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| Artist: | King Crimson |
| Title: | Absent Lovers |
| Label: | Discipline Global Mobile DGM9804 |
| Length(s): | 54+52 minutes |
| Year(s) of release: | 1998 |
| Month of review: | 06/1998 |
Line up
Robert Fripp - guitars
Adrian Belew - guitars, drums, lead vocal
Bill Bruford - drums, percussion
Tony Levin - bass, stick, synth, vocal
Tracks
Disc 1:
| 1) | Entry Of The Crims | 6.27
|
| 2) | Larks' Tongues In Aspic (part III) | 5.05
|
| 3) | Thela Hun Ginjeet | 7.07
|
| 4) | Red | 5.49
|
| 5) | Matte Kudasai | 3.46
|
| 6) | Industry | 7.31
|
| 7) | Dig Me | 4.00
|
| 8) | Three Of A Perfect Pair | 4.30
|
| 9) | Indiscipline | 10.45
|
+107 MB of data.
Disc 2:
| 1) | Sartori In Tangier | 4.41
|
| 2) | Frame By Frame | 3.57
|
| 3) | Man With An Open Heart | 3.45
|
| 4) | Waiting Man | 6.26
|
| 5) | Sleepless | 6.09
|
| 6) | Larks' Tongues In Aspic (part II) | 7.54
|
| 7) | Discipline | 5.04
|
| 8) | Heartbeat | 5.16
|
| 9) | Elephant Talk | 8.57
|
Summary
I hear you thinking: yet another live album from King Crimson.
Indeed, but this is a nice one since it is the first to cover
the Discipline King Crimson and only three older tracks
are present: Larks' Tongues (Part II and III) and Red.
In the context of the so-called King Crimson Archive Series
it was mentioned in the booklet that in 1999 The Great Deceiver
will receive a second edition. Good news for those who haven't
got it, which, I figure, is slightly over 5 billion people.
The music
After the Soundescapist Entry Of The Crims, everyone picks up his
instrument for one of the few tracks that point into the past.
Larks Tongues ... III. This piece contrasts heavily with the danceable
aspects of Thela Hun Ginjeet, which as you all know means Heat In The
Jungle. Then another dive into the past with the glorious Red, one
of the best things they've ever done in my opinion. The tension really
drips from this track. Matte Kudasai, or Take A Mad Suit as some might
have it, is a ballad and a very melancholic one indeed. The
drawnoutishness of Belew's vocal really fits perfectly with this one
(as he also does with Heartbeat on the second disc, strangely I always
preferred the solo version of this song). After a sneaky preview of what
later was to become the sound of ProjeKCt Two, Industry (and they it much
better here), we end with Dig Me (not so fond of this one), another
ballad and the terrific InDiscipline (I repeat myself...).
The second discs takes us further and we can even catch a word or two here
from the singer to the audience. After the mysterious Sartori in Tangier and
the poppish Frame By Frame I find a reference to Japan in the chorus of Man
With An Open Heart. KC had a tendency in this line-up to combine a number
of diverse elements into their music: Arabic and Oriental stylings, a cleaner
and seemingly less emotional sound, but also a more modern approach to music
with songs with choruses and lyrics that are about life. This probably also
has to do with the background of Belew, who might function the same way Wetton
did. After Waiting Man, we come to Sleepless, which to my ears sounds rather
like Talking Heads. After the last nostalgic "trip" we get the terrific counterpart
to Indiscipline and the ballad Heartbeat. The neurotic element that I found so
overpowering on the studio albums of this band (I repeat myself ...) can
also be heard quite well on the closer Elephant Talk. The song seems quite long
but this is also because the band thanks everyone involved in this line-up.
The conclusion is simple: the missing link between the two power line-ups of
Red and Thrak is now available live as well. The playing is impeccable (what else
would it be) and the music sounds fresh and alive.
Conclusion
A good place to start
for the people who were never into this great band, since the music is somewhat
more approachable. If you then tend to like Heartbeat and Sleepless you might
be wrong in going further into this band, but if you like Larks, Red and Discipline
by all means find yourself some more KC.
© Jurriaan Hage