Recorded: 1973, Released: 1997
Tracks: Easy Money; Lament; Book of Saturday; Fracture; The Night Watch; Improv: Starless and Bible Black; Improv: Trio; Exiles; Improv: The Fright Watch; The Talking Drum; Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part II); 21st Century Schizoid Man
Best track: The Fright Watch > Talking Drum
Track to skip: none at all
Important concert in the history of King Crimson here. 2 main reasons: first, this show provided the recordings of 3 ½ songs that would appear on Crimson’s next album (Starless and Bible Black), and second, this show was widely bootlegged so it’s great to have an official release of this concert. Fracture, Starless & Bible Black, Trio and the first part of Night Watch were all used on the Starless album. This was recorded 9 or so months after Larks’ Tongues and the difference between the two is staggering. The songs from the LTIA album are played here with much more force and John Wetton in particular really stepped up and showed how talented he is. His vocals and bass playing sound great on here.
All four of the band members actually sound good on here. Violinist David Cross says in the liner notes how they were at a really low point on this night, but it doesn’t sound like it to me. True, they get better in the next 7 months, but I think the band sounds very tight and alive on these recordings. For those of you paying attention, Jamie Muir was no longer in the bad at this point as he left the group back in February of ’73.
As for my favorites of this 2 CD set, it’s hard as always to choose. The guys do a beautiful version of Book of Saturday and the knockout punch of Talking Drum > Lark’s II > Schizoid Man is excellent. I think the highlight of this show is probably the 3 improvs though. Starless is dark and creepy, while Trio is the exact opposite: one of the most beautiful things Crimson ever recorded. I wish we were able to hear the transition between these two improvs, unfortunately that’s where the disc-switch occurs. For me, as a bassist and musician, nothing is more exciting and just plain evil than the last improv of the night, The Fright Watch and its lead-in to The Talking Drum. It had been teased a bit on 1991’s Frame By Frame box set, but here we get the full thing and it’s huge. It gives me chills and I so wish I could make music like this. This album isn’t the best live stuff available from the ‘73-’74 Crim, but considering it’s as good as it is, that should give you an indication of how excellent The Great Deceiver and USA are.
Rating: 90
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