SLEEPLESS

It was very soon after I had come across the classic '69-'74 output of King Crimson (in my late teens) that I also borrowed the album Three of a Perfect Pair, the third one in the trilogy of albums released in the early 80's. That band had very very little to do with the 70's prog legend. Even Adrian Belew' s clean, slightly Todd Rundgren -reminding vocals are miles away from either Greg Lake, John Wetton or anyone in between, but in a good balance with the new musical style. At that time I owned the vinyl double compilation "Young Person's Guide to King Crimson" and slowly increased my KC knowledge with the massive booklet and some further listenings, but I can say that KC never quite beceme one of my dearest prog bands (though I really admire their best works!). So I didn't have any disturbed feelings about the classic prog act turning into something completely else, even bordering pop. No, of course not 'pop' in the sense of chart hits. I mean a certain tightness and directness, despite some sort of complexity in the playing.

'Sleepless' was my favourite song in that album (that I quite soon forgot, more or less). It's fast and intensive and yet somehow airy and dreamy / nightmarish -- suitably, being a song about sleep and dreaming (or the lack of it). Few years ago I took 'Sleepless' into my KC compilation disc and the song hasn't lost its effectiveness. My other fave song of that era is the very airy 'Matte Kudesai' from Discipline (1981), otherwise I have no significant interest towards that phase.

'Nuages' is an interesting instrumental piece, deeply original art rock. I haven't heard it in more than 20 years but I can still remember it vaguely. Tony Levin's work on stick & bass is delicious. Back in '87 or so I came across Levin also in the music of Peter Gabriel and the Italian singer Alice.