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 #935 E L E P H A N T T A L K The Internet newsletter for Robert Fripp and King Crimson enthusiasts Number 935 Tuesday, 5 February 2002 Today's Topics: Level 5 Disc Crimson new sound; most pop music the equivalent of arithmetic CGT and Trey Gunn, Berbati's Pan, Jan 25 2002 Fripp doing a Satriani-like album? A guy named Bill Frisell. interesting indie news "Cheerful Insanity" / All Hail Marx & Lennon!!! Structure The Frizz / The Fripp / The Nuge ------------------ 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: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 20:19:03 +0000 From: "mike mclaughlin" Subject: Level 5 Disc I just recieved Level 5 a fortnight ago and this is the first chance I've had to comment upon it. I decided rather than go for the all out this is absolutely abysmal approach I first considered, I'd look at the good points the CD has, because there are some (although considering my wait to hear this disc not enough), there is a fantastic version of "The ConstruKction of Light" Adrian Belew is in fine voice as ever (bar his slight trouble at the end of the ConstruKction of Light European tour which I can understand the reason for) and "Deception of the Thrush" is as magnificent version as I could hope to hear. Now there are one or two minor points (and this could be down to me being thicker than a milkshake from a popular fast food retailer) I don't think much of the new material, I don't hate it, I just don't think: A) that it's all that new outside the premise of it having only been played last year (Level 5 is you must agree VERY like Lark's Tongues in Aspic structurally). or B)that it's particularly adventurous (correct me if I'm wrong but a ten minute track over Trey Gunn playing the same bass riff most of the time is a bit stale after a while where is the element of off the wall that I have come to expect and love from Crimso?). Now I would be the first to stand up and say let the band do what they want with whatever line-up they have and because of this I have decided to comment here and point out that these opinions are my own and I may very well have missed the point of the disc, or missed a few aspects of the tunes that maybe would change my mind, but overall at this "VERY EARLY" stage in my listening to this disc I'm not greatly chuffed, any comments of a vicious nature or otherwise can be directed wherever you want cause as I've said the opinions are mine and I'll only change them if I change my mind myself. That's enough from me for now. Mike. "You take me down like I was hung on a cross but I never said that I was Spartacus" "Spartacus" by Bateman ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 13:46:37 -0800 From: "Scott Steele" Subject: Crimson new sound; most pop music the equivalent of arithmetic In one of his typically thoughtful posts, Emory wrote: >Bu it became apparent to me that Crimson truly has a new sound. This actually became most obvious with Constuction of Light: after hearing the other new tunes, the "double duo" tune was now infused with the sound of the newer tunes. Somehow, this band has changed. The result is that they've moved into a very heavy territory... They certainly have. After Fri night's Trey Gunn Band show here in Portland, it would seem that Trey is one of the people tugging them in this direction - his own band is also moving toward largeness and loudness (and in both the TGB and KC, I see this as a very good thing). At least it appears that way from where I was standing (second from the stage at Berbati's Pan, on the Tony and Joe side of the stage). This incredibly gifted band is now more than the sum of its parts, just like Crimson is. They are playing to each other's strengths and are a formidable team. >In a way, its almost the territory Crimson was SUPPOSED to move into all along, but somehow couldn't. In a way, it almost seems like after 30 years, the band has finally found itself in a way it never has before. I am with you on this Emory, and I hope the current members of the band feel this way also. >I'll finish up by saying that without a doubt Robert Fripp is the greatest guitarist King Crimson had in the 70's...... That is incredibly generous of you, considering that Ian McDonald, Greg Lake, and John Wetton were also in the band. >1) Most Pop music is the equivalent of arithmetic. More interesting popular stuff might make it to the level of jr. high-level math. Trey Gunn and band are doing trigonometry. - S. np: Kings on Straw Mats, 28 Feb 2001 scottst at ohsu dot edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 15:18:55 -0800 From: "Scott Steele" Subject: CGT and Trey Gunn, Berbati's Pan, Jan 25 2002 >I'll be at Cal Guitar Trio and Sean Malone at the WOW Hall in Eugene. How can I be at two places at once when I'm not anywhere at all? Mr. Malone did not show - that was too bad. But the CGT is back and better than ever. Their new songs, Skyline and Dancing Nan, are exceptional additions to the book. The improvisations were really, really happening. They started off atonal, got tonal, then went atonal again. They were very episodic and mature sounding improvs. I hope they continue to do this. Their rendition of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (aka Forbidden Colours) was a very sweet arrangement. Beethoven rocked the house. They got a big hand at the WOW Hall and an even bigger hand at Berbati's Pan, the club patrons really love this song. High art for the groundlings. Heart of the Sunrise brings the house down every time. I could rave similarly about every single song they played. Melrose and Blockhead remain my all-time favorites. Punta Patri got a huge ovation from the Berbati's Pan audience - then someone asked: Who's your drummer? Hideyo got a rousing Happy Birthday sung to him by the Berbati's audience. Paul was very generous with his time after the TGB got me completely hyped up - I am sure that I was stammering too much to be very eloquent as we were talking. He said that they have high hopes of getting the CGT +2 CD out in the spring, and they want to work on enough new compositions to make a whole new CD of original songs later this year. So they are still on