LADIES OF THE ROAD

Plymouth, 1971 is for those who resent the jammy, partly improvised approach on "Earthbound" recorded in the same year. Here, the same line-up delivers classic KC numbers, most of which are poor renditions when compared with the original studio recordings.

At this point the band must have been really tired of touring and practically, ready to disband - as they have, shortly after. The vocals of Boz here are the second least inspired recordings I've ever heard from him with KC, or any other band. Those vocals are so weak that practically bring down this performance to a 1 star rating. This isn't Fripp's finest performance, either. His guitar is less prominent than usual, which is a surprise as he is/was a Gurdieff devotee of discipline and normally he would not miss a single note, not even for the life of our Planet. But on this performance the work lacks body and substance.

This concert is largely saved by Mel Collins, who is permitted to do some sensational runs on saxes and flutes, conjuring images of Pharoah Saunders. Any Collins fan would want to hear this. Also, Ian Wallace plays his heavy drums to much satisfaction - as usual.

The album as a whole is a bit of a flop and little more than memorabilia, but Collins, Wallace are lifting the game for about 15-20 mins overall.

The sound quality is poor, but not horrible.