Customer Reviews

Heavy Construkction

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

King Crimson 2000's European Tour from May/June 2000 is captured in fine fashion on this terrific 3 CD set release from Discipline Global Mobile. The set includes 2 CDs of unadulterated King Crimson that focuses on material from the recent The ConstuKction Of Light CD, and 1995's THRAK. The third CD has Pat Mastelotto and Bill Munyun's ProjeKct X-like touch and consists entirely of improvisations taken from the tour. It is however a little more accessable than the Heaven & Earth release from ProjeKct X, and less of a conglomeration of improvs as those that can be found on the THRaKaTTaK release. Indeed, the tracks are interspersed with audience applause, so there is no mistaking the context.

If all that wasn't enough, CD 2 includes a Window Media Player format video that contains 45 minutes of very good footage of the band's performance in Rome, Italy. Highlights are Larks 4 and an improv leading up to it. Close ups of Robert Fripp's finger work alone make this a must have release. As an added bonus, the unbelieving can see for themselves why flash photography at a King Crimson concert is a no no. The band just doesn't want its audience to do it - 'nuff said!

So if you are looking for a momento of the shows you went to, or just want this because you missed them on tour, either way you shouldn't need to find too many excuses to ask for this as a Christmas present if you can't buy it for yourself. You won't be dissappointed!

It's a great time to be a King Crimson fan. They've been releasing live albums to the public on a regular basis through DGM, and now they've taken things one step further by offering `club memberships' where basically you receive new concerts in the mail every month or two. The latest DGM offering is an excellent 3CD set recorded on the band's recent European tour, called Heavy ConstruKction. The first two discs comprise the majority of what you would've heard if you caught one of the shows, plus some jaw-dropping improvs.

Of the three CDs, disc one is easily the most accessible. It starts with three songs from the band's latest studio effort, The ConstruKction of Light. The improv from Munchen features some fierce jamming, before things quiet down for "One Time." "Dinosaur" and "VROOOM" are always great in concert, and these renditions don't disappoint. Sure, it would be better if Bill Bruford was behind the drum kit (Bruford and bassist Tony Levin did not appear on this tour), but Pat Mastelotto does a fine job. The only bad track to be found is "The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum." I never thought I'd hear a Crimson tune with the lyrics "get jiggy with it," but here it is. The improv from Bonn starts off in an ethereal, almost Tomita-like mood, and then descends into a wash of noise--exactly what the Crims are best known for. Disc two pushes the envelope a bit more. It kicks off with an inspired version of "Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream," before the quiet and moody improv from Offenbach comes in. This is one of the better improvs on the three discs and features two solos from bassist Trey Gunn. The centerpiece of the set is the epic "Larks' Tongues in Aspic: Part Four." Definitely not for the faint of heart, this track transcends description. It must be seen to be believed. More on that in just a second...

After "Larks IV," Adrian Belew turns in a solo acoustic version of "Three of a Perfect Pair." The second disc closes with a cover of David Bowie's classic "Heroes." Listen closely and you'll hear a new Crimson reference in the song. As a bonus to fans with a copy of Windows Media Player, disc two includes 45 minutes of video from the band's recent performance in Rome, including "Larks IV" and 6 more songs. If you've never had the chance to witness the band in concert, be sure to check out the video portion of the second disc.

The third disc is made up of an hour of various improvs from throughout the tour. To the novice Crimson listener, this may seem like a strange thing to do, but it actually comes off quite well. "Sapir" begins with an awesome display of bass work by Gunn, which continues throughout the track. "ccccSeizurecc" is one of the best cuts on disc three, incorporating parts of "Into the Frying Pan." You can see this particular improv performed on the video portion of the second disc. "7 Seas" is a dark, brooding piece that leads into the trippy "Tomorrow Never Knew Thela," a strange mix of "Thela Hun Ginjeet" and The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows."

