KING CRIMSON — Discipline (1981) Four Version (1987, Virgin Japan, 32VD-1087) + (1988, Virgin Japan – VJD-28022 | Serie Big Artist Collection) + (1990, RM | Virgin Japan – VJCP-2308) + (2004, RM | HDCD | 30th Anniversary Edition) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

When King Crimson leader Robert Fripp decided to assemble a new version of the band in the early '80s, prog rock fans rejoiced, and most new wave fans frowned. But after hearing this new unit's first release, 1981's Discipline, all the elements that made other arty new wave rockers (i.e., Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, the Police, etc.) successful were evident. Combining the futuristic guitar of Adrian Belew with the textured guitar of Fripp doesn't sound like it would work on paper, but the pairing of these two originals worked out magically. Rounding out the quartet was bass wizard Tony Levin and ex-Yes drummer Bill Bruford. Belew's vocals fit the music perfectly, sounding like David Byrne at his most paranoid at times (the funk track "Thela Hun Ginjeet"). Some other highlights include Tony Levin's "stick" (a strange bass-like instrument)-driven opener "Elephant Talk," the atmospheric "The Sheltering Sky," and the heavy rocker "Indiscipline." Many Crimson fans consider this album one of their best, right up there with In the Court of the Crimson King. It's easy to understand why after you hear the inspired performances by this hungry new version of the band. Greg Prato
Tracklist :
1. Elephant Talk (04:43)
2. Frame By Frame (05:09)
3. Matte Kudasai (03:47)
4. Indiscipline (04:33)
5. Thela Hun Ginjeet (06:26)
6. The Sheltering Sky (08:22)
7. Discipline (05:13)
8. Matte Kudasai (Alternative version) (03:51)
Credits :
Chapman Stick, Bass, Vocals [Support] – Tony Levin
Drums [Batterie] – Bill Bruford
Guitar, Lead Vocals – Adrian Belew
Guitar, Performer [Devices] – Robert Fripp
Music By – Belew (tracks: 1)
Music By, Written-By – King Crimson

KING CRIMSON — Beat (1982) Three Version (1987, Virgin Japan – 32VD-1088) + (1990, RM | Virgin Japan – VJCP-2309) + (2005, RM | HDCD | 30th Anniversary Edition) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Beat is not as good as its predecessor (1981's Discipline), but it's not too shabby, either. The '80s version of King Crimson (Robert Fripp, guitar; Adrian Belew, vocals/guitar; Tony Levin, bass; and Bill Bruford, drums) retains the then-modern new wave sound introduced on Discipline. The band's performances are still inspired, but the songwriting isn't as catchy or strong. The moody love song "Heartbeat" has become a concert favorite for the band, and contains a Jimi Hendrix-like backward guitar solo. Other worthwhile tracks include "Waiting Man," which features world music sounds (thanks to some stunning bass/percussion interplay), and "Neurotica" does an excellent job of painting an unwavering picture of a large U.S. city, with its jerky rhythms and tense vocals. With lots of different guitar textures, bass explorations, and uncommon drum rhythms present, King Crimson's Beat will automatically appeal to other musicians. But since they're fantastic songwriters as well, you don't have to be a virtuoso to feel the passion of their music. Greg Prato
Tracklist :
1. Neal And Jack And Me (04:23)
2. Heartbeat (03:54)
3. Sartori In Tangier (03:35)
4. Waiting Man (04:24)
5. Neurotica (04:49)
6. Two Hands (03:23)
7. The Howler (04:12)
8. Requiem (06:35)
Credits :
Chapman Stick, Bass, Backing Vocals – Tony Levin
Drums – Bill Bruford
Guitar, Lead Vocals – Adrian Belew
Guitar, Organ, Other [Frippertronics] – Robert Fripp
Lyrics By – Adrian Belew (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7)

