superstar Table'. The Big guns
are then rolled out for nearly ten minutes
of "LarK's Tongue in Aspic - Part
4" (Parts 1 and 2 can be heard on
Crimson's 1973 album "LarKs Tongue
in Aspic", whilst Part 3 is on 1984's
"Three of a Perfect Pair"),
where you are privileged to hear some
of the most sensational lead guitar ever
laid down in a studio as the band build
to a crescendo of musically orgasmic proportions,
before the album's properly laid to rest
with the closing "Coda: I have a
Dream" a beautiful conclusion to
any collection of music.
After the recording of this album the
band then went out on the road and toured
the world; the results of which can be
heard on the triple CD Collection "Heavy
ConstruKction", which includes extended
versions of all these songs with a stunning
version of Bowie's "Heroes"
as the encore number. Fantastic Stuff.
Added on to the end of this collection
is a song from what is called 'Project
X', which is the same band jamming on
what Crimson Fans call FrippatroniKs.
The band gets away from traditional song
structures and lay bacK into the music
with startling results. Lately a lot more
of this Kind of music has been coming
out of the Fripp mind . His recent bacK
catalogue is well worth having a gander
through for the more discerning punter,
but for those of you who prefer the more
traditional King Crimson - there will
be a new album in 2003.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
