Customer Reviews

Construcktion of Light

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1 star:		(9)

 

 

Long time fans of King Crimson will find a lot to like about this new, fresh release from King Crimson, version 2000. Without rehashing the past, the band builds on everything that has come before and the results are remarkable.

This is a very rich CD. There is so much there that it will take many many listens to fully appreciate the depth of the music. It is also one of the heaviest Crimson CDs and parts of "FraKctured" and "Lark's IV" give any heavy metal band a run for their money.

I don't think I've heard Robert Fripp play better. Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto keep up with panache and Adrian Belew adds color, beauty and commentary throughout. "Coda: I Have a Dream" bring chills up my spine - not felt since "Starless".

I'd say this is the best Crimson CD since Discipline, and a great improvement over a much tamer THRAK (if you can believe that)! Well done!

The bonus track "Heaven and Earth" is an indication that the sister release from "ProjeKct X", recorded at the same time as this release, is also a must have CD. That one is only available from DGM mail order though - at disciplineglobalmobile.com.

Get them both! And don't miss them on their tours this year!

The intensity of this album places it as the successor to Red and Discipline, and is Kcrimson's heaviest yet. The guitar scale-work in the middle sections of FraKctured and Lark's IV is the fastest sustained playing ever recorded. In addition, Fripp has developed some new variations to his scales which save this from being a tired rehash. Previous Kcrimson signatures, such as full-ensemble parallel riffs with perfectly-timed starts and stops, have been taken to new heights of speed and complexity. I had only two reservations. First, the two best songs are reworkings of songs from the 70's; and second, they need to confine Adrian Belew to guitar. His vocals are not up to the level of the instrumentals, and his lyrics are as corny as they have always been. Nevertheless, this is emotive rock music made cubist. Sometimes one wishes that Fripp would lay into his riffs by putting more swing into his timing. But the rigid angularity of his playing style gives this music its unique soulless energy like shafts of light in the blackness of deep space.

With each CD, King Crimson becomes more difficult to categorize. After listening to the "ProJeckts" which, admittedly bored me as often as it thrilled me, I wasn't sure where the the next proper LP would take us. I was half expecting a full-out Metal Machine Music part.II sound collage. Fripp, et al. can be difficult to follow, as they range from really abstract and super experimental works, to almost-pop-metal songs. Turns out ConStrUktion is *very* accesible (as far as King Crimson goes). Everything here is really in song form and very digestable. Of course, repeated listens are rewarded with new discoveries, but it's also an album you don't need a Phd. is music theory to understand... simply put, it rocks hard... AND presents some interesting ideas about sound, time signatures, harmony and parallel melody lines. The rythym section is especially tight and just plain gargantuan-sounding... Fripp and Belew are easily two of the 8 or 10 finest guitar players in the history of popular music... Fripp's techical skill seems to grow with each new project, and his riffing here is probably some of the fastest and most complex lead guitar work ever comitted to tape.

One caveat: this may be unpopular to say, but I really think this band should stay with instrumentals. Belew's vocals are fine, and would probably sound great if they were just wordless cries... but, the odd and silly lyrics really detract from the intelligence of the music.

The recording is spacious and detailed as any electric rock recording you'll hear. Heavy metal for thinking fellers, and a great place to start your King Crimson collection.

I say this with the most sarcasm as I can muster with a keyboard. If you notice, emotions run high when it comes to this album. People either love it or hate it, and there are only a few who really think its "just OK".

Many people are right when they say that this album really runs the gamut of Crimson's repertoire. There are sections that hit the high points of the last twenty years of Crimson's approach.

Notice I don't say thirty. If you are still pining for Greg Lake, it's time to move on (paraphrasing Robert Fripp)

Also, Bill and Tony are gone. We love them, and we miss what they did for Crimson, but that does not mean that this recording has poor playing. Pat and Trey are as accomplished in thier own way as anyone else that has ever been in Crimson. They pretty much shred this album, actually, and if you can't see that because you are too busy whining about Bruford and Levin, then you should spend your money buying re-issues and waiting for the next Peter Gabriel recording.

