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: : REVIEW : :
Shortly after I had the 21st century schizoid pleasure of listening to the Happy
with what you have to be happy with (HWWYHTBHW) EP, here is the whole enchilada. I
think its fair to say that this is the best Crimson album following the unfortunate
departure of the Bruford-Levin powerhouse rhythm section, and I have little doubt
the dedicated crimheads out there are probably still Fripping out, high on this
stuff.
The good news for the rest of us is that there is a lot of excellent music here for
anyone willing to give this current incarnation a chance. Obviously, it isn't all
new; you do get your usual Frippian 7/8 arpeggios (can anyone say Frame by Frame?)
which to my ears do get a bit old, and even the more casual fans will probably be
familiar with at least Level Five, which was performed live during the Construkction
of Light tour 2001 along with some jams and ideas that eventually gelled into the
body of The Power to Believe.
However, if you can set these minor quibbles aside, its time to whip out the wallet
folks because this album rips ass (yes, that is the correct technical term, look it
up!). Besides, I think it is a credit to their musical integrity that one even has
the expectation of innovation from these guys, who for the last 30 years continue to
inspire legions of musicians with their constantly evolving mix of aural beauty and
brutality.
I am especially blown away by Belews
performance on this disc. His guitar is raunchier than ever, playing the perfect
counterpoint to Fripps demented sustainer, and his vocals have a manic, at times
Lennonesque quality that is just impossible for me to describe. But try to imagine a
voice that can send shivers down the spine singing something like this:
I think this song needs a chorus
Yeah, I'm gonna have to write a chorus
And this place is as good as any other
To sing it til I'm blue in the face.
I don't think it gets much better than this folks... Take that, all of you test-tube
pop mongers, whatever genre you're posing under!
Another strength of this album is that Gunn and Mastelotto likewise sound more
comfortable in their roles than they previously did, and overall the album weaves a
rich, intricate aural tapestry. At this point I must ask you to please spare me your
yawns; I know its a goddamn cliché to write stuff like that on a review, but
listening to this album really gave me a sensation of detailed musical cohesion.
There seems to be a purpose to every part, and it really sounds as if the ideas they
were trying to express on The Construkction of Light have matured and come to
fruition here.
I can honestly say that this is really the most enjoyable Crimson album I've heard in
a while. Certainly not as thickly layered as THRaK, not as psychotoxic as Red nor as
refined as Discipline. In fact, its really not very much like them at all, although
you can certainly use those three albums as good references to trace the ancestry of
the music offered on this one, which has the indelible Crimson fingerprint.
Not flawless, by any means, but that's life. At least nobody can deny the obvious
vitality of this album, and I think even the most seasoned cynics will be forced to
admit there's definitely a lot of meat left on them old bones for anyone who's still
got any molars left.
Grubs up!
Rating: 9.5
Reviewer: Luis Nasser
: : Visit
the artist website : :
:: DISCOGRAPHY ::
In the Court of the Crimson King - 1969
In the Wake of Poseidon - 1970
Lizard - 1970
Islands - 1971
Earthbound - 1972
Larks' Tongues in Aspic - 1973
Starless and Bible Black - 1974
Red 1974
USA (live) - 1975
The Young Persons Guide to King Crimson - 1976
Discipline 1981
Beat 1982
Three of a Perfect Pair - 1984
The Compact King Crimson - 1986
The Abbreviated King Crimson: Heartbeat - 1991
The Essential King Crimson: Frame by Frame - 1991
The Concise King Crimson: Sleepless - 1993
Vrooom - 1994
THRAK - 1995
B'Boom. Official bootleg - Live in Argentina - 1995
THRaKaTTaK - 1996
Epitaph - Live in 1969 Volumes one & two - 1997
The Night Watch - 1997
ProjeKct Two - SPACE GROOVE - 1998
Absent Lovers - Live in Montreal, 1984 - 1998
CIRKUS - The Young Persons' Guide To King Crimson Live - 1999
The ProjeKcts (4 CD) - 1999
The ConstruKction of Light - 2000
Heavy ConstruKction - 2000
VROOOM VROOOM - 2001
The Power To Believe - 2003
: : Record Label : :
Sanctuary |
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