DISCIPLINE

Of course, by 1981 King Crimson fans should already have known better than to expect stylistic continuity from Fripp and company. But this time we really are dealing with a whole new sound from basically a new band. In fact, the decision to call this effort King Crimson was made by Fripp after the music had already been made.

"Elephant Talk" immediately tells the listener that this is a totally new shade of Crimson. 'Tells' in an appropriate word here, since Adrian Belew (a new vocalist, and audibly American, no less) almost obnoxiously speaks these words rather than singing them. The result, however, is a tongue-in-cheek yet fiercely delivered track that, especially due to Belew's performance, ensures that this thing isn't to be taken too seriously. Humor on a King Crimson album is a welcome change. "Frame by frame" retains the tight intensity of the opening song and cranks up the speed, resulting in blistering performances by Tony Levin on bass and Bill Bruford on drums (listen to that cowbell carefully).

One way in which this album does show some continuity with past KC efforts is its one mediocre track that just doesn't belong. The first album had "Moonchild", "Red" had "Providence", and in this tradition, "Discipline" unfortunately has "Matte Kudasai". This track is passable (which is more than I can say for the other two examples provided), but it has no place on this otherwise stunning album. Fortunately, it's a short track, but then again that seems like a reason it should have been dropped. It's a just-above-mediocre swinging ballad on an album that has no use for any kind of ballad, even a good one.

Side one winds out with "Indiscipline", which unapologetically continues with Belew's spoken-word vocals, this time with totally different effect. Finally King Crimson has achieved what they seemed to be aiming for with weak experimental tracks like "Moonchild" and "Providence". This crashing, chaotic, melodyless song also fits in with the musical theme of the album perfectly: each band member doing his own thing, completely different from the other performers, but lining up at unexpected brief moments. At the same time, the song is a bit more unbridled than the rest of the album. The lyrics, instrumental parts, and the performances all work perfectly to the desired effect. Humor is again included, although musically this is certainly a song to be taken seriously.

Side two is absolutely phenomenal, and earns the album as a whole its five-star rating. "Thela Hun Ginjeet" again has us listening to Belew talking, this time telling us a story (I'm not sure if it's a true story) about fear in the city. This complements the music perfectly, although music of this much power could stand just as well on its own. I can't listen to this song and not catch some of its contagious, hard-hitting energy. I find it hard to describe, but suffice it to say that this is the star of the album, worth the price of admission alone.

"The Sheltering Sky" and the title track provide an instrumental finish to the album, and are each masterpieces in their own right. The first slows down the pace with a captivating solo by who-knows-what-instrument played high above a seductive and mesmerizing rhythm section. "Discipline" is the appropriate culmination of the album: a tightly-rigged rhythmic tour de force so intricate that I hear something new every time I listen. As intended, this song seems to get most intense when everything drops out and the sound relies on the guitar alone.

This is King Crimson's masterpiece. It is not flawless, but its cold, unforgiving feel seems to be something that had always been characteristic of the band, but they never embraced it and ran with it until "Discipline". With its perpetually fresh sound, virtuoso performances, and biting tone, this album stands as an undeniable classic of progressive rock.

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