THE POWER TO BELIEVE

Of the later-day King Crimson relases I find "The Power to Believe" to be their best focused and closest to their artistic cannon.

The lineup is still: Robert Fripp - guitars, devices Adrian Belew - guitars, devices, voice Trey Gunn - Warr guitar (similar to a Capman stick but with a traditional body; it's range is as low as a 5 string bass upward to a standard tuned guitar) Pat Mastelotto - drums; acoustic and electronic

Depending on how deeply you wish to go, there are several patterns that run throughout KC's musical output. When they are at their best, they are proof of why they are still masters of their muscular, angular progressive music.

On this CD we see Belew's metered out Hiku-like poems, involving what sounds to be vocoding, a process that splits sound into many tonal bands which can be edited as one pleases. This follows the increased use of synthesis via guitar controllers courtesy of Fripp and Belew.

Then there are the rock based songs that tend to have a pop approach, something that has continued since Belew hooked up with the band in the 80s. On "The Power to Believe" the vocal songs seem to fit in an 'order of three' that KC has been working on for the last 23 years.

Also typical of modern King Crimson releases are the fierce polyrhythmic songs that have influenced a great many modern prog bands, Tool being the most famous, and unashamed to admit their admiration. "10,000 Days" offers up many a King Crimson-like angular track with Tool's already gifted skills at creating metal drones that suck in a large share of listeners. Compare Tool to songs like KC's "Level Five" and "Dangerous Curves" and see if you don't hear the kernal of ideas found in Tool and many other Progressive Metal thru Jazz based bands.

This time out, there are several ambient songs that drift and hold sway from Crimson's sometimes monochromatic industrial strength counterpoint.

Reasons for the upgrade in KC's sound start with the rhythm section of Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn. I doublt many people thought Trey Gunn was an issue, but Mastelotto sometimes didn't come across as well as he was capable of. I beleive alot of that had to do with the V Drums he used and the awful cymbal crashes and dead sounding snare and tom sounds which have been vastly upgraded by playing a electro-acoustic combination kit. On TPTB we finally hear Pat sounding excellent, and while he may not be Bill Bruford, he is still one hell of a great drummer. Similarly, I'm a fan of Tony Levin, I can't say that Trey's Warr guitar isn't of equal quality in tone and playing style.

TPTB is loosely based as such: Voice Hiku Vocal song of varying degress of melodicism King Crimson instrumental song sections of varying complexity and intensity All song types based on chromatic variations, often using guitar synth and Gunn in dual bass and guitar measures with Mastelotto holding a groove and sometimes, sampled ambience.

This makes for a larger pallate of sonics and incredibly varied feel to the music they shape.

An area that old-Crimson devotes seem to either dislike, or find less interesting are the varied interludes and drastic, yet often similar themes to the music 21st Century King Crimson are creating. More importantly, everyone in the band has their function and voice. And while that is considerably more democratic than Robert Fripp once had KC running, the music they make today takes several listens to "get". While I loved "The Power To Believe" from first listen, I find that on 50th listen I hear new segments that make me wonder, "was that intentional or was it a happy accident?" Also, of the latter day King Crimson albums, this is the least based upon improvisation. Whether this was because of getting aquainted sessions and the band's continuing sense of internal radar is of question, but this is as close as KC has come to their days of "Lark's Tongue pt1"

I probably won't change anyone's mind but strongly suggest giving more time to "The Power to Believe"

My take on current King Crimson is their comfortability with one another. By comfortable I do not mean complacent or staid. I mean they have reached a musical intimacy that few bands ever do. Consider they have been together in this arrangement for over a decade, and except for the pains related to working with electronics and guitar (guitar synths often do not track - that is, play the notes as the player created, and therefore takes considerable time to make guitars and midi controllers that work with guitars that play the way they are used to working with. This is similar for drums too. From just a technical aspect, King Crimson bring a great deal of potential trouble within their setups. Finding a crew that can keep the technology together with the qualities two excellent and demanding guitarists make upon their setups is difficult to say the least. Setting up the drums and Trey's Warr guitar are not simple either. But when they play, it is like a poetic dance.

Besides the roaring metalic sheen of their prior work comes new delicate sections which, as a listener, bring a welcomed sense of relief.

King Crimson scores big for the massive mix that does not go flat when they adjust from mild permutations in their sound; playing delicate segments that once was dominated by Mellotrons and flute and are now using at times orchestral strings and oboe thru simple triangle wave leads and saw synth pads.

This is a major change in King Crimson. I know those who hear this album differently think it's more of the same 1990's work, but there is consolidation and a sense of poetry that was missing on many of the 1990's tracks. Rather than seeing "The Power to Believe" as another similar album in the King Crimson style I'd strongly suggest disgruntled listeners put a bit more effort into this CD, one of their masterworks in my opinion.