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 #892 E L E P H A N T T A L K The Internet newsletter for Robert Fripp and King Crimson enthusiasts Number 892 Sunday, 18 November 2001 Today's Topics: GIG BIZ: Krimson ConneKctions page Re: set list give aways A short post Re: Genesis-The Lamb Re: The Yonger Generation? On genre snobbery, "ear candy," what constitutes good music, etc. (kind of l Level 5 for everyone My ear candy Re: Ear candy / "Pleasures" - yes, but why "guilty"? VROOOM VROOOM: a rulebreaker! More Ear Candy Was fusion "American Prog" GIG REVIEW: Nov 14 @ The Warfield GIG REVIEW: November 16, The Web Theatre, Phoenix, AZ GIG REVIEW: 11/8/01, 328 Performance Center, LEVEL 5 TOUR, Nashville,TN GIG REVIEW: Phoenix ------------------ 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.shtml 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: Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:39:09 -0500 From: Dave Subject: GIG BIZ: Krimson ConneKctions page Hey gang... With the tour en swing, another brief reminder that http://www.midnightmecca.com/crim/fsguest.html is always up and awaiting posts from/for Crimsos going to shows that want to find others needing or having spare tix/hotel space/etc to swap/sell/share, or even just to meet up! Drop in and check it out... Thanx more Dave ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 18:53:01 -0500 From: "Jordan Clifford" Subject: Re: set list give aways am i alone in the opinion that when people list their recollection of the set list that it could possiblity ruin the element of surprise being looked foward to by fans who have yet to attend a show on the tour. For the most part many artists dont vary their sets a drastic amount, and when i happen to notice(even though im trying not to look) the encore KC will probably play at my show its very disapointing. I like going into a concert, especailly for a band who is SO talented creative and extraordinary, without any expectations or predisposed knowledge of what they are going to treat me with that night. So i'd appreciate it if people waited to share set lists until the tour is over, or to people that ask for them. If its not of the opinion of other ETers, by all means share set lists, ill just make more of an effort to skip them while reading the newsletter. Thanks Jordan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 19:25:52 -0600 (CST) From: Sergio Subject: A short post Hello, Crimsthusiasts, Todd in Chicago wrote: "Does anyone else find it worth noting that the topics of ET posters more often than not refer to other music, other bands, and so forth (mostly from the past), rather than KC? I find this notable given the vigor of the present lineup, and the enormous amount of material Fripp/KC have released in the past year. BTW, I like shorter posts." Todd in Chicago, I think the current KC is far from being as good and full of vigor as the 70's Crimson was, I assume that is the reason many people (including myself) find exciting talking about that era. By the way, according to "Bob", King Crimson is not just a band, but a lifestyle, so it seems proper for people involved with them (you can include here musicians, enthusiasts and palin fans like me) have a good time talking about King Crimson, Progressive Rock, Rock and just music... King Crimson seems to go a lot beyond the limits of the vinyl and CD's their music is recorded in. This is one of the main reasons I just don't understand the existence of a forbidden subjects list for this newsletter. Finally, I am from Costa Rica, I know my english is very lacking, but I enjoy both reading long and short posts, the only thing I ask them is to be good... Sergio Arroyo M. Si despues de todo los hombres no logran conseguir que la historia tenga un significado, siempre deben actuar de manera que sus propias vidas si lo tengan. --Albert Camus ?Quieres armar tu propia pagina Web pero no sabes HTML?Usa los asistentes de edicion de Yahoo! Geocities y tendras tu sitio en solo minutos.Visitanos en Yahoo! Geocities. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 19:33:53 -0600 From: vdorje at ev1 dot net Subject: Re: Genesis-The Lamb >Genesis-The Lamb. This has got to be the best Genesis album. Not a >wasted second on all 4 sides. Great playing, writing, story, the whole >thing. I don't know how they got influenced to write such music that was >soooo ahead of its time, in fact I still don't think that the time has >come. The last good one anyway.... (Personally, I`ll take Foxtrot, Nusery Chryme, Selling England, etc over "Lamb" any day). In the interview w/ P Gabriel that`s in the Jodorowsky documentary called "The Jodorowsky Constellation", he cites his "El Topo" film as a major inspiration for "Lamb", & goes further to say he had wanted Jodo to direct the screen adaption of same. Absolute shame it never happened......... Even more of a tremendous shame was that he (Jodo) was never allowed to complete his film epic "Dune", (which would have