That being said, let's talk for a minute about those high points. Most would agree that "Red" is probably a key album in what we call "progressive" rock music, mainly for the emotion that it conveys. Sometimes in recorded music, there will be sublime moments when your stereo just can't get loud enough. You are following the music, and it is paced so perfectly that no matter where you are in the piece, you can't cognitively concieve of how the music could get any more intense. Yet, somehow, the performer raises the stakes little by little. Just a few examples: Jeff Buckley's "Grace" on the outro, Frank Zappa's "I Come From Nowhere" during the guitar solo, Marillion's "Warm Wet Circles" coming out of the guitar solo into the coda, the end of Yes' "Awaken", and the guitar solo in Pink Floyd's "Time".

These moments, when performed live, can even be said to be spiritual - when the musician reaches out with his or her soul and grips yours, possibly leaving you feel drained or rattled. When you turn up your stereo, I think you are seeking this connection. "Red" has several of these moments: the refrain in "Starless," for example. "TCoL" also has several of these moments, maybe even more than "Red". The guitar solo in "ProzaKc Blues", the middle heavy metal-ish section of "FraKctured," and, most notably, the "Coda: I Have a Dream."

If you don't know what I am talking about, see above paraphrased Robert Fripp comment.

Another plateau that the '80's Crimson established was the complex, atmospheric multi-metric zen interplay that pervaded songs like "Frame by Frame" and "Three of a Perfect Pair". This Crimson album incorporates this facet into the sublime intensity previously described. The most obvious example in in "FraKctured". Give it a listen and just try to figure out who is playing what. If you can follow just one part and see how it fits in the big picture, you can get an idea of what I mean.

A big criticism that I have seen a lot concerning this CD is of the lyrics. I will agree that the words are not as accessible as on earlier Crimson releases, but the music is not as accessible, either. Fripp has stated very publicly that he soes not particularly care if people get it or not. He is working at something more: perhaps enlightenment, perhaps art for art's sake. Only Fripp really knows, and maybe he does not really know.

With that in mind, Adrian's lyrics follow the trend of the music they are set to. They provide a collage of ideas and images that really only have meaning to the listener. I have my ideas about what they mean, but for me to tell you what I think they mean would only ruin it for you. All I can say is that I think that they are ingenious.

If you don't, you know what Robert Fripp would say.

One other statement, and this is as good a venue as any to say it. It is my opinion, by experience, that the second that you start trying to guess what the listener wants to hear you destry any chance for real music making to take place. The musician is almost always better off being honest with the listener by being honest with him/herself. This is the mindset that gave birth to what we called "progressive rock" music.

In this way, I think that King Crimson is one of the last true "progressive" artists left. There are many groups these days that use this title when they are actually trying very hard to play in a style that was already established twenty years ago. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for "symphonic" rock, or "zehul", but these styles are not progressive in any more way than Oasis is "pop". These groups, in many cases, are trying to appeal to a certain audience, as opposed to really pushing the musical envelope in the 21st century. This does not mean that they are bad at what they do, but they are not in any way innovative like thier predecessors were in the late '60s and early '70s.

We are not used to this sort of innovation anymore, which is why I think that opnions differ so much about this Crimson album.

It's a little difficult to write a review when you know that almost seventy people have preceded you and that soon you will join the endless ranks of unread reviews on the internet, but I feel very strongly about this CD. I have listened to it almost daily for months (sometimes against my will) and it continues to speak volumes to me. I suggest you get it and don't be discouraged by your first impression. Put on some headphones and escape from you cell phone and give it a serious, focused listen. The payoff is great.

The most consistent thing about King Crimson is the amusement of listening to its fans. I mean, really ... take the time to read the reviews of this CD. For people who claim to like adventurous, forward-thinking approaches to music, a large portion of Crim's fan base seem to keep their heads firmly planted in the dim and distant 1970's and 80's. Where is Bill Bruford? they moan. Where is Tony Levin? they whine. Where are Pete Sinfield, and Greg Lake, and all the rest of them? Why doesn't this King Crimson sound exactly 1ike the old King Crimson? Apparently to many "progressive" Crimson fans, challenging music is music that you are already comfortable with. Fripp & Co. probably get quite a cackle if they ever bother to read any of these.

