Customer Reviews

King Crimson: Neal and Jack and Me

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I say "See What You Missed" because so many music lovers never got a taste of how great this band was during this incarnation. These guys were full of invention and taste. Robert Fripp (guitar) continued to steward the band into new, highly progressive territory and continued to bring his significant skills in composition to the table. Adrian Belew (guitar, vocals) was in his prime, like a mature Jimi Hendrix, a master player and an engaging frontman. Tony Levin (bass & stick) contributed perfectly tasteful bass parts and Bill Bruford (drums & percussion) was at his absolute best during this era, when he was experimenting with electronic drums. Bruford's parts are constantly tasty and add an element of anarchy and excitement to this intricate music.

"The Noise" from 1982 is a great filmed performance that shows the band at their best. The 1984 performance is crisper and contains more material, and is great also.

The music mixes sonic experimentation ala Hendrix in his prime with a framework influenced by African & Asian music as well as 20th Century minimalism (Glass, Reich). Perfectly. Great band, great DVD. They tended to make fans out of whoever saw them live and I would guess this DVD will make you a fan of this band if you aren't already.

When I first spotted this baby in the store I thought I was seeing things. I practically sprinted to the checkout and probably broke a few traffic laws racing home to play it. Neal and Jack and Me did not disappoint in any way, being a perfect video counterpart to the band's three fine early-80's albums. Virtually all of the high points from this lineup are here, with a few older KC classics cut from the concerts.

This sucker looks and sounds so good I can only wonder why it took two decades for it to be released, but I suppose better late than never. Getting to see these four talented musicians live and in action, during one of the most fruitful periods in the band's long career, is a very special treat.

Of the two almost complete concerts, the earlier set (a supporting slot recorded live in Frejus) is a bit rawer and more exploratory, while the later headlining set in Tokyo a bit slicker and more polished. In both cases, bandleader Robert Fripp as usual sits in the shadows, but you can enjoy watching Adrian Belew cheerfully abuse a series of Fenders while Tony Levin puts on a clinic on bass and stick. Then of course there's Bill Bruford, whose presence here is reason enough to buy this DVD. Don't miss Bruford and Belew's dual electronic drum segment on "Waiting Man!"

The bonus material includes a very cool video of "Sleepless." There are some noticeable flaws in the master tapes which is duly noted in the booklet but not on the outside of the packaging.

Four more talented musicians have never shared a stage together. This is an essential and priceless document of the early 80's Crimson and an absolute must-have for fans. Now, when is someone going to unearth a show from the mid-70's Wetton-Cross-Bruford lineup?

This DVD combines 2 different concerts of the '80s era King Crimson (both were available separately on VCR). First, from 1982, is "The Noise - Live in Frejus." The band we get here is a bit on the edge and even raw at times. The concert opens with "Waiting Man," featuring the tribal Simmons drum duo of Bruford/Belew. The DVD is worth the money for just this one track. The drums and Levin's Chapman Stick pound out the hypnotic rhythm while Fripp adds counter rhythms and counter melodies. "Matte Kudasai," "The Sheltering Sky," and "Heartbeat" show the softer side of Crimson with Belew delivering solid vocals. "Larks Tongues In Aspic Part II" finds the Crims tearing into the song, full of energy and aggression. The band is superb throughout.

The second concert is 1984's "Three Of A Perfect Pair - Live in Japan." Two years down the road finds the band less edgy and more sophisticated. Comparing tracks, like "Waiting Man," shows them to have matured as a band, but perhaps at the cost of losing their initial 'edge.' Belew has grown more confident in his singing and fronting the band, while Fripp appears more reticent. Outstanding tracks are an impassioned "Frame By Frame," a gentle "Matte Kudasai," and the industrial noise fest of "Industry."

