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King Crimson - USA CD (album) cover

USA

King Crimson

 

Eclectic Prog

4.06 | 567 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Gatot
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars It was only Easy Money that stimulated me to purchase the LP of this album sometime in 1979. Yes, I loved the studio version of this track and was curious about what it would be like if it is performed live? But, what a great surprise for me when I found that all tracks delivered live by the band in this album were top notch! Because I love live albums, I kept playing this LP on and on. For practical purpose, I recorded the LP to a cassette and I always brought it and my walkman with me wherever I went at that time. What a great satisfaction! I even much more like this version compared to any studio version of the tracks contained in this album.

"Larks' Tongues in Aspic part II " is much more dynamic performed live in here. Oh Mr. Bruford, how wonderful and powerful your drumming is! I also like Wetton's stormy bass line when he plays altogether with dynamic drum during transition with high energy! I always repeat this track because of this transition. Great! Jobson's violin is also amazing! "Lament" is also performed better in here. "Exiles"? Oh man .. I love when Mr. Fripp's guitar effect enters the song at the beginning. What a rocking style he delivers! Violin work is also great. This track has a very strong melody (tasteful and catchy) and through this performance the gentlemen have done so perfect!

The second side of the LP features other wonderfully composed tracks - performed excellently here. "Asbury Park" opening drum solo accompanied with guitar effects and keyboard are really amazing. Fripp's long sustain, free form open passage, sometimes in the context of unusual signatures guitar style in this track has satisfied my illusion of what the great guitar player should play. Bruford's unsynchronized beats (yet they produce wonderful harmony sounds) are really fascinating! Well, quite honest, I'm so speechless whenever I enjoy this album especially when I observe the nitty-gritty details. Marvelous! It flows seamlessly to my all time favorite Crimson track "Easy Money ". What a great track this one is. Tight structure, wide variety of melody in terms of high and low register notes, great improvisation of drums and bluesy guitar touch with wonderful mellotron at the back.

This live album concludes with a classic and masterpiece "21st Century Schizoid Man"; and this time is performed not by Greg Lake as it appears in studio version. Wetton still maintain the distorted vocal similar to studio version. Considering that this live has no saxophone but the complex part of this live performance is as wonderful as studio version.

I'm sure that I'm NOT naïve this time because I give this album a full five stars rating. I disregard recording quality (as compared to studio ones) even though as far as live recording concerned this is good quality. You should not miss this album. Thumbs up! Rating 5/5. GW, Indonesia.

Notes:

I will NOT recommend you to purchase this CD if you have not listened to the studio version of "all" tracks contained in this album. If you have been familiar with the studio version, I bet you will agree with my view described above. Please do not give your words about this album if you are not familiar with the studio version; because, I think, it's not fair at all. Keep on progging!

Gatot | 5/5 |

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