KING CRIMSON — Three of a Perfect Pair (1984) Three Version (1986, Japan EG – VJD-28005) + (1994, EG – EGCD 55 | Serie The Definitive Edition) + (2004, RM | HDCD | Serie 30th Anniversary Edition) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Upon its release in 1984, Three of a Perfect Pair caused some unrest among fans of King Crimson. Most of their audience felt that the band had made a conscious and obvious decision to try to break through to a more mainstream pop audience. But in hindsight, this is hardly the case; it sounds unlike anything that was out at the time. Like 1982's Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair doesn't quite meet the high standards set by 1981's Discipline, but does contain a few Crimson treats. The opening title track has an unrelenting groove that never seems to let up, while "Sleepless" starts off with Tony Levin laying down some funky bass until Adrian Belew's trademark paranoid vocals kick in and assure the listener that "it's alright to feel a little fear." Also included are the seven-minute instrumental soundscape "Industry," and the cautionary tale of a "Model Man." This would prove to be the new King Crimson's last release for nearly ten years; the group disbanded soon after as its members concentrated on solo careers and other projects, until a mid-'90s reunion brought them all back together. Greg Prato
Tracklist :
1. Three Of A Perfect Pair (04:13)
2. Model Man (03:51)
3. Sleepless (05:19)
4. Man With An Open Heart (03:05)
5. Nuages (That Which Passes, Passes Like Clouds) (04:46)
6. Industry (07:20)
7. Dig Me (03:01)
8. No Warning (03:29)
9. Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part 3 (06:03)
Credits :
Bass, Chapman Stick [Stick], Synthesizer, Voice [Background] – Tony Levin
Drums [Acoustic Drumming], Electronic Drums [Electric Drumming] – Bill Bruford
Guitar – Robert Fripp
Guitar [Fretted, Fretless], Voice, Words By – Adrian Belew
Producer, Music By – King Crimson

KING CRIMSON — THRAK (1995) Two Version (2004, RM | HDCD | Serie 30th Anniversary Edition) + (2006, Japan, WHD Entertainment, IECP-10045) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The only progressive rock band from the '60s to be making new, vital, progressive music in the '90s, King Crimson returned from a ten-year exile in 1995 with THRAK, their first album since 1984's Three of a Perfect Pair. As with the '80s band, guitarist/ringleader Robert Fripp recruited singer/guitarist Adrian Belew, bassist Tony Levin, and drummer Bill Bruford for this incarnation of his classic band. However, he added to this familiar quartet two new members: Chapman Stick player Trey Gunn and ex-Mr. Mister drummer Pat Mastelotto. Effectively, Fripp created a "double trio," and the six musicians combine their instruments in extremely unique ways. The mix is very dense, overpoweringly so at times, but careful listens will reveal that each musician has his own place in each song; the denseness of the sound is by design, not the accidental result of too many cooks in the kitchen. Sometimes, as in "THRAK," the two trios are set against each other, in some sort of musical faux combat. In others, they just combine their respective sounds to massive effect. On "Dinosaur," perhaps the strongest track on the record, Mastelotto and Bruford set up an ominous tom-tom groove that supports an even more ominous guitar figure. The vocal, the musings of a long-dead sauropod, are vintage Belew, just as the freaky, falling-down-the-stairs solo in the middle is vintage Fripp. Other high points include the drum duet "B'Boom" and the two Belew/Fripp "Inner Garden" pieces. Allusions to earlier Crimson abounds, such as the form of "VROOM," for example, which is suspiciously reminiscent of "Red" (from the 1974 album of the same name), or the shout-out to "The Sheltering Sky" (from 1981's Discipline) in "Walking on Air." Thankfully, this never gets annoying, but instead acts as a subtle nudge and a wink to faithful fans. King Crimson came back in a major way with THRAK, and proved that, even in its fourth major incarnation, Fripp and company still had something to say. High-quality prog. Daniel Gioffre
Tracklist :
1    VROOOM    4:37
2    Coda: Marine 475    2:41
3    Dinosaur    6:35
4    Walking On Air    4:34
5    B'Boom    4:11
6    THRAK    3:58
7    Inner Garden I    1:47
8    People    5:53
9    Radio I    0:43
10    One Time    5:21
11    Radio II    1:02
12    Inner Garden II    1:15
13    Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream    4:48
14    VROOOM VROOOM    5:37
15    VROOOM VROOOM: Coda    3:00
Credits :
Backing Vocals, Chapman Stick [Stick] – Trey Gunn
Backing Vocals, Electric Upright Bass [Upright Bass], Electric Bass – Tony Levin
Guitar, Effects [Soundscapes], Mellotron – Robert Fripp
Guitar, Voice, Words By – Adrian Belew
Music By – King Crimson
Percussion [Acoustic & Electronic] – Bill Bruford, Pat Mastelotto 

