King Crimson: Radical Action To Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Tony Levin (b, stick)
Mel Collins
Robert Fripp (g)
Pat Mastelotto (poetry reading)
Jakko Jakszyk
Bill Rieflin (d, ky)
Gavin Harrison (d)

Label:

KCXP5001

Dec/Jan/2016/2017

RecordDate:

2015

After a couple of lumpy live preludes, the Crimson clan have now released a package that will satisfy fans new and old. The psychedelics, heavy dudes and jazzers alike will savour this 4CD package. Most intriguing is that this post-2014 incarnation of the band is the first to embrace music from many of their past phases (but tellingly not from the early 1980s Adrian Belew years). Indeed, the third disc is even called ‘Crimson Classics’, kicking in with a rumbustious ‘Red’ (saved by Collins soprano soarings), and climaxing, doubtless to the joy and wonder of all, with ‘The Court of the Crimson King’ and, yes, ‘21st Century Schizoid Man’. If not quite tipping the show into Greatest Hits territory, there's something curious about these re-runs: the three-drum unit feels leaden and Jakszyk's identikit vox are too smooth; again it's Collin's contribution, notably on flute, that brings some needed lyricism. But the ‘Mostly Metal’ disc retains a thundersome intent and there's the inevitable performance DVD which shows off the band's current dapper dress sense.

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