From elephant-talk at arastar dot comSat Feb 11 09:59:05 1995 Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 09:44:22 +0800 From: elephant-talk at arastar dot com Reply to: toby at cs dot man dot ac dot uk To: elephant-talk at anthor dot arastar dot com Subject: Elephant-talk digest v95 #168 E L E P H A N T T A L K The Internet newsletter for Robert Fripp and King Crimson enthusiasts Number 168, Friday, 10 February 1995 Today's Topics: No Warning Wow: Intellect/Depth/Musical taste King Crimson Transcriptions Raisins/Psychodots CD info A few cents... Re: King Crimson tabbed? Prices and wetton Re: Fripp in SF Re: Fripp in LA Review and comment on Fripp in San Francisco why I don't flame and frippery on vinyl Re: Shree Re: RF Soundcapes in San Diego Fripp/CGT in San Diego Wondering about Providence on "Red" Gone to Earth KC Texas dates/Trey Gunn Elephant-talk digest v95 _Earthbound_ and _USA_ on CD Internet Crimso Europe Cosmic Utensil would you like some cheese with that Whine? Fripp in LA cont. Video Releases KC tickets in Europe? Island Definitive CD Re: Islands Definitive Edition tuneup Re: New instrumentation Trey Gunn Re: Soundscapes USA & Earthbound Islands 'Tune Up' Whoops & Hollers Re: Elephant talk Sheet Music/Tablature Lesser known Dorset bands 1982 trousr press: kc LTiA/The First Day/Wire Re: Elephant-talk digest v95 #167 Various Vrooominations my earlier posting book of saturday No warning Holdsworth's ego and the Soundscapes Show FFWD CD for trade/sale Re: New instrumentation Re: A. belew and islands _HeadCandy_ [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Hi everyone In last issue I said Toby> Part 2 of the Summers/Fripp interview will appear in the next E.T. Oops! I lost the article, but hopefully I'll have it again for ET #169. On another topic: each issue of ET seems to be getting prograssively bigger. I guess this is no surprise, as we now have nearly 1300 readers in 26 countries, and growing daily. I know large issues cause some people problems with their mailboxes, but I don't really know what to do. I definitely _don't_ want ET to be an unmoderated non-digest list. If anyone has any comments about this, please email me privately. Thanks. Toby [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: tlkalka at mailbox dot syr dot edu (Terrance L Kalka II) Date: Fri, 3 Feb 95 15:13:15 EST Subject: No Warning Someone asked about the strange guitar sounds on "No Warning." It does sound like "no one" or whatever, but I suspect someone in KC decided it sounds like "No Warning." Peace Terry [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 12:09:43 -0800 (PST) From: "William C. Wolford" Subject: Wow: Intellect/Depth/Musical taste It was interesting to read how different the attitudes between Rush and KC enthusiasts are. Rush trys or has tried to be intellectual in their lyrical content and musical structures, but always in a very literal sense. There really isn't as much depth or outrageousness in Rushes music as in KC's. I think probably what it comes down to is Soul.KC is a very techically oriented band with much more complex rhythmic structures and, lyrically speaking, much more soulful, much more depth. The depth of the music is where the distinction is: hence, the depth of the people listening. Rush is good for beginners. [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: SezZ at eworld dot com Date: Fri, 03 Feb 95 12:11:40 PST Subject: King Crimson Transcriptions Somebody's probably mentioned this before, but I've lost track of the answer. Is there an FTP site, or a newsgroup that has transcriptions of King Crimson music? Is there any source of written King Crimson material? I would especially like the guitar part to "Fracture". Also, Islands is one of my favorite King Crimson albums too. I've never understood why some don't care for it. It's very musical if you ask me. If I were to pick a least favorite KC album it would have to be "Three of a Perfect Pair". I loved both Dicsiplin and Beat (Beat being the better of the two), but TOAPP just beats that sound into the ground. A couple of good cuts does not a good album make. VROOOM is incredible though. Can't wait for the next one. [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 15:09:18 -0500 (EST) From: Larry Coury Subject: Raisins/Psychodots CD info I recently posted a message giving a brief history of the Raisins and Psychodots. A number of people have asked for further info, so I thought I would make it available to everyone. There are four Raisins/Psychodots CDs available (to my knowledge) and they were all released on Strugglebaby records. For more info you can write to them directly: The Strugglebaby Recording Co. 2612 Erie Ave. Cincinnati, OH (USA) 45208 Larry Coury coury at fas dot harvard dot edu [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 15:02:31 -0600 From: Glenn Astarita Subject: A few cents... Hi, 1) In the last digest Peter Stoller mentions AH's disatisfation with being asked to play leads only, while doing session work. I'm not making an issue of this. AH's latest cd is excellent. I let one of my friends, a guitarist borrow it. His response after listening was " He's a great musician but I didn't hear many chords" ! Honestly I agree with my musician buddy. Now I may get some feedback on this. AH is undeniably a guitar genius. He has earned praise and respect from many. Well founded. Historically, I wouldn't surmise that many would remember him for his finesse as a chord plucker. Especially when he was heavily into his synthaxe. If this was a AH digest I would ask some to challenge me on my statements. In fact private e-mails are welcome. 2)Three cheers to Chris Hoards excellent essay re; AH and RF not joining forces ! I don't see it myself. Have any heard AH's recording with Australian guitar god Frank Gambale ? It's on the MVP label. Pick it up, Fantastic. 3)? for Tony Levin. Was it you who played with Randy Brecker and Steve Khan on qthose Blue Montreux records of the 70's ? Also with Steve Jordan on drums. Great stuff. Fortunately I taped them before the vinyl wore out ....Glenn [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 13:29:46 +0800 From: Dennis dot Montgomery at EBay dot Sun dot COM (Dennis Montgomery) Subject: Re: King Crimson tabbed? >tabs would you please mail them to me or nevada? I'm VERY interested in >Lark's tounges II and 21st Century... I posted the Schizoid tab to nevada a couple years ago...if you can't find it there, drop me a line and I'll email it to you directly! KingCrimson*Tull*Greenslade*Edith*Marillion*Ethos*GentleGiant*Minutemen*Zappa* * _______ *Sepultura*Queen*Beatles*Focus*Cathedral*NiademsGhost*BlackSabbatH * / \ a T | (. \ \ "I believe in the chaos of right and wrong, I believe in w h \ >\ | sound timeless and strong. I can only put my faith in k o-- > |< | Music, the only God I know." Bl'ast '89 w u / >/ | i g | (. / / Dennis Richards Montgomery:Software Engineer:Sun Microsystems i h \_______/ n t *REM*SFF*ELP*PFM*801*Eno*Yes*Eloy*12thNight*SydBarrett*SexPistols*d Industry*IQ**Anekdoten**VanDerGraaf*SadLovers&Giants*VeryOldGenesis*KateBush** [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 03 Feb 1995 13:25:39 -0700 (PDT) From: MCNICHOT at cgs dot edu Subject: Prices and wetton First, I would just like to comment on those who feel they have to belly-ache about the price of Vrooom. If it's too much money don't buy iyt!! It's that easy. If you had any bit of info on Fripp yyou would know it is not some giant money making scam he has set up. No conspiracy against you. So it costs a little more, I can't think of any other new album I'd pay 15 bucks for. If you think it's short, just wait. But please don't blame Fripp's drive to be a billionaire by 2000. That is just plane incorect and you sound like paranoid Richard Nixon sneaking into an Elvis concert. You pay for quality.Nuff said about that. Now, I think Fripp is the first few notes you herwe AARG! hear on Whetton's new album. I would say that those first few notes are the Frippetronics style we all love so much and of coarse winding throughout the rest of the tune. Also interesting to hear that the audiences for the west coast(US) Fripp tour were all fairly poor. The Tower Records gig was so good because only a fan would drive in the pooring rain and stand for an hour in a dirty record store to hear the master. Thus, when he played, we listened. Also, thanks again for those diary entries, very entertaining!! Over. mcnichot [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 16:14:47 +0800 From: John dot Lukes at EBay dot Sun dot COM (John Lukes) Subject: Re: Fripp in SF McCabe posted a short note on the San Francisco Fripp show he attended this week and I'm very sorry to hear about the audience behaviors. Perhaps, if this was as pervasive as Matt makes it sound, then it was just as well I didn't succumb to the temptation to attend -- having just seen the Santa Cruz show the night before. Not to claim any special "abilities," but "something" told me not to try to attend. I guess I was afraid my lust for more might spoil the wonderful experience that Santa Cruz's show was for me -- and I was so tired (since my friend's truck tire got "bottled" as he backed out of his parking spot and we had to wait for a tow truck to help change the completely ruined tire). So I stayed home and listened to the new California Guitar Trio CD -- excellent, by the way!!!!!! I've noticed how such amazing and such depressing things can occur in such close proximity -- where "life" seems to be pulling us back down to the earth when we try to soar too high for too long (even when it's a non-substance-induced high). But anyway, how do the others in attendance at Slim's feel about their experience? Was Matt just unlucky? Was the audience as bad at both shows? Is this typical for Slim's? (The only other show I've seen there was Ozric Tentacles and you could have used a bullhorn in there and few would have noticed -- shall we say that Ozric likes to "play loud"; oh, by the way, at Ozrics I too noticed that the air had a certain pungent scent, but I figured that was "Bagdad-by-the-Bay's" air!) -JOHN [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 16:34:21 +0800 From: John dot Lukes at EBay dot Sun dot COM (John Lukes) Subject: Re: Fripp in LA Just read "mcnichot"-s review of three shows he saw in the LA area in todays Digested E-Talk. Thanks so much for that post, "mcnichot" -- very fun to read how different venues and crowds (energy fields?) and different time periods effect the overall experience (the gestalt?) of the performances. Also wonderful to know that Mr. Fripp is sharing previews of Thrak -- wish I could have heard them...but then April is not THAT far off! Thanks again for that interesting perspective on the three LA area shows. -JOHN [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: Jeremy Ballard Bergsman Subject: Review and comment on Fripp in San Francisco Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 17:38:35 -0800 (PST) I just saw the first show at Slim's