Errors-To: admin at elephant-talk dot com Reply-To: newsletter at elephant-talk dot com Sender: moderator at elephant-talk dot com Precedence: bulk From: moderator at elephant-talk dot com To: newsletter at elephant-talk dot com Subject: Elephant Talk #755 E L E P H A N T T A L K The Internet newsletter for Robert Fripp and King Crimson enthusiasts Number 755 Tuesday, 31 October 2000 Today's Topics: tony levin - toronto show net broadcast King Crimson Collectors Club Re: 'Trio'/Heavy ConstruKction/Lark's... Plankton Bruford on Trio BB's Admirable Restraint Berklee Perf. Center in Boston Re: Live In Mexico Heavy ConstruKction Track list 9:30 dc Kluster or Cluster remix confusion Sylvian/Fripp on DVD? SSEDD & Ade Bill Bruford on "Trio" Papa Bear Recs- status?? Re: Boston 11/21 Milwaukee...**SIGH!** Bill's recording of ONE Re: TCoL... whaddaya think now? The new standard tuning Exiles GIG REVIEW: KC at the Gothic Theater, Englewood, CO ------------------ A D M I N I S T R I V I A --------------------- POSTS: Please send all posts to newsletter at elephant-talk dot com To UNSUBSCRIBE, or to CHANGE ADDRESS: Send a message with a body of HELP to admin at elephant-talk dot com or use the DIY list machine at http://www.elephant-talk.com/list/ To ASK FOR HELP about your ET subscription: Send a message to: help at elephant-talk dot com ET Web: http://www.elephant-talk.com/ Read the ET FAQ before you post a question at http://www.elephant-talk.com/faq.htm Current TOUR DATES info can always be found at http://www.elephant-talk.com/gigs/tourdates.htm You can read the most recent seven editions of ET at http://www.elephant-talk.com/newsletter.htm THE ET TEAM: Toby Howard (Moderator), Dan Kirkdorffer (Webmaster) Mike Dickson (List Admin), and a cast of thousands. The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. ET is produced using John Relph's Digest system v3.7b (relph at sgi dot com). ------------------ A I V I R T S I N I M D A --------------------- Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 02:51:15 -0500 (EST) From: Roman_Sokal_"a Subject: tony levin - toronto show net broadcast greets, the Tony Levin/Jerry Marotta/Larry Fast/Jesse Gress show from Toronto (0ct 28) is available in the archives for viewing/hearing pleasure at http://www.primeticket.net note: this is a RealPlayer-required thing! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 16:38:35 +0100 From: "Klaus Dietrich" Subject: King Crimson Collectors Club Dear Elephant-Talkers, I am already a member and have the following questions: - When will the Live CD Hyde Park 1969 be sent out to members. Please advise. - I have paid up my membership a while ago and would like to know when it expires / how many more CDs I'll be able to get on my paid up money (I have received 4 already). Please advise. - Do I have to buy each CD that is being released or do members have a choice, i.e can I skip a CD that I'm not really keen on. Please advise. Thanks very much in advance. Cheers, Klaus Dietrich Pfingstgrundstrasse 5 D-97816 Lohr am Main Germany ------------------------------ Date: 30 Oct 2000 13:33:39 -0500 From: Dan Schmidt Subject: Re: 'Trio'/Heavy ConstruKction/Lark's... Darryl writes: | 1) Speaking of the '73-'74 24-bit remasters, why is Bruford credited | on the song 'Trio'? As far as I am aware this was a live improv | where Bill was the only one not playing. His contribution to the song was to decide not to play. I'm sure that to someone like Robert (and to me too), such discipline is credit-worthy. If I recall correctly, in A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO KING CRIMSON, which has the instrumental lineup for every song, Bruford is credited with 'admirable restraint.' -- Dan Schmidt | http://www.dfan.org Honest Bob CD now available! | http://www.dfan.org/honestbob/cd.html ------------------------------ Date: 30 Oct 00 10:52:38 -0800 From: "David Voci" Subject: Plankton More info on Conny for Markus and others... brief scanning of titles in my collection yields Conny Plank to be the tonengenieur or however they spell engineer in Deutschland on these: Kraan-Live Scorpions-Lonesome Crow Guru Guru-UFO, Hinten and Kanguru Guru Guru/Uli Trepte-GG on some live cuts and the second half of CD credited to Uli Trepte and is called 'Conny Plank's Sessions 1974'...on Spalax this one. Ramses-La Leyla Ash Ra Tempel-Ash Ra Tempel Czukay/Wobble/Liebezeit-Full Circle and looking at a comp of German 70's bands, other names like Harlis, Bullfrog, Michael Rother, Breakfast, Streetmark had the services of Conny rendered inasmuch as engineer or producer. There are many more I'm sure. I can't remember it now but another CD I have features Conny on some kind of instrument or other so every now and again, he does play an itinerant instrument