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 

ROBERT FRIPP — Exposure (1979-1989) RM | The Definitive Edition Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Conceived as the third part of an MOR trilogy that included Peter Gabriel's second album and Daryl Hall's Sacred Songs, Exposure is concerned with a marketplace that Fripp saw as hostile to experimentation and hungry for product. Strangely, then, Exposure is one of his most varied and successful rock albums, offering a broad selection of styles. "Water Music I and II" is pure Frippertronics; "Disengage" and "I May Not Have Had Enough of Me But I've Had Enough of You" are angular, jagged rock like he would make with the reformed King Crimson; "North Star" is a soulful ballad led by Daryl Hall on vocals, and a less bombastic version of "Here Comes the Flood" with Peter Gabriel singing makes a melancholic ending. Peter Hammill, Terre Roche, and Narada Michael Walden also add vocals to a pleasant experiment in pop, Fripp style. Ted Mills

DAVID TORN - Cloud About Mercury (1987-2019) APE (image+.cue), lossless

“Everything is in a state of transition,” David Torn explained. “Mercury is an element that captures the essence of change.” The changing soundscape of improvisation in the mid-1980s informs the textures and colours of Cloud About Mercury, whose sonorities are closely related to progressive rock (the rhythm section is half of one incarnation of King Crimson) and to the experimental end of ambient music. Drummer Bill Bruford’s affection for this album is undying: “To this day, Torn’s guitar on ‘Three Minutes of Pure Entertainment’ from Cloud About Mercury makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.” ecm
Tracklist :
1    suyafhu skin... snapping the hollow reed 8'21
(David Torn)
2    the mercury grid 6'33
(David Torn)
3    3 minutes of pure entertainment 7'09
(David Torn)
4    previous man 7'55
(Tony Levin, Bill Bruford, David Torn, Mark Isham)
5    network of sparks: the delicate code 4'52
(David Torn)
6    network of sparks: egg learns to walk - ... suyafhu seal 10'25
(David Torn, Bill Bruford, Mark Isham, Tony Levin)
Credits :
David Torn   Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Mark Isham   Trumpet, Piccolo Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Synthesizer
Tony Levin   Chapman Stick, Synthesizer Bass
Bill Bruford   Simmons Drums, Synthesizer Drums, Percussion   

HERBIE MANN - Brazil : Once Again + Sunbelt (2001) APE (image+.cue), lossless

This two-fer from Collectables features a pair of out of print Herbie Mann LPs: Brazil: Once Again and Sunbelt. Originally issued in 1978 and 1979, respectively, these 12 smooth jazz/pop tracks include "Watermelon Man," "The Closer I Get to You," and "Let's Stay Together." Most listeners would be better served with one of Mann's compilations on Rhino/Atlantic by Al Campbell
Tracklist :
    Brazil -Once Again (1978)   
1    Pelé 6:31
Written-By – Herbie Mann
2    Oh How I Want To Love You 9:29
Written-By – Herbie Mann
3    Dingue Li Bangue 4:33
Baritone Saxophone – Lew Del Gatto
Trombone – Barry Rogers, Dave Taylor
Trumpet – Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff
Written-By – J.D. San, MacDony's
4    Lugar Comum (Common Place) 4:40
Written-By – Gilberto Gil, João Donato
5    O Meu Amor Chorou (Cry Of Love) 7:31
Written-By – Luis Marcal Neto
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar – Amaury Tristao
Arranged By, Keyboards – Pat Rebillot
Bass – Tony Levin
Drums – Rick Marotta
Flute [Flutes] – Herbie Mann
Guitar – Jeff Mironov
Percussion – Amaury Tristao, Armen Halburian, Dom Um Ramao, Ralph MacDonald, Reggie Ferguson, Rubins Bassini
    Sunbelt    (1979)
6    Watermelon Man 7:12
Electric Piano – Dom Salvador
Percussion – Claudio Roditi
Piano [Acoustic] – Richard Tee
Written-By – Herbie Hancock
7    The Closer I Get To You 5:05
Arpa – Ken Bichel
Drums – Leroy Clouden
Electric Piano – Pat Rebillot
Synthesizer – Cliff Carter, Ken Bichel
Whistle – Herbie Mann
Written-By – J. Mtume, Reggie Lucas
8    What Would You Do 5:06
Drums – Steve Jordan
Organ, Piano [Acoustic] – Richard Tee
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Roy Ayers
Written-By – Richard Tee
9    Killian 5:15
Electric Piano – Dom Salvador
Guitar – Danny Toan
Piano [Acoustic] – Richard Tee
Trumpet – Barry Rogers
Written-By – Danforth Noyes Toan
10    Dona Palmeira (Madame Palm tree) 6:22
Piano [Acoustic] – Dom Salvador
Written-By – Ivan Lins
11    Let's Stay Together 5:01
Written-By – Al Green, Al Jakcson, Willie Mitchell
12    Sunbelt—Mulher Rendeira (Weaver Woman) 5:01
Arranged By – Herbie Mann
Drums – Portinho

ANDY SUMMERS - World Gone Strange (1991) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:

1 World Gone Strange 6:30
2 Ruffled Feathers 4:29
3 Bacchante 6:20
4 Song For M 5:02
5 Rhythm Spirits 6:09
6 Somewhere In The West 5:11
7 But She 4:58
8 The Blues Prior To Richard 4:48
9 Oudu Kanjaira 5:21
Marimba – Mike Mainieri
Percussion – Nana Vasconcelos
Soprano Saxophone – Bendik
10 Dream Trains 1:49
Créditos
Bass – Tony Levin, Victor Bailey (faixas: 4, 6)
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar – Andy Summers
Keyboards – Mitchel Forman
Percussion – Manolo Badrena (faixas: 1, 3, 9), Mino Cinelu (faixas: 1, 3, 9)
Piano, Vocals – Eliane Elias (faixas: 1, 3)
Producer – Mike Mainieri
Written-By – Andy Summers 

THE BRECKER BROTHERS - Blue Montreaux (1978) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

At the 1978 Montreux Jazz Festival, a variety of artists (including keyboardist Warren Bernhardt, tenor-saxophonist Michael Brecker, guitarists Steve Khan and Larry Coryell, trumpeter Randy Brecker and vibraphonist Mike Mainieri) recorded a dozen funky selections which were originally released on two Arista LPs. This single CD has the eight top performances from these important fusion stylists; Michael Brecker in particular is in good form. The results are not essential but offer listeners a time capsule of where R&B-oriented fusion was in 1978.  by Scott Yanow