featured a stunning cast, incl... Orson Welles, Salvador Dali, a set design by H.R.Giger, AND music score by MAGMA & Pink Floyd! What to speak of it`s being directed by Jodorowsky himself.....! FYI: It`s available through http://www.amazon.co.uk/ ~C ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 23:46:07 -0500 From: "Kris M" Subject: Re: The Yonger Generation? >Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2001 23:22:04 -0000 >From: "Dougie" >Subject: The Yonger Generation? Well, since I'm sure I fit into the definition of younger generation of Crim fans [I was born in 1980 and only first learned of Crim about 4-5 years ago], I thought it might be interesting if I gave a perspective on this thread. :) >Yes I did buy albums on the strength of an >album cover. Something lacking these days with CD's if you ask me. But, >hey, I'm just an old fart . For what it's worth, I'm the youngest member of my household [okay, there's only my mom and myself, but still] and *I'm* the one with the record player. :) I'm also of the opinion that albums should still be released as LPs. As much as I can see benefits of the portability of CDs, there's still something to be said for the black vinyl circle. Then again, it reminds me of my childhood... >Tonight at work (it was my turn on the rota to provide IT cover at work) I >let the young trainee hear some KC. *snip* >After hearing a bit of "Elephant >Talk", where he just looked at me with a dumb expression. Some "Red", and >some "Larks II", he announces "They're grunge aren't they" >"King........who >was it again? Do they cover any Pearl Jam stuff?" Okay... this guy evidently doesn't listen to as much music as he thinks he does. :) But, it's not as bad as my friend, Andrew. When he saw a stack of 6 used Crim CDs that I picked up that day, he consistently pronouned the name as "Kim Cringson." LOL It was sad, especially since he had to read the CD covers in order to find out who the group was to begin with!!! >My 14 year old Limp Bizkit, Slipknot fan son and his mates, classify >Nirvana >as "hippies". I thought I was going to fall of my chair. LMAO!! O! To be young and naive, eh? ;) >To those who have had the patience to read this far, it's good news for KC. >He liked them, and would like to hear some more. My son, is a big fan of >the Thrak album, and also loves Discipline, but I know my son wouldn't >openly admit to liking KC to his mates, because they're not........, Well, it is good to hear that King Crimson has an influence on others who are young 'uns such as myself. I was exposed to King Crimson by the head of the music department when I was in highschool. I remember that he played 21st Century Schizoid Man and Three of a Perfect Pair as examples for some of our music classes, and I had written down "King Crimson" in my notes, as a mental note that I liked their music and should look them up. As I entered university, my music notes were overlooked and it wasn't until half-way through first year that I found my old music notes and flipped through them again. I again saw the name "King Crimson" in the margin of one of my pages, so I instantly went online to download a few samples. Next thing I knew, I downloaded about 20+ songs, and since then, [this is about 2 years later] I've purchased 20 of their albums on CD. For the first time, I found a group that not only was creative, but whose music moved me far more than any other group. I mean, I've found a few groups that I've liked enough to rank in my "top 5 in no particular order," but KC was the first one I ever found who I could definitely place as #1. I know this sounds hokey, but it's true and I still find it unbelievable. :) Heck, when I went to pick up the tickets to see them in concert in Toronto on December 5, I just stared at the tickets for a few minutes, hardly believing that I'm actually going to get a chance to see them. :) I know that I will never stop liking Crim, nor their music. I've played Crim CDs more than any of my other CDs combined. If that's not proof enough, I don't know what is. [Okay, that's enough of my newbie speech. :) And now, back to our regularly scheduled program...] Kris M ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 21:55:28 -0800 From: "Brian Pearson" Subject: On genre snobbery, "ear candy," what constitutes good music, etc. (kind of long) Well I've followed the "decline of prog" & related discussions for a few issues now & decided to insert my own $.02 worth. Duke Ellington once commented that "There are only two kinds of music--good & bad." While this may be an oversimplification, I think he had a valid point: within any musical genre, there are good & bad examples. "Good" music in any genre, to my thinking, incorporates the essential elements of "ear candy": great catchy melodies with strong, memorable hooks. These are the primary factors that make the listener want to hear a piece again & again. