EYES WIDE OPEN

Of the three KC DVD available around the end of 05, this is the one I could not actually enjoy whatsoever. If I had only moderately appreciated the 80's KC version DVD, mostly because of the relatively popish writings and visuals (as well as some rather badly aged innovations drums machine from Mr. Bruford), I had really loved the "double trio" DVD called Deja Vroom and its particularly inventive and innovative line-up!

Although in most Crimsonhead's minds, this quartet is the same incarnation of KC than the sextet line-up that made Thrak (much the same way the Lark quintet had become the Red Trio), I can tell you that quality-wise, Crimson lost quite a bit. Can you imagine any group losing out both Bruford and Levin calibre musicians and still hold greatness? Don't get me wrong here, Matselotto and Gunn are certainly no slouches and they actually play superbly well, but the problem resides elsewhere: the songwriting of both Construction Of Light and Power To Believe are probably responsible of my lack of interest and more pre-occupying, my boredom!! I never thought I'd get bored of Crimson, but it happens here (actually the ProjeCKts had also bored me to death, but this was an aside) but with this one it did: I never got to the end of both concerts (actually I did, but I zapped ahead tiredly), so I think this tells it all. I had not gotten a chance to see this "line-up" live, either and I am not sure that if I had done so, I would enjoy this DVD more - and retrospectively I was lucky enough to not having seen them.

If I must choose one concert over the other, I will take the Shepherd's Bush 00 concert although I think the TCOL album is inferior to the 03 tour of TPTB. Don't ask me why, I haven't a clue! But anyway, this double DVD is certainly very high priced, and I was glad I could rent it. I never got to check out the bonus but felt absolutely no need to either. I never thought I'd give such a low rating to a KC product.