Starless appreciation
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=25508
Printed Date: August 12 2025 at 09:45
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Topic: Starless appreciation
Posted By: Man Overboard
Subject: Starless appreciation
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 16:25
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I mean really now. The infamous one-note solo, the freakish minimalist build-up, and the MELODY of the vocal part... could this be the best song ever?
------------- https://soundcloud.com/erin-susan-jennings" rel="nofollow - Bedroom guitarist". Composer, Arranger, Producer. Perfection may not exist, but I may still choose to serve Perfection. Commissions considered. |
Replies:
Posted By: The Miracle
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 16:28
One of the best, definitely
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ocellatedgod" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 16:29
Quite possibly... but there may be better.
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Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 16:29
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IMO, best song ever. The last 40 or so seconds specifically.
Nice to see you again MO  ------------- 
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Posted By: Hierophant
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 16:31
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The ending is other-worldly
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Posted By: Kid-A
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 16:44
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Amazing saxophone on that song. ------------- 
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Posted By: Gomurisu
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 16:48
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Not the greatest song ever, but one of the best. The ending is one of the greatest there is.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Phoenix_/?chartstyle=RecordArmMonochrome"> 
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Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 16:55
| For me Starless epitomizes the early symphonic rock sound by King Crimson. Once Edward Macan named King Crimson their music a blend of femine and masculine, prog between dreamy Mellotron/warm vocals and fiery guita/saxophone. It's a great song like a small river that turns into giant waterfall! |
Posted By: Root_Pepper
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 16:56
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Stunning.
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Posted By: AngelRat
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 17:02
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Couldn't agree more with all of the above...one ultimate accomplishment in prog. -------------  |
Posted By: Dr. Occulator
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 17:26
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My favorite song of all time. That mournful guitar is the highlight. more emotion than most singers can muster.
------------- My Doc Told Me I Have Doggie Head. |
Posted By: Uroboros
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 17:41
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For me, it doesn't get better than Starless. An almost perfect work of art. And also the most important reason why Red surpasses the previous two Kc albums in quality, although that's debatable. Anyway, Starless is out of this world. And that one-note guitar solo, with the bass in 13/4, and the way Bruford improvises on it, adding to the crescendo (of course, the live versions are always different and sometimes even better than the album one) - that is something I never grow tired of. Then, the ending is the most bone-crushing powerful and touching piece of music I've ever heard.
Ok, I said it all. I'm cool now. ------------- Tous les chemins qui s’ouvrent à moi ne mènent à rien si tu n’es plus là |
Posted By: Lyzarrd
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 17:54
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Easily one of the best pieces progressive rock has to offer, by one of the best prog bands, by what is considered the best prog lineup of all time. Its truly one of the most masterful pieces of music as a whole to come out of such a great era. I really can't put it any better than what Uroboros has. So...all I can say is, Starless is utterly magnificent. ------------- Can you tell me where my country lies... |
Posted By: Tholomyes
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 17:56
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The greatest song of KC without a doubt, and one of the best song in the world and pieces of art ever. |
Posted By: Harry Hood
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 18:20
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One thing I don't appreciate, Wettons attempt at playing an abridged solo version at Asia concerts. ------------- 
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Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 18:27
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The way that song starts...so moody and how it finishes...the most agressive atonal jazz section ever... and how good the bridge works...amazing!!! And, Wettons best vocals in KC!!! ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 18:36
Amazing everything on that song.
 Definitely one of the best songs ever written.  ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Kid-A wrote:Posted By: Fourside
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 18:45
| Stunning is truly the perfect word for it. Its one of the few songs that starts amazing, and where each second is better than the last. |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 19:43
Agreed ------------- 
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Posted By: Bastille Dude
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 19:53
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One of my most favorite KC tracks of all time. I'm going to play it very loud as soon as my wife leaves to go visit her friend tonight. :) (emoticons not working again, arghhh.) ------------- DEATH TO FALSE PROG! |
Posted By: Syntharachnid
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 20:42
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There's lots of songs I like better, but the one-note solo is one of my favorite prog moments. ------------- 
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Posted By: Faaip_De_Oiad
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 20:46
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i have listened to that song about 8 times in a row once. that's like 92 minutes or something one of the greatest songs ever written. next we'll need a "Fracture" appreciation thread ------------- 
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Posted By: bhikkhu
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 20:56
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Oh yeah, I'm listening to it right now.
What can I say that hasn't already been said? It is one of the best. I don't know if I could call it the best, but what is? There are far too many to choose from. ------------- a.k.a. H.T. http://riekels.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow - http://riekels.wordpress.com |
Posted By: alan_pfeifer
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 20:56
| Starless edged out Fallen Angel as best track from Red for me a little while back. Magnificent song. |
Posted By: steelyhead
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 21:44
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I have been in love with that song more time than I have been in love with my wife, and if I have to choose, let that be the case, without a doubt I would be a bachelor again.