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, & Beethoven knew this. Great Jazz composers like Ellington, Monk, Mingus, & Brubeck knew this. Great Pop songwriters like Lennon/ McCartney, Brian Wilson, Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Joey Ramone & many others knew it. Adrian Belew knows it. Think of your favorite songs & instrumental compositions (from any genre) you remember best . However sophisticated/ virtuosic (or not) the musical development of these pieces may be, what you remember first is the "hook": the chorus, refrain, or riff that is the central point of interest in the composition. This is what gives the piece a sense of structure, be it simple or complex. Now some of us like to assert the superiority of our own favorite genre--be it Prog, Classical, Jazz, or whatever--& look down our noses at all other genres. I don't. My current favorite listening is the Classical string quartet from Haydn through Brahms, but I still enjoy a great deal of Jazz, Folk, Pop, Country, Blues, Prog, Metal, Punk, Funk, Reggae & what have you. I enjoy the best (ie. most melodically interesting) examples of each of these genres and ignore the rest. Of course there are varying levels of musical sophistication among & within the genres. Some forms are "short attention span" with little development or exploration between the verse-chorus-bridge, & that's OK. A great Pop or Folk song SHOULD make a complete aesthetic statement in under 3 minutes. Punk at its best was NOT merely "ugly & stupid" but a rebellion against both the "overblown bombastic pretentiousness" of late Prog (ELP: guilty as charged) and the smarmy overproduced commercialism of AOR & Disco, AND a populist reaffirmation of the values of strong melody and vital rock energy. X wrote intensely honest songs about human relationships & sang them with soaring harmonies & true feeling. The Clash raised the political awareness of a blank generation. The Ramones (an affectionate parody of an Italian-American "brother band" from Long Island--I grew up w/ those kinda guys!) celebrated rock'n'roll as joyous dumb fun. Television reasserted the value of instrumental skill within a genre that rejected it too facilely. All these bands contributed interesting, memorable, melodic songs of lasting value. "Long attention span" genres include Classical, Jazz, Prog, Psych, some instrumental Folk styles, & emphasize thematic development, exploration and instrumental virtuosity. But their best examples STILL come back around to the signature melodic theme or "hook," re-connecting the listener to the beginning of the piece and providing a touchstone of familiarity after wandering far afield. This is why we remember them & want to hear them again. Conversely, we tend not to remember pieces that come out of nowhere, noodle around aimlessly, & wander off into nothing. The human mind relishes structure, and musical structure is based on the strategic repetition of key elements. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 02:39:56 -0800 (PST) From: Man In Space Subject: Level 5 for everyone Hi all, I recently asked on the DGM guestbook about general availability for 'Level F'. Dan answered that it will be available in the catalogue at the end of the current tour. cheers, Jan who has just released his first cd 'How To Potty Train A Supernova'. It's space rock, and contains some Fripp influences. more at http://users.pandora.be/maninspace ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 08:30:37 -0500 From: Tommy Kochel Subject: My ear candy Okay, here ya' go: 1) "Dose" - Gov't Mule 2) "Perpetual Motion" - Bela Fleck 3) "Live In America" - Victor Wooten 4) "Magnification" - Yes 5) "Agents of Fortune" - Blue Oyster Cult ( ;-{o> Tommy Kochel Touchguitarist, Bassist, and Looper ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 22:41:56 +0700 From: fire_opal Subject: Re: Ear candy / "Pleasures" - yes, but why "guilty"? I'm agree with Curt Tracy that some people tend to take music they listen too seriosly. Being a fan of ONLY "progressive music" differs little from being a fan of ONLY, say, cool jazz or Irish folklore ;) And I disagree with the term "guilty pleasures". "Pleasures" - yes, but why "guilty"? :) I listen to a lot of different music. Among "progressive" artist my favourites are (in alphabetical order): Camel, Caravan, Genesis, Gong, Steve Hackett, Horizont (80's Russian band which I highly recommend to all; their only two LPs were reissued on CDs by Boheme Music last year), King Crimson, Ozric Tentacles, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, Rainy Season. But there are a lot of non-"progressive" folks which I very highly appreciate and love (in alph. order): Air, Amorphis, Kate Bush, Irina Bogushevskaya, Nick Cave, Clannad, Cocteau Twins, Leonard Cohen, The Cure, Current 93, Dead Can Dance, Depeche Mode, The Doors, The Gathering, Boris Grebenshchikov and Aquarium, Kalinov Most, Sergey Kalougin, Llanfair P.G., Legendary Pink Dots, Massive Attack, Morcheeba, Portishead, Spyro Gyra, Tiamat, U2, Vermicelli