Heavy ConstruKction makes an excellent addition to the ever-expanding catalog of live KC releases. Fripp's guitar work shows an aggressive side that hasn't been seen since the late 70's, and the songs from The ConstruKction of Light (which seemed rather lackluster on the original disc) really come to life in the concert setting. One of the coolest things about King Crimson is the way they continually reinvent themselves, and the lineup documented here is in fine form. If you were put off by the recent box set from The ProjeKcts, you'll be pleasantly surprised when you check out Heavy ConstruKction. It's the most consistent Crimson release since 1995's THRAK.

The original release date for this three-disc set was scheduled for November 7th, but there was a delay of two weeks. The cover artwork is a continuation of the industrial images found on "The night watch" - "HC" shows two muscular men wrestling in front of a huge power plant, surrounded by other workmen. First, if you don't like KC's latest studio album, "The construKCtion of light", then "HC" won't appeal to you, either. The abrasive nature of "TCOL" still exists in many of the live tracks and the third disc, which is used as a way to showcase new improvised material, is even less palatable than all previous ProjeKCt discs. If you like "TCOL", then "HC" is great because it gives you the opportunity to hear the songs from the studio album without the sometimes slick production and Adrian's heavily processed vocals. In my opinion, the content of the first two discs is really good and satisfying. According to the titles of all these "Improv:" pieces - Bonn, Munchen, and Offenbach are the names of German cities - they were recorded during the KC tour of Germany. Apart from a rather narrow stereo perspective, the audio quality is acceptable.

The first song on disc 1, "Into the frying pan", sticks to the album version but eschews the spacious outro at the end in favor of some guitar pyrotechnics. Next, we have a somewhat lighter and more playful 8 1/2-minute version of the title song from "TCOL". Adrian's weak vocals mars this otherwise blood-flowing tune, but he fully redeems himself with "ProzaKC blues", a song which undoubtedly polarizes KC fans to this day. The live version is a real improvement upon the studio take, coming up with palatable vocals and highlighting the powerful guitar work. The "Improv:" pieces also manage to shine, particularly the 8 1/2-minute "Improv:Munchen". It begins with dark atmospherics, bell-like sounds (obviously inspired by Brian Eno's 1992 album "The Shutov Assembly") and almost danceable rhythms before the band delves into a murky and uncomfortable industrial-metal piece. Surprisingly, this track is followed by a melodic, beautiful counterpoint - "One time", showing that KC still have a sense of romantic, atmospheric songs. The band colors this cut with an exquisite ambient section which bears resemblance to Fripp's evocative "Soundscapes" efforts. Very amusing and musically different from the rest of "HC", this is my favorite song on the first disc. After this, there are two other tracks from the "Thrak" album; "Dinosaur", a concert favorite of the band, and a high-energy version of "VROOOM". "The world's my.." is another interesting track, the last few minutes remind me of Adrian Belew's album "The guitar as orchestra": By imitating the sound of a piano, it's another document of the band's relentless ambitions. The 9 1/2-minute "Improv:Bonn", another piece in the style of "Improv:Munchen", closes the first disc with a thunderous finale.

If you want to know something about the other two discs, feel free to e-mail me so I can send you a detailed review of this three-disc set. ... .

Overall, being a three-disc set, the quality of the performances is certainly variable and there's a large selection to choose from. I think the first disc provides the best songs, including "TCOL", "One time", "VROOOM", and "Improv:Munchen". The second disc offers some interesting alternative versions of "Cage" and "Three of..", but there's a lack of real classics like "Red", "Starless", or "Elephant talk". Compared to the band's '70s and '80s live albums, "HC" seems somewhat unsophisticated and rough, containing music which makes children and most adults hide under their beds. The third disc has a decidedly unfinished and unsettling edge which will primarily appeal to dedicated fans. All in all, it just demonstrates that KC have no problems with creativity, even though the band already exists for more than 30 years.

You have to hand it to KC; they not only know how to make the fans happy but they know how to put the bootleggers out of business as well. Here is another fine entry into the catalog of live KC releases; this from the European portion of the TCoL tour, and it amply documents the strengths, as well as the weaknesses of the new four-man lineup.

