For me, since 2000, I’ve been a huge admirer of King Crimson
after buying their debut album, In the
Court of the Crimson King from Soundwaves that changed my life on real good
music. Robert Fripp described King Crimson as “A Way of Doing Things”. Despite
various line-up changes from 1969 and onwards, they’ve never done me wrong. Starting
in late November, the band will start their Fall tour in the States this year
on October 19th at the Bass Concert Hall in Austin, Texas.
And they’ve unleashed a 5-track EP entitled, Heroes which the band recorded at live
performances in Berlin, Paris, and Vienna last year in their European Tour in
the fall of 2016. It was also a heavier year after the loss of the late great
David Bowie on January 11th, so it was quite an honor for Fripp who
worked with Bowie from the Heroes album
in 1977 to Scary Monsters (And Super
Creeps) in 1980, to show that he hasn’t forgotten him and knowing to keep
his spirit alive.
Originally known as the “Seven-Headed Beast” line-up, Fripp
takes it up a notch with now known as the “Double Quartet Foundation”. Which
considers alongside Robert Fripp on Guitar & Keyboards, but Mel Collins on
Sax and Flute, Tony Levin on Bass and Chapman Stick, Gavin Harrison, Pat
Mastelotto, and Jeremy Stacey on Drums. Not to mention Stacey also plays
Keyboards. And Jakko Jakszyk on Guitar and Lead Vocals.
When you listen to the Heroes
EP, you can close your eyes and imagine yourself being at those concerts
and just being in awe of seeing Crimson for the first time or a dozen times and
being in awe of seeing Mel Collins back into the fold. The echoing reverb
effects kick into an emotional vibe from Robert as he takes his guitar creating
the sustained sound that was in the original album to create the pitched
feedback as Jakko nails the song down as a celebration for the Thin White Duke
and the original sessions at the Hansa Tonstudio overlooking the Berlin Wall 40
years ago on the opening title-track.
The three drummers (Gavin, Pat, and Jeremy) come into the
center stage in the performance in Vienna with The Hell Hounds of Krim. Listening to this track, you can close
your eyes and imagine the sounds of Taiko drumming in Japan, but adding an
intense and thunderous beats and tempos throughout their kit and cymbals. It’s
almost as if they are taking you through a journey of world music on their
instruments, creating the scenarios and making you believe that the beasts is
right inside the caves and is ready for their feast to be served with a vicious
roaring voice.
Easy Money is a
classic live during those live recordings. It’s a fabulous take of the song
performed live. Jakko is not trying to hurt the song, but to honor and stay true
to the piece and honor the late great John Wetton in his arrangement which he
almost sounds like him to give the stamp of approval. Mel’s snarling sax comes
at you in various moments in the piece.
Almost looking and peeking through the keyhole and seeing
what the corruption of the government has become all of a sudden, Easy Money creates the tension of the
dark side of what they’ve never told you behind those curtains in that
midsection. Collins does some free-jazz scenario momentum on his sax and it’s
the tension that creates the mysterious atmosphere between himself, Fripp, and
Levin’s dooming bass and the clattering drum sections.
The only criticism I have is with Starless. While it’s an edited version of the laid-back emotional
pieces from the Red album, I wish it
could have been 11 or 15-minutes longer as it goes through the jazzier and
mellotron-sque sections of a dream-like landscape of the lyrics, it would have
been interesting to hear a full-length version of this song as the band into
uncharted waters to give the audience a mind-blowing performance.
For me, this is not a bad EP. Yes it’s short with five
pieces, but it’s quite a small journey to see what questions and answers lay
ahead for Crimson to delve into the waters for. But this is a small peek of
what is about to happen when they hit the road again this October in the
States. So be prepare to see King Crimson live when they hit the States again.
And enjoy the Heroes EP
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