a very aggressive schedule. It occurs to me that they could do an outstanding job on some Mike Oldfield composition, if they were inclined to do so. They should drop the needle on Side 1 of Tubular Bells and look for the place to cut it off. This would certainly be much easier for Bert to transcribe than those pesky Fripp soundscapes. >Trey is going to be in Portland? Also at Berbati's last Fri night, I hope you were there if you had the chance. Trey's band gets stronger every time out. They have a few new songs that are just incredible, including one that Joe and Trey sing. Trey plays the fretless 12-string guitar on this song. !!! There is also an incredible new song where Bob loops his percussion instruments before our eyes (he lays down a tabla part and lets it repeat, then plays djembe or shaker or both over that) - all the while Tony is giving us a tremendous Turkish guitar solo of some sort . . . One fellow said that Tony looks like Fripp. Someone else replied no, he smiles too much. They did major rearrangements of most of their existing repetoire. On one song, Bob came out to the very front of the stage with his tablas. He wasn't more than four feet from me, it was very exciting. If you have no Trey Gunn Band CDs, get Live Encounter, Joy of Molybdenum, and Raw Power - then, get all the rest of them. OK, now you people who are getting Bears shows - I want to see some reviews. - S. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 18:45:43 EST From: NCir213855 at aol dot com Subject: Fripp doing a Satriani-like album? I meant for Fripp to play in a power trio group where he is the star with great bass and percussion backup. Such outfits: Cream Beck, Bogart,Appice Robin Trower Stanley Clarke, Beck, Appice The Neil Zaza Trio Pete Townsend, Entwhistle, Moon (the Live at Leeds album) Hanson...........Hanson? You get the picture. --------Ciraulo from Albuquerque ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 23:25:15 -0500 From: "Joseph A. Popp" Subject: A guy named Bill Frisell. Bill Frisell is GREAT. Anyone interested in psychedelic guitar playing (hopefully everyone here!) should buy hiss album titled "Is That You?". It's got a picture of Bill as a child on the cover. Un-FREAKING-believable. Bill has definately got his own thing going on. "Tone is more important than volume." Joe Popp-looper ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002 04:48:21 From: "Dan Ceo" Subject: interesting indie news Hi! I've posted several times before, but I'm not just an avid fan of KC, I'm also a co-host for an internet radio show called The Sonic Chronicles. We play a variety of independent/unsigned artists Monday-Thursday mornings. Every hour I present music news which covers both major label and independent sides. I came across a very interesting news story a couple of days ago that I really got a kick out of: a singer who we promote very regularly, by the name of Holly Figueroa, is going to be working on a new album next month and two of the musicians she'll be working with are Tony Levin and Jerry Marotta! I was absolutely floored; it's quite a small world, isn't it? Anyway, if you're interested in listening to the show-here comes the shameless, unsolicited plug-come to our website at www.thesonicchronicles.com. We play an extremely diverse range of musical genres and I sincerely hope it will catch your interest. Dan Ceo The Sonic Chronicles Mon.-Thurs. 7-11 am (EST), 4-8 am (west coast), 6-10 am (central), 12-4 pm (Britain) www.thesonicchronicles.com Downloadable on Real Player only ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 23:11:28 -0600 From: Craig Subject: "Cheerful Insanity" / All Hail Marx & Lennon!!! Hulloder, Anyone out there looking for a pristine (like new glossy in every respect, but cover has a cut corner) original UK import LP of "The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles, & Fripp"??? ......... >"Is it true you married him for money?" >"I resent that innuendo." >"Love flies out the door when money comes innuendo." Groucho marx Ahhh, but,..........Don`t forget...... "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." ~Groucho AND........... "Outside of a dog, a book is man`s best friend. Inside of a dog, it`s too dark to read". ~Groucho AND............... " " ~Harpo 8^O) ~Craig ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 23:38:55 -0600 From: "Cedric Hendrix" Subject: Structure Fellow ETers, This is something that has been goading me for some time now. I think I finally have to get it out of my system. It is off topic, yet also very on. Would it be too much to ask you guys to 1) Spell check your posts; and 2) Grasp the concept of the paragraph. Nothing is more frustrating and eye-numbing than having to read through a "cinder-block" (an old newspaper term) of text. So let's break things up a little. It's so much more pleasant for the reader. Trust me. My two cents. And I'm out ... Peace, Ced cirdec at brick dot net ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002 02:16:37 -0800 From: "Mark Tucker" Subject: The Frizz / The Fripp / The Nuge To the Frisell aficionado: Good choice! I have a bunch of obscure recordings with Bill that most people don't even know exist. I think his roots in Fripp's work are evident in those emergent releases. If you're not already familiar, he has a number of solo and group releases on ECM, a label that produces the most beautiful and innovative music on planet earth. WELL worth checking out! Also on ECM is a bassist, Barre Philips, who released an LP entitled Three Day Moon, which has a cut, A-I-A, that's one of the most Crimsony Talking Drum era recordings I've ever heard. Terje Rypdal, a HIGHLY idiosyncratic musician, plays the guitars and Trilok Gurtu is VERY Muir-ish. I highly recommend this cut to every KC fan. In it, you'll also find heavy connections to the type of music Frisell was creating around that period. To the Boz fanatic: Believe it or not, Boz sang back-up on Ted Nugent's Cat Scratch Fever release. Crimsonoids also should be aware that The Nuge played some wild guitar on Mike Quatro's Paintings LP, on a cover of ITCOTCK. ------------------------------ End of Elephant Talk Digest #935 ********************************