The first and second CDs are flawless live documents, with some utterly jaw-dropping improvisations. They far outweigh what is to be found on _Thrakattak_, and are probably the biggest musical reason you would want to buy this set. Fripp really let the demons loose on TCoL and it shows live, with his rapid-fire solos showing an agressive side that we haven't really seen since the KC Mark III broke up in the late 70s. The rest of the songs include most of TCoL as well as a few songs from Thrak. Although the band is faithful to the aggressive newer tracks, Mastelatto, as fine a drummer as he is, does a disservice to the Thrak tracks. His fills are always busy but they cry out for the masterful percussives and layering of Bruford, leaving you wanting. An odd, and interesting closer to this set on Disc 2 is a cover of David Bowie's "Heroes". Disc 3 includes more improvisations, more along the lines of the Projeckts.

Another treat is a 45-minute Windows Media document of a set from Rome, and includes a wierd, jazzy "Cage", "Larks IV" and others. If you are impatient, you don't have listen to the readme file; simply browse into the disc into the Data/ directory and double-click on the huge WMA file. Its quite watchable in full-screen mode and the sound, despite the compression, is superb. It not only contains some outstanding closeups of Fripp playing some heavy solos; it also contains a classic oddball Fripp moment when a patron makes the mistake of snapping a photo after the first number is completed.

Apparently KC, in conjunction with bootlegtv.com, will be documenting most of the shows on this tour, and allowing fans to purchase them. So not only will you be able to "take the show home" on CD, but you'll also be able to purchase a high-quality video bootleg of the show that you watched - the ultimate memento. Although inherently capitalistic it neatly solves the problems presented by bands that do allow tapers, and its a much better piece of concert merch than a $25.00 tee shirt.

While I may not appreciate the Drum and Bass section (need to get back to acoustic drums and a simple 6 string bass), this album demonstrates that the guitar knows no bounds in the proper hands.

Fripp is properly legendary (he must be pushing 60?) he plays with more prowess and speed than.. anyone. And his technological grasp has advanced the guitar light years.

But this album is mostly Belew's. Adrian Belew just blows the doors off the car and the contraceptive sponge out of Grandma. An amazing display of guitar pyrotechnics that never leaves harmony far behind.

The interplay between Fripp and Belew is awe inspiring. This 3 disc set, much like Fripp's League of Gentlemen, will be a permanent part of my stereo system.

Now this is more like it! I was afraid that the pretension and slurred creativity of The ConstruKction of Light had sounded a death knell for one of my favorite bands, but this bag of front-of-house mixes--improvs, live versions of material from the last few albums, and some surprises--delivers the new, weightier, darker Crimson with surprising force and aplomb. Apparently, Fripp and company realize that hardcore crimmers love the live improv stuff, and, although none of these improvs measure up to the live miracles performed by the Wetton-Bruford Crimson incarnation, there is a lot of creative energy bouncing around here, most notably in "Improv: Munchen" and parts of the third CD. Three CD's worth is a heavy dose, but for those of us who can't get enough, it's a trove.

Beast! Beast, I say! This album isn't for the easily traumatized - keep away any small children. The current KC has evolved into a real monster on the road and they're taking no prisoners. "Prozac Blues" sounds even better without the altered vocals, "FraKctured" will shake some windows, and Dave Bowie's "Heroes" never had this much energy before. This isn't to say it's all heavy metal - "Cage" is slowed down to a moody jazz piece, and "Deception of the Thrush" soars into space. Simply heavenly.

Ah, but Crimson fans probably have most of these songs already. Hence the inclusion of disk 3 - an hour of improvisations from various shows. If you're not sure whether to pop for the whole set, don't hesitate. This is some of the most far-out, ingenious improvising you'll ever hear. A Crimson fan's dream. This band is truly a force to be reckoned with..

