Er...

[johnny9fingers]

 

I never once thought I'd hear this played live:

"King Crimson - Starless" (Watch on YouTube)

And certainly not quite this well done. It seems that Master Fripp (for he is a master) finally has the right chamber orchestra to perform the collective compositions he led as prime mover in King Crimson. I'd love to hear the Ravel-influenced opening to "Exiles" done live. I may get a chance on Thursday as I'm due to see King Crimson at the Albert Hall.

The battery of drums in the 13/8 second movement slightly de-emphasises the original "solo leading instrument" aspect of the original, but is effective nonetheless. All-in-all it is a definitive performance; captured on camera as well as audio. Small quibbles: Fripp's guitar is just a little proud of the track at the beginning; and slightly lacking the beautiful reverb of the original. Fripp is running a Kemper for his live rig, if my sources are correct, so a small adjustment shouldn't be too difficult. But by the gods, this iteration of Crimson is really good. Really really good. And this version of Crimson, it appears, can do the compositions justice in a way never before achieved. At the crossover point where Hendrix meets Sibelius and Bartok there is a bespectacled chap, sitting on a bar stool, with a Les Paul; and his is one of a handful of the greatest musical imaginations ever to have picked up a guitar. 

Comments

[ericcoleman]

Like I said over on LJ, since I prefer to comment here.

Have you seen this version?

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvuzpw

[johnny9fingers]

I had, and thought it interesting as an historical record, but not a stellar performance from the band as a whole.

However, I never thought the studio version (with all of its faults included - the splicing between the first movement and the 13/8 part does show tuning problems on the bass especially) would be equalled.

What's your opinion here? I always thought of "Starless" as being Fripp's equivalent of Beethoven's Ninth; tremendously flawed, and yet at the same time completely beyond all criticism. :)

[ericcoleman]

Starless is one of the greatest moments of the rock era. It's an unlikely hybrid of the classical era, Gershwin and hard rock.

I think of the version I posted as something different and far away from the studio version. I love that Wetton's voice is shot. I love that you can never tell if Cross is going to be on pitch or not. I love that Bruford takes the arrangement as a dare. It's the very unpredictability of that version of the band that makes me love that live version more than the really flawless modern version.

I call the Fripp/Wetton/Bruford (and Cross and Muir) version of KC the Heavy Metal Jam Band version. I love the full half hour show, it's so uncompromising. It's 4 musicians bending the songs to their own needs. I love the live stuff from that era.

[johnny9fingers]

I think pretty much the same way about Starless; but I must admit I find Cross the weak link in that '74 performance. I know what you mean about the HM Jam Band; and a lot of their compositions arose from improvisation. The three great albums from that period (Red, Starless and Bible Black, and Larks Tongues in Aspic) changed rock music, though it took rock music a few decades to catch up.

Red is one of my top ten albums. Probably even a desert island disc. It's shoehorning the remainders into the available slots that leaves me a problem... Abbey Road, Blue, Exile on Main St, etc and etc. And there is still too much Bach to listen to. :)

Really looking forward to seeing KC tomorrow.