Bonuses are Tony's road photos and the rarely seen Crimson video for "Sleepless." The video quality is generally excellent throughout, although there are some more grainy sequences and minor defects coming from the original source films/tapes. Despite these minor flaws, this is an excellent document of the '80s era Crimson and highly recommended.
© 2005 Michael Bettine

I just got this DVD the other day, and can compare it with the
faint memories of the original Live In Japan special, and the
even fainter memory of actually seeing them live in 1984.

First off, the sound quality is as I remembered it -- a bit
grainy, but you can hear what's being played. The stereo
separation has been improved, though.

The video quality is also as I remembered it -- quite grainy at
times (sometimes this was intentional, other times, I think not).

What's really important, though, is that these videos capture
the 1980s King Crimson at the height of their powers. Happily,
this is also as I remembered it. It's all about the music, and
these folks roared.

For many, the 1980's were the dark ages of popular music. For example, in 1982, Olivia Newton-John,'s 'Let's Get Physical' was the number one song of the year. In 1984, Prince's 'When Doves Cry' was at the top of the charts. Beyond 'keeping the torch lit' during such years, King Crimson kept it raging for high-minded progressive rock. This DVD is a video testament to such power. During such moments, they may look as cheesy as "Men at Work" or "Duran Duran," with their clothes, guitars and electric drums. But make no mistake, this was one of the premium King Crimson line-ups. During "the Beat" and "Indiscipline" time periods, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin and Bill Bruford were a combination of virtuosity and good timing. Indeed, the world would never again see such a synchronicity of song writing, vocals, instrumental brilliance, chemistry and flat-out creativity. The sound is futuristic by today's standards. This music would eventually lay the foundation for the up and coming jamband revolution. Les Claypool solidified this sentiment when he made 'Thela Hun Ginjeet' a staple of his live shows. Beyond "Neal and Jack and Me" being the essential video of King Crimson's 80's period, it is the only video document of the band's climax.

I have been a fan of King Crimson, begrudgingly, since the first album, which my older brother bought when it first came out. The music was captivating to me, even as an eight year old. However, I always remember being terrified of the album cover, to the point where my brother would have to turn it backwards, in the room we shared just to get me to go to sleep.

As I got older, the fear lessened and the appreciation grew. I was, being a youngster, never able to see any incarnation of King Crimson Mk.1 Imagine my excitement when the band reformed on the eighties. Now I would finally get a chance to see them.
As it turned out as I drove to the outdoor venue in 1984 the show was "rained out", thus cancelled (...look it up in the "Frame By Frame" box set booklet. A storm knocked out the power, which no one knew of until they got to the theatre gate)
Needless to say, when the guys played the same venue the next year, I was there. The show went on as it was supposed to.
Yet to me the great thing was, after they opened with a scorching version of "Red", Adrian Belew stepped to the mike and gave a heart-felt apology for the events of the previous year.
I understand tha t this DVD is not of that show, but it is from the same tour. I will always respect this band for at least acknowledging their fans and the show that they missed out on.

Just thinking about this aspect of it made me smile...a lot.

...and the show is awesome as well

I owned these original videotapes 20 years ago. I had been a fan of the music but it wasn't until I saw these tapes that I realized just how amazing these musicians were (well, I did know about Bruford...). If you never got the chance to see them live then put this collection on your MUST OWN list. You'll never listen to King Crimson the same way again once you've seen Levin conduct a one man symphony with the Chapman Stick, marveled as Belew conducts audio surgery on the amp feedback with his Roland guitar synth, or grinned a mile wide watching Fripp practically fall off his stool as he contorts his way through the likes of Sartori in Tangier. Heck, I'd pay the price just to see one of these songs. Two whole concerts? That's a bargain and a half. If you are somebody who appreciates musicians at the cutting edge of their craft, then you can't help but be transfixed by this collection.

