Throw Back Thursday | Reacting To King Crimson - Elephant Talk - Live on Fridays 1981 

The secret of King Crimson is that every member is a genius.

I know that this live performance on TV opened up a whole new world of music to me and many friends who were into music. It just blew the doors off everything.

If Adrian Belew can be credited for one thing other than his playing, it's to get Robert Fripp to smile at the 2:44 mark. Fripp was not known for showing much emotionally back then (although his weekly Sunday Brunch clips with wife Toyah are absolutely hilarious).

When I bought my copy of Discipline, I got home and a housemate gave me a letter from an ex-girlfriend. I went to my room, put the album on the turntable, turned on my stereo, and sat down to read the letter. As the first bars of Elephant Talk played, Becky's letter began with "I just heard King Crimson's Discipline and couldn't help but think of you."

That bass guitar is bas(s)icaly a Chapman Stick, designed especially for the tapping technique. You can get it with eight, ten or twelve strings, the bass strings always in the middle position. And it was played by - Tony Levin!

"This was different".....and different is good! 👍🎶🎶🎶

King Crimson has such an eclectic brilliant discography, this song came from their 80's era, actually from the first album "Discipline" (then "Beat" and "Three of Perfect Pair") that introduces King Crimson in the decade, few years after the wonderful "heavy" trios album from 70's "Larks' Tongue in Aspic", "Starless and Bible Black" and "Red" [1973-1974], who were totally different in vibes. That lineup particulary is one of the best you could wish as creative musicianship (And yea, I guess you already know that KC is quite annoying about their intellectual rights tho)

The instrument that the bald guy (Tony Levin) was playing is called a Chapman Stick. It has both bass and guitar strings. Tony has play bass/Stick for many bands over the years including Peter Gabriel. He started his own band in 2010 called Stick Men. That band has some amazing songs as well! Here are the lyrics: Talk, it's only talk Arguments, agreements, advice, answers Articulate announcements It's only talk Talk, it's only talk Babble, burble, banter, bicker, bicker, bicker Brouhaha, balderdash, ballyhoo It's only talk Backtalk Talk, talk, talk, it's only talk Comments, clichés, commentary, controversy Chatter, chit-chat, chit-chat, chit-chat Conversation, contradiction, criticism It's only talk Cheap talk Talk, it's all rhetoric Debates, discussions These are words with a D this time Dialogue, duologue, diatribe Dissention, declamation Double-talk, double-talk Talk, it's all talk Too much talk Small talk Talk that trash Expressions, editorials, explanations, exclamations, exaggerations It's all talk Elephant talk, elephant talk, elephant talk

King Crimson in 1981 was a group of the greatest musicians to have ever existed. Elephant Talk was their 'pop' single from the Discipline album. Those boys could make their guitars scream. Check out Thela Hun Ginjeet from the same album.

This is a collection of 4 of the best musicians in progressive rock. This song is basically a theasaurus for the action of talking.

I was 16 in 1981 and just got into King Crimson but I had only heard their first album from 1969. A few months later I heard that they were going to be on Fridays and I had no idea that they were still around so I was thrilled. When they played Elephant Talk as shown here….I was horrified. I HATED it so much as they sounded nothing like what I had heard. However within a few months, Discipline (the album that this song was from) became and still is one of my most favorite albums of all time…and it is by far my favorite King Crimson album

I remember Me and a few friends watching this having only heard their older material. We were shook.

Best live performance I will ever see in my life.

Since the Stick has been mentioned I'll point out the lyrics that intrigued you: They're all synonyms of different types of talk, going through the first five letters of the alphabet ("arguments, agreements..." for 'A', etc.). Apparently, when writing, he got stuck on 'D' ("these are words with a 'D' this time"), and especially 'E' (you did indeed hear "small talk", along with "talk that trash") bringing you to the title at the end. The elephant sounds from both guitarists stand out as you can hear.

IN case you don;t know, King Crimson has been around in various forms since 1969. The sound has drastically changed at times, but two things you can be sure of when you pick up a KIng Crimson album. One, Robert Fripp (the sitting-down guitarist) is involved, even if he isn't always the lead-writer. Two, there will be some dissonance, extreme dynamics, and patches of free-tonal improvisation (especially in the mid-'70s!) This is at the beginning of the era when the band was co-fronted by guitar virtuoso Adrian Belew (the vocalist). One track I recommend from sort-of the same era, which you may find easier to digest, is this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZASr6Chpey8.html Dinosaur (the full unedited version, with the instrument-switching middle bit which is worth seeing as well as hearing).

