This is a four CD set of
live performaces by the 1973-1974 lineup of
King Crimson. Although in general, I have lttle or no or at best
occasional
interest in
rock music, somehow this band continues to interest me after
decades.
If you know King Crimson then you know that it has undergone continual revision, sweeping changes in membership and is not so much a band as a trajectory for Robert fripp to improvise within and through.
Improvisation is essential to Crimson. Their best arranged works are simply the more or less settled and composed versions of a series of improvisations.
The particular Crimson line-up most of interest to me was the 1973-1974 version:
"The Great Deceiver: Live 1973 - 1974" arrived by post this evening. I have just slid the first CD into my computer (I have Cambridege Soundworks speakers with a huge sub-woofer so don't worry) and Sonique has started. And here it is. While I listen, here is Discipline Global Mobile's description of the set. Yow! Look at this 70 page scrapbook.
Price: $70.00 (u.S.) (DGM9904)
4 CD Box set with scrapbook. The aim in presenting these live performances is to reflect the spirit of the group in a moment of its appearance. Unsettled and unsettling, it went into places dark and light; wildly unsympathetic, unbalanced and with prodigal time, vigorous, searching, leaping and often missing the mark, at moments achingly poignant, it moved into [territory[ that was disturbing and disturbed, and never arrived at where it was going: where it was going was how it got there, sometimes turning up as it went along.
Tracks:
CD One:
Palace Theatre, Providence, RI:
June 30th 1974
1. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting
see my writeup under Brian Eno
2. Larks' Tongues In Aspic: Part 2
3. Lament
4. Exiles
5. Improv: A Voyage To The Centre Of The Cosmos
6. Easy Money
7. Improv: Providence
Ack! Yay! I've been looking for this since my vinyl USA live album cacked out. That was the only other place this improv appeared
8. Fracture
9. Starless
CD Two:
Providence ... continued (encore)
1. 21st Century Schizoid Man
eck
2. Walk Off From Providence ... No Pussyfooting
Walk On to Glasgow ... Glasgow Apollo:
October 23rd 1973
3. Sharks' Lungs in Lemsip
4. Larks' Tongues In Aspic: Part 1
5. Book Of Saturday
6. Easy Money
7. We'll Let You Know
8. The Night Watch
9. Improv: Tight Scrummy
10. Peace - a Theme
11. Cat Food
Penn State University:
June 29th 1974
12. Easy Money
13. ... It Is For You, But Not For Us
CD Three:
Pittsburgh, PA - Stanley Warner Theatre:
April 29th 1974
1. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting
2. The Great Deceiver
3. Improv: Bartley Butsford
4. Exiles
5. Improv: Daniel Dust
6. The Night Watch
7. Doctor Diamond
8. Starless
9. Improv: Wilton Carpet
10. The Talking Drum
11. Larks' Tongues In Aspic: Part 2 (abbreviated)
Penn State University:
June 29th 1974
12. Applause & Announcement
13. Improv: Is There Life Out There?
CD Four:
Toronto, Massey Hall:
June 24th 1974
1. Improv: The Golden Walnut
2. The Night Watch
3. Fracture
4. Improv: Clueless & Slightly Slack
Zurich Volkshaus:
November 15th 1973
5. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting
6. Improv: Some Pussyfooting
7. Larks' Tongues In Aspic: Part 1
8. Improv: The Law Of Maximum Distress: Part One
9. Improv: The Law Of Maximum Distress: Part Two
10. Easy Money
11. Improv: Some More Pussyfooting
12. The Talking Drum