Orchestra, Inna Zhelannaya ... Looks varied, right? ;) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 20:19:09 -0500 From: "Ryan Tassone" Subject: VROOOM VROOOM: a rulebreaker! Hello, everyone. I finally found a place that sells King Crimson albums later than THRAK, and VROOOM VROOOM was sitting there with my name on it. So I gave it a few listens, maybe four or five, and here are the vibes it gave me: after some dismay from fans and Fripp alike about the double trio being little more than a "greatest hits" entourage, it is now apparent that there exists a substantial amount of performances from this incarnation that fit that description, but not in a negative way. The six-man group was an exploration of the past; a study of tension within music, tradition and when to break it (in their case, always), and the propensity of freely improvised material that had never been attempted as willingly in other formations of KC (the 80's lineup had no improvs!). The groups purpose in the mid 90's, then, I think was to find the best ways to mutilate their previous showtunes, as well as the ones of their current album, THRAK. When I say "mutilate," I again don't mean it in a negative way; the results were superb and entertaining. But the two opposite versions of 21CSM show that their aim as a group, whether all together or in ProjeKcts, was to re-interpret the old, a task that KC hadn't dedicated themselves to as vehemently thus far. So there is great musical validity in choosing to finally play old songs, in my opinion; it's another dimension of the art itself, another angle. Standout track blurbs: 1. "VROOOM VROOOM"...I never liked this song as much as its parent, but the version on this CD is a good representative of it. Funny how, just as it does on Deja VROOOM, they segue this song into "Coda: Marine 475," when that's not how it's done on the album. Like I said, rulebreaker! (c: 2. "Dinosaur" appears in its abridged form, with the middle section removed. Does anybody else wish there was a mix where Fripp's solo could be heard a little clearer? I guess it was intentional to put it kinda squashed in the background. 3. "B'boom" and "THRAK" appear twice, as on the official bootleg. The "THRAK" on disc 1 is the most interesting version I've ever heard. I never realized how much the theme from "Connundrum" was used in improvs (it appears on Thrakkattak as well). 4. Speaking of that, "Biker Babes..." and the improv before "Free as a Bird" are both included in some form on Thrakkatak. It's cool to hear the crowd noise in the background on these CDs! And the EXPLOSION of applause less than two seconds into "21st Century..." gives me the chills, man. 5. 80's era stuff..."Frame by Frame" gets an intriguing treatment from Fripp: no playing during the intro, and a harmonization of the main riff during the final verse. Caught me off-guard! "Thela..." has the original conversation in the background, as does "Neurotica," not so sure how I feel about that, but...rulebreaker! Which leads me to... 6. ..."Indiscipline"! Ade Belew is a comic! He starts by talking way too fast, then slow, then does some weird guitar synth thing, it's genius. 7. CD2 has what I think is the best version of "SSEDD" on it. The drumming, the Warr-ing, the vocals, Fripp, everything was dynamic. Am I dreaming, or does Pat trigger a little voice to say "hi" right at the beginning?? 8. I mentioned before how audio from Thrakkattak was given new titles on VROOOM VROOOM; also, the title "Two Sticks" that appeared on (I think) B'boom has a completely different rendition of the piece to its name here! Alright, that is enough from me, I think I'll just listen to it again now. Ryan ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 03:26:17 +0000 From: "John Holmes" Subject: More Ear Candy pantera, cradle of filth, metallica, prince, fear factory, presidents of the usa, spandau ballet, david bowie, red hot chilli peppers, system of a down, sex pistols, van halen, yngwie malmsteen, extreme, faith no more, fantomas, rammstein, samael, gun's n' roses, rolling stones, stanley clarke, level 42, primus, dr. rock, pramsnatcher, johhny amigo, sex mob, micheal jackson, incubus, slayer, ............... ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 03:52:12 +0000 (GMT) From: Wills James Subject: Was fusion "American Prog" On the topic of whether "fusion" can be considered "American Prog" I offer this extract from the sleevenotes of the CD reissue of "My Spanish Heart" by Chick Corea: (a recommended purchase too, btw) [describing the album "Romantic Warrior"]" . . . Combining power solos with orchestral effects that slipped effortlessly between jazz, rock and classical influences, this seamless blend of complexity and virtuosity had strong resonance of (sic) what was going down in popular music, with Emerson Lake & Palmer, Van der Graaf Generator and Yes filling stadiums with what became known as progressive rock. Indeed [Stanley] Clarke was on record at the time expressing admiration for Yes's bassist, Chris Squire." It would have been great if VdGG *had* actually been able to fill "stadiums", but that accuracy-quibble aside I think the article clearly expresses the simiarities between the two concurrent trends. "A seamless blend of complexity and virtuosity" indeed. James Wills ===== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ reply to -- jameswills at yahoo dot com or if it's work -- jawills at dc dot com Prog Club : http://prog.dnsalias.org:26000 James' website of the week: http://www.batemania.