King Crimson
VROOOM
[Discipline Global Mobile]
After a decade of silence, the Crimson King stirred again with this 1994 EP. The early-'80s lineup of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, and Tony Levin reunited and were joined by stringed-instrument prodigy and Fripp disciple Trey Gunn as well as surprise recruit Pat Mastelotto, a sturdy rock drummer. This EP captures the earliest sessions together for this new "double trio".
The title track is an instrumental piece somewhat comparable to the "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" series of dynamic, pulsing instrumentals, except this has more "swing", perhaps due to the interplay of the two bass guitar (-like) parts and the two drummers. One of the highlights in all of the music by this lineup is listening to Bruford and Mastelotto play off of one another. Bruford dances around in his polyrhythmic ways while Mastelotto supplies a thunderous groove and some clever comments of his own.
"Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream" is a rather catchy rock song with absurdist/existentialist lyrics by Belew. This is the first of several songs along these general lines that the band has done since.
"Cage" takes the premise of "Neurotica" from 1982's 'Beat' to the limit. It's a document of frustration and confusion in an increasingly complex and dangerous world. A ton of lyrics and impossible guitar lines are packed into about a minute and a half. This one would take many listens to sort out, if it's possible at all.
Now the band use the power of six musicians to its full crushing effect in "Thrak". This is probably the most sonically heavy thing KC's ever done. It's an instrumental again, but unlike past works this is not particularly based on discernible riffing, instead pitting the instruments against each other in shifting, robotic rhythms. What makes it disconcerting, besides the fact that it is incredibly *loud*, is that one player may strike a note precisely in tandem with another player one moment, then violently leave to pursue a different rhythm the next. This song reminds me of the cover art for some of Voivod's early albums: heavy, complex, and detailed, yet uncontrolled and unnerving. The overall writing for this song is stunning. It begins with a Fripp soundscape before building the mayhem gradually, until it's almost unbearable around the middle, then very fluidly, almost unnoticeably, winding back down toward another soundscape.
"When I Say Stop, Continue" is a very well done improvisation that shows the band gelling incredibly early on. All instruments contribute significantly, which is a feat in itself. The ending is a rather hilarious surprise - a candid moment at the expense of Belew, much like "Thela Hun Ginjeet" from 'Discipline'.
"One Time" is a beautiful, emotional song based on a gentle world music beat and led by some of Belew's finest vocals and lyrics. A high point of his tenure with the band.
Several of the songs on this EP appear on the following full length, 'THRAK'. These are different versions, however, and that fact combined with the unique improv here and the low price make this a worthy purchase for fans.
© 2001 j.s.
The title track is an instrumental piece somewhat comparable to the "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" series of dynamic, pulsing instrumentals, except this has more "swing", perhaps due to the interplay of the two bass guitar (-like) parts and the two drummers. One of the highlights in all of the music by this lineup is listening to Bruford and Mastelotto play off of one another. Bruford dances around in his polyrhythmic ways while Mastelotto supplies a thunderous groove and some clever comments of his own.
"Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream" is a rather catchy rock song with absurdist/existentialist lyrics by Belew. This is the first of several songs along these general lines that the band has done since.
"Cage" takes the premise of "Neurotica" from 1982's 'Beat' to the limit. It's a document of frustration and confusion in an increasingly complex and dangerous world. A ton of lyrics and impossible guitar lines are packed into about a minute and a half. This one would take many listens to sort out, if it's possible at all.
Now the band use the power of six musicians to its full crushing effect in "Thrak". This is probably the most sonically heavy thing KC's ever done. It's an instrumental again, but unlike past works this is not particularly based on discernible riffing, instead pitting the instruments against each other in shifting, robotic rhythms. What makes it disconcerting, besides the fact that it is incredibly *loud*, is that one player may strike a note precisely in tandem with another player one moment, then violently leave to pursue a different rhythm the next. This song reminds me of the cover art for some of Voivod's early albums: heavy, complex, and detailed, yet uncontrolled and unnerving. The overall writing for this song is stunning. It begins with a Fripp soundscape before building the mayhem gradually, until it's almost unbearable around the middle, then very fluidly, almost unnoticeably, winding back down toward another soundscape.
"When I Say Stop, Continue" is a very well done improvisation that shows the band gelling incredibly early on. All instruments contribute significantly, which is a feat in itself. The ending is a rather hilarious surprise - a candid moment at the expense of Belew, much like "Thela Hun Ginjeet" from 'Discipline'.
"One Time" is a beautiful, emotional song based on a gentle world music beat and led by some of Belew's finest vocals and lyrics. A high point of his tenure with the band.
Several of the songs on this EP appear on the following full length, 'THRAK'. These are different versions, however, and that fact combined with the unique improv here and the low price make this a worthy purchase for fans.
© 2001 j.s.