But enough about some of musicdom's most comical fans -- on to the music; namely, King Crimson 2000. A new Crimson for a new century of noisy tricks and treats. And lo and behold, who would have thought that Adrian Belew would stomp out a heavy metal version of Tom Waits in the opening ditty, "ProzaKc Blues"? Once this one gets rolling, the guitars buzz and roar like electric whipsaws behind Belew's hilarious drunken growl. Then, on to "The ConstruKction of Light" -- any doubts about the non-Levin/Bruford rhythm section are put to rest here; the non-Levin guy is amazingly good, and ditto for that non-Bruford guy. Nice guitar interplay by Belew and Fripp as well. Very tasty stuff. Belew's lyrics, as always, are a goofy delight. Do I hear some Yes parodies in some of the vocal arrangements here? Oh well, maybe it's just me. Intentional or not, it's kind of funny.

Then we leap "Into The Frying Pan," guitars humming like swarms of bees on caffeine, and more inspired bumping and grinding from the non-Levin/Bruford duo ... then, an unexpectedly quiet ending. This is the point when you realize: no one else sounds like this. It's Crimson!

The other tracks, especially the retoolings of "FraKctured" and "Aspic," also make for some engaging listening. There are moments where things don't seem to quite pan out, but they are fleeting -- and expected. There has never been a perfect King Crimson recording, and that is the good news. They're an experiment in progress. Long may the experiment continue ... with or without the support of its "fans."

King Crimson is a live band. Their meticulously produced studio efforts have never captured what they're capable of in the wide open spaces of real time performance, and this CD is no exception. That said, this is a very fine effort, and to my ears, the most harmonically and rhythmically sophisticated Crim yet.

Some people will decry the absence of Rhythm Heroes Tony Levin and Bill Bruford, and thus will have their ears stopped up to the fine efforts of Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn. Gunn is a technical monster on bass touch guitar (Warr guitar), and Mastelotto is a strongly emotional drummer who rises to the challenge of Crimson's highly complex metrical structures.

This album looks back through some of the brighter pages of Crimson history, and looks forward at the same time. "Frakctured" is a complete rebuild of the 1973 classic "Fracture," featuring guitar playing by Robert Fripp on the hairy edge of impossibility (yes, he can do it live). "Lark's IV" is an update of "Lark's II," and gives co-lead guitarist Adrian Belew a chance to wail and soar. In fact, all the tracks have something to recommend them, even "Prozakc Blues," which is something of joke but features a stomping rhythm section and a great solo by Belew.

My chief complaint is that with the exception fo the title track, Belew's lyrics never get off the ground. He seemed to be in a bit of a dry spell when writing this album. Although I have never been bowled over by his lyrics, he's done better.

In all, a very strong effort for a band that has been together 31 years, but King Crimson can take it to another level. They know this, and didn't try to capture it on this CD. A little taste is provided on the bonus track "Heaven and Earth," which is a heavily edited studio improv. At the right time and place, with a sympathetic and courteous audience, and they can take rock music to a place only accessible to them. Be there.

I'm not really sure if I'm the person who can talk about the history of King Crimson - front to back. I own nearly all of Crimson's 70's studio discs (minus one at the moment), while not owning any of their 80's discs - yet (shame on me!) and none of their live material that seems to be highly revered by many. Clearly, it would help if I could make a summary of all their discs that came before this one, then comment on how I think the band has progressed since then, while talking about this outing.

So, why do I bother to write a review?

Because this is quite a fantastic disc - and I just plain have the urge to write on this album, regardless of how much information on this band I have or don't have.

Featuring the lineup of Robert Fripp (guitar), Adrian Belew (vocals/guitar), Trey Gunn (touch bass) and Pat Mastelotto (electronic drums), 2000's _The ConstruKction Of Light_ is a modern-day progressive rock disc, featuring enough technical chops, heavy riffing and complex rhythms to keep listeners enthralled (and puzzled) for long periods of time. It's dark, cold and atmospheric, but contains moments of beauty (and melody) throughout. On certain parts of the disc, you could swear you were listening to such bands as Nine Inch Nails, Tool and Dream Theater (ironically, bands who King Crimson may have influenced.)

