THE POWER TO BELIEVE

I waited a while before writing this review, because I figured since Crimson albums are packed with goodies, I figured I couldn't get it all after a few listens, and I was right. Having listened to this album densely for a month,I think I can safely review it. I actually rate this album at 4 1/2 stars, but since that isn't an option, I don't want to mislead anyone by calling it perfect or close too. Regardless, it's a bloody good album! The Sound and engineering is great. It has a good balance and a complete sound. I prefer listening to this album with headphones just because that way it's much easier to pick up all the subtleties (Not too mention, it's quite complicated as is expected from the crimson, so blocking out other miscellaneous sounds is quite a bit more important on this recording.)

Track 01: The Power to Believe I: A Capella - The album starts with Belew with some odd effect on his voice and in falsetto with no instrumentation. I wouldn't call it singing, but rather talking with pitch. This is a short opener that sets the mood for the album.

Track 02: Level 5 - I had heard that this was the fifth installment of "Larks Tongues in Aspic." Having not heard the other four installments, this means nothing to me. This instrumental starts off pretty BAM in your face sinister metal sound. This song has some good rhythm elements. It keeps you interested, and has fancy playing on everyones part. It sounds like in the beginning the song had already been going on, and your coming in during the middle of it all. It has a good "Alright, here we go" effect to it, and you can't wait to hear the rest!

Track 03: Eyes Wide Open - This is one of the three in running as my favorite track of the album. It seems the rest of the album is one of two sounds, and this track is the exception. It's got a nice and relaxed sound to it, and a great melody. This is not terribly advanced piece of music, but it has an otherwise complicated guitar section. This song has the most "Feeling" to it, I guess. It takes that precise song writing over musical proficiency with a crimson twist. There are some good lines in here, but Belew is not known for being a particularly good lyricist, so there are some lines which is the negative part to this song. But after the complicated Level 5, this is a nice breathe of fresh air.

Track 04: Elektrik - Just after one of my favorite tracks, this is one of the two in running for my least favorite. It has a clever structure and some nice effects and sounds, with some good playing. My only problem with it is that I don't see the point. It has no emotional attachment too it, it's not particularly catchy. At this point is when I got worried about the album, it looked like it was going to have a couple shining moments and nothing else. I think this track is what stops the album from being a masterpiece. Just overall, meh.

Track 05: Facts of Life: Intro - I think if they had a better piece then Elektrik, this would have been pointless. It's an in between filler track that might as well be part of The song Facts of Life. It has an ambient soundscape, and towards the end some drums and distorted guitars pound out of nowhere. If Elektrik had been replaced with a calmer song, it would have made the same effect.

Track 06: Facts of Life - I liked this song a good deal when I first heard it, but then it died quickly on me. This with Elektrik is in the running with the worst on the album. It's got the metal sound and a not so catchy melody. The lyrics aren't to great. I like one of the unique guitar sounds used in this song, though. Although recently it's been starting to climb back up my likeness scale, I'm not sure why. But I don't mind listening to it as much as I used too. I just think there's nothing terribly memorable about it.

Track 07: The Power to Believe II - I'm not one who normally likes those Crimson instrumental lack of structure songs, but this is frickin brilliant! This is by no means one of the Metal tracks, it's filled with clever effects and precision playing. The only vocals are Belew reprising the first Power to Believe. It has one of the Trademark Fripp soundscapes, a good guitar solo, a great build up. A perfect ambient song. This is what the 60's psychedelic Floyd-esque stuff tried to accomplish, but utterly failed. And now KC has perfected it. Another one in the running for the favorite track.

Track 08: Dangerous Curves - And the third in the running of the best song arrives! I'm not exactly sure why I love this instrumental so much, it repeats the same riff over and over and adds and takes away different lays for the whole thing, but it keeps my attention! It's the perfect song that plays in the movie when the Man sets the house on fire and stabs the children. How Sinister! The only downfall is the end which is just this clash of sound. It just felt to me that they didn't know how to end it, so they just did that. I would have liked to see something a bit more artistic.

Track 09: Happy with What you have to be happy with - A hard earned break. This is another breathe of fresh air on the album, but in a different way then "Eyes Wide Open." It's another metal-ish song, and proves once more that King Crimson can be both complicated and notoriously simple at the same time. This song is just a bit of fun where fun was needed.

Track 10: The Power to Believe III - This song to me ties the two sides of the album. It has both the ambient feel in there, and a harder heavier sound (but not as heavy as the metal songs on the album.) At first it bothered me how he only did two small parts of the lyrics in the beginning, but now I like it. It creates a tension and space thats unique to the song. Although, this is the weakest track titled "The Power to Believe." It's an interesting instrumental with some constantly changing parts. And although it's short, it sets you up for the end.

Track 11: The Power to Believe IV: Coda - The perfect closure to the album. Where there was the musical tie in with the last track, this is the artistic tie together. It's another Fripp soundscape and ends with a reprise of the complete opening track vocals. And everything just ends with Belew saying "Believe." It's just nice and peaceful, and during the soundscape, you really reflect on the album and everything that happened, and it just sort of makes you think "Woah."

So all in all, this is my favorite Crimson recording of the four I have. It is very much worth getting! This heavy instrumental album has emotion, experimentation, rock, excellent playing in all four position, good composing, and some good fun. What else do you need in an album?