Since I was introduced to the album Discipline, I have been a drooling King Crimson fan, albeit one who has never been able to see them perform. And while I have enjoyed the various permutations of the band, the 80s line up has always been my favorite. This disc is the first chance I have had to actually see them play, and I'm still catching my breath. Being a drummer, I especially enjoy seeing Bill Bruford play his mutant sets (each concert features a different mutation) and I am amazed at how gracefully he plays some pretty difficult parts. Tony Levin is stunning; Adrien Belew is...well, a musical analogy to Andy Worhol; while Robert Fripp seems to be a kind of post-modern Bach with his absurdly complicated musical arangements and his devotion to artistic innovation. These two concerts feature King Crimson at one of their peaks of genius.

this was a good period for king crimson. fripp recruits young musicains in their prime. bruford had been with the band off and on for awhile, but played just as fresh as belew, who had just left the talking heads, and tony levin. to play in king crimson, you either have to be legendary, or you will be soon! from what i read, the BAND was going to be called "discipline", but decided to keep the classic moniker.

wow, adrian belew was skinny in this one! lol! um, i would say the part that made this potential 5 star video a 3 star, was during three of a perfect pair, the one who did the editing, ruined it. i am sorry, but this is the truth. this SCREAMS ADOBE PREMIERE! and that might not be such a bad thing, if the computer this was edited on was powerful enough to handle the video filters. but, frames are lost, it looks very jagged, bad quality. and, this totally takes away from the performance, and the magic that must have been in the air that night. if you can make it past that, the rest is pretty good.

larks tongues in aspics part iii is a highlight! so is indiscipline and elephant talk. in the beginning of the video, each band member has his own moment in the spotlight and in an implied way, is introduced.

bottom line, i own it. i will watch it again. but, personally, it would have been nice if it had been two whole concerts, all about the music and no frills too, sort of like the eyes wide open double dvd set.

oh, there are some neat suprise bonus tracks!

see also the dvd's "deja vroom" and "eyes wide open". i really want them to release a show from larks tongues in aspics on dvd!

Make no mistake about it, this line up of Crimson went where no one went before with music. The double trio would not have been possible without the successes and failures of this band, and these two concerts show both, redeeming the failures considerably. One could argue that Bruford's departure from the double trio had more to do with the King's next course of action than any active creative input, and his absence may be the one thing still haunting Crimson and its Prime Minister. Levin has returned to the stick and that only serves to make conspicuous Bruford's absence. Mastelloto's is not a simple fate.
As to here, though, neither of these shows is the absolute and categorical triumph of ABSENT LOVERS, the double CD of the last show in Montreal. No matter, they present the King in full roar. The Spanish film at Frejus suffers from a less than wonderful sound, although the DGM team has performed a miracle in getting it to sound as good as it does. The Japan show is hampered by absolutely silly video tricks that are just plain amateurish, especially when stacked in this compilation with Tony Levin's home movies and photos!
The Japan show does have a tremendously enhanced audio component to it. KC was never much of a visula treat, in fact they are often humourously casting aspersions on most pyro and other technics, and such is the case here. We are offered two concerts with Belew in various styles of Hugh Hefner pajamas (Fripp so desperately wants girls to like Crimson, hmmm), and Fripp in either black tux or white dinner jacket. God bless him, he singlehandedly redeems every English dweeb on the planet. Thank God his wife and his sister got him to look in the mirror. He dresses much better these days. Levin and Bruford command the rhythm, in much the same powerful and protean way that, say, Maria Callas commanded an operatic score: no quarter asked or given. The four of them were like that. Fripp and Belew are the absolute best paired guitarists ever, and they so thoroughly compliment each other that hearing either of them solo compells you to think of the other.
The material had its highs and lows, and they are clearly on evidence here. But do yourself a favour. If you enjoy these shows, go to DGM's website and order ABSENT LOVERS. You will be in for one of the most rewarding nights of music in your life. Fripp talks often of MUSIC leaning over and taking one into its confidence. There are flashes of that in these two shows, it positively infuses every moment of the Montreal show.