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