The first few seconds of the disc, you may think you're listening to a warped version of Aretha Franklin's "Respect." However, it turns out to be "ProzaKc Blues" - a dark and morbidly humorous tale of 'the blues,' booze, pills and suicide (I think). Adrian Belew's 'I'm-a-constipated/bloated-B.B. King-in-desperate-need-of-a-laxative' vocals have me laughing hysterically (who said King Crimson lacked a sense of humor?) However, there's a trick about this track that people may or may not know -- the main rhythm on here is a typical blues rhythm. But, you see, the guitars and bass are playing this 'typical' blues rhythm. However, Pat Mastelotto is playing some complex drum rhythms layered on top of it, which can leave this fact elusive to all, but the studious listener. A nice (albeit unconventional) ode to the blues - purists be damned. "The ConstruKction Of Light" features some opening snaky basslines (which remind me of a more elaborate, faster version of Tool for some reason), dueling guitar solos from Fripp and Belew, which happen to be melodic, ethereal and tasteful. Like a couple of people noted, the vocal harmony rhythmics evoke that of Yes. "Into The Frying Pan" combines the mid-tempo funk/techno of early Nine Inch Nails, interesting vocal harmonies and some high-pitched soloing. "FraKctured" is supposed to be an ode to the classic "Fractured" off of _Starless And Bible Black_ (the classic Crimson album I don't own yet.) I can't comment on comparisons, since I haven't heard the 'classic' version. However, on this 'updated' version, if anyone has doubts about Robert Fripp's virtuosity on the guitar, this track should have you convinced. His soloing on here is more elaborate and kinetic than usual. The heavy and intense section near the end, which features a kinetic fury of plucked notes and rhythms, can bring considerable resemblance to Dream Theater. "The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum" features some pretty bizarre lyrics. However, it seems that the boys were having fun with wordplay - using words for sound value rather than trying to make lyrical statements (the title of the track should give hint of this.) The same can be said about the music, as it seems almost like an improvisation, as the instrumentation seems like nothing more than just sound collages. "Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part IV" is the continuation of the theme that started from the album of the same name (Note: the first two parts can be found on _Larks' Tongues In Aspic_, while the third can be found on _Three Of A Perfect Pair_.) On this version, the main rhythm sounds like a slower, darker and alternately-tuned version of the main rhythm found on "Larks' Part 2." The riffing and instrumentation that follows is very monstrous and relentless - especially the middle section. It then segues into "Coda: I Have A Dream," which sounds mostly synth-washed (no one is credited for playing keyboards/synths, unless there are instruments by either of the four that 'mimic' synths.) It mostly exhibits what seems like descending scales, followed by Adrian Belew's vocals which seem dimly audible - but this works as an advantage -- it's very beautiful. "Heaven And Earth" (credited as ProjeKct X) features new age-esque atmospherical ambience, then proceeds with tasteful percussion, spellbinding guitar solos and tantalizing electronic percussion. I find this very hard to describe - a blend of new age and techno is the closest I can get.

And there you have it - my two cents on _ConstruKction Of Light_. Mastermind Robert Fripp still has an interest in making cutting-edge music - at over a half-century years of age. I find this pretty interesting and exciting. The only other person I can think of at the moment who would have done this (at the designated age) is Frank Zappa - if he had lived longer. Anyway, I personally look forward to seeing what Robert Fripp (and company) come up with in the future. If you feel the same way as I do, you shouldn't skip this outing.

(Side Note: all apologies to B.B. King - no harm was intended!)

This album is an extension of the advances undertaken by the band on Thrak. It is exhilarating. Let me give you the breakdown:
1. ProzaKc Blues -- As we'll see later, this album has references to past Crimso tunes (specifically the 80's era). Yes, that is Adrian Belew singing. This is a freaky blues from a band that generally doesn't conform to any particular genre or style.
2.- 3. The ContruKction of Light -- Awesome drum/bass intro by Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto; the bass continues to kick throughout the piece. Robert Fripp and Belew play some interestingly ethereal jazz-tinged guitar here; their interplay is as engrossing as it is confusing (can't tell where one guitar starts and the other stops). Belew writes some interesting neo-beatnik lyrics.
4. Into the Frying Pan -- A more straight ahead rock tune, for King Crimson, at least. It's almost Beatlesesque, particularly Mastelotto's take on Ringo Starr beats.
5. FraKctured -- A haunting and spooky foray into Frippisms.
6. The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum -- More beatnik Adrian. Crimso goes jokester with a bluesy walk through pop culture references and KC history.
7.-9. Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part IV -- Parts I and II can be found on the album by the same name; Part III is on Three of a Perfect Pair. This continuation of the Crimso franchise song continues the musical theme from the previous track, then lets it decompose and rematerialize a couple of times over. Not to be missed.
10. Coda: I Have a Dream -- Belew's lyrics almost sound like a certain Billy Joel song, but the music is ferocious! This is possibly Pat Mastelotto's finest work, at least on this album.
11. Heaven and Earth -- While this tune is good, it should've been saved for the ProjeKcts boxed set or a ProjeKct X album. It seems oddly out of place here, sicne the vibe is slightly different (could even be a lost track from the Skinny Puppy album Last Rites).
Overall, this album out performs any ranking scale, so it seems hardly appropriate to give it 5 stars. KC has evolved so much over the past 30 years that one is left only a sort of awe about their unending creativity and growth, no doubt attributable to Robert Fripp as much as to the fact that membership in the band has spanned something like 20 different people over the past few decades. This is a must buy.

