DISCIPLINE

After a seven year hiatus, Robert Fripp was back with a new band, called King Crimson. Their original name was to be Discipline, and I think it would have been a better fit. The compositions were built around strict finger exercises, played at the same time by Fripp, Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, who revolutionized bass playing at the time with his amazing Chapman Stick work. While the concept was groundbreaking and interesting at the time, the novelty wore off after one record.

The highlights are Elephant Talk, which features Levin's two-handed stick playing, and some pretty lame vocals ("These are words beginning with D" - Really, Adrian?), Indiscipline and Thela Hun Ginjeet.

The vocals throughout are marred by Belew's thin, David Byrne-like voice. While Frame By Frame and Matte Kudesai are okay songs, they never command multiple listens.

If you must have an album by this lineup, get this one.