Month: February 2023

It’s worth mentioning perhaps that over the KC history there are gaps, periods of years where Fripp believes KC has nothing left to offer, he’s bored, wants to do other things, whatever.

At various times Fripp has done enormous numbers of solo concerts, with Frippertronics and Soundscapes, collaborated with Eno, Peter Gabriel, the Roches, Blondie, Toyah, Bowie, Andy Summers, David Sylvian… it’s a long list.

And he’s made solo albums, formed new bands, one of which was called Discipline. As they played, it became clear this was really King Crimson, so off we go again. The gap was 1974 to 1981.

With Bruford, Tony Levin and Adrian Belew there are three fine albums. Not prog, no Mellotron, mostly.

Red, blue and yellow covers give us Discipline, Beat and Three Of A Perfect Pair.

Discipline is a great album, Beat has its moments and the second side of the yellow one is wonderful.

And, after some success, they split. 1984.

By 1994, KC were back, as before plus Pat Mastelloto drums and Trey Gunn bass and stick. This band released one album and a number of side ProjeKcts.

Levin and Bruford left, and the four piece produced two more albums, the construKction of light (2000) and The Power To Believe (2003).

Both have their moments, but they seem excessively electronic. Indeed, Pat M has re-recorded some of his electronic drum playing as ‘normal’ drums.

And thus KC split.

Until 2013, when a new beast was born. Ultimately a seven piece, Mel Collins, Tony Levin, Robert Fripp and Jakko Jakszyk (guitar and vocals, flute and keyboards), plus Pat Mastelloto, Gavin Harrison on drums and Bill Rieflin drums and keyboards, later replaced by Jeremy Stacey. For a time they were an eight piece.

This band is still touring, at least in theory. Seeing the three drummers across the front is a sight not to be missed. There’s new material, but no studio album. This would seem unlikely and perhaps not what this version of the band is about.

But there are some live recordings. Maybe Live In Vienna is the best.

For varous reasons there’s a concentration on the older material, which sounds fresh and familiar at the same time.

The history of KIng Crimson is so long and complicated, and on-going, that we won’t even bother to cover it all.

They began as Giles, Giles and Fripp:

Robert Fripp guitar, and the constant element in the band

Peter Giles bass and vocals

Michael Giles drums and vocals.

Success was modest.

Adding multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, Greg Lake on bass and vocals (P Giles left) and Peter Sinfield as lyricist and light show genius, in the days before light shows were a big thing, made King Crimson. It was 1968.

KC’s first album was a big success, but M Giles and McDonald hated touring and other things and left, McDonald to form Foreigner. Thus started a pattern where each new studio album had diffferent people playing until 1981. Then, things settled. Fripp has been a constant presence, and it is hard to imagine KC without him.

Over the time there have been some gaps, when Fripp has gone off to do other things. Forming new bands he often found they were just King Crimson in the end.

But the line up has included people of immense musical skill, including:

Tony Levin bass and vocals

John Wetton bass and vocals

Bill Bruford drums

Adrian Belew guitar, percussion and vocals

Mel Collins woodwinds

Gavin Harrison drums

and many more…

The band is still touring, as a seven piece with three drummers who have to be seen to be believed, still playing the old songs that still sound just great.

But now, let’s talk about the music.