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 15:57:01 -0800 (PST) From: earl of surl Subject: GIG REVIEW: Nov 14 @ The Warfield >From: "Tom Ligda" We started out with John Paul Jones, whose set I didnt really enjoy. It was just three guys, JPJ, a Stick player and a drummer. First of all, the sound was terrible. It was so very distracting from the music (imagine that!). I found myself reflecting on how terrible the sound was and how much I would love to hear what the heck the guitar players were playing! When they played a few Zeppelin tunes (Thats the Way, When the Levee Breaks, and Black Dog.) it was easier because I already know well how those songs go. However, with the JPJ material that I didnt know well at all, it was nigh impossible to make out any of the songs. I could tell there was a whole lot going on with the guitar players just by looking at them, but I sure couldnt hear it. It was just a huge mush. The Stick's output was very messed up on the first song ("Zooma"), but it smoothed out fine after that. I didn't notice any problems with the sound, although the ukulele song could have used a volume boost, especially since people didn't really shut up until about halfway through that song (bloody annoying). It was like an Irish folk song, but the lyrics referred to modern times... wish i'd caught it all. Nevertheless, JPJ's set was excellent. "That's The Way" had him on mandolin and vocals (he has a pleasant, comfortable voice), Nick on 12-string guitar (and "silly kilt"), and Terl playing what i was told is some sort of Brazilian hand drum (used in capoeira) which he played with a brush and struck with his other hand. The non-Zep material was split evenly between _Zooma_ and new material. He played this lowdown, dirty blues on the mandolin which was simply breathtaking. One hour was simply not enough, and i hope that he tours alone when _The Thunderthief_ comes out on Feb 5. One interesting note about the JPJ set was that he went from 12-string bass I believe that's actually a 10-string. to 8-string bass to mandolin to ukulele (!) to really-short-scale-(were talkin no longer than the ukulele)-electric-guitar It looked like an electric mandolin to me. to double lap steel guitar (I think). Yep. Now, on to the main attraction. First, an attempt at a set list. Be forewarned, I wasn't writing anything down or working on remembering the set list, so inaccuracies abound, especially in the song order. To add to your set list, i believe they played "Virtuous Circle" before launching into "Level Five". Encore Two (Last): Red My wife wanted to leave after the first encore, so i missed this... bummer. It was a really amazing show. This show I was able to stand stage right in front of Trey and get a great chance to appreciate his playing. By the way, since Josette asked, Trey was wearing a charcoal (turtleneck?) shirt and black tuxedo-ish pants, with a white stripe down the side. There were so many highlights in the show. You forgot to mention when Ade messed up "Elephant Talk" by launching into the Cs when it was time for the Bs. His reaction was great. "AAAAHHH!" I wasn't very keen on "EleKctric"... the rhythm section's work sounds fresh (and great), but the guitarwork sounds like "TCoL Part 2". The similarity is a little too obvious. I did pick up my copy of the Level Five EP CD. It looks like theyre individually numbered and Im the proud owner of #271. And i got #272! I think i vaguely remember seeing you. rone ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 01:41:02 -0700 From: "Proginoskes" Subject: GIG REVIEW: November 16, The Web Theatre, Phoenix, AZ Before starting in on my review, I'd like to give the standard disclaimers: These views represent only my own, are in no way affiliated with any other entity in the Universe, and furthermore are subject to alteration. (That is: I reserve the right to change my mind later about my views if I want.) It has been 6 years since King Crimson played in the Phoenix area, despite the fact that California seems to be on of their favorite stops. This concert also marks the milestone that I have finally gotten to see the band live ... after missing them in Atlanta (1995) and Kansas City (HORDE, 199?). The opening act was The John Paul Jones Orchestra. The following statement may cause some people to get upset, so recall the opening paragraph when you read this: If I hadn't known who JPJ was, I would probably not have been impressed by