of some kind but it is rare. The man was active at the beginning of the Kosmische era in Germany and was one of the big names on the early Ohr records titles. Another name that crops up alot in german production is that of Dieter Dierks. Regards, dv ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 14:04:09 -0500 From: Morgan Kochel Subject: Bruford on Trio Darryl wrote > 1) Speaking of the '73-'74 24-bit remasters, why is Bruford credited on the > song 'Trio'? As far as I am aware this was a live improv where Bill was the > only one not playing. Bruford is credited because he was a part of that tune. He stood in front of his drum set holding his sticks crossed, thus actively not playing. Space, or silence, is just as much a part of the music as the notes are. Listen to some late 60s to early 70s Miles Davis for more examples of how choosing to not play greatly affects the overall quality of the music. Tommy Kochel Apparently, our mission, as a nation, is "to fight and win war and therefore prevent war from happening in the first place." - George W. Bush "I find it hard to take offense at, or be insulted by, a commentary which demonstrates that life without sentience is not only possible but ongoing." - Robert Fripp, 1997, King Crimson's "Epitaph" boxed set booklet. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 14:18:59 -0500 From: Michael dot Russell at mercerdelta dot com Subject: BB's Admirable Restraint "I've read that Bill Bruford was credited with "admirable restraint" on Trio from SaBB. Is this true? If so, where was this credit?" The credit appears on The Young Person's Guide to King Crimson. ?Michael ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 14:26:30 -0500 From: Bob Pascarella Subject: Berklee Perf. Center in Boston Jon. Berklee Performance Center is a great room to for music. Medium sized at 1,227 seats. Opened in 1976. It was a renovation job of an old 1915 Movie palace. The theater is state of the art. 22 x 16 projection screen. (Laurie Anderson and T-Heads used it to the max) Great sound system. Pushing over 100dbs and freq response between 20hz to 20khz. Meyer Sound Labs speakers for FOH and Monitors. Yamaha PM4000C40 mixer. All good stuff. KC will sound great in there. Just watch out for the Berzerklee students prancing around like their band sounds better than Crim. To get there is easy. Take 95 north to 93 north. Into Boston. Take Mass Pike WEST (rt 90) Get off at Huntington Ave Take Darthmouth St to Boylston St. Performance Center is behind Berklee College of Music on Boylston. See you there. Robert Pascarella Berklee graduate and music snob. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 13:35:48 -0600 (CST) From: david craig Subject: Re: Live In Mexico > How do I get a serial number for Live In Mexico .WMA? I'm sorry, but I believe that you are out of luck. They done pulled the plug. Your only option now is a bootleged copy of the concert. The whole thing was a sorry and annoying little episode, if you ask me. While trying to do something right by fans - releasing an entire concert digitally -- all they ended up doing was annoying a whole heck of a lot of people with series of poor choices (.wma and a serial number, for two), and people bootlegged the thing anyway, not least because they DID make it such a pain in the ass to do it "their" way. They made the same mistake the rest of the industry just can't get over: they thought that they would be able effectively control a digital file once made publically available. I don't know what the answer is, and won't pretend to. But, much as the drug war, failure on this path is flat-out inevitable. The ultimate effect is screwing honest (or technically incompetent) fans, while the less scrupulous -- or simply those who enjoy a silly challenge -- had digital duplicates of the thing inside of a week. When will they learn.... David ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 14:11:29 -0500 From: "Erik Varga" Subject: Heavy ConstruKction Track list Taken from DGM website Oct30: King Crimson Heavy ConstruKction A 3 CD set taken from the 2000 The ConstruKction Of Light European Tour. CDs 1 & 2 are taken from DAT recordings of the front-of-house mixing desk. CD2 is an enhanced CD and contains 44 minutes of live concert video. CD3: "A cohesive presentation out of a series of incoherent events". Imagine an evening of KC improvisations, complete with rogue flash photographers. Tracks: CD One: 1. Into The Frying Pan 2. The ConstruKction Of Light 3. ProzaKc Blues 4. Improv: Munchen 5. One Time 6. Dinosaur 7. VROOOM 8. FraKctured 9. The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum 10. Improv: Bonn CD Two: 1. Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream 2. Improv: Offenbach 3. Cage 4. Larks' Tongues In Aspic: Part Four 5. Three Of A Perfect Pair 6. The Deception Of The Thrush 7. Heroes Plus enhanced CD live concert video. CD Three: 1. Sapir 2. Blastic Rhino 3. Lights Please (part 1) 4. ccccSeizurecc 5. Off And Back 6. More (And Less) 7. Beautiful Rainbow 8. 7 Teas 9. Tomorrow Never Knows Thela (including Tomorrow Never Knows) 10. Uboo 11. The Deception Of The Thrush 12. Arena Of Terror 13. Light Please (part 2) Adrian Belew: Guitar & Vocals Robert Fripp: Guitar Trey Gunn: Touch Guitar, Ashbory Bass, Talker Pat Mastelotto: Electronic Drumming CD1&2 recorded by mixed by George Glossup, Produced by David Singleton & Alex R. Mundy at Discipline Global Mobile. CD3 recorded in Europe and assembled in America, Recorded by Ken Latchney Produced & mixed by Pat Mastelotto & Bill Munyon at Bill's Apt. and Blue World Music. Mastered by David Singleton. Artwork from a painting by P.J. Crook. Photography and Video Images: BootlegTV Crew, Trey Gunn. Photograph of KC: Michael Wilson Design: Hugh O'Donnell ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 14:57:17 -0500 (EST) From: Paul Weiss Subject: 9:30 dc TJ: >Amongst the dc-etRs the 9:30 gets a fairly bad rap. >[snip]Do run down buildings make for evil? Now, now, TJ, don't pick on Herr Sowerby. Your defense is noted and appreciated. I do think the 9:30 has one of the better sound systems in DC clubs, and they do treat their visiting artists better than many other clubs, as John S. could tell you (Fish in NY?). I'm sure it's no worse than parts of any major metropolitan area. Where else in DC can you have jazz clubs next to heavy metal/punk clubs next to caribbean clubs? I have never felt threatened anywhere in the city, coming from one who's lived here for 15 years. It is interesting to note the number of posts of late from "dc-et"ers who haven't joined the "official" dc-et egroup. Contact TJ or myself if interested. paul dc-et #20 ------------------------------ Date: 30 Oct 00 12:10:01 -0800 From: "David Voci" Subject: Kluster or Cluster In 751, Mike offered: >I happened to get a copy at the last show on Cluster's 1996 US tour >(their first of the US) which was in itself an unbelievable evening of >improvised music. I couldn't agree with you more here Mike as I like this >kind of Cluster, pure brilliance and maturity by two guys who go back to >the German scene in the 60's together, Moebius and Roedaelius. These guys >always stretch the boundaries of musical forms and in one way or another >probably have close to100 releases to their credit. The following two CD's capture that quintessential 'first encounter tour' noted above par excellence which I'm sure you probably already have: Cluster First Encounter Tour 1996(2 CD) Cluster Live Japan 1996 Also very enjoyable are the first two, Klopfeichen and Zwei-Osterei when the band's moniker was Kluster. Why did they change the name? Maybe it sounded too socialist or something? From you or any readers really into Cluster's vast catalogue, please feel free to recommend other releases in this style as I only have a few more by Cluster & related. Be well, dv ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 15:18:48 -0500 (EST) From: Steven Sullivan Subject: remix confusion > Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 15:10:21 GMT > From: "Donovan Mayne-Nicholls" > Subject: Re: 80s remasters and missing remixes > > Every now and then the question pops up about the original mixes on > Discipline and Three of a perfect pair. Most people are aware of Matte > Kudasai, but not Sleepless. My father has the original Warner reissue on Cd > (I dunno whether Polygram released or not a CD version of these albums). The > bottom line seems to be that Robert Fripp doesn't like these remixes, that's > why he replaced them by the original mixes. ? I think you've confused 'original' and 'remix' here. He replaced the *original* (LP) mixes with *remixes*. In the case of Matte Kudesai, this means that the mix found on the LP (and first CD) release contains his guitar solo, while all subsequent editions do not. FOr Sleepless, this means that the original LP/CD mix lacking most of Bruford's playing was replaced by one which had it (this remix was also found on the dance EP, IIRC). Fripp apparently doesn't like the *original* mixes. Personally, in the case of Matte Kudesai, I think he's nuts. That's why I kept my first-edition CD of it ;> -S. "A haunted house is just the Devil's mousetrap, and fun is the cheese." -- Louanne Hill. