SIDE ONE

Inevitably, since Belew has been such a long time stalwart of King Crimson, his solo work can often reflect the music of that band. This album is the first of a trio of connected albums (no prizes for guessing the titles of the other two) released in 2005 after a lengthy break from solo work.

Overall, there is a looseness to the music here, which is rooted in the improvisation and jazz of later KC albums. Repetition is used as a regular tool, especially vocally, with piercing lead guitar and crashing drums. Occasionally, we find a more subdued style, such as on "Matchless man", but even here, the vocal repetition is rather overused.

The instrumental "Madness" harks back to an earlier King Crimson period, with monotonous muddled sounds and an almost complete absence of defined melody.

Overall, I cannot help but feel the music here is rather one dimensional. It relies too much on repeating simple phrases and patterns to compensate for a shortage of genuinely interesting material. Those who appreciate the later works of King Crimson should be reasonably impressed with this release, but others should approach with caution.

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