the music. JPJ is a great musician, able to play all types of instruments (including the ukulele; someone shouted out "Tiny Tim was here.") The Stick player impressed me more than JPJ himself. (This is another milestone: I have finally gotten to see someone play a Stick live.) Most of the material was (evidently) recent songs, with Zep's "Rock and Roll" (JPJ playing the vocal line on a pedal steel slide guitar) closing it out. (He may have played other Led Zeppelin songs, but I wasn't able to pick out any, with me not having listened to much of their stuff.) After about half an hour, KC came out and played. They lined up on stage, with Mastelotto in the back, Trey Gunn to the left (from the audience's point of view), Adrian Belew front and center, and someone was in the dark on the right- hand side. Based on the way the equipment was set up, Fripp was playing with his back to the audience. He was unseen all through the show and didn't even take a bow at the end. (I think Belew was urging him to step into the light.) They started off Belew-less and played something which might have been an improvization. (I haven't memorized the musical content of _Heavy ConstruKction_ yet ... sorry ...) . He came out, and they played "THE CONSTRUKCTION OF LIGHT" and "INTO THE FRYING PAN". At this point, Belew talked a bit with the crowd, saying that it was surprising that they hadn't "tortured" us in 6 years. (This seemed to be the only time he talked with the audience.) Then KC proceeded to "torture" us with a new song (instrumental), featuring synthesized horns at the beginning and end. Then they sped through some old favorites: "THELA HUN GINGEET" (without the backing vocals, and without the vocals during the "verses": the tape of Belew telling how he was almost mugged in NYC), "DINOSAUR" (again, I missed Tony Levin(?)'s backing vocals during the chorus, and we didn't hear much of the "dinosaur noises"), and "FRAME BY FRAME" (without the "Fripp part": the higher, faster notes, and without the backing vocals: "sun and moon"). These songs seem to show a weakness of KC's, in the vocal department. Maybe they need to bring back Tony Levin for this, or maybe start encouraging Trey Gunn to chime up more. They introduced another new song ("LEVEL 5" ... and I missed levels 1 - 4. 8-).), then finished off with more songs from _The Construkction of Light_: "PROZAKC BLUES" (vocals not as harsh as on the record), "LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC 4", and "CODA: I HAVE A DREAM" (instrumental; no vocals). Maybe the lyrics were omitted due to the reference to "World Trade" (9-11), but I think it just adds more power to the message. Belew's views on abortion (an ET topic that went haywire and is now verboten) wouldn't be a reason, either; Arizona is a very conservative part of the country. ... It did appear that he was having trouble with some of his equipment, and maybe he had a sore throat as well. But I digress ... I am writing this at 1:15 am, local time, and want to get it done before I fall asleep. This was the end of the show, proper. The encore consisted of a Belew-less "DECEPTION OF THE THRUSH" and another improvization, with Trey Gunn getting the spotlight (literally, as well as figuratively), and then Belew came back to close the encore with "RED", the only pre-Belew KC song all night. (If they ever want to let their audience know clearly that the concert is over, they could just play "21st Century Schizoid Man" or "Starless". A perfect finish.) Overall? I have been to several concerts that have made me want to quit mathematics and become a musician instead. This wasn't one of them, though. ... I got the impression that this was an obligation to the city of Phoenix, and the band wasn't 100% into it. "Expectation is a prison" (RF). Maybe this discolored my review of the show. -- Christopher "HeKcman" (more commonly known as Heckman) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 05:02:13 -0600 From: "Trey Five Winds" Subject: GIG REVIEW: 11/8/01, 328 Performance Center, LEVEL 5 TOUR, Nashville,TN Good evening. It's been a while since I've written, and I believe the last thing I might have written on was the last Gig Review I did. I hope it was helpful; I hope this one is too. It was a grimey, sweaty venue with not too much to proclaim for itself. Like 12th and Porter it was on a dingy street, though undoubtedly in a much safer part of town. When we got inside, I immediately snagged my girlfriend(!) and I some good seats. First of all, the mere APPEARANCE of the PA system scared the living hell out of me. The cabinets were not merely huge; they were GARGANTUAN. Anyone who was there or who has seen this show will know exactly what I am talking about. A warning to those of you sitting in the back when you go to see them: You will hear them just fine. A warning to those of you who will be upfront: Investing in some earplugs...won't do you a damn bit of good. Pray for your hearing. I will. I'm still praying for