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 22:30:01 +0100 From: Ola Torstensson Subject: Sylvian/Fripp on DVD? Has anyone heard anything about a Japanese DVD release of the Sylvian/Fripp show that's been available on VHS and laserdisc? The reason I ask is that there's a guy who's selling it, or claiming to sell it, over at Yahoo Auctions. Could this really be a legitimate release? I can't find any mention of it at any of the web sites I know of that sell Japanese DVDs. Ola -- Ola Torstensson * ola at netch dot se * http://www.netch.se/~ola/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 16:14:56 -0500 From: Martin Bradburn Subject: SSEDD & Ade Dear All - Just a quick synchro. Went to see "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" this weekend. After the show getting back in the car, popped a tape in and lo and behold "SSEDD" from the CD Ep!. Anyway, I was marveling driving home during "One Time" at what a crystal, clear beautiful tone Ade's voice has. I commented to my wife that I don't think any of the other Crim vocalist had such a beautiful tone. She said maybe Greg Lake but at that moment we couldn't imagine it. It's nice to see Adrian getting his props in the gig reviews, Lord knows he's earned them. - Martin 'We know others to the extent we know ourselves' - Guitar Craft Aphorism ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 21:19:16 -0000 From: "Nick Smith" Subject: Bill Bruford on "Trio" I might be wrong, but I'm sure I've a read a quote from Bruford himself about "Trio", when he said something along the lines of "my contribution is silence". Nick ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 17:24:26 -0500 From: Brian Preston Subject: Papa Bear Recs- status?? I ordered from Tony's Papa Bear Records last Nov-December (yes, 1999) 2 items - A woman called from PB stating that they were out of Funkfingers - etc., and I updated my order. Well, I have never received anything and have called several times with no response. Check never cashed. Anybody know if PB is still operating? Any other contact ideas? Thanks for any info. BKP Basses/production Smokin'Granny/Freehand/Onomata Metaphoric Music Productions Durham, NC davido42.home.mindspring.com/smokingranny ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 18:13:14 -0500 (EST) From: Art Cohen Subject: Re: Boston 11/21 : First, are tickets still available? http://www.ticketmaster.com : Second, could anyone from the Boston area give me good directions to the : Berklee Performance Center from Hartford, CT? http://www.berklee.edu/html/ad_dir.html http://www.mapquest.com/ BPC is at 136 Mass. Ave, Boston (corner of Boylston Street). : Last, what's the skinny on the Berklee Center? Size? Standing/sitting? : Any other useful information? Don't know the size, but this is one of the finest music venues in Boston, if not the Northeast. Sitting (in comfortable seats) with incredibly good acoustics. Not that the Orpheum is a bad place to see a concert, but this will be a real treat. --Art ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 19:20:11 EST From: "Colin Beaumier" Subject: Milwaukee...**SIGH!** Bill's recording of ONE Hey Crimso's(sisis...)! Just a quick word.... I know that Pat and Bill are outta the Crimlineup right now and how much they dig associating food with their touring (bread pudding right?!)... but I am pretty bummed as I have to work the day that King Crimson is coming -- This after having seen them play a bunch of times with the thraak CD.... oh well... life tosses a parabola atcha' once in a while.....BUT I dunno if the group still heads to certain restaurants for "inspiration" prior to gigs... if they do or if Trey or Robert still do, I have a Gem of a suggestions for you... if you have a chance the day of or the day after, I would suggest going to Sanford's restaurant-- if you dig food, this will really inspire you, I'd dare say it may provide the basis for another tune... very nice people and incredibley "well- orchestrated" food-- and not stuffy-- The Chef, Sandy D'Amato actually had an "improv" based menu a while back based upon the likes etc, of people... If time is an issue, there is another restaurant called Coquette Cafe, also run by this talented man and his wife that specializes in authentic (**seriously REAL and unpretentious) French cafe food--- killer desserts BTW! I have had some cool conversations where I have been working about the correlation between food and music and senses and how they are really similar and how if you are relaxed and conscious about what you are hearing/eating, that you can have a great experience...(like an anniversary couple's favorite "song" or "food"...) not just the typical American rigamarole of scarfing down "snackie treats".... but I digress....I also wish to thank the nice folks from ET's readers who emailed about the ECM homepage-- I finally have SINGING DRUMS by Pierre Favre!!!! THANKS! Man what fantastic music! It was worth waiting five years for looking for it!!! I also picked up Pete Lockett's Network of Spark's "ONE" from amazon.com--- this is great..Bill Bruford plays on a bunch of tracks...