In July of 2005, the late great Roger Ebert, film critic of
the Chicago Sun Times said while he was given a star dedication in his honor that proclaimed in honor his work as a critic for Roger Ebert Day, said, “We all are born with a certain package. We
are who we are. Where we were born, who we were born as, how we were raised. We’re
kind of stuck inside that person, and the purpose of civilization and growth,
is to be able to reach out and empathize a little bit with other people. And
for me, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy.” We’re
different, and we have a different certain taste of what we do and it’s quite understandable
that the movies are like a machine.
Going to a concert, is like watching the show right in front
of your eyes and being in awe of what you saw from start to finish. And it’s
hard to understand why King Crimson are still going strong since coming back
again in 2013. This time, they’ve released another live album which is a part
of the King Crimson Collectors Club. This is an official bootleg release
recorded during the summer of this year on June 28th at the Chicago
Theatre for the Radical Action tour.
When you listen to this 2-CD set, it’s like going back for
another round with the maestro to see what Robert Fripp will think of next.
Listening to this recording, you can close your eyes and imagine yourself being
at one of their performances as if they’re ready for another round to give the
audience what they want.
From the moment Robert knew that after their stand-out
performance last year in Vienna, Chicago is the place to raise the bars higher
by releasing the big massive guns for the current eighth-headed beast. Not only
that, but they’ve performed some of the pieces in which they’ve never performed
before since 1971. Including Cirkus
(Including Entry of the Chameleons) and the last 11-minute piece of The Lizard Suite from their third album,
Lizard.
It’s not just going to be a prog-rock show, but a concert
and movie inside your mind. And I love how on Cirkus, Mel Collins does this little fanfare for the Greatest Show
on Earth to begin. The suite is perhaps a standing ovation. It’s like a tidal
wave ready for the beast to embark one of the most challenging parts in the
epic. And it is nailed down perfectly.
I can imagine the audience being in awe of hearing those two
compositions being performed again. Along with the 2-part pieces that is like
an eruptive powder keg ready to explode at any minute of Larks Tongues’ in Aspic. The bell effect on Pictures of a City is a little intro followed by a seas crashing
and birds chirping in the distance before it goes into a volcanic explosion.
And with a sonic speed through, the drum sections, Tony’s
bass, Jakko, and Robert go into the attack mode followed by the stop-and-go
moment as Mel’s sax blare into the darkness. Listening on here with them going
through the Adrian Belew-era of the ‘80s ‘era of King Crimson (Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect
Pair) with Indiscipline that
begins on the second disc, the double quartet adds the mysteries and clues that
are shattered all over the floor before getting the pieces back up to the
crowds cheering.
And then all of a sudden, comes this blaring effect that gives
you some ideas to follow the tracks, step-by-step. Jakko sings the lyrics as
the guitar melody follow him as Levin’s Chapman Stick and Vocals help him
through the case scenarios. The three-beast drums as if they are scoring a
chase sequence on Neurotica before
Tony and Mel follow pursuit and the blasting of the chords on the first 2
minutes and 37 seconds.
Robert is walking through a dangerous tightrope and never
knowing if the rope is going to be cut loose as he goes through some of the
challenging moments on the frets before the band ends with an abrupt
cliffhanger ending. Radical Action II which
appears on the 3-CD set, Radical Action
to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind, is an interesting instrumental.
You can tell that the brutal beast has been unleashed and
showing no sign of giving up for finding its feast and hunger for human flesh.
The live version of here, is almost describing about the future is now in sudden
hell and Crimson is giving the full details on what’s going on right now and
what is about to come in the 22nd century. There’s also a new track
that made its world premiere at the Chicago Theatre which is Jakko’s
composition, The Errors.
It has an experimental yet futuristic tribal atmosphere and
it deals with reflecting through the hallways of mirrors, realizing that while
what you have done was wrong, there is a slight chance of hope of fixing them
and making sure that will never happen again. The drums do this section between
Harrison, Mastelotto, and Stacey do as if it’s (no-pun intended) a perfect pair
of three to make it sound like a steel working machine as if they are walking
through the mines.
They always want to make sure that the late great David
Bowie gets some honor with their take of Heroes.
It is always a big stamp of approval for Robert creating the guitar to alter
the feedback and almost as if he’s nodding his head up whilst looking towards
the heavens to show a nod for the Thin White Duke.
Now Jakko Jakszyk, whether you admire him or not, he is very
good at both playing guitar and singing. There’s lines divided in the sand
whether to accept him or not, but’s for him to sing these songs, he’s done a
good job. For example when you listen to The
Letters from their fourth studio album, Islands,
he sings very smoothly and not trying to rip Boz’s vocals, but to stay true
and honor the music.
Mel’s sax goes through a free-jazz improvisation as it moves
from raunchy to an alarming roar that cries out into the night followed by the
drumming crescendos and Fripp going from a crystal ball-sque sound to
shattering brainstorms. But who couldn’t forget the closer that started
everything off 48 years ago of 21st
Century Schizoid Man. It closes the second disc by clocking in at
15-minutes, it’s the beast coming together as one by reigning terror.
The eight piece keeps the flames burning more and more by
going through some improvisational jazz rock from Mel, Tony, and the
three-headed drum Beast by creating ideas in the midsection that made my
eyebrows go up. Mastelotto, Harrison, and Stacey go through an incredible drum
duel between the three of them as they go through and race as if someone who
will can make it to the finish line. You can imagine that you and the audience
are in awe and shouting for them to keep going and supporting them more and
more.
Live in Chicago as
I’ve mentioned before, is you closing your eyes and being at one of their
performances and seeing the eight-piece really giving love and support to show
that they’re not going anywhere. Staying true honoring the legacies of Greg
Lake, Boz Burrell, and John Wetton, it’s a return to know that their spirits
and honor will be in their music forever and ever.
The doors are still continuing to punch down for more adventures of King Crimson and seeing where will they come up with next. And so, let’s drink and have a toast for the Court of the Crimson
King.
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