THRAK

I have probably listened to this record and Discipline the most out of any Crimson albums. Why you might ask? Well I was given nearly all of the Crimson studio albums, save Lizard and THRAK, by a friend, and when I found out I was missing two I ordered them both on CD. I usually only listen to my iPod, but I kept this record in my car and would listen to it every time I would drive somewhere. It is definitely a great Crimson album, and it is completely different from any other album they made before it. Why three stars? Well, I can't distinguish anything that Trey Gunn is doing throughout the entire record. Same goes for Bruford and Mastelotto, though not to the same degree. Fripp said himself that he didn't think this album was mixed to perfection. The other reason for the three star rating is that some of the songs and guitar tones are a little cheesy and smack of the cheesier 80s art pop songs, such as Heartbeat and Two Hands, that Crimson did back then. Besides that, it really is an enjoyable album. My favorite song has to be People, which is 50,000 times better on the live album Vroom Vroom. I think the Red Hot Chili Peppers could do a cover of this song and make some serious bank. Sex Sleep Eat Dream is a great song as well, with great lyrics and odd a-rhythmic freakouts interspersed. The two Radio tracks are interesting, but not enough so that I would specifically recommend the song to anyone. B'Boom is pretty darn sweet, Walking on Air has a gorgeous guitar line, and is one of the best vocal performances that Belew ever did for a Crimson studio album, and THRAK, while initially off-putting, is one of the most complex and advanced musical pieces I have ever heard. Inner Garden is a good song, but the guitar tone sounds straight out of the 80s, so it rubs me the wrong way. Dinosaur is a very popular track off this album, and while I do like it now, I do not think it is the Schizoid Man of this Crimson lineup. The other instrumental tracks are pretty interesting to listen to, and overall, this is an album that Crimson fans should not pass up. Otherwise, though, I wouldn't recommend it to many people, though I was amazed to find that my girlfriend liked this album, and she doesn't care for a majority of the music I listen to.