in SF. I felt that people were being quite respectful for the most part. I am not surprised to hear that in San Diego they were unimpressed however. This is not meant as a flame, but my old home town of SD has a pretty sad set of music fans. This in fact led to a great experience for me when I saw RF and the LCG there (Bacchanal ~'89). About half the people left during the show, and many more after the encore. When they came out for a second encore, the remaining 50 or so people moved to the front. After this encore ended the crowd dwindled to about 10. Then the band came out for the 4th time, encircled the 10 of us and played unplugged! Forget any claims of imaging offered by any music reproduction system -- this was mind blowing! About the fizzeling out that the SD poster reported (sorry for losing the name) this happend 3 times at the show I saw. Now I am angry. I figured that something in his rig was wearing out, but if he had advance notice of the problem I think he should have done something about it. Can someone explain what kind of control he has over the music now? In the old Frippertronics it seemed that if a note was played it was destined to be repeated every cycle until the end of the song. Now he can play things that don't get repeated, he can change the characteristics of what is being repeated, and he can remove sounds from the loop. Is this right? How does it work? (Please don't be _too_ technical for the non-musicians amoung us.) Jeremy Bergsman jeremybb at leland dot stanford dot edu [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: Jean Adams Subject: why I don't flame and frippery on vinyl Date: Fri, 3 Feb 95 20:46:57 EST Hello ET, Chris Pardua in the last ET commented on the benevolence and different tone of this list compared to others, I have noticed this too. I would love to use the excuse of being too intelligent to flame but I can't lie. In my case I'm so happy to hear anybody speak of KC or Fripp that I don't care if they agree or disagree with me, an opinion is an opinion. It sure beats talking to myself. I am also glad, for the most part, that people don't flame about the size of the posts, in my case I want MORE-MORE-MORE!!!! I wanted to ask anybody with KC or Fripp on vinyl if they noticed the little messages - by RF himself I imagine - scratched into the album where the album number is scratched into it at the end of the tracks? Under Heavy Manners has ALL SUCCUMBS TO THE FACE OF PERSISTANCE on side one and NEW MUSIC IS NOT A STYLE, IT IS A QUALITY on side two. The League of Gentlemen has THE NEXT STEP IS DISCIPLINE on side 2 and on the Exposure album, 1981 IS THE YEAR OF THE FRIPP on side 1 and THE AIM IS FREEDOM CONSCIENCE AND TRUTH on side 2. I haven't seen this on my KC albums and not on the CD's of course but I still check. If anyone happens to be looking through their old vinyl and happen to see any others please let me know what they are. Since I'm here I thought I would give my 2 cents worth on VROOM. I like it but I'm not sure if I love it yet. It really boggles my mind that they can do such a complex album as a "calling card" I really can't imagine what THRAK will sound like - incredible I imagine. I guess I'm still in shock at getting new Crimson. Well that's all for now----jean [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 11:52:24 -0500 From: DCOBobW at aol dot com Subject: Re: Shree In ET #167, bjacobs at mintaka dot SDSU dot Edu (William J Jacobs) writes: > The show was billed as "Robert Fripp's Soundscape, > the California Guitar Trio, and Shree". > I'm still not sure who Shree is, but I guess it must have > been RF plus the Trio playing Crafty tunes on acoustic guitars while > standing in a circle in the audience (much like in the RFSQ tour). If that > isn't it, then Shree didn't show up. If so, why the name Shree? I was also in San Diego. Shree didn't perform. I was told that Shree on the bill was the local club/booker's idea, which Fripp strongly vetoed. - Bob Wayne [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 3 Feb 95 21:17:08 GMT From: jthornton at ucsd dot edu (Organic Machinery) Subject: Re: RF Soundcapes in San Diego >From: bjacobs at mintaka dot SDSU dot Edu (William J Jacobs) >Subject: RF Soundcapes in San Diego >Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 18:42:23 -0800 (PST) >I attended Robert Fripp's concert in San Diego last Friday, and I thought >I'd review it for the folks of the list. As did I. It was my first Live Fripp experience, and I was completely amazed. [deletions] >The show opened with one of the acoustic circles, and ended with two more. >They were quite well done, but also very quiet. If they were over 15 feet >away, they were difficult to hear. I was in the front row of the cheap >seats and I barely heard one of them; I'm certain the folks in back near >the bar's adding machine couldn't hear at least two of them. I was *very* near all but 1 of these numbers. I liked the intimacy of the close performance, but wondered what the those farther away thought. On one number, the quartet stood circled before a couple, almost as if it were some sort of restaurant serenade. >Robert followed the opening with 2.5 soundscapes. I say two and a half >because his second one fizzled out along with some of his equipment just a >few minutes in. After this happened he gave a short speach, probably >explaining what went wrong. Only the first few rows heard what he said, so >I can't tell you for sure. [deletions] He said something like (paraphrase): "I suppose some words of explanation are in order. I normally don't like to talk during my performances..." and then went into a story about a performance he had just done, where the audience was allowed to ask questions afterwards. According to Fripp, one "gentleman" asked whether or not his shows were "improvised," and Fripp said he replied that "in so much as whatever happens, you have to deal with it." Then someone in the back shouted out, "Can you speak up?" and Fripp smiled and shook his head no. Of course, my big thrill was saying "hi" to Fripp before the show -- he was standing around, checking out the audience from back by the bathrooms. ---- ORGANIC MACHINERY Jason Thornton jthornton at ucsd dot edu [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 12:00:11 -0500 From: DCOBobW at aol dot com Subject: Fripp/CGT in San Diego In ET #167, bjacobs at mintaka dot SDSU dot Edu (William J Jacobs) writes: >Robert followed the opening with 2.5 soundscapes. I say two and a half >because his second one fizzled out along with some of his equipment just a >few minutes in. After this happened he gave a short speach, probably >explaining what went wrong. Only the first few rows heard what he said, so >I can't tell you for sure. Fripp talked about his recent show at Tower Records in LA, and said that he as asked in LA if the performances were improvised. His reply was: yes, if something goes wrong, you have to deal with it. > (CGT) gave out CD booklets, but didn't have any CD's to sell. Perhaps > they're not quite finished yet. Actually, Mark Perry/Possible Productions was in San Diego, and he had the new CGT CD for sale, as well as a new CGT t-shirt of the CD cover. And a Fripp Soundscapes t-shirt. You can contact Mark at dinokiller at aol dot com. > I suppose I have to agree with the crowd. The show was a bit to cerebral > for me. Sorry, but I greatly enjoyed the show. I never saw any of the earlier Frippertronics shows, so it was my first time seeing Fripp in a small, solo setting. Much of the auidience seemed to know nothing of anything other than Crimson, even up in the front of the room. The looks on the faces of some of the folks when Fripp started on stage were priceless. They couldn't have been more surprised if a spaceship had landed in front of them... > Everything was interesting, but nothing really grabbed me until after the > show, when the soundman put on _Vrooom_. That really makes me look forward > to the King Crimson tour. That wasn't Vrooom. They were playing tracks from Thrak, the new KC coming in March/April on Virgin US. Same songs as Vrooom, vastly different production/mix. - Bob Wayne [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 17:30:55 -0500 From: matottls at craft dot camp dot clarkson dot edu (Loren S. Matott) Subject: Wondering about Providence on "Red" hello out there.... I am new to the ET list so if i am bringing up an old subject just refer me to the appropriate place. I recently purchased a Definitive Edition of Red and I noticed that the Conclusion of Providence is abruptly abbreviated. The original? version on TGD box set goes on for a couple minutes longer with Wetton getting down with some cool bass. Well I was wondering If anybody else noticed this and also if there was a particular reason for ending the tune when it did. I would also like to know if anyone has an official list of all the people who played under the name of KC official and otherwise. It seems that a teacher at my high school is insistent that all the members of ELP played at some point or another. I had never heard this before but it seems this guy was around way back, and i'm just a budding fan if you will. well it's goodbye. [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 22:42:02 -0500 From: Diaphanus at aol dot com Subject: Gone to Earth >Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 20:39:21 -0500 >From: AFCPeterS at aol dot com >Subject: Re: Elephant-talk digest v95 #166 >> Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 20:53:11 -0500 >> From: Diaphanus at aol dot com >> Subject: misc >> >> I think that DS's 'Gone to Earth' is eponymous... >I think you should get out your dictionary and look up "eponymous." OK, how's this: 'Gone to Earth' is one of my favorite and most listened to albums. Initially drawn to it because of Robert Fripp's playing, I was soon lured into the deep, dark, ambient world of David Sylvian. I realized that while Fripp's guitar playing was alone worth listening to, the album would still have captured me even if he wasn't on it!! KC fans might not like DS because of his voice or his minimalism (read:restraint), but there is a certain quality to his music that deeply moves people (even the great Robert Fripp who asked him to join King Crimson for the new line-up!). Anyway, I do feel that 'Gone to Earth' has some of Fripp's best 'lead' playing since the Wetton-Bruford-Cross days. [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 01:46:01 -0600 (CST) From: Martin Wagner Subject: KC Texas dates/Trey Gunn I'm after the following info, gang. If KC are coming to Texas, and if so, when and where. Also, I need the Catalog number for Trey Gunn's CD 1000 Years, as I can find it nowhere in Austin and will evidently have to special order it. :( You can send replies to me directly at hepcats at eden dot com Martin [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Subject: Elephant-talk digest v95 From: john dot hagel at factory dot com (John Hagel) Date: Sun, 5 Feb 95 09:19:00 -0500 Organization: Invention