mine. John Paul Jones opened up the show, of course. He had onsage with him a wide array of musical instruments, the guts to play them all (size, it seems, doesn't matter with JPJ -- He made a ukelele sound like a Stradi- varius!), and a killer band to match. His drummer Torl and his stickist Nick were so on and so tight with him it was ridiculous. Their segment of the show alone was worth the admission! If I had to choose between seeing Zeppelin and seeing John Paul Jones, I would pick Jonesy AGAIN. If you haven't heard about the Mandolin Blues, if you haven't heard about his electric mini-guitar, if you haven't heard the full fury of his custom 10-string Manson basses, if you haven't heard about Nick and Torl -- don't bother. JUST GO AND SEE THESE GUYS! If you like the fury unleashed from a hot instrumental band, then this is the act for you. And, he even sang two songs -- one on his new solo album, and another from Led Zeppelin: "That's The Way." And, no, of course he's no Robert Plant, but actually, I like his voice. It has a lot of character, a lot of folkiness, a lot of gusto, and a lot of heart. What more could you ask for from one of the two men that made the Zeppelin so great (as for the other, God rest his soul, John Bonham)? Quick P.S. -- For those who ask, I have no idea whether Nick was wearing a skirt or a kilt. I've seen pictures of a Scottish plaid kilt. And my girlfriend (who actually enjoyed BOTH bands!) hopes to hell it's a kilt. But I don't know. So don't ask. But, alas, this IS about Crim, so -- here we go: They have a new stage setup, as I'm sure had to have been discussed here already (I've been unable to read ET as much as I usually do), but I have to admit it's refreshing to actually see ALL of them. With Pat (on my right) and Robert (on my left) facing each other, a lot of timing cues that must have been virtually impossible before are now merely dif- ficult. Both Adrian and Trey are back a bit (with Adrian on the left and Trey on the right), each one of them close to their respective Buddy; Guitar Buddies on the left and the Rhythm Buddies on the right. With a new PA (or, partly new, anyway) and a new setup being tried out live for, as far as I know, the first time, there were bound to be a few clam crimsonettes to look forward to. And so, they were off... They started out with "The ConstruKction Of Light," and it was a beauti- ful thing. They were spot on in all places on the playing, and Adrian was spot on in MOST places during the singing. It says a lot that he still uses a diagrammatical chart of some kind to play the piece, after having played it since May of 2000 on all of their live dates. However, here and there, Crimson did make subtle changes in the arrangement. It was, despite a very few off places, a grand try, and the sound was won- derful to boot. And so, it continued like that. The sound was wonderful, and seemed to have been etherially wired -- up until "Thela Hun Ginjeet." And then, I'm not really sure what happened. Something in the sound failed; a hole materialised out of nowhere and half of the sound dropped through it! The lyrics to "Thela" were incomprehensible, the guitars got a lot thin- ner, I saw Trey and Pat almost literally fight to keep the thing afloat, but it just sort of washed over in this incomprehensible wave. "In The Frying Pan," which came right afterward, was worse! The sound got even louder and more hollow than ever, with Pat's electronic drums so ear- piercingly loud as to be near the point of deafening! Trey was barely recognizable in the din, and the Guitar Buddies didn't stand a chance. I could see the band trying like hell to keep it together, but the hole where the sound dropped just got so wide that EVERYTHING went out of control -- and, for the first time, I was actually GLAD to hear when King Crimson had stopped playing! I think, for a few moments, that they were too; I am unsure, but don't have the heart to guess... To be fair, I don't think this was necessarily the band's doing. They do have some new equipment, and perhaps the soundman had some problems that were unusual. This abomination to the band sound only lasted through those two songs. The next one, "Lark's Tongues' In Aspic, Part IV," was a fairly miraculous recovery. But, some momentum had been lost, and that could be felt. It took a bit of time, but "The Deception Of The Thrush" seemed to heal things over quite nicely. Trey's playing was a notch or two above the top; he was just starting to climb over when it was time for the piece to end. Robert's string sounds were absolutely lush and gorgeous. The "mechanical talker" sounds were loud and clear and yet didn't threaten to take up too much sonic space; the right space for them had been found in that performance. Pat's touch was very stately, assured, and totally intuitive. Highlights of the evening included a very thunderous "Level Five" and, what I originally thought was an improvisation, the atmospheric space of "Virtuous Circle." This