THE POWER TO BELIEVE

The first time I've heard King Crimson was about 1 month ago, watching the Elektrik DVD. It was some experience, my friends. Since then, I've been trying to solve this band and found out some interesting things that I would like to share with you. The Power to Believe was quite a change in my life. Don't let the mindless listening of this record make a judgement of its quality. I'm not saying that those who doesn't like these songs haven't listened it mindfully enough, but that those who listen to it inatenttive might find it boring and valueless.The mathematical aspect of some songs of TPTB, which covers a profound and intense sort of feelings, contrasts with some essentially feelingful others, almost shapeless. However, although many songs may sound bizarre and even a bit avant-garde, we can see that all of them have rigid and specific structures, following even a composing formula. All the instruments have their own and essential role to play on this record, but I'd recommend you to pay special attention to the rhythm, not only by the drums, supremely composed in all aspects!, but also the melody rhythms and in the development of the music. It will surprise you in many ways. TPTB has changed my way of listening music, and I hope it change yours too.

- The Power to Believe I: A Capella: 5/5 => This 44 second-long song is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. I really mean it. That vodecoder effect has surprised me. The melody is so pure and simple, so beautiful and ethereal, there are no words to explain it. Simply beautiful. - Level Five: 4/5 => This song is the perfect sequence of A Capella. Despite its arithmetical features, almost exercise-like, what amazes in this song are the very strong harmonic progressions and the superb use of electronic drum effects. The bridges between the different parts The timbre of the bass sometimes is something out of this world. This music is out of this world. It's too damn good. My favourite part starts in 4:17, because the progression is too powerful and the melody comes right in hand, suiting itself perfectly. - Eyes Wide Open: 3.7/5 => This one is as good as any other in the record, very well constructed, all the timbres fitting perfectly in the song. However, this song hasn't pulled me from the chair as much as many others from this record. It's very beautiful as well, and some special attention must be paid to the lyrics. That's the strongest in this music, I believe. - Elektrik: 3.9/5 => This one is much alike in its way of happening to the second track, but I think has a different ethos from that one. Level Five was agitated and intense, but this one is rather introspective and creepy, having some moments of not very light sensations, as it starts on 5:40, a unbelievably good sequence of ascending phrases. - The Power to Believe II: 3.2/5 => This is just a passage song I believe, very atmospherical and tense. It culminates, in its end, with rapid and brief drums hits. - The Facts of Life: Intro: 3.8/5 => Differently from Eyes Wide Open, this a much stronger track, much more intense. The lyrics are excellent, again. The musical part is also superb, almost minimalistic. The chorus is great, as well. You will find in this music a typical but even innovative and creative song of TPTB. It's worth the time to listen to it, truly. - The Facts of Life: 4.9/5 => This probably one of the greater songs that I listened in my life. Like TPTB II, this song starts with a mysterious mood. The image created by me for the first 30 seconds is nothing but a desolate and lonely nightly contemplation. When the guitar starts to play, with a wonderful timbre, in 0:30, the mood changes a bit more to some sort of cavern or den, maybe because of the nature of the drum effects, some heard like drops. The bass enters, with a ostinato that fits well in the music. If the music wasn't good 'til this point, it becomes worthy the whole CD, but the first track, from this moment: 2:38. Too intense. Too powerful. Too spiritual. It's all about metalophones of some sort, but I remember mainly of those Indonesian or African gamelons. It's beyond earthly imagination. So primitive, in a way, but too pure and inspiring. The main theme comes back many times with soothering calls. First as a wind whisper, what I like to imagine that timbre, a kind of pan flute. It comes back through high pitches of the gamelons, heard like a bell. At last, the voice comes back and sings the initial track. The strings come and just add more to this etheral atmosphere. Then here comes bass, drums and guitar again. And they go, and go, and go, and fade. Perfect. This song is perfect. - Dangerous Curves: 4.2/5 => After The Facts of Life, our energies are drained and anything that would come would be just something else. But not this track! King Crimson managed to keep the quality and intensity and here's a apparently simple song. It is based solely upon on one note, basically. It has, of course, another notes, but the structure is all based on one single note, and a 2 chord progression harmony. It is not boring, as many may think. It gets back to the prior tension of the record, keeping the listener strained the whole song. Very good. - Happy With What You Have to be Happy With: 3.8/5 => This is most rock track in TPTB. The main riff remembers me even of Mattias Ekhlund, from Freak Kitchen. It's fun and good, as well as well thought and with good lyrics. But the chorus, o my, the chorus is worth the entire song. It's something like anything I've ever heard. With only 6 words, the chorus is formed upon various combinations of these words, with a unregular bar system, a constant factor in TPTB. But in this chorus, specifically, plus the bizzarre harmony, the strange melody and the crazy lyrics, it adds an odd sensation to the chorus. - The Power to Believe III: 2.9/5 => This is my least favourite on the entire album. Maybe I haven't figured out it correctly, but this song is almost meaningless to me, however it is a great track indeed. I think that the introduction is kind of empty, but when the band gets in, the thing gets a bit more coherent. Maybe the lack of a solid structure for me to attach to has made me not see the real thing of this track. But I still don't get it. - The Power to Believe IV: Coda: 4/5 => The finish of this record couldn't be better. The strings take you away, from the Earth, while the voice repeat those gorgeous verses again: "She carries may through days of apathy; she washes over me. She saved my life, in a manner of speaking, when she gave me back THE POWER TO BELIEVE".