Well, yeah--if you're familiar with both "B'boom" and "Thrakattak", you'll know that those albums are aimed at the extreme ends of their fan base. "B'boom" was your traditional live rock album for the fan who "came there to rock" and might not be receptive to all that "noisy stuff" between the "real songs". "Thrakattak" fills in the ambient and freeform tone poetry left out of "B'boom"--a sound that has been part of Robert Fripp's solo presence for years. This album, though, gives you the whole picture, brought forward five years. You also get to hear the "Thrak" material done by a quartet--the rhythm section cut by half. There are some brilliant jams here that haven't appeared in recorded form before. There's an accoustical solo version of the 'eighties classic "Three Of a Perfect Pair"--you get Adrian Belew and a 12-string guitar--no rhythm section, no guitar synth from Fripp, no higher vocal harmony from Tony Levin (he's on sabbatical at the moment). Belew maintains that driving jazz waltz beat all by his lonesome with wood and steel, all the time doing the lead vocal. And with the exception of a few bars of the first number, the sound here is great. And I'll say it again--King Crimson is the only Prog band I know of that uses NO keyboards whatsoever. There's a piano sound that keeps cropping up here and there that either Fripp or Belew is doing with a guitar synth. You can tell by the fretboard scaling in the playing. It also shows up clearly in the intro to "Dinosaur"--you can clearly hear the guitar under the "mellotron-ish" sound. Maybe Fripp still owns that mellotron from the 'sixties/ 'seventies period, but it's nowhere in sight on the enhanced disc two. The instrument is a hassle to take on the road anyway--a sneeze from one of the roadies will knock it completely out of tune (Thank God for the Roland GR-1!). And anyhow, is a keyboard player necessary in a song like "Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream"? That brilliant fusion of prog metal and Marcus Miller jazz-funk with its punk title and "I Am the Walrus" parody lyrics? Naahhh.

You only need to know that the improvisations on this 3-disc set are fantastic . . . and having the 45 minutes of live footage on the second disc makes it even more worthwhile. These are very solid, high-quality soundboard-to-DAT recordings from the last tour. Hearing the band screeching, skronking and stretching out on the Construkction material and having fun with other numbers make this a wonderful release. Great stuff for the King Crimson enthusiast.

Crimson have always been primarily a live band. The '70s era Crims were known for taking wild chances with wholly improvised material as attested by the incredible Great Deciever box set. The afrobeat '80s band were perhaps more conservative in terms of improvisations but were still better live than on record. The 2000+ era band of Pat Mastelloto, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew and Trey Gunn is featured on Heavy ConstruKction and not since the '70s has Crimson been so willing to make the leap into uncharted waters live. The first two disks in this collection are arranged as a simulacrum of a Crimson live show and are comprised mostly of material from The Construction of Light. One of the highlights is Adrian Belew's acoustic interpretation of "Three Of A Perfect Pair." The last disc is an edited collection of improvisations recorded throughout the tour. While the live versions of material found on The Construction Of Light are for the most part superior to their studio counterparts, it is the improvisations that I find the most interesting. They are stunning in their scope and execution. Fripp, Pat, Trey and Adrian shred, howl, whir and buzz in a style that conflates heavy metal, jazz, and electronica, recombining them into some new kind of aleatoric crimspeak. Because of the downsizing of the six person "double trio" to the four person "double duo", the band's improvs are much more nimble, and less chaotic. I believe it's a simple matter of it being easier for four people to listen to one another and find their place within the music than it is for six.

Heavy ConstruKction is well recorded and edited and filled with fantastic material: as a bonus disc two has a live movie of the band playing in Rome. Just put it in your computer, enter the password (which you have to go to the Crimson site to get, I'll save you the trouble, it's "Rome") and watch the band shred for 45 minutes. Unfortunately it's in the buggy and clunky Windows Media Player format rather than Quicktime, oh well. Heavy Construction is an excellent snapshot of the 2000 tour by the strongest line-up Crimson have had since 1980 and combined with the bonus live video makes this incredible CD one of the best deals for the money available in the Crimson catalog..