01:31 - the name of the instrument is "chapman stick" , you can find videos on youtube of the creator of this instrument (emmett chapman) explaining how he created it.

In a lot of King Crimson music, lyrics are just there as place holders, the real talent of the band comes through in the music itself. Each member is amazing at their instrument, and the chemistry between the members is fantastic. The band has had a lot of lineup changes over the years, but every lineup is amazing in its own right. The instrument you are talking about is called the 'Chapman Stick". It is played by tapping the fretboard instead of plucking or strumming the strings, like a normal guitar or bass is played. One person can play both bass and guitar parts at the same time on the Chapman Stick.

Tina you want to get attentio Try Brian Eno,s song BABY,S ON FIRE off of his first album "Here come the warm jets" just after he left Roxy music in 73, he combined with Robert Fripp OF KIng Crimson to start the begginings of metal rock but of course this should be considered SYNTH METAL

Discipline. .best King Crimson comeback album. .saw this lineup at Cullen Auditorium (Houston). .thanks 😊

Thee have been many incarnations of King Crimson. They were pioneers of progressive music. I saw this line up in1980 in London. I saw the original line up in 1969, in London's Hyde Park as one ot the opening acts fot The Rolling Stones. The only consistent member has been Robert Fripp, the guitarist who was seated I saw the current line up about six years ago. Fripp an, Mel Collins on saxd Tony Levin on stick, Mel Collins om sax, 3 drummers and my old friend Jakko on guitar and vocals

Belew looks so badass with that widow's peak.

An amazing band, I saw twice, first they were the second band with Golden Earring on their Moontan tour opening and the Mahavishnu Orchestra headlining. Mind blowing concert from all 3 bands, that was 1975, King Crimson on the Red tour. Then in the 90s I saw a reformed King Crimson with the double trio, 2 drummers/percussionists, 2 bass/stick geniuses plus Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp on stunning guitar! One of the best shows ever, both the improv and the seamless way everyone played with another, you can see evidence of this on YT. Enjoy! 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶

People who primarily enjoy music that can be danced to often find King Crimson inaccessible, so good on you Tiny for giving this a whirl.

A small part of Crim's universe

It's called a STICK BASS. What you saw was some of the greatest musicians in all of music. The drummer is Bill Bruford. Roundly considered the best drummer in the world. As well as guitarist Robert Fripp.

Level 5 is their most heavy song.

If you want something even weirder, try the song "Indiscipline" by these guys (preferably to 80's version).

Your face of surprise and enjoy say it all. I hope many many people come to you channel and enjoy it too and listen to your comments. Get lucky

Listen to Scatias - Night Life

To explain the lyrics its all talk, synonyms for talk

it's not shredding, it's pick tapping....but you get it, I see. it was "ah-vahn-gha'd". it's only talk.

What a performance.

Adrian Belew did say "small talk" in his litany of different types of talk.

Try Fracture from the Starless and Bible Black album.

Hard core rock is so great. Power, form, mystery and bad ass. I can't get enough. Good one! Thanks Tina. Oh, maybe try some Frank Zappa from his early One Size Fits All album. Oh no!!!!!!!1

Просто говно... Умничка! Как ещё это описать. ;-)

great reaction

My god she's absolutely beautiful

Its called a stick.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

TIny I agree to your imoresiion of roxy mucis 'Love IS THe drug : that is une uf thier most commercicial song creations let mre give you two very lisentable Roxy songs that are ronantic ballads the first is Roxy, signature son "Mother of Pearl" from thier 3rd album ;Stranded: the 2nd song":Out Of The Blue" from thier 5th albun :Siren

Привет! Я хотел бы увидеть твою реакцию на Полину Гагарину- кукушка за Дамбас! Спасибо!

this is like listening to an 8 year old try to explain Einstein’s theory of relativity. i’m glad she liked it though…..

come on tina i can help you with reaction resonses wich will elevated your numbers start with Bryan Ferrys song "Anotheer time another Place

That's a Chapman stick not a bass

react to kr$na

Terrible audio, can't watch.