j o n b

Robert Fripp is overseeing a continuing program of archival release for King Crimson, including the much praised Nightwatch, a live recording of the Larks' Tongues In Aspic lineup. Not being a huge fan of that improv-based period of the Crim, I passed on that, but jumped at the chance to hear the 80s variant of the band, responsible for one of my all time favorite albums, Discipline. These two discs represent the last performance of that Crim lineup, and is a pretty good representation of that outfit, I imagine. As you would expect, the performance from this bunch is top notch all the way around, with everyone playing well off of everyone else. Adrian Belew is in particularly fine form, having a great time with the appreciative Montreal audience, while in perfect command of his voice and guitar (he drums somewhere, but I'm not sure where!). Bill Bruford is firmly into his electronic percussion phase, which isn't an altogether good thing, but at least he maintains the use of a real snare, which makes the electronic toms somehow easier to bear. Musically, I have a few problems with the set. Being the tour after the Three of a Perfect Pair album, I suppose it only makes sense that it is the most represented of the 80s works. To be honest, I've never really liked that album, but the performances here of "Industry", "Larks' III" and the title track overcome that prejudice. Still can't dig "Dig Me", but nobody's perfect I guess. The rest of the material is well done. "Sartori In Tangier" is a particular standout. Any other problems with the performance are mostly due to comparison with the excellent B'BOOM "official" bootleg from the THRAK tour. A lot of material is shared between the albums, and the fullness and intensity of the six man lineup improves most of the tracks, in my opinion. The presentation of the album is great. The booklet is very informative about the performance, the album, and Discipline Global Mobile's work and philosophy. Disc 1 is also an ECD designed for use with a computer. Unfortunately, my machine won't run it, so I have no idea of how good it is. With all this fine finish, it seems a shame to me that both discs just end, cutting off crowd noise with no fade out. That sounds sloppy and unprofessional. In the end, this is a very good live album, one which I'll be pulling out frequently, I imagine. review by Jon Byrne — 8-1-00 —

b o b

The album begins with the atmospheric improv "Entry of the Crims", which starts with a simple soundscape and then builds up as the band members enter the stage one by one and join in. Once everyone's warmed up, they tear into "Larks' Tongues pt. III" and it's off to the races. That track begins a three song stretch that makes for excellent driving music - I listened to it on the way in to work today, and arrived five minutes early. Don't play it while driving through speedtrap areas. The first disc also includes some of the 80s band's more unusual songs - after the crowd responds enthusiastically to "Industry", Belew asks "Would you like some more of the weird stuff?" Cheers from the crowd lead to a performance of "Dig Me". Disc two is also very good. This version of "Sleepless" kicks ass, and then "Larks' II" (taken at a fairly fast pace) kicks even more and gives a crushing ending to the pre-encore part of the concert. The crowd cheers for more, leading to the triple encore of "Discipline", "Heartbeat" and "Elephant Talk". This album would make a good intro for someone looking to begin exploring the 80s Crimson. In fact, it was my introduction to some of the songs from Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair, which I didn't own at the time I bought Absent Lovers (an error which has since been corrected). The Enhanced CD content that Jon Byrne mentioned is just the Discipline Global Mobile catalog (as it stood at the time this CD was released), nothing too exciting. review by Bob Eichler — undated —

j o e

The last night on earth for King Crimson in the 1980s. Fripp wails against a frigid background of Frippertronics on the opening instrumental "Entry of the Crims," kicking off a strong set-list which captures material from all three of the 80s studio albums (and Discipline almost in its entirety). Despite the slightly dated electronic drums, Bruford is in his rock prime here for sheer cyclone might and dexterity (e.g. the tail end of "Thela Hun Ginjeet" and a typically raucous "Indiscipline" intro). Belew shows a great deal of charisma, and works the crowd like a veteran. None of the four players misses a beat musically. Though perhaps not a mind-blowing finale to the 80s quartet's legacy, the atmosphere of this final concert date was obviously energetic and enthusiastic, and it was a fine way to go out for that particular chapter in the bandīs saga. review by Joe McGlinchey — undated —

e r i c

Discipline Global Mobile has been putting out music like crazy, and Absent Lovers is another great release from the archive series. If KC fans were upset about what they felt was a move towards poppier material, they just were not listening. Yes, many of the songs were shorter, but does that make them any less progressive? (The answer is no!) The lineup is Fripp, Belew, Bruford and Levin, and they represent the material well. Most of the material is from the three releases by this lineup (Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair) and includes "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" and "Red". The playing is excellent with lots of energy. I love supporting DGM and if the quality stays as high, I will continue to buy the live material. There is a different feel to the live show, and if you like this period of KC, it is just another interpretation to listen to instead of the studio recordings. review by Eric Porter — undated —

b r a n d o n

Not being much of an 80's King Crimson fan, I wasn't expecting much from this release, though I picked it up anyway given the strength of the previous archival release, The Nightwatch. Not only was I pleasantly surprised, but I also find that this is probably my favorite release from this period of the band's history. The performances here are rock-solid, full of energy, and quite tight. Some might complain about Bruford's electronic percussion, but I actually like it in the context of the music here, and in any case no one is going to complain about his performance! Virtually every piece is killer, with only a couple of exceptions: "Entry" drags on a really long time, and I'm not entirely sure anything could save "Dig Me" or "Waiting Man". I could say very, very good things about the performances of all the other pieces, and even "Man With an Open Heart" and "Industry" are great (especially the latter). Robert Fripp liked to say that the 80s band was a real wallpaper-shredder live, and if this concert is any indication, he wasn't exaggerating much. review by Brandon Wu — undated —