Factory's BBS - New York NY - 212-274-8110 E> Date: Wed, 01 Feb 95 10:46:03 PST > "Allen Huotari" wrote in ET 167 > SILENT NIGHT flexi for sale/trade E> At the risk of turning ET into a classified ads section... I for one certainly don't mind ads for appropriate, KC related items from _individuals_. One of the purposes ET serves is to help us find KC related items. If where you can find it is right here, so be it. One reservation: Once you hook up with someone take the conversation off-line. --- . SPEED 1.40 [NR] . Dan Quayle for president. Of what????? [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: philkime at cogsci dot ed dot ac dot uk Date: Sat, 4 Feb 95 18:35:06 GMT Subject: _Earthbound_ and _USA_ on CD Browsing at a record fair today, I was suprised to see _Earthbound_ and _USA_ on CD. They both boast "plus 4 bonus tracks". Both are AAD so it looks like they're not remasters. The only information I can glean from them is that they are on the GEMA label. No numbers, nothing. I haven't listened to them yet but I'll report on the sound quality when I have. Hope it's better than the vinyl versions. Since I haven't looked at the vinyl version for a long time, I'd forgotten the track listings so here they are: Earthbound CD (66.38 mins) GEMA ------------------------------- 21st Century Schizoid Man Peoria The Sailor's Tale Earthbound Groon *Easy Money *Lament *Book of Saturday *Exiles Starred tracks are bonus tracks recorded as Amsterdam, Concertgebouw, 23 November 1973 USA CD (65.17 mins) GEMA ------------------------ Lark's Tongues in Aspic Lament Exiles Asbury Park Easy Money 21st Century Schizoid Man *Great Deceiver *Lament *The Night Watch *Starless and Bible Black Starred tracks are bonus tracks recorded at the Stanley Theatre Pittsburgh PA, April 29 1974 Remix assistance ... Eddie Jobson violin on Larks Tongues, Schizoid Man and piano on Lament. p -- = Phil Kime (philkime at cogsci dot ed dot ac dot uk) = = http://www.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/~philkime/home.html = = Centre for Cognitive Science/Dept of Philosophy = = Edinburgh University = [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 13:16:15 -0600 From: nash at chem dot wisc dot edu (John R. Nash) Subject: Internet Just a thought... if RF is carryqing around a DAT of the finished Thrak album, I was wondering if the Gunn/Levin tune "Internet" that we were told about found its way onto it... :-) -===-John R. Nash-==-nash at chem dot wisc dot edu-==-UW-Madison Chem. Dept-===- [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 15:49:02 -0500 From: Keelo at aol dot com Subject: Crimso Europe I am spending the winter in Copenhagen and am most interested in Crimso Europe dates. Any dates in Scandinavia? Also interested in any other intense bands heading this way. BTW, saw Crimson in BA -- great show. BTWW - love Discipline and the 80's line up. Nay sayers from the 70's take note - Crimson moves forward!!! Lastly, regarding the postulate that Vrooom is an import from Possible Productions and as such, is expensive. I bought Vrooom at Best Buys in Chicago, a very mainstream discount electronics store that happens to have an incredible CD selection at discount pricing (they not only carry Vrooom but also RFSQ, 1999, and Damage). I have never seen any imports at Best Buys and am skeptical that Vrooom is an import. IMHO, Vrooom is too expensive for an EP, a point that Mr. Fripp could address to his fans, especially in light of his recent critique of the music industry and bootlegs. Keelo [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: "W. M. Heinrichs" Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 16:46:13 -0500 Subject: Cosmic Utensil By: BILL HEINRICHS Features Coordinator It was a little over a year ago when I read that King Crimson was reforming. King Crimson is a rarity in modern music. They are one of the few remaining bands that strive to push the musical art form into new dimensions. Over the years King Crimson has created works that compared with classical composers. They also have had the power and sharp edge to drive holes into most metal and industrial bands alive today. King Crimson's musical style is an enigma due to the fact that the band, like their music, evolves. Robert Fripp is King Crimson's only remaining founding member. The bands newest formation is being billed as a double trio. On guitars, Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew. On Chapman Sticks, Tony Levin and Trey Gunn. On drums and percussion, Bill Bruford and Pat Mastelotto. Some of these musicians have worked with big names in the music industry like Peter Gabriel, Frank Zappa, Yes and Pink Floyd. Since I first heard of King Crimson's rebirth, the band has been in and out of the Woodstock, NY studio, Applehead, in May 1994. The end result was a short disc entitled VROOOM. While VROOOM is billed as the first full rehearsals, Trey Gunn, in a recent phone interview, told me that VROOOM "went farther than a practice session." The band "wrote for ten days, and later we recorded for 4 more." VROOOM has six distinct pieces that encourage listeners to drop what they have been doing and give the music their full attention. King Crimson has been noted for their complex polyrhythms and VROOOM does not disappoint. The song, One Time, has a Caribbean calypso styled back-beat with dreamy guitar riffs floating around Belew's voice. Cage is a short, hard punching shot at modern times. With fast driving, hectic background music, Belew gives a sane depiction of life in the USA: "All around us the rules are changing - taller walls and stronger cages - nothing is sacred or too outrageous - taller walls and stronger cages." The title cut is one of two seven minute instrumental pieces. The other is Thrak, which will be the title of King Crimsons next release. According to Gunn a few songs from VROOOM have been rerecorded after their concerts in Argentina last year. I am interested in hearing how these songs evolved. Gunn told me, "since playing live, many things have changed." King Crimson will be starting a world tour in May. Do not be surprised to see live material being released from this tour. Smaller recording equipment and DAT, digital audio tape, makes recording concerts convenient and cheaper. Some of the bands latest DAT recordings sound "amazing" according to Gunn. Turning into a professional musician was "not a conscious decision" for Gunn. Gunn started out with "piano when was seven years old." Later he moved onto bass, then the Chapman Stick. The Stick is a ten or twelve stringed instrument that has stereo pickups placed in strategic positions among the different bass and melody strings. The Chapman Stick is the central instrument in Gunn's recent solo release, One Thousand Years. This disc has over 40 minutes of original music composed, recorded and mixed by Gunn. Bob Muller, on Tabla, percussion and drums, is the only other regular musician playing on all the tracks. Gunn says, "Bob is one of the best Tabla players I know." I highly recommend making the trip to your local music store, and purchasing Gunn's solo release. One Thousand Years showcases Gunn's emerging talent with a wide girth of creativity. Each of the eight cuts has a distinct flavor. The Night Air gives a bouncy playful air that starts the listener on their One Thousand Years journey. Before the end, Gunn has takes you into a realm that is uniquely his own. "These songs were written about dreams I have had." This disc is not for the passive listener. There are melodies presented in Gunn's songs that evoke moods ranging from joy to sorrow and determination to bewilderment. Some lyrics blend with the music giving the appearance that syllables were chosen for their sound as well as their meanings. Gunn says, One Thousand Years "was not conceived as individual songs, but as a whole. I wanted all the pieces to interlock." He has succeeded in his goal. There is a continuity that flows throughout the disc. While there are songs, like Take This Wish, that would stand alone and get airplay, One Thousand Years deserves to be listened to in its entirety. I am impressed with Trey Gunn's talents, and, considering the company he keeps, I am not alone in this impression. Gunn's goals for the future "are to be more bold and cohesive." If his solo work and stepping into King Crimson is not bold enough, I am looking forward to his next project. -------------------------------------------------------- Hello, This article was originally published in The Polytechnic on January 19, 1995. I thought you folks may enjoy it. To discover more about The Polytechnic, check out: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/union/poly/public_html/polyhome.html Bill PS I will be moving from Troy NY to Los Angelos CA in late May. I would like to get tickets to see KC. Any information or help would be greatly appreciated. [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 14:56:54 -0800 (PST) From: Bruce Gordon Subject: would you like some cheese with that Whine? Howdy, So why does Fripp/sylvian/KC (etc) not play Seattle. I know that many promoters in the area are jerks, but is that the reason? There are many fans (and Stick players, too) who would love to see tham and not have to travel to that big desert to the south (CA, Duh)...jeez, Paul speer will be here shortly (la-ti-da) and we expect him to sell out (is that redundant? :) ) bgor [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 16:51:38 +0800 (PST) From: chris mahmood Subject: Fripp in LA cont. Greetings from hell, I must agree with the last post from LA about the recent fripp shows--while the performance itself was excellent (of course), the crowd at The house of blues (yes, that really is the name) was probably the rudest i have ever seen (or should i say heard?). There was absolutely NO appreciation for what rf and the cgt were trying to do and NO appreciation for those of us there to appreciate. The valet in the bathroom put it best (yes, they do have a valet in the bathroom): when i asked him what he thought of the show he replied "When i want to hear classical music i stay home to listen to it or go to a place meant for classical music. I don't go to a place called 'The house of blues.' Between the flash photos and the screaming drunk women in the balcony, i would not be surprised if rf skips this god-foresaken next time around. Please don't take this as a flame; I know if there were any other ET subscribers there they, like me, tried their best to give rf and cgt the respect they deserve. Driving home from the show i was joking with my friend that a "fripp literacy test" should be given to all potential concert-goers at the door. We laughed it off as being hopelessly elitest, but on second and third thought... -ckm ### The number you have dialed is imaginary. Please rotate your phone ### ### 90 degrees and try again ### [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: Crimson at eworld dot com Date: Sun, 05 Feb 95 17:52:18 PST Subject: Video Releases <> I too would like to see Frejus re-released (especially on laserdisc), but have heard of no plan. Sylvian/Fripp Live (a concert recording from Japan) is apparently coming in laserdisc soon (I've placed an order with AB-CD in Port Chester, N.Y. - 914-939-ABCD) AB-CD also said that Careful with that Axe is still available on laserdisc as an import. Three of a Perfect Pair - Live in Japan is still available on laser, and you probably know that the Robert Fripp String Quintet is available on video from Possible Productions. Greg [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Subject: KC tickets in Europe? Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 01:24:57 -0600 (CST) From: Craig W. Rotermund How would one go about getting tickets ordered for one of the King Crimson concerts coming up in May in Europe? I am planning a trip and would like to synchronize it with a KC show. [ I would suggest contacting the venues directly -- Toby ] -- ************************************************************* * universe@cwis "By the perception of illusion * * .unomaha.edu we experience reality."...??? * ************************************************************* [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Tue, 7 Feb 1995 01:32:39 +1300 From: james dot dignan at stonebow dot otago dot ac dot nz (James Dignan) Subject: Island Definitive CD >Now I know that the studio/orchestra stuff at the end of the CD is supposed to >>be there and that the Definitive Edition does not contain it. I am only left >>wondering if this studio/orchestra stuff was at the end of the actual (vinyl) >>album. I recollect that it wasn't, but it was many years ago that I had the >>album to listen to. I'm confused. The vinyl album had it, as does my "definitive edition" CD copy. I've never compared it with a standard CD, but on my CD the title track, although listed on the cover as being 9 minutes long, lasts nearly 12 minutes, the last two of which are a thirty-second silence followed by the orcehsetra tuning up. I've got a funny feeling that someone's slapped a Definitive Edition sticker on a non-Definitive CD here... Watcher Of The Skies sez: >2. No Warning: either Robert or Adrian succeeds in making their guitars form >words - starting at about 2:12, what seems to be a flanged guitar says "You're >no one!" over and over and over. This happens again later in the song, and >then again, with the guitar saying only "No one" over and over. Granted, this >might not be what the guitarist intended, but it's impossible for me to hear >it without hearing "You're no one!" I believe the guitar is 'saying' "No Warning". It makes sense, and that's what I always hear, anyway. "You're no one" or "..ing no warn..."? James James Dignan, Department of Psychology, University of Otago. Ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk St., St. Clair, Dunedin, New Zealand pixelphone james dot dignan at stonebow dot otago dot ac dot nz / steam megaphone NZ 03-455-7807 * You talk to me as if from a distance * and I reply with impressions chosen from another time, time, time, * from another time (Brian Eno) [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: lister%terzon dot uucp at metronet dot com (B. B. Campbell) Subject: Re: Islands Definitive Edition tuneup Date: Mon, 6 Feb 95 9:17:36 CST > Eric D. Dixon > track on Frame by Frame in 1991. Hopefully, by the time I get around to > purchasing the Islands CD, there will be a Definitive Edition with that > track. > My version of Islands the Definitive Edition CD includes the tuneup at the end of the final track. The track listed as 9:16 in length, but continues for a minute of silence, then the tuneup section runs from 10:16 through 11:52. It was purchased in the US in late December... -- Bert Campbell lister at terzon dot com [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Subject: Re: New instrumentation Date: Mon, 06 Feb 1995 11:12:26 EST From: John Saylor [x] >then, when he went to his state of the art system . . . we as the >audience seemed to loose him . . . it was obvious he was making his >ownstatement etc but to think he put the notes into the electronics, the >electronics manipulate the notes further while he steps back and >considers the output. Somehow I think he is disconnecting himself from >his product. Well, as a composer, I often have to do the same thing. In a nutshell, you write the notes and leave it up to the performers to actally "sound" them. Although the analogy is a bit strained, the idea that he can start a musical process and leave it alone does not necessarily degrade the music in my book. And fripp's music has been about disconnection in some way for as long as I can remember. It is usually a frantic electronic dissassociation from the tempo and key area of the music. His present digital frippertronic work [which I have not heard] sounds like he's doing the same thing but on another level. >But I'm curious, as someone well >informed of music composition, does Discipline stand up to the stuff that >came before? I see the Discipline stuff as much more structured and >rigid . . . kind of like that knot they put on the cover . . . where as >KCIII was much more free. Am I right? :) Well, yes and no. First of all, I'm not sure what you mean by KCIII [I guess it's LTIA-USA], but structure has always been a part of KC. The tune Discipline sounds "written out" [even if not in standard notation], but other stuff on the record [elephant talk] is more free. And earlier stuff, like In the Court of the Crimson King, is also quite "written out." I view it more as a change in dialect rather than in language. >but I feel now that none of the new records >will ever measure up . . . I feel like I'm losing something. I think Fripp >has a lot to say but don't think he's saying it for some reason, at least >not in his music. Hey, just because fripp plays something on his guitar doesn't mean you have to like it! Give your own taste some credit. So if fripp is doing work now that you don't like- so what! Try Sun Ra! jsaylor [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 13:37:09 -0500 (EST) From: "Robert M. Miller" Subject: Trey Gunn I recently purchased a copy of Sunday All Over The World. I think it's great but would like to here your opinion of it. For those of you who haven't heard it, it's definately worth getting. It's consistent with the work done between Fripp and Gunn. I'll write a review after I listen to the album a little longer. I noticed that all the work done by Fripp and Gunn together is excellent. For example the Sylvian/Fripp albums, the RFSQ, and S.A.O.t.W. Trey Gunn's "One Thousand Years" was also impressive. This leads me to wonder what else Gunn has done. Does anyone know? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks. --Rob [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 15:49:55 -0500 From: BILLFORTH at aol dot com Subject: Re: Soundscapes Dear Elephant Talk, In response to Bill Jacobs, writing on the San Diego performance of Robert Fripp / Soundscapes with guests, The California Guitar Trio: "Shree" was added to the billing in San Diego without the permission of the artists or their representative by the local promoter. Shree consequently did not appear. Ticket holders who came to see Shree were refunded and invited to watch the performance. Observations on the Soundscapes performances contributed by ET readers confirm for me that rock 'n' roll clubs are a good example of the wrong venues for Soundscapes, as listeners very often do not wish to have their expectations challenged in this setting. Or, perhaps audiences just aren't ready for Soundscapes, as Mcnichot intimates in his report. Matt McCabe's comments from the San Fransisco (Slim's) performance <"Did anyone else go to actually *listen* to his playing?"> also suggests that, while some were listening, others missed the opportunity. It seems to me that no listener (such as Matt) who pays for music should have to endure rude and/or intoxicated audients. To those who were there and listening, thank you. Kindest regards, Bill Forth. [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 18:53:29 +0800 From: steve at gateway dot scopus dot com (Steve Yockey) Subject: USA & Earthbound >From: philkime at cogsci dot edinburgh dot ac dot uk (Phil Kime) > >Browsing at a record fair today, I was suprised to see _Earthbound_ and _USA_ >on CD. They both boast "plus 4 bonus tracks". Both are AAD so it looks like >they're not remasters. The only information I can glean from them is that they >are on the GEMA label. No numbers, nothing. I haven't listened to them yet but Regarding the releases of USA & Earthbound on CD: I'm 99% sure these are bootlegs. The "extra tracks" are from some of the most commonly bootleged performances. The label of "GEMA" isn't a label at all.... rather it's the German "seal of approval" given to all records/CDs sold in germany. Furthermore, Germany is one of the few countries to allow bootlegs. And if that's not enough, I believe Mr. Fripp has stated that he does not want these albums to see the light of day again. Therefore, don't expect these to have the sound quality of "definitive edition remasters" and expect to pay more than you would for a legitimate release. Please correct me if I'm wrong.... -steve yockey at slip dot net [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Subject: Islands 'Tune Up' From: mike dot dickson at almac dot co dot uk (MIKE DICKSON) Date: Sun, 05 Feb 95 00:29:00 +0100 Organization: ALMAC : Grangemouth, Scotland : +44 (0)1324 665371 JDEhm at eworld dot com wrote... [T] Now I know that the studio/orchestra stuff at the end of the CD is supposed [T] to be there and that the Definitive Edition does not contain it. I am only [T] left wondering if this studio/orchestra stuff was at the end of the actual [T] (vinyl) album. It was. I still have all the vinyl originals and I promise you that the orchestral 'tune up' is there. (I only have the vinyl and the CD and I noticed the CD *didn't* have it) --- * KWQ/2 1.2g * Columnated Ruins Domino * mike dot dickson at almac dot co dot uk * TEAM OS/2 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Subject: Whoops & Hollers From: mike dot dickson at almac dot co dot uk (MIKE DICKSON) Date: Sun, 05 Feb 95 00:36:00 +0100 Organization: ALMAC : Grangemouth, Scotland : +44 (0)1324 665371 [T] These sorts of things are scary and King Crimson seems to be pretty good at [T] doing them - there are assorted whoops and hollers in songs like We'll Let [T] You Know, Fracture, and Lark's Tongues in Aspic pt. 3. I know nought of the latter, but the first two you mentioned were recorded live in front of an audience, hence the occasional 'vocal interjections' by the listeners in the auditorium. --- * KWQ/2 1.2g * Columnated Ruins Domino * mike dot dickson at almac dot co dot uk * TEAM OS/2 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Tue, 7 Feb 1995 07:25:55 -0500 From: BABubier at aol dot com Subject: Re: Elephant talk From: CTYM80A at prodigy dot com (MR BRIAN K PRESTON) Subject: Indisciple???? > It