A 31-year-old band associated with the 70s 'progressive' rock movement (oh, the horror) returns once again. Cities shake. Animals cower. King Crimson returns from something of an identity crisis to produce another helping of headache-inducing mayhem, sure to frighten children and wreak marital discord on yet another generation. And yet we keep listening.. because even though they've been around since the dawn of time (or the dawn of metal), they still do it better than just about anyone.

For one thing, they tackle the blues and produce the most evil, psychotic I-IV-V tune on record. Belew's voice, put through the wringer to make him sound like a 400-lb Howlin Wolf, may get on some people's nerves. Otherwise the tune is a nightmarish treat for the ears, complete with a solo straight out of Stevie Ray Vaughan's worst nightmares. "Into the Frying Pan" takes an alternative-style riff and twists it into a pounding metal tune with some avant-garde touches.

For any questions on the relevance of said 31-year-old dinosaur band in this century, I direct you to "The ConstruKction of Light" itself. (Ok, I'm a little tired of all the Ks too..) Fripp, Belew and Gunn's guitar lines spin and dance around each other in an insane whirl of time signatures. Apart from a couple cringe-worthy lyrics (Warhol?) it stands as one of the finest pieces in Crimson's entire history. But there's more. "FraKctured" shows Robert Fripp shredding like never before. One of my fondest memories of the band is seeing them play the piece at a concert in Philadelphia, and seeing RF blow smoke off his fingers at the end. If these pieces were nothing more than technical wizardry they'd fall flat like some hyper Steve Vai rip-off, but the compositions themselves are strong enough to carry the music. *This* is what keeps Crimson going after so long.

"Oyster Soup" is a crazy-sounding melange of words reminiscent of "Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream," but with continuity instead of a stream of random gibberish. (It's also quicker and more upbeat, although in a very twisted sort of way.) "Larks' Tongues IV" spins a couple old ideas into something completely fresh, a powerful, gut-wrenching experience marred only by the lyrics of the coda. Again, Belew's words get in the way of what could be an astounding instrumental; this is my only real complaint with the album. For an epilogue there's a trance/techno/ambient piece of electronica, "Heaven & Earth." They apparently needed something to finish off the record; as powerful as "Larks' Tongues" is, it leaves you feeling a strange urge to toss yourself off a cliff.

If you liked the ProjeKcts, give this one a spin. If you think Red was mankind's ultimate musical achievement, save your money. Crimson has moved on.

The ConstruKction of Light reinvents King Crimson once again. The music is definitely not retro, and a definite advance from VROOOM, but falls a step short of that giant leap into Space Grooves.

The CD's main strengths are that it delivers the voice of Crimson, on all counts, on every track. Adrian's voice treatments and searing guitar work in particular are brilliant. The guitarists' use of interlocking guitars in the Guitar Craft style on many tracks is gorgeous. The groovers Trey and Pat lay down the odd Crim beats in a unique way, occasionally wonderfully brutal. The songwriting is uniquely Crim, beautifully depressing. Several tracks are destined to work well in a post-Frame-by-Frame boxed set context.

The main weakness that the really inspiring ProjeKct-y vector shifts that this lineup can deliver are left off this CD, save one "bonus" track. However, full improvisations and dropped works-in-progress are happily included on a companion CD ProjeKct X: "Heaven and Earth". The PX CD hints at Greater Things possible for this Crim. Great Things are best experienced live, so I suppose this convinces me to see the band when they tour the US in October/November.

The only other weakness is that the CD is uniformly heavy, in the way the Sylvian Fripp "The First Day" is uniformly heavy. There is no let-up. This makes multiple listens difficult.

Highly recommended, with minor reservations indicated above.