I’m no Crimson scholar, but Starless is really blowing me away lately, especially the 1974 live version. I’m not sure what the consensus is on which version is best, but I really like how that version has Cross playing his main melody on violin, with Fripp reprising it later between the heavy bits, and the live footage is priceless on Bill Bruford’s performance alone. I love that Bill wrote the bass riff buildup, it’s another absolutely incredible prog moment he’s responsible for, like the Eclipse part of And You And I, which I always find hard to believe he wrote with Chris Squire. Listening to the buildup of Starless, I literally feel like I’m weighted down, Bill is playing his drums as if the notes are having a gravitational effect on his sticks. His drumming conjures imagery of a civilization being sucked into a black hole. Profoundly heavy in a way that can’t possibly be matched by guitar tones and blast beats.
Excellent review. Bruford's drumming is so muscular and inventive. That broken cymbal is a stroke of genius. On Starless it takes it to another level just when you think the track can't get any more intense. Providence is their best improv, truely inspired, sounds composed. I agree about how 'short' the album seems. Feels like two thirds of an album (like Islands)
from a king Crimson fanatic, what an honest and wonderful review. Red is available to borrow at my local library in which I shall pick up and listen to thanks to your review :D
As a high school senior I was very familiar with KC. When Red came out I a bit surprised at first. It quickly became one of my favorites. There was so much great music coming out in 73 74. I did see the Red tour in Columbus I believe in Oct 73. I might be wrong on the date. The warm up band was an up and coming band out of Boston called Aerosmith. The crowd was a bit rowdy after Aerosmith. KC started and some members of the audience had trouble settling down. I had just moved to Cbus from Pittsburgh where album oriented rock had been around since 69. I had to encourage a few folks to shut the fuck up. Fripped stoped twice to also encourage so quiet. I still love the album. Starless became one of the more famous songs which I was unaware of because Cbus didnt get an FM station till 76.
_Red_ is such an explosion of intense emotions both in the music and lyrics - anger, fear, mourning - probably most of the the reason behind why some give Larks-S.&B.B.-Red as Crimson's "metal trilogy". But _Red_ was primal whereas the previous two albums seemed more like abstract chamber music - so Red uniquely presages the intensity to come. That fits in my reading of why Fripp quit the biz for a few years, even if his stated reason was something typically cryptic about a "mobile intelligent unit" or something. What he probably meant was, this is an extinction event for dinosaur types and I'd rather be a scrappy little creature (like the mammal forbears) with a savvier approach to survival. This I guess was the period in Britain that jump-started the punk and heavy metal movements from the fury and discontent of many an unemployed youth. On a possibly related note, I think it was Kurt Cobain's favorite King Crimson, though I have no earthly idea whether John Lydon would give it the same kind of kudos.... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NqMO44r2twQ.html
I wonder what it’s like in the alternate universe where Wetton and Bruford snagged the band name and King Crimson released “A Momentary Lapse of Discipline” in 1975, with Wetton, Bruford, McDonald, Jobson and Holdsworth. Maybe that last guy was busy Soft Machining at the time, I don’t know. Decades later, Robert Fripp throws fits on the internet to be given access to the King Crimson twitter account.
re: I remember reading Bruford saying he took "that cymbal" on tour with him (possibly Genesis, maybe with Bruford?) but it barely lasted a week before it split in two.
This album is fantastic. This is my other favorite King Crimson album besides Larks Tongues In Aspic. I have the 30th anniversary edition, is the 40th anniversary edition worth getting?
I forgot about Exposure! I must revisit that.. I'm looking forward to Absent Lovers Live in Montreal as well! I don't have any collector's club releases from the 80's band. Where would you rank Absent Lovers in terms of 80's performances?
Yeah, _Absent Lovers_ could *almost* be added to one's collection in lieu of _Beat_ and _Three of a Perfect Pair_ ... although there are some underrated cuts on those 2, like "Nuages," "No Warning," and "Requiem" for example, that you'd be missing.
+Daniel Moore I still enjoy Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair. I'd still consider "Neal and Jack and Me" and "Neurotica" essential songs that aren't on Absent Lovers.
At 12:07, you make a case for Bruford deserving writing credits for Red. But if Bruford was not credited for Fracture, he certainly should not be credited for Red: Red and Fracture are siblings, and I think Bruford's breathtaking quasi-jazz drumming on Fracture makes the piece less traditional, less orderly and more exciting. This is even more significant than in Red, because in Fracture Fripp does a lot of the timekeeping. So anyways, Red, Fracture and LTIA2 are signature Fripp compositions, featuring superb drumming from Bruford (and fantastic bass and violin countermelodies in the latter two).
Red is the seventh studio album by progressive rock group King Crimson, released in 1974. It was their last studio recording of the 1970s and the last before the lead member Robert Fripp temporarily disbanded the group.
not having seen king crimson since 69, id kept up with their progress, and went to see them febuary 11th 73 at mthe marquee london,with long queues etc,but i was rather disappointed with the way they had turned into a very proficient techno jazz rock unit,rather two dimensional,with the all important lyrical and conceptual contribution of pete sinfield., so, im not a fan of lps of the'starless red tongues in aspic' period of the group. if you can fully 'get' his best imput, ie the 1st three lps, whichi think represent a sadly lost direction of meaning and nuance. . i think sinfield has been unwell of late.last year i went to alburgh suffolk where he lived/lives,and it was so appropriate,the strange atmosphere you can pick up on.
It's KC so I love this album to death but weirdly I've always found this the weakest of the 70's trio of albums, the songs aren't quite as good and they are running out of ideas a bit.....but sheesh what do I know.
What was LP side 1: meh. Bruford thought the title track sucked, and it is plodding and repetitive. Side 2: nirvana, so to speak. So, a mixed bag. But Starless is the best thing Crimson ever waxed.