was labeled "Indisciple" and was alive recording of > the newly re-formed KC with Tony Levin and Adrian of course. > It had rough versions of I'm looking at a copy as I write this and... The title is Indisciple Mining Rocks All recorded at Stonybrook University NY 2/28/82 except* which was some of the coolest music played on TV since June 12,1973 when Crmson played on the Midnight Special Elephant Talk* (rec. Friday's TV show 12/5/81) Red Sheltering Sky Thela Hut Ginjeet *(rec. Friday's TV show 12/5/82) Turkish Tea (The Howler) (nameless) instrumental Larks' Tongues Pt 2 Since this was late '81/early '82 Discipline had been out for a while and they had toured to promote that album for about 8 months before this boot was recorded. There is The Howler from Beat which was as yet unreleased though. The sound quality is pretty good. Interestingly, Fripp's article on "Bootlegging, Royalties, and the Moment" from Musician Magazine is printed verbatim on the back of the record. Also included is a list of ALL the equipment used by each member of the band and a brief review of the Stonybrook show. All in all a fair snap at bootlegging. Why, it even has the Warner Brothers and EG logos and says "Promotional Copy. Not for Sale" on it. Yeah, like anybody's gonna believe that. The cover mimics Discipline album with band phots on the bottom and a tape recorder sucking the life out of the Discipline logo with a syringe. Clever, if none too subtle. Hope that helps. Bruce [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: "ToddM" Organization: LaserMaster Corporation Date: 7 Feb 1995 12:52:09CST6CDT Subject: Sheet Music/Tablature Is there anyone out there who knows a source for getting the music or tablature (preferably) to "Fracture", "Disclipline", and "Larks Tongues I/II/III?". I've seen the video of King Crimson in Japan and it shows Robert practicing "Fracture" at breakneck speed with a metronome. "Fracture" is not only an interesting piece of music, but it would be a perfect practice excercise for those who like to practice cross-picking (guitar work where you are picking across the strings). One of the discussions in the last issue talked about Mr. Holdsworth and Mr. Fripp as being possible conspirators for a duet...It would be interesting, but I don't see it happening. Another interesting collaboration would be Fripp and John McLaughlin (there was the article in Musician, "Coffee and Chocolate for Two Guitars", so it is possible) or Fripp and John Goodsall (Goodsall has always been obsessive in his interest on chordal arpeggios, could be interesting with Fripp's cross-picking delicacies). ToddM - Associate Technician LaserMaster Technical Support Services ToddM at laserm dot lmt dot com [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 22:05:51 GMT From: Russell Whitworth Subject: Lesser known Dorset bands :From last week's Elephant Talk: >The diary of King Crimson by Robert Fripp, from musician magazine dated >Jan. 1982 >Monday, April 27th, 1981; Chez Parents; 1815 >Somewhat weary after today's rehearsals. Backtracking to Saturday: we heard >Adrian's vocal ideas. Good words, good tunes, particularly "Heat in The >Jungle" and "Matte" in the evening we went to Shillingstone Village Hall to >see the Martian Schoolgirls and a group from the Tarrant Valley. Both were >effective, and Tommy Winstone's PA system from Bournemouth is good, his >mixing excellent. This area is getting close to having a musical review. We >may not have local groups with new styles likely to change fashion on a >world level, but we can go to a village hall and enjoy ourselves to live >music enthusiastically played. Shillingstone was full and >bopping. The unnamed band would have been The Controls. I can remember their guitarist, Martin (Piggy) Hart, being very pleased with the words of encouragement that he got from RF. I don't think he was previously aware of this "review", and he'll be receiving a copy by snail-mail. I'm sure he'll be pleased! The Martian Schoolgirls got as far as having a single played by John Peel on Radio 1. Both bands had a strong local following for quite a few years, but indeed they didn't get to "change fashion on a world level". -- ===================================================================== This message from Toshiba T2400CS, Trumpet Winsock, FI Mail via Demon Home: russell at anchorag dot demon dot co dot uk Amateur Radio: gm4ctp@gb7eiy Work: russell dot whitworth at pa-consulting dot com ===================================================================== [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 8 Feb 95 12:17:29 -0500 From: sarthur at lutece dot rutgers dot edu (Stephen Arthur) Subject: 1982 trousr press: kc OLD CULT GROUPS NEVER DIE (THEY JUST BECOME MORE POPULAR) By David Fricke TROUSER PRESS/March 1982 Where's Fripp? Where the hell is Fripp?" Five minutes into King Crimson's opening-night late show at New York's Savoy, a bug-eyed post-hippie rock 'n' roll yahoo (distinguishing marks: tousled, black shoulder-length curls, graying Genesis T-shirt, blue jeans that could probably walk by themselves) bursts through the club's door, races through the foyer without giving the bar a second's thought, and stops on a dime at the back of the hall. A few inches shy of six feet tall, he cranes his neck every which way to see the stage beyond the heads and shoulders of several hundred other Crimson freaks who got there before him. "Where's Fripp?" he howls, unable to spot the guest of honor. His friend, standing next to him and a good head and a half taller, explains calmly that Robert Fripp is playing his guitar seated on a stool at stage right, just below his sight line. "Holy shit! He's sitting down," the yahoo repeats (obviously unaware that Fripp has never performed in any other position); awe and worship resonate in his cracking voice just as it does in the hoots and hollers of "Crimson!," "Bruford!" and "Fuckin' A-a-y!" echoing throughout the packed house. To the progressive/art-rock cultists, battered by the scornful winds of punk!those who witnessed the hard-fought artistic victories won by Crimson, Genesis et al. in the early and mid-'70s, since coopted by pop hacks like REO Speedwagon and Styx!King Crimson lives again. Long live the King. But the return of King Crimson is not just a celebratory experience. As with all things Crimson and Fripp, there are lessons to be learned, preconceptions to reconsider. The odds are that the majority of fans at the Savoy are of the original (pre-punk) Trouser Press variety: passionate Anglophiles who wear their Crimson gear!buttons, vintage T-shirts, even one denim jacket handsomely painted with the grinning red sun from the inside cover of In The Court of The Crimson King!like badges of honor. They pay loud, genuine respect to the physical expertise and imagination of drummer Bill Bruford, whose previous exploits with Yes and the old Crimson already comprise a sizable chapter of art-rock history. They probably know bassist Tony Levin from his work with Peter Gabriel and on Fripp's own Exposure. They may even be passably conversant with founder Fripp's forays into ambient music and art-punk via Discotronics and the short-lived League of Gentlemen. All, however, share the conviction that that this is no idle cash-in reunion. These paying customers always admired King Crimson not only for what it played but what it stood for. Thus guitarist Adrian Belew (whose credentials with Frank Zappa, David Bowie and the expanded Talking Heads probably don 't carry much weight with this crowd) gets the same enthusiastic reception for a string-bending wipeout as Fripp does for a stirring psycho-solo. The audience hears the same commitment in material from the recent Discipline album and new, as-yet un-recorded pieces that they recognize in live reprises of "Red" and "Larks' Tongues Aspic, Part Two." For all the stick they get from a sniggering; press which considers them diehard nostalgic sheep, this audience is built on trust. They are willing to trust what they may notentirely understand!either in Fripp's music or his copious philosophies that accompany it. And they trust King Crimson because has never let them down. The day after the Savoy show, Bill Bruford, 32, tries to explain that trust. "What I've noticed from the audience is that they're perfectly happy to accept us and our music," he says in that cheery British manner which contrasts so starkly with Fripp's dry academic wit. "Obviously we brought back those old fans by using name King Crimson. [The band was originally dubbed Discipline, hence the LP title.] And it will take time, I think, for the ideas to work through. But I don't think the old fans I met were disappointed. They seemed to like it. "What they are responding to is an effort by us; they know this is not a reunion as such. Those are the two main points of this tour!that it is a real effort and not a cheap reunion. And that is a good place to start." Fripp, as usual, has a few words on the subject. "There is a new possibility for a positive relationship between performer and artist that hasn't been for about 12 years. We're finding a lot of people that don't bear the scars of the excesses of the '70s, that are young enough [or just willing enough?] to start over. Our very best reactions are coming from those people who have no idea who King Crimson was or is." The ones who do have an idea aren't just responding automatically. "I thought when we played the States," Bruford continues, "there would be a lot of shouting for 'Schizoid Man' and all that. There hasn't been. I've heard a lot of cries of 'Bruford' and 'Frippertronics'!you know that crude animal instinct an audience has!but nothing like a 'Schizoid Man.' I'm pleased about that. I think people are underestimating our audience. They are not sheep. They do possess remarkable intuitive abilities. In the Times Square subway station after the Savoy show, a group of hard-core Crimson fans dissect the set; as their train pulls up they agree it was an unqualified success. "You know," one of them announces as he steps into the subway, "Fripp is back where he belongs." Fripp could not agree with him more. Robert has said repeatedly this is his dream band," says Adrian Belew, lead-off batter in a full day of Crimson conversations at Island Records' New York office. "He's been dreaming about it for four or five years. " Belew has been dreaming about it for a lot longer than that. An affable America with an Eno-esque hairline and chipper chipmunk face, Belew is a King Crimson freak of long standing. "To suddenly be part of it," he raves, "was like joining the Beatles or something." His recruitment into the band was sudden enough. He and Fripp met at a Steve Reich concert in New York, where Belew was cutting Lodger tracks with David Bowie. They hit it off, and Belew's Ga-Ga band opened five New York shows for the League of Gentlemen. Then when Belew passed through London with Talking Heads early last year, Fripp popped the question. Bruford says he and Fripp had been together as a "band" for two days when Belew entered the picture. Fripp claims Belew had reservations about joining the band. Belew describes the situation as simply a crisis of confidence. "When I came into this band, I was insecure for the first time in my 21 years of playing music. I thought everything I was doing was a load of crap. I couldn't write songs and I began to feel maybe I wasn't a singer. I honestly felt It didn't have an artistic contribution to make, and I knew this was going to be a heavy responsibility!to be singer, Lyricist, and share guitar responsibilities with Robert." Fripp and Bruford's encouragement only complicated matters since Belew held both in considerable awe. The turning point came during rehearsals, by which time the group included Tony Levin, who sacrificed lucrative session work to join. Belew had been rehearsing with a Roland guitar like Fripp's, trying to adapt his style of playing!a rubbery, feedback-heavy sound compared to Fripp's liquid distortion and staccato peal-outs!to an unfamiliar instrument; he was grappling with lyric writing as well. By the third week Belew was a nervous wreck. "Then I realized, 'Hey, I'm not playing my guitar. I'm just basically sounding like Robert. Where's my voice in this?' So I picked up my Stratocaster, restrung it, and everything changed. "The next move was vocally. When I started making my sounds and doing my thing, everybody kept saying, 'Yeah, Adrian, you're finally into the band.' I only came into my own in the fourth week, just before the live concerts started. " It comes as no surprise that Belew!a loose, friendly guy!welcomed the name change from Discipline to King Crimson. He draws a parallel between Fripp and previous employer Frank Zappa, both disciplinarians of slightly different mettle. "Frank spells everything out for you; Robert is only giving a shape and an outline, and everyone is free to make their own parts. But the kind of approach you have to use to perform the material is the same. " Compare, for example, the tracks "Discipline" and "Indiscipline" on the new album. The former started out as a very Frippian guitar figure in 15/8 overlaying a kinetic 17/8 Bruford time signature. All Belew did was map out his part with Robert and get it down pat. " 'Indiscipline' started out as a vehicle for some pretty erratic drumming. Originally it was almost a throwaway, a drum solo with a riff hung on it. Eventually I came up with a little melody, Robert came up with a line for himself, and at that point we thought no, it's still not enough. "I knew what it needed was a vocal, but I couldn't think of anything to sing. So I thought of doing these talk sections throughout the song. We did that the very last day of recording. I took a letter my wife had written me about a painting she had done. I just took all these lines out of context without specifically naming what the subject was, then added a few lines of my own. It's a very undisciplined song." (Belew has psyched out Crimson freaks who may have already memorized those lines by adding to and subtracting from them during performance.) Another example of Belew's spontaneity is his impassioned relating on "Thela Hun Ginjeet" (an anagram for "Heat in the Jungle," the song's working title) of two close encounters!first with an angry mob of blacks, then a couple of oppressive bobbies!outside the London studio where the band was recording. He ran in immediately after, "so shook up and excited," and told his story to everyone in the studio. "Then Robert sneakily turns on the tape recorder and asks me to repeat the story for several other people. And that's what you hear on the record . " Asked if he subscribes to any of Fripp's Gurdjieffian small-mobile-intelligent philosophies, Belew (whose own solo album has just come out on Island) admits that heavy statement is not his style. "I like to leave things open, make a little fun out of it. I didn't know if that would be accepted here. Fun didn't seem like the right thing for King Crimson." The Warner Bros. party line is that Robert Fripp is not doing any formal interviews this tour. The 35-year-old guitarist had already undergone shock interview therapy a few weeks prior to Discipline's release. In addition, his recent tell-all diary in Musician Player and Listener leaves little to the imagination, explaining everything you wanted to know about the new Crimson but may have been afraid to ask. As for old Crimson stories, refer to the three-part Frippiad published in early issues of Trouser Press. Fripp does consent, however, to a brief chat to clear up a few previously unexplained points!like the real nature of the experience" (as he put it in Musician) by which he came to recognize Discipline as King Crimson. "I can expect it if people want to be cynical and say Fripp's a charlatan. But will; we began rehearsing just as a three-piece [before Levin joined I was simply aware of this quality of energy which was the iconic aspect of King Crimson available to this band if we wished to plug into it. "It's a subtle experience but it's entirely real all the same. I don't feel I have to apologize or explain what the band is. For me, it 's entirely real. My sense is that this band is King Crimson. To me, it's painfully obvious, and anyone who comes along to see it knows. You can't form King Crimson; you can't reform King Crimson; you can't form a band and call it King Crimson. For that band, it is not possible. This is a special band because it's so ordinary." "Ordinary" is not the word most people would use to describe original lyricist Peter Sinfield's dazzling but ultimately hammy imagery and the rich, high-decibel classicism of In the Court of the Crimson King, In the Wake of Poseidon, and Lizard; the moody baroque drift of the hauntingly beautiful Islands; the primal shriek and heavy-metallic improvisations of the great Fripp/Bruford/David Cross/John Wetton quartet on larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and live U.S.A.; or Red's last evocative gasp. No, Crimson is no ordinary word. But as one of the original art-rockers couldn't King Crimson be held partially responsible for the subsequent excesses of rock in general (and art-rock in particular) Fripp has railed against in recent years? His reply is a flat-out no. "The movement of which Crimson was a founding member !some will say the founding member! went off course. Crimson was partly to blame because we continued to be a part of it, but when the time came to stop we were the only band to stop. That proves one point about the band's credentials. " And what does Fripp consider the essential difference between the new and old Crimsons or between this band and the short-term projects (League of Gentlemen, for example) of his recently-completed Drive to 1981? "This," he declares, "is the very first band I've formed where I've said I wish to determine the parameters of the band's action. Not to be a dictator, but more like a guy saying, 'This is the sports field; now go and play sports and I'll play sports with you.' It's initiating a situation so you can concentrate energy. "There have been reservations. Adrian's reservations about getting involved with this band is an entirely accurate observation. I had reservations about getting involved with this band. It's not a band to take lightly. It's a commitment." At this point Bill Bruford enters the room, ready to join the fray. Fripp and Bruford have had highly publicized differences in the past, and Fripp's diary mentions friction early on in Discipline. What were Bruford's reservations? Fripp suddenly jumps up out of his chair. "It is time I must leave," he announces. "Robert, there's no need to leave," Bruford insists, assuming the question has caused some discomfort. "No," Fripp says, flashing one of his enigmatic smiles, "it is not that I want to leave, but that I must. I think I'll go out for some chocolate cake." And that was that. I was the jilted lover before, the lover of King Crimson," Bruford continues; his boyish, animated face reveals his enthusiasm for the subject. Bruford joined King Crimson in late 1972, leaving a lucrative association with Yes to follow Fripp's errant path. "There are a number of groups, a fewish number," he said at the time, "but a number of groups that are on the precipice in a way, beyond which there is a blackness, a kind of void, and they're Peering into it hoping that it may go this way, but knowing that it may not go this way at all, it may be completely wrong. I feel that King Crimson is now one of those groups." Crimson spent the next two years peering into that void; when Fripp ordered a retreat in 1974, Bruford was crushed. "I was just getting emotionally involved!although intellectually I know I shouldn't have!and when Robert broke up the band, I was the jilted lover. I wanted to keep it together. When Robert asked me to do this, my only suspicion was that I didn't want to be jilted again." Having led his own band for the last three years, Bruford actually welcomes the opportunity to butt heads with Fripp. ("I probably give as good as I get," he admits.) During Discipline's first days, though, Bruford says he and the other band members dealt gingerly with Fripp, fearing the wrong word or note might cause him to abandon the project. "He was returning to the battlefield and I don't think anyone wanted to scare him off. Some people still ask me why the first group stopped and I still don't know. I've got my suspicions, but I'm no great psychoanalyst."~ For all their little spats, Bruford and Fripp go together like yin and yang. To use his sports-field metaphor, Fripp describes a cricket pitch but Bruford throws it. Or, as Bruford explains it: "lt. starts out as a stream of negatives first off, which cracks many a lesser man. 