#1,5,6,9, and 10 especially make the little cook in me DANCE! It is cool to see where Bill is going with the acoustic sound and that he sounds so clean and dynamic! some terrific playing-- I have lent these two recording to a couple of friends and they think I am a "re-tread" for listening to percussion songs... but one of them is coming around! Music's my air right now! Thanks and have fun in Milwaukee... (Eat well!) Colin ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 21:09:02 -0500 From: "Louis A.Spinelli" Subject: Re: TCoL... whaddaya think now? Hello kCrimsonites What Do I Think ??? 1) Best Adrian Lyrics ever... 2) Best Adrian Vocal range ever... 3) Most aggressive Guitar work by Robert ever... 4) Most fluid Low Hz. Bass work by Trey ever... During my first (and Latest) listening of TCoL the hair stood straight up on the back of my neck...what a sound !!! Desert Island top 10 all the way !!! Later, Late Shift Louie ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 23:49:09 -0500 From: "Joseph A. Popp" Subject: The new standard tuning O.K., so I'm a hundred years behind the times...what is the tuning? Someone please... Thank you. [ C G D A E G, low to high -- Toby ] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 00:04:52 -0800 From: "Hugh Shiebler" Subject: Exiles David Cross's version of "Exiles" Why? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 03:28:19 EST From: KCR1313 at aol dot com Subject: GIG REVIEW: KC at the Gothic Theater, Englewood, CO Friday, October 27, 2000 Saturday, October 28, 2000 A Denver classic-rock radio station welcomed King Crimson to the Gothic Theater Friday night by setting up a van and table outside the venue and amplifying a live feed of their broadcast. Although it was good to see a radio station support KC, it was irksome to hear Bostons More Than A Feeling as I approached the theater. (Noise pollution, I say!) Inside, small signs posted in numerous places declared that the show was NON-SMOKING. Other signs prohibited cameras and recording, and 15 minutes prior to the start of the concert, a voice announcement reiterated the rules. After reading about the difficult audiences on the European tour, my biggest concern was that the concert would be interrupted, or even cut short, by fanatic violations. As it turned out, the audience was guilty of no transgressions I noticed, except being overly excited at worst, which isnt half bad. My perception was that the response from the audience grew stronger and more enthusiastic after each song. The band began the set with the title track to ConstruKction of Light, and played all of that album (except for Frying Pan), using One Time from Thrak and the Gamelan Bells improv to provide some mellow relief from the heavy construkction of the new material. The set ended with older favorites like Frame By Frame and Thela Hun Gingeet, which seemed to electrify the audience more and more, concluding with the mighty Red, which got everyone cheering at the tops of their lungs. Throughout the performance, both the audience and musicians were exhilarated: Pat and Trey exchanging mischievous glances, working as tightly together as Tony and Bill; Robert pleased throughout, grimacing only during the painfully fast passages of FraKctured and Larks IV, often amused by Adrians antics; and irrepressible, ebullient Ade himself, having the time of his life bending, jabbing, and thrashing his Stratocaster all over the place, grinning all the way. By the time they were playing Red, Pat was laughing with his mouth wide open from all the energy in the room, although he may have been reacting to the kooks doing whippets in the front row! For the first encore, Ade did his amazing solo acoustic rendition of Three of a Perfect Pair. After reading about it in previous reviews, I imagined it might be mellow, but in fact both Adrians singing and playing are quite powerful, and the audience was so jazzed up that they sang T-Levs backing vocal part (complicated...aggravated) along with Adrians singing. After a huge ovation from the audience, P3 came onstage to play Deception of the Thrush, which has become a stonker of a song and a staple of their live set. The only problem was that the audience was a little wound up by this time, and the quiet beginning to the song was interrupted with shouts of Elephant Talk! and a guy near me yelling, Dinosaur! (to which someone yelled back, yeah, you are!...oh well, at least no one was shouting for Cat Food or Schizoid Man!) After pausing to let the audience calm down, the band started again and turned in a fantastic performance, ending with a lovely solo by Trey over a poignant, almost tearful Soundscape. The audience erupted