B'BOOM (OFFICIAL BOOTLEG - LIVE IN ARGENTINA)

This double live record was recorded in the Broadway in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1994. As KING CRIMSON was want to do, they played their new material (which would come out the next year on the "Thrak" album) before a live audience before recording it in the studio. As Fripp relates in the liner notes, an Italian bootleg company sent a man to Argentina to record their live shows and then sell them in the UK. The sound quality of these bootleg recordings were "appalling".This prompted the band to release this official live bootleg recording that sounds fantastic by the way.This is an early document from October 1994 of the "double trio" era of this band. These shows represent the first time in over 10 years that KING CRIMSON played live before an audience. 16 of the 19 tracks are taken from the eighties albums or "Thrak".

Disc one starts off with "Vroom" with it's intricate guitar melodies as well as the screaming and heavy guitar work in this terrific instrumental. "Frame By Frame" from "Discipline" sounds better here live than on the studio album. I love this song, the vocals and guitar sound great. "Sex,Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream" is good, but "Red" is far superior."One Time" is a song where Belew shines. "B'Boom" is atmospheric with drums and percussion, that becomes really impressive after 5 minutes. "Thrak" is very heavy with some strange noises. Great tune ! "Improv-Two Sticks" is a short atmospheric tune. "Elephant Talk" is again where Belew shows off his vocal talent, he's so funny. "Indiscipline" builds and Belew is funny again. I love the explosion of sounds that happens a couple of times in this song. This ends the first disc and half of these songs would appear on the "Thrak" album.

The second disc starts off with "Vrooom Vrooom" and it's goood goood ! Mellotron before 3 minutes. Great instrumental."Matte Kudasai" is a lazy song with vocals and strange sounds. "The Talking Drum" has such a cool sound to it. The percussion and guitar all sound beautiful as it blends into another song taken from the "Larks' Tongues In Aspic" album called "Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part II". The latter song is a heavy duty powerhouse at times. Amazing tune ! "Heartbeat" taken from "Beat" sounds good, especially Belew's vocals and guitar playing.The audience sounds like a crowd from a soccer game in the intro. "Sleepless" from "Three Of A Perfect Pair" opens with some awesome percussion, but the vocals remind me of THE TALKING HEADS (even live !). Some nice lazy guitar solos that become intense toward the end of the song. "People" opens with some great bass lines before Fripp does his thing 4 minutes in. "B'Boom (reprise)" is again very atmospheric with some terrific percussion. "Thrak" is frightfully heavy.

This is a must have for myself for a number of reasons, but the main thing is the triumphant return of KING CRIMSON to the live stage once again.