KING CRIMSON — The ConstruKction Of Light (2000) Two Version (2000, Pony Canyon Inc., PCCY-01455) + (2006, HDCD | WHD Entertainment, IECP-10046) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

King Crimson, one of the few first-generation progressive rock bands to remain nearly consistent in the quality of their output throughout their career, fall flat with The ConstruKction of Light, the band's 12th studio album. Unable to shed the weight of their oft-brilliant history, the most promising moments of ConstruKction are crushed underneath the bulk. What makes ConstruKction such a disappointment is, despite how "progressive" the band-fragmenting ProjeKct approach appeared on paper, upon execution, it produced an utterly backward-looking album. More self-referential than a Jean-Luc Godard film, nearly every song on ConstruKction contains a heavy-handed nod to a previous Crimson song. There are even two tracks that are directly named after old Crimson material: "FraKctured" and "Larks Tongues in Aspic-Part IV." The most notable shift the pared-down, four-piece Crimson makes with ConstruKction is getting rid of acoustic drums in favor of electronic "V" drums (courtesy of Pat Mastelotto, who took over full-time duties after Bruford left). Crimson does not seem to lose much in the transition, and, overall, the musicianship is superb as usual, but it's almost as if they thought new technology and a stripped down lineup would make up for a dearth of new ideas. Treading water is still treading water, even if the waters happen to be deep. There are, however, two bright spots on the album: "Into the Frying Pan" and "Heaven and Earth." The former features guitarist/vocalist Adrian Belew at his quirky best, and the latter (credited to Project X instead of King Crimson) is a beautifully textured, near-ambient piece that slowly builds intensity before a long, slow release. Together, they suggest that King Crimson may still have some gas left in their tank after all. Jason Nickey
Tracklist :
1. ProzaKc Blues (05:28)
2. The ConstruKction Of Light (1/2) (05:50)
3. The ConstruKction Of Light (2/2) (02:49)
4. Into The Flying Pan (06:54)
5. FraKctured (09:05)
6. The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum (06:24)
7. Larks' Tongues In Aspic - Part IV (1/3) (03:41)
8. Larks' Tongues In Aspic - Part IV (2/3) (02:50)
9. Larks' Tongues In Aspic - Part IV (3/3) (02:36)
10. Coda: I Have A Dream (04:51)
11. Heaven And Earth (by ProjeKct X) (07:48)
Credits :
Bass [Touch Guitar], Baritone Guitar – Trey Gunn (tracks: 1 to 10)
Drums – Pat Mastelotto (tracks: 1 to 10)
Guitar – Adrian Belew (tracks: 1 to 10), Robert Fripp (tracks: 1 to 10)
Vocals – Adrian Belew (tracks: 1 to 10)
Written By – Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto (tracks: 1 to 10)
Written By [Words] – Adrian Belew (tracks: 1 to 10)