with a huge ovation for Trey, even prompting Robert and Pat to stand up and applaud. Last but not least, Vrooom, Elephant Talk, and Dinosaur finished the encores, causing the guy who yelled Dinosaur! literally to jump up and down with joy. The band was exuberant, the audience was ecstatic, and everyone left happy. My throat was so sore from whooping and cheering that I had trouble sleeping, so I promised myself I would clap but not yell during Saturday nights performance. I quickly violated my promise, as the band started off even more powerfully with Vrooom, Dinosaur, and Frame By Frame, before playing all of the TCOL album (dropping One Time for the huge, booming Frying Pan). I thought the set list and order of the songs worked a little better Saturday night than Friday night; The ConstruKction of Light benefited tremendously by having strong songs before it. In fact, TCOL provided the highlight of the evening, when, after Trey and Pats smoking, blistering introduction, there was a slight pause...then the guys onstage looked at each other...then they started laughing... then the audience started laughing...then Adrian ran to the back of the stage, grabbed something, ran back up to the microphone with his guitar, laughing, and said, It works a lot better when its plugged in! Cheers and laughter erupted everywhere. Adrian plugged in, Robert gestured with his hand over his head, indicating take it from the top, and Pat and Trey obliged by playing another peerless, fierce intro, after which the band executed the song fabulously. If Pat says Friday nights performance of this song was their best so far, Id say Saturday nights topped it. Despite the train wreck and restart, its position in the set list really helped it sizzle. Saturday nights encores differed by not including Ades TOAPP, but instead ended the evening with the magnificent Heroes, bringing the audients to their feet, singing and clapping along with the band and Roberts trademark guitar part. Its amazing how emotive those few notes are when Robert plays them. It was an uplifting, happy ending to the show and to two nights of superb playing by an exceptional band. Comparing the two nights, Saturday night seemed to benefit by the running order of the songs, although Fridays improv and Thrush were longer. Yet Saturdays Thrush achieved a stillness near the end that was almost magical, due to the quieter audience...too bad it didnt go longer. Pat and Robert, in particular, played more aggressively on Saturday: Pat by adding lots of Billy B.-style quick flourishes and flashes to his thundering, heavy playing, and Robert by speedy, spidery soloing in the songs and improv a la Sartori in Tangiers from the 1984 Live in Japan video. What surprised me most after seeing these concerts was how much I enjoyed the live performances of the new material. Although I like the title track, FracKctured, and Frying Pan, the swooshiness of the V-Drum snare and the grungy guitar on most of the CD put me off. By the time my least favorite tune, Larks IV, would come on, Id press the Stop button on the player because I felt so wanked out from the rest of the album. But live, this material is heavy, hard, funky, phresh, and fun! Also, the 80s material sounds far less cluttered (especially Thela) when played by the double duo instead of the double trio. I enjoyed the 1995 Thrak tour, but the performances this year exceeded my expectations (which, of course, I naturally have to a degree, tempered by keeping an open mind and open ears). The decision to play smaller clubs this time around makes all the difference, allowing the audience to get closer to the musicians and the music. Experiencing the band from just a few feet away in the midst of an excited and grateful audience is a treat. As a reviewer has already said, this band is in a very special place on this tour. Pat and Trey are monstrous, cutting loose with new riffs and punctuations to the rhythm sections parts (the slightly funkier middle section of FracKtured cooks, by the way), Ade and Robert are in top form, and everyone seems to be having a blast. More females and younger people are in the audience, which will most certainly help secure KCs future (some young hipsters gathered around Roberts side of the stage after Fridays show, admiring the plethora of pedals and effects of the Command Module). Folks who are straddling the fence about whether or not to see this band should jump off with both feet and open themselves to these amazing performers. But if your doubts are strong, stay home and let the theaters fill with the enthusiasts. The energy from the audience will be returned by the band in spades. --Kevin Rhoades ------------------------------ End of Elephant Talk Digest #755 ********************************