was a very fresh piece, and explored a much different Crimson that has only been vaguely hinted at. Also a highlight was the premiere of "EleKctriK." THIS IS A WONDERFUL PIECE! I WAS ALMOST SAD TO HEAR IT END! A future classic of Crimson-in-waiting, that one. Strangely enough for me, they only played those three of the new pieces at this opening show. I actually missed hearing "Dangerous Curves." And while the "THRAK" songs that they played were actually great moments, with "One Time" being the better, "Red" sounded a little bit tired. "Frame By Frame," the only other pre-"THRAK" piece, sounded very good, and got a bit edgy there too with SOMEONE (I'm not sure WHO) spontane- ously harmonising the twin guitar verse sections. But the older stuff, to my ears, did sound a bit old. Noticeably, they didn't play "Oyster Soup." I wonder why. After the sound problems, though, that would be begging for trouble if it wasn't straight on. Still, overall, it was a good, solid show, with (mostly) a great soun- ding band, and REALLY GOOD SOUNDING new stuff. I'm looking forward to hearing the new album. Over the course of the tour they will, undoubtedly, get better as they go. The Limited Edition Tour CD, "LEVEL FIVE," has a lot of great music on it, and it sounds fabulous. "Dangerous Curves," "Level Five," "Virtu- ous Circle," "The ConstruKction Of Light," and "The Deception Of The Thrush" all make up this set, and for those of you who say that this is one "Thrush" too many, you've got to hear it! Which leads to one other thought: I almost hope they DO NOT record "Thrush" on to a studio album. I have the distinct feeling that some- thing would be lost. If that song gets chained down to an album arrange- ment, it may kill the magic it has. I don't know entirely why I feel this way; it's merely an intuition. What do you guys think? Anyway, here's the setlist: The ConstruKction Of Light ProzaKc Blues FraKctured (intro...skipped?) EleKctriK Dinosaur One Time Level Five Virtuous Circle Thela Hun Ginjeet Into The Frying Pan Lark's Tongues' In Aspic, Part IV (No Coda Vocal) The Deception Of The Thrush Frame By Frame Red I hope the guys have a great tour, and good luck to both bands. It's rare to see this much talent all in one package at a concert these days. Best Wishes, Trey Five Winds ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 19:23:06 -0700 From: "Sam Behrend" Subject: GIG REVIEW: Phoenix Friday, 8pm, The Web Theatre, Phoenix. The theatre was the former Phoenix Union High School. It was the first high school in Phoenix and the auditorium has been converted into the theatre. It was a good room and the sound was excellent. We were in the 2nd row and right in front of Mr. Fripp and his many digital boxes. All controlled by pedals as he never touched a knob on the large rack of electronics. Closest I've ever been to the Fripster who moves with great economy. He never turned to the audience until the ending bows. Still it was cool to watch him play. He looked at Adrian the whole time. Adrian was front and center looking a little older than the last time but in great form, both guitar and voice. Bending the guitar neck, banging the body and playing the tremolo bar for all it's worth. He was smiling almost the entire show and connecting to an audience of very excited and appreciative fans. Trey and Pat were fantastic. And were they ever loud! Good thing every one I saw had ear protection. Folks must have remembered how ear splitting their last show in Phoenix was 6 years ago. My ears are still ringing from that night - seriously! The set was essentially the same as the one reviewed Friday in ET. Lots of new stuff from Level 5, their new EP CD on sale for $15 at the show. I'm not too warmed up on this stuff and I admit not to be real crazy about the previous CD either except that Prozac Blues was really great. Highlights for me included Thela Hun Ginjeet, Frame by Frame, Dinosaur, and an amazing Red in the encore. The band was tight and in great form. And being so close to the action was the best part. John Paul Jones was very good. He played an amazing array of guitars and the music was pretty good. I recognized 2 Zep. songs. His Stick player wore kilts and was very entertaining. The drummer was fair. It was fun to go with my 14 year old son Daniel. He liked the show! He might have been the youngest person there but I was not the oldest. Lots of 20-30s but even more 40-50s folks there. There were lots of interesting fans and the usual assortment of disinterested girlfriends and wives. Personally I don't think it was as satisfying to me as the double trio, but gee, at least they continue to evolve and they still hold my interest even with the new stuff. I remember how disappointed and uninterested I was in the 70s KC and now that is my favorite stuff. Maybe I'll catch up with the new material too. Two thumbs up! Sam Behrend Tucson, AZ ------------------------------ End of Elephant Talk Digest #892 ********************************