Nuff said. |
Posted By: Australian
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 23:10
Its not a bad songs, it is certainly King Crimson's best song. ------------- 
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Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: July 01 2006 at 00:43
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One word comes to mind: eargasmic ------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: July 01 2006 at 00:45
There's very little to add, really... Magnificent song, one of prog's finest hours. A truly iconic moment. Perfect from start to finish - and what an ending! 
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Posted By: Fassbinder
Date Posted: July 01 2006 at 01:13
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just... |
Posted By: Baggiesfaninuk
Date Posted: July 01 2006 at 03:35
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Starless is awesome. But so are Fracture, Larks Tongues II, and Sailor's Tale. Find it hard to choose between them for best KC track. Also love the funky snippets plugged into 'Indoor Games' and 'Easy Money'. KC are amazing. ------------- My father was a beekeeper before me; his father was a beekeeper. I want to follow in their footsteps. And their footsteps were like this. (Runs screaming) "AAAAAAAH! I'm covered in beeeeees!" - Izzard |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: July 01 2006 at 04:41
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Starless, along with ca. 10-12 other prog-mastodontracks, belongs in the masterclass. A couple of months ago, a DJ in a kind of trendy pub/club (that sometimes can play correct prog, like Can, Neu! or Kraftwerk) suddenly put on a great live version of Starless, and played the whole thing through. I (almost) fell of my chair. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Dirk
Date Posted: July 01 2006 at 06:09
| It's certainly the best KC song |
Posted By: Hiwatter
Date Posted: July 01 2006 at 06:22
| My most favourite KC track. Very melancholic and dramatic. I love the bass playing and aggresive bass sound from Wetton. |
Posted By: crimson thing
Date Posted: July 01 2006 at 09:28
It's quite brilliant........but contrary to what many here have said.........it's not a one note solo...........it's a two note solo.........you'd think if people like it as much as they profess, they'd at least be able to count up to two......
Yours sincerely
A Pedant
 ------------- "Every man over forty is a scoundrel." GBS 
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Posted By: Uroboros
Date Posted: July 01 2006 at 20:16
Yes, the note changes once every two bars, and then returns to the first note for the following two... or something like that. Anyway, each of them is repeated so insistently, it becomes kind of hypnotic.
On a side note, I played the song with my band today like three times (we've done some Kc covers and now we're working on a version of Starless) and, surprisingly, when we were playing the ending part I got these sudden shivers down my spine - something that hasn't happened before while playing... I was still focused, but the feeling was so intense, it was almost like experiencing the music at home, on headphones, the usual way.  Well, I guess I have to thank Mr. Fripp & co. again for these moments of joy. ------------- Tous les chemins qui s’ouvrent à moi ne mènent à rien si tu n’es plus là |
Posted By: Rust
Date Posted: July 02 2006 at 16:43
I prefere Starless and Bible Black, the orriginal version of Starless, but I'm most likely in the minority on that one.
 ------------- We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: July 02 2006 at 17:52
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Yesterday I cried listening to this song...and this has never happend to me before, I dont cry listening to music...never have... But, well I was kinda drunk and moody  ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?"
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Posted By: rushaholic
Date Posted: July 02 2006 at 18:01
| Listening to the live version on USA right now - a perfect song. |
Posted By: crimson thing
Date Posted: July 02 2006 at 18:29
I've never quite understood why the confusing similar names.......and to me, there's no similarity between the 2 at all......do you think they're at all related? ------------- "Every man over forty is a scoundrel." GBS
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Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: July 02 2006 at 20:33
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Starless is wonderful. even people who don't like prog can see the massive emotion involved in the song.
Fracture's my favourite though. I always wondered about the possibility of a possible Starless/Fracture/Starless medley. it'd kill me. |
Posted By: goose
Date Posted: July 03 2006 at 06:27
Totally! |
Posted By: S Lang
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 06:18
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"Starless" is nothing short of "Epitaph" from their first album. Not musically, but emotionally speaking of course. Delivered in a much more matuire and professional way.
It's the song that I'd like to farewell my shell, when it's time.
One of the best ever in Prog terms.
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Posted By: akamarko
Date Posted: July 15 2006 at 23:36
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Man am I glad I found this thread (and as soon as I did I put on the song). I've always stated this this was one of the most important prog songs for anyone to have in their collection.
I actually made a CD called The Trilogy which started with The Gates Of Delirium by Yes, next was Starless and finally to finish things off right I had Echoes by Pink Floyd. The 13/4 bass line in Starless was one of the first prog rock bass parts I learned how to play. Me and my old drummer (almost 20 years ago now) used to jam on it over and over. LOL We never got tired of it but the rest of our band hated us for it. |
Posted By: superprog
Date Posted: July 17 2006 at 23:28
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to me this song is the most epic yet heartfelt song the Crim ever did. its quite painful to hear, very heart-wrenching, the sound of a beautiful star fragmenting and collapsing. Brings tears to my eyes....a fren of mine said he cried listening to it hahahaha
that good
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Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: July 17 2006 at 23:37
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A nice song, but I prefer 'One more red nightmare'. It could have been shorter IMO. -------------  
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