KING CRIMSON — The Power To Believe (2003) Universal – UICE-1045 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The Power to Believe (2003) marks the return of King Crimson for the group's first full-length studio release since ConstruKction of Light (2000). While it draws upon material featured on the live Level Five (2001) and studio Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With (2002) extended-play discs, there are also several new sonic sculptures included. Among them is the title track, which is divided into a series of central thematic motifs much in the same manner as the "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" movements had done in the past. This 21st century schizoid band ably bears the torch of its predecessors with the same ballsy aggression that has informed other seminal King Crimson works -- such as In the Court of the Crimson King (1969), Red (1974), and more recently THRAK (1995). This incarnation of the Mighty Krim includes the excessively talented quartet of Adrian Belew (guitar/vocals), Robert Fripp (guitar), Trey Gunn (Warr guitar/Warr fretless guitar), and Pat Mastelotto (percussion). Under the auspices of Machine -- whose notable productions include post-grunge and industrial medalists Pitchshifter and White Zombie -- the combo unleashes a torrent of alternating sonic belligerence ("Level Five") and inescapable beauty ("Eyes Wide Open"). These extremes are linked as well as juxtaposed by equally challenging soundscapes from Fripp on "The Facts of Life: Intro" as well as Belew's series of "The Power to Believe" haikus. The disc is fleshed out with some choice extended instrumentals such as "Elektrik" and "Dangerous Curves," boasting tricky time signatures that are indelibly linked to equally engaging melodies. Both "Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With" and "Facts of Life" stand out as the (dare say) perfect coalescence of Belew's uncanny Beatlesque lyrical sense with the sort of bare-knuckled, in your face aural attack that has defined King Crimson for over three decades. If the bandmembers' constant tone probing is an active search to find the unwitting consciousness of a decidedly younger, rowdier, and more demanding audience, their collective mission is most assuredly accomplished on The Power to Believe -- even more so than the tripped-out psychedelic prog rock behemoth from whence they initially emerged. Lindsay Planer
Tracklist :
1. The Power To Believe I: A Cappella (00:44)
2. Level Five (07:17)
3. Eyes Wide Open (04:08)
4. Elektrik (07:59)
5. Facts Of Life: Intro (01:38)
6. Facts Of Life (05:05)
7. The Power To Believe II (07:43)
8. Dangerous Curves (06:42)
9. Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With (03:17)
10. The Power To Believe III (04:09)
11. The Power To Believe IV: Coda (02:28)
Credits :
Drums [Traps], Drum Programming [Buttons] – Pat Mastelotto
Guitar – Robert Fripp
Guitar [Warr], Fretless Guitar [Fretless Warr] – Trey Gunn
Guitar, Vocals, Words By – Adrian Belew
Music By – King Crimson

FRANK ZAPPA - Baby Snakes (1982-1995) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This short but delectably sweet release is for most intents and purposes the soundtrack to the Frank Zappa concert film of the same name. Both were captured on location at New York City's Palladium (formerly the Academy of Music) in 1977, during the artist's brief yearly residency in the Big Apple in and around Halloween. By the time of these concerts, Zappa was embroiled in all manner of unpleasantness with Warner Bros. Records -- a fact not lost to listeners as he comments upon their tumultuous relationship during some off the cuff dialogue with Terry Bozzio (percussion/vocals), as heard on "Titties and Beer." That behind-the-scenes drama certainly didn't best the perpetually resilient Zappa as he, Bozzio, Adrian Belew (guitar/vocals), Ed Mann (percussion), Patrick O'Hearn (bass), Tommy Mars (keyboards/vocals), Peter Wolf (keyboards), and vintage Mothers of Invention member Roy Estrada (not so sexually aroused gas mask/vocals) are joined by some of "New York's finest crazy persons" for half an hour-plus of musical madness as only Zappa could deliver. The "Intro Rap" features a brief dressing-room dialogue between Zappa and one of his longtime enthusiasts who just happens to be Warren Cuccurullo. If the name sounds familiar, it might be because he would serve a tenure in Zappa's late-'70s lineup as a guitarist before becoming a co-founding member of Missing Persons alongside other Zappa alumni Bozzio and O'Hearn, prior to settling into the re-formed Duran Duran in the mid-'80s and 1990s. Although the title track, "Baby Snakes," is essentially the same studio version that graced 1979's Sheik Yerbouti, the rest of the material is live. "Black Page, No. 2" is a jaunty instrumental that Zappa had composed specifically with Bozzio in mind. It then developed into a full-blown ensemble piece, and in the context of both the film and aural companion was used to accompany an enforced recreational audience-participatory dance contest. "Jones Crusher" is a hard-drivin' rocker with lead vocals from Belew, marking one of his finest moments in the Zappa band to have ever made it onto a legit release. "Disco Boy" and the somewhat obligatory "Dinah-Moe Humm" are typically excellent renderings of these performance staples and obvious crowd-pleasers. The platter concludes with the tongue-in-cheek epic homoerotic ode "Punky's Whips," with Bozzio once again demonstrating why he was such a faultless multifaceted foil for Zappa.

Tracks

1. Intro Rap

2. Baby Snakes

3. Titties 'n' Beer

4. The Black Page #2

5. Jones Crusher

6. Disco Boy

7. Dinah Moe Hum

8. Punky's Whips

Frank Zappa-director, keyboards, vocals, guitar

Adrian Belew - vocals, guitar

Tommy Mars - keyboards, vocals

Peter Wolf - keyboards

Patrick O'Hearn - bass guitar

Terry Bozzio - drums, vocals

Ed Mann - percussion