'Don't do this, don't do that, and I suggest you don't do this. By the way, I also recommend you don't do that.' You're in a prison and you've got to find your way out of things. I quite like that. I must be a masochist or something, but I don't feel right unless I'm imprisoned and told to find a way around it. That's the challenge." In other words, discipline (according to the inscription on the back album cover) "is never an end itself, only a means to an end." What concerns Bruford among all this towering babble about first-division bands, crises of confidence, the quality of Crimson energy, etc., etc. is that King Crimson make music first, talk second. For someone with the gift of gab, Fripp can be a man of few words. Bruford originally joined Crimson when Fripp came to his house for dinner one night, carting his guitar and amplifier along with him. After dinner Fripp suggested they play together for a bit. That was the audition. Ditto the new band. Fripp stopped by Bruford's house "and did the usual thing: asked me, 'What would you do if I did this?' I'd say I'd do something and he'd say " 'Wrong, try something else.' "We didn't talk about it all that much, although you wouldn't know it from all this talk. When musicians get together they to play their instruments more than they tend to play their instruments more than they talk. "You see, I enjoy playing," Bruford continues. "It's FUN. I just hope we look at the cheerful, optimistic side of this and don't take ourselves too seriously!just play some music and don't get too carried away with discussion. I don't want people to feel they need a Ph.D. in behavioral sciences to understand King Crimson. It's not like that ." Bruford smiles, almost bashfully. "It's just a pop group with some good ideas. The more we remember that, the more everyone will enjoy it." Talking Heads probably don 't carry much weight with this crowd) gets the same enthusiastic reception for a string-bending wipeout as Fripp does for a stirring psycho-solo. The audience hears the same commitment in material from the recent Discipline album and new, as-yet un-recorded. [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 08 Feb 1995 11:06:42 -0600 (CST) From: "Dolph Chaney, vox/gtr, PORT RADIUM" Subject: LTiA/The First Day/Wire Evenin', all. Recently, on one shopping trip, I bought LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC, Sylvian/Fripp's THE FIRST DAY, and Wire's 154. Now, LTiA was the only studio Crimson that I didn't already have. Since I own FRAME BY FRAME and USA, I had each of the songs in some form, so I had kidded myself into thinking that was good enough. HAH! I was a fool! LARKS' TONGUES rules!!!! I was especially interested in the full "LTiA Part I~" in the full "LTiA Part I". I know that Fripp edited it for length on FRAME BY FRAME, but disc 2 is less than 69 minutes, I think. Why not keep the full version in? All of David Cross's solo is out, and if I'm not mistaken, some of Fripp's feature (around 5:00) is out, right after he plays that amazing run by himself. This section on the full version is amazing, featuring some astonishing interplay between all, especially Fripp and Muir. THE FIRST DAY is also first-rate. I'd never heard Sylvian before in any context, and I'm truly impressed. Any suggestions for where to go next? As for 154, I *love* PINK FLAG and CHAIRS MISSING, but this one doesn't really do it for me. Perhaps it's my appreciation of punk/new wave that ties me to PINK FLAG, or maybe it's my guitarist-bias. For the Crimson fan, CHAIRS MISSING might be interesting. I never would have tied Wire and Crimson together; maybe, as it's been suggested in Elephant Talk before, it's the later Wire that really makes this clear. I heard THE IDEAL COPY once, and it didn't do anything for me either. Oh, well, sorry to ramble, but it's what I do best. Take care, and countdown to 8 April!!! Dolph [Toby -- please fix my error in typing/spacing above. Thanks. Keep up the good work.] [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 08 Feb 95 15:59:31 EST From: astarling at octrf dot on dot ca Subject: Re: Elephant-talk digest v95 #167 Hello, First off, anybody heard about King Crimson tour dates in Canada or the US yet? Secondly, I have a spare copy of the booklet that comes with 'The Young Person's Guide To King Crimson'. I got another copy with a bootleg I bought - one of the Concertgebouw shows in Amsterdam back in the '70s. If anyone is interested in the booklet, send me e-mail. Cost is whatever you reckon is a reasonable offer plus postage. Also, for people in and around Toronto - Around Again on Baldwin Street has some interesting KC vinyl- Sleepless EP, Earthbound, and an imported copy of Lizard. Andrew astarling at octrf dot on dot ca [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 8 Feb 95 20:04:26 EST From: msmith at crt dot doj dot gov Subject: Various Vrooominations Hello Crimheads. Some various questions and thoughts: * Does anyone know who was/is Richard Palmer James? I've been following Crimso since '82 and have consumed a lot of information about the band and Fripp, and i can't remember ever hearing a reference about R.P.J. (my brother--who has been following Crimso since '73--can't either, other than someone telling him that James was a "British poet"). Was/ is he? Has he ever published anything? Has Fripp ever stated why he chose him to write lyrics for Crimson? (My brother has thought James might just be a pseudonym for Fripp, Wetton, both, or somebody else....) What is James up to today? Does anyone know if Fripp had a hand in the lyrics to "One More Red Nightmare"? (the only James-era song with words that was credited to Fripp/Wetton). While i'm at it, anyone know what Pete Sinfield is doing? * Okay, i beat that to death. I have read additionally that not only is USA on CD, but Earthbound as well. This was gleaned from the Net: > From: philkime at cogsci dot edinburgh dot ac dot uk (Phil Kime) > Subject: King Crimson's _Earthbound_ and _USA_ on CD > Date: 4 February 1995 > Browsing at a record fair today, I was suprised to see _Earthbound_ and _USA_ > on CD. > Earthbound CD (66.38 mins) GEMA > USA CD (65.17 mins) GEMA I'm skeptical as to whether these are legitimate releases. The only thing i ever got on the GEMA label was something by Daniel Lanois called _Cool Water_, which was from a concert in Canada and sounded *awful*. Don't waste your money on it. I didn't think Fripp would ever release _Earthbound_ again because of it's sound quality, and if he did why isn't it on Discipline Records? * I read from a reliable source that the Crimson tour will start in North America on May 26 in Buffalo and end on June 30 in San Diego. Sorry, those were the only places listed. * The College Music Journal's _New Music Monthly_ featured "Cage" (hmmm, no "Thrak", wonder why) on the CD sampler included with their January issue. * The LP of "Islands" does include the snippet of the band warming up (for "Song of the Gulls"?) and some talk (more like directions) by Fripp. * I always thought the "words" being produced in "No Warning" were in fact "no warning". Course i've been wrong before.... * Since someone asked: I would also recommend Wire's _A Bell is a Cup Until It is Struck_. Not strictly progressive but it has it's moments, and certainly has a "hints of bitterness" sound, as Eno put it. It also has some of the strangest lyrics i've ever heard. * That'll do it. Sorry about the length and run-on sentences.... Mike "standing on the shifting sands msmith at crt dot doj dot gov hoping for an open hand washington, dc, usa one time" [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 08 Feb 1995 18:29:45 -0600 (CST) From: "Dolph Chaney, vox/gtr, PORT RADIUM" Subject: my earlier posting Please disregard my comment about LTiA from FRAME BY FRAME missing the section after Fripp's sans-accompaniment run (approx. 5:00). I double-checked this, and it's intact. All that is missing is Cross's solo. I still wish the piece hadn't been abridged for the box set; I'd defend the abridgement of "Starless" more readily, because the piece really changes character at that point, never to return (though that section is very effective). The abridgement of "Fracture" is also unfortunate. The longest rock CD is Mission Of Burma's Rykodisc compilation, which is just over 80 minutes long, and if Fripp was truly attempting to box up what he called in an interview "just about all the Crimson anyone should ever need" (GUITAR WORLD, Dec 1991, I think), then he should have made the CD's a touch longer, IMHO. Take care. Dolph Chaney st56t at jetson dot uh dot edu [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: "Jean M. Adams" Subject: book of saturday Date: Thu, 9 Feb 95 9:50:51 EST Dear ETers, I was web surfing and checked out the elephant talk FAQ that are a part of Toby's KC homepage and saw listed Book of Saturday - The King crimson magazine. I was wondering if anybody over in the UK ever got this mag., if it is no longer available or if it is, could it be shipped to the US if I subscribed? or any other relevent facts. [ Yes, I get this mag. Write direct to 2 Greenhills, Leeds LS19 6NP United Kingdom Tel: (+44) 0532 506433 --- Toby ] Just wondering -- Jean jadams at mtu dot edu [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 9 Feb 95 11:02:45 -0500 From: david at pharlap dot CI dot COM (David B. Kuznick) Subject: No warning > > Date: Thu, 02 Feb 1995 17:20:43 -0500 (CDT) > From: Watcher Of The Skies (John P Mohan) > Subject: scary sounds on 3oaPP > > 2. No Warning: either Robert or Adrian succeeds in making their guitars > form words - starting at about 2:12, what seems to be a flanged guitar says > "You're no one!" over and over and over. This happens again later in the > song, and then again, with the guitar saying only "No one" over and over. > Granted, this might not be what the guitarist intended, but it's impossible > for me to hear it without hearing "You're no one!" To me, it always sounded like the guitar was saying "No Warning". David Kuznick - david at ci dot com (preferred) or dkuznick at world dot std dot com Higher than a bird I'm flying ___ Crimson skies of ice and fire {~._.~} Borne on Wings of Steel I have so much to feel ( Y ) And I won't come down no more ()~L~() - Icarus - Borne on Wings of Steel : KANSAS (_)-(_) [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: pvallado at waynesworld dot UCSD dot EDU (Paolo Valladolid) Subject: Holdsworth's ego and the Soundscapes Show Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 12:10:51 -0800 (PST) > From: AFCPeterS at aol dot com > Subject: Re: Elephant-talk digest v95 #166 > > > Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 10:59:23 -0800 > > From: msg at fiji dot asd dot sgi dot com (Mark Grossman) > > Subject: Re: Why not Holdsworth? > > > > I heard a long time ago that he had a tremendous ego...that he > > considers himself the greatest guitar player in the universe. > > If that's true, I'd imagine he'd have a hard time in a group > > with another strong guitarist or two.... > > I have no idea where you heard this, but anyone I know whose ever met AH or > read any of his interviews knows this is far from the truth. He is a > relentless perfectionist, but also exceedingly humble. If anything, I > sometimes think it might behoove him to take his stature as one of the > greatest musicians of all time a bit more to heart. It might have a > relaxing effect. :) > > Peter Stoller Peter, I don't think Mark was talking about Holdsworth. The context of his post reveals who he is really talking about. > From: bjacobs at mintaka dot SDSU dot Edu (William J Jacobs) > Subject: RF Soundcapes in San Diego > Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 18:42:23 -0800 (PST) > > The show opened with one of the acoustic circles, and ended with two more. > They were quite well done, but also very quiet. If they were over 15 feet > away, they were difficult to hear. I was in the front row of the cheap > seats and I barely heard one of them; I'm certain the folks in back near > the bar's adding machine couldn't hear at least two of them. I was at this show. The guitar quartet played once piece close to where I was seated. I identified the piece as "Bicycling In Afghanistan" off _The Bridge Between_. In fact, many of the pieces performed were on that CD. > because his second one fizzled out along with some of his equipment just a > few minutes in. After this happened he gave a short speach, probably > explaining what went wrong. Only the first few rows heard what he said, so He said, "You may talk amongst yourselves". The way he said it, with full awareness of his public image, was very funny indeed. He also commented on someone's question about whether his solo pieces were improvised but I didn't catch all of it. > liked the first and last ones of the evening particularly. But they didn't > hold the full attention of the audience. There was chatting throughout, > that only quieted down when the Trio came out. Which they did immediately > after Robert's first set. What was distracting was the clattering noises coming from the kitchen. Somebody told the cook to be more quiet. The cook got pissed and started dissing the Soundscapes, imitating them with his voice and making rude comments. -- Paolo Valladolid ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Moderator of Digital Guitar Digest, an Internet mailing list |\ |for Music Technology and Stringed Instruments | \ ----------------------------------------------------------------- | \ finger pvallado at waynesworld dot ucsd dot edu for more info \ | \ http://waynesworld.ucsd.edu/DigitalGuitar/home.html \| ----------------------------------------------------------------- [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: 9 Feb 1995 17:39:24 U From: "Jessup, Andrew" Subject: FFWD CD for trade/sale I have a copy of the FFWD CD that I am not interested in keeping. Ideally, I would like to trade it for a copy of Eric Tamm's ENO book (NOT his Fripp book; I already have that). Alternately, if nobody can help me out there, I would be willing to trade it for a $20 bill ;-) (including postage, etc.; I paid $24 for it). Write me if you're interested at: eaj at cer dot rti dot org thanks, --Andrew [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 16:20:08 -0800 (PST) From: Frank Ashford Subject: Re: New instrumentation On Mon, 6 Feb 1995, John Saylor wrote: Thanks again for your comments John! > > [my comments about disconnection] > > Well, as a composer, I often have to do the same thing. In > a nutshell, you write the notes and leave it up to the > performers to actally "sound" them. Although the analogy is Yeah, but they are active particpants . . . it seems to me, part of the charm of that situation is that their personalities and experiences come into play. They may or may not play the same way for any given performance. Although their were some unfortunaute technical glitches, I think by and large, his boxes were very predictable. No? > a bit strained, the idea that he can start a musical process > and leave it alone does not necessarily degrade the music in > my book. Well, I was left a little ambivalent about it. At the end of the presentation, he left his box on and vanished from the stage. > And fripp's music has been about disconnection in > some way for as long as I can remember. It is usually a > frantic electronic dissassociation from the tempo and key > area of the music. His present digital frippertronic work > [which I have not heard] sounds like he's doing the same > thing but on another level. Yes, it almost seems like a mockery sometimes. I hear the disconnection in his group music and I think that's what really attracted me to it in the first place (I'm glad you've clarified this). With the Frippertronics stuff it sounds like he sits at his spinning wheel and generates these immense bits of ball lightning and sets them free so that they are no longer under his control. After the break up of KCIII, he put out a series of articles about how he felt music ought to be appreciated. Alot of the content seemed to indicate we as the audience should pay very close attention and on being there ". . . in the moment . . ." or something like that (in recent times, I have heard the same thing coming from other musicians). What kind of statement is he making when he vanishes from the theatre? What might your reaction be? > >But I'm curious, as someone well > >informed of music composition, does Discipline stand up to the stuff that > >came before? I see the Discipline stuff as much more structured and > >rigid . . . kind of like that knot they put on the cover . . . where as > >KCIII was much more free. Am I right? :) > > Well, yes and no. First of all, I'm not sure what you mean > by KCIII [I guess it's LTIA-USA], but structure has always Yes, I'm borrowing the "Tamm Notation". > been a part of KC. The tune Discipline sounds "written out" > [even if not in standard notation], but other stuff on the > record [elephant talk] is more free. And earlier stuff, Aha! That's really interesting. I hear the lock step precision of all the instruments except for one in Elephant Talk (I think it is Adrian Belews guitar). So at their level they improvise to be in lock step with eachother in different ways throughout the piece . . . is that what you're getting at? (I really lack the vocab. to deal with music in any sort of scholarly way so please bear with me :)) > like In the Court of the Crimson King, is also quite > "written out." I view it more as a change in dialect rather > than in language. > > >but I feel now that none of the new records > >will ever measure up . . . I feel like I'm losing something. I think Fripp > >has a lot to say but don't think he's saying it for some reason, at least > >not in his music. > > Hey, just because fripp plays something on his guitar > doesn't mean you have to like it! Give your own taste some > credit. So if fripp is doing work now that you don't like- > so what! Try Sun Ra! Oh yea! You bet I'll try Sun Ra . . . but I have noticed often that some bits of music that are difficult at first to understand and appreciate really pay off in the end when I do gain an appreciation. I'm not willing to give up yet! > jsaylor --Frank (fashford at crl dot com) [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 20:14:23 -0500 From: CptnApathy at aol dot com Subject: Re: A. belew and islands "Dr. Kenn Kassman" wrote in ET #166: "... Belew is the best!! I wish he would get his shit together and start doing more work with mainstream/alternative artists like Bowie. he has a lot of potential, but..... what does he do with it????" He works with acts like Nine Inch Nails, that's what he does. He also puts together experimental guitar albums (his next project). I am SO tired of people slamming Belew's music because it's a little more commercial than his older stuff. Adrian is a very talented musician, I enjoy his work. Asking him to get his "s**t" together is like asking Yes to change its lineup and play like "they used to when they were good." (i.e. the Gottlieb Bros. in Yes Magazine) Look, if you don't like what Belew (or any other artist, for that matter) is doing, then DON'T listen to it, and DON'T buy their albums anymore. Dramatic drops in sales of albums make a better voice than swearing on the internet. It's just THAT simple!!!! Sorry about that. I'm usually more civilized... Also, I just wanted to add that Islands has a lot of good pieces on it. It was one of the last of the Crimso albums I bought, but there are some hooks in it (Like the Sailor's Tale). People have said it before, And i'll repeat it: It's a good album, but Crimso has better stuff. Get the other stuff first, THEN pick up Islands. --Jeremy [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: JDEhm at eworld dot com Date: Thu, 09 Feb 95 21:23:06 PST Subject: _HeadCandy_ I just bought the CD-ROM _HeadCandy_ in a music/multimedia store in downtown Toronto. Words to describe this disc would be an injustice, so suffice to say......WOW!!!!! The disc contains five songs by Brian Eno; two of which are co-written with Robert Fripp. I would have to guess that these songs were done during the _Nerve Net_ period, though the included booklet has a copyright of 1994 for the five tracks. This could mean that Eno and Fripp have been recording together this past year, but leaves me to wonder where the album is? Any news lately? Anyways, this disc is a definite must for all Enoholics. The graphics are a colourful array of shapes and swirls, much like that of a kaleidoscope, and were created by Chris Juul and Doug Jipson. Eno only provides the "soundtrack". To watch this stunning, psychedelic 'movie' would probably get rather tiresome after awhile, but this is where _HeadCandy_ gets it's punch: there are two pairs of "prismatic" glasses included. When you put a pair on (the other pair is included because, "One should never travel the psychedelic highway alone") and viddy the screen, the glasses turn the visuals into a 3-D/refraction image. It's very hard to describe, so the best thing to do is to get it and experience! The music is great and runs approximately 40 minutes. It is very much in the same vein as _Nerve Net_ and would make a great album, but the incorporation of Eno's music with this visual feast is simply fantastic. At this time it is only available for Macs, but supposedly a PC/Windows version is to be released. Happy viewing, JD Ehm at eworld dot com P.S. Robert Fripp plays "trumpet guitar" on the track _Manila Envelope_ and guitars on the track _Beast_. These are the two songs(?) that he co-wrote with Eno. {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ "All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." - Poe }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] ----- ADMINISTRIVIA ----- ** POSTINGS Please send all postings to Toby Howard, at toby at cs dot man dot ac dot uk. ** SUBSCRIPTIONS/ADDRESS CHANGES USA subscribers: please contact Ken Bibb at elephant-talk-request at arastar dot com. Non-USA subscribers: please contact Toby Howard, at elephant-talk-request at cs dot man dot ac dot uk. ** ARCHIVES FTP: The Elephant Talk archives are available on ftp.uwp.edu, in /pub/music/lists/elephant-talk, and recent issues in ftp.cs.man.ac.uk in /pub/toby/elephant-talk. EMAIL: The Elephant Talk archives are also available via email. To get an index send: "index discipline" "index elephant-talk" to listserv at arastar dot com and to retrieve files (in this example, the discography, discipline #63 and elephant-talk #148) send: "get discipline discog" "get discipline discipline.63" "get elephant-talk et.148" to listserv at arastar dot com (send email to kbibb at arastar dot com if you encounter problems with the email archives). ** WWW http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/aig/staff/toby/elephant-talk.html ** LEGALESE The views expressed in Elephant Talk are those of the individual authors only. Elephant Talk is released for the personal use of readers. No commercial use may be made of the material unless permission is granted by the author. Toby Howard, Elephant Talk editor. http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/staff-db/toby-howard.html toby at cs dot man dot ac dot uk [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]