King Crimson: Classic Or Dud

The "Heroes" line is pretty Frippy to me, though not as jagged as his other stuff, like on the Eno records or Scary Monsters.

It's not an Ebow!: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Oct04/articles/classictracks.htm

Here is the dreadful video for the dreadful single edit of Sleepless: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0OPmVg7l-s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0OPmVg7l-s

Yeah, Fripp never used the E-Bow for his sound. Just loud, precise swells of guitar.

Incidentally, the humming guitar line on "With Or Without You" is also not an E-Bow.

Well, I knew that was Michael Brook's 'infinite guitar'. I don't know too much about the technical details of that innovation but it's basically designed to do what an Ebow does, to allow notes to sustain indefinitely, right? I find it more striking that Fripp was able to calculate feedback at specific locations to such a precise degree that he was able to do this with a regular guitar and amp.

Because Fripp is a genius and Brook is a problem solver. But yeah, it does what the EBow does, but electronically, vs. physically. It just makes it all the more striking when you hear either Fripp's Frippertronics stuff with Eno, or something like his solo on "St. Elmo's Fire."

Someone should mash up Fripp's 'St Elmo's Fire' solo and John Parr's 'Theme from St. Elmo's Fire'.

Fripp's diary is entertaining for the occasional mysteries and cliffhangers. What is/are the "non-industry dispute(s)"? I gather one of them was a family squabble regarding the settlement of the Willcox estate following the passing of Toyah's parents. And then there was the one about some J.G. Bennett follower making money off of his name in ways that Fripp and others found objectionable.

And then this, after weeks of inactivity:

Oh no! Oh no! Coming down into the Cellar last night, jet-lagged, the external HD with my working files fell off the computer. El crumpo! down the stairs. Oh no! Oh no!

Not much I could do with this in the early hours, dribbling and pitiful, so rising at 10.00 and straight over to Bredonborough Computers. They called shortly afterwards: not. Terror! Horror! Awfulness arising!

........

The call has just come in: the second HD data recovery expert has been unable to recover data from the HD, but he is optimistic. Next step: off to the top-line characters.

Is The Writing Project derailed yet again? Will we never learn the true depth of Sam Alder's evil? Tune in tomorrow, or next week, or next month!

That which passes should upload to the cloud.

Fripp's latest diary entry hints at the possibility of KC on iTunes.

I've owned these albums on vinyl, cassette, CD, remastered CD, boxed sets, fan club CD, re-remastered CD, 5.1 DVD, so it's a relief to learn that I might one day own them on MP3 as well.

http://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?entry=24091

Crimson Mk. VIII is go, apparently, a 3-drummer lineup including Bill Rieflin.

excellent

thats crazy, I thought for sure that Fripp was done for good with this

Huh. So who the hell is in this? He says four Brits and three Americans, so ... Belew, Rieflin, Levin? No more Pat? Who would the other two drummers be, then? Gavin Harrison and ... ? The other drummer would have to be British, too. Which still leaves two Brits, Fripp and ... ?

I guess Rieflin is the only confirmed member besides Fripp, with Tony Levin more than likely. Via Fripp 9/5: "Into the Cellar for an important call to T Lev. According to Tony, the call made his day, week and year."

I dont know what the logistics of such a lineup would be, is the idea to have a King Crimson UK and a King Crimson US? And to what extent will Steven Wilson be involved?

I think the likely UMG settlement after 5+ years of fighting is the bigger news, really.

I don't think Wilson will be involved, I imagine. At least not until they remix the new album in 5.1 in 15 years. But then the question remains, who are the three American and four Brits? Levin is a go, and Rieflin is a go ... I can't imagine Crimson without Belew at this point, though such a thing could be refreshing. Wilson could conceivably be great as guitar number two, and I can't imagine he could say no to being in Crimson.

Fripp talent strike puts him in the running with Fogerty for most dramatic label dispute.

I'm guessing Jakko is in, what has he got to do?

It would be amazing if they could corral one of the original members! Can't imagine that Fripp would do it though.

I don't think he's on bad terms with any of them except Sinfield.

Best news of the day

Well, it's really curious! Assuming Belew and Levin and knowing it's Rieflin, that's Fripp plus three other Brits, two of them drummers! But if it's Jakko that would imply no Belew.

And yet, Belew is already booked to tour his King Crimson ProjeKCt in 2014, which would be weird if he was not in Crimson.

love these tracks based on samples of 'Moon Child':

http://exclaim.ca/News/cock_swan_hit_kickstarter_to_fund_vinyl_release_share_ep_made_of_king_crimson_samples

Though it looks like Belew is busy:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EjRKiWPBAkY/UXWkQMVdpRI/AAAAAAAABLU/h44e-eSOJ0A/s640/blogger-image-701532764.jpg

I was under the impression Fripp had fallen out with Belew. I would be very happy if Belew wasn't in this. Wilson would be fab but he's pretty busy w/his solo career.

I think Belew did a lot for the band in the 80's and on THRAK but I can't imagine he has much to give to King Crimson, especially since his solo albums as of late have used a lot of those ideas

If Belew is out then they need a singer and 2nd guitarist. Wilson would fit the bill perfectly.

Wilson doesn't seem like the right fit, as a singer or guitarist, and he does seem pretty busy. I still put my money of Gavin Harrison being a part of this, so there's your Porcupine Tree quota.

My only thought is that the lack of Belew means pretty much all new material. I know Belew never sang any of the old Crimson stuff, and I assume no singer would do his stuff, either. Which means a couple of decades of stuff off the table. I'm guessing new Crimson will pretty much ignore much of Crimson I through VI or whatever.

If Belew is out then they need a singer and 2nd guitarist. Wilson would fit the bill perfectly.

Again, or Jakko.

I'm not going to take 2 guitarists as a given.

I know Belew never sang any of the old Crimson stuff

He did on occasion, e.g.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhDnxovZNNA

Fripp, Levin, Mastellotto, Rieflin, Harrison seem to be safe-ish bets, leaving 2 Brits to be named. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Wetton is one of them.

New King Crimson Line-Up Confirmed

The 8th incarnation of King Crimson will be Gavin Harrison, Bill Rieflin, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Mel Collins, Jakko Jakszyk and Robert Fripp.

More at http://www.dgmlive.com/news.htm?entry=4335

I guess I'm cool with that. Belew is such a dominant personality that it's nice to give someone else a chance for once.

Mel Collins

!

No belew is good belew from where I'm standing.

I'd be fine if they played nearly all new material with maybe a couple of newly resurrected tracks. My guess is they'll start by reworking stuff off of Scarcity of Miracles, which doesn't sound especially appealing.

From Fripp's diary in 2010:

Following recent diarizing on possible trajectories & processes in my musical life, one possible way of moving forward after the collapse of the KC Celebratory Crimsonising was for ProjeKct Seven to go live. A main part of P7 as conceived was to have been the players of JFC – JFCL&H. I saw how the business might be arranged to support rehearsals & live, with Gaucho Productions as the business entity and performances in the UK & Spain. This was fully discussed with Don Hernan of Gaucho Productions. Who knows where P7 might have gone?

JFCL&H=Jaksyk, Fripp, Collins, Levin & Harrison. Looks like this was the germ of an idea whose time has finally come.

Fripp's obvious respect for Jakszyk notwithstanding, I'm not too excited about this pick. I saw him as part of 21st Century Schizoid Band and wasn't too impressed. This is like that bloke from a Judas Priest tribute band who ended up fronting Judas Priest.

I haven't liked Jakko in anything yet either. Still I'm very curious how this will sound and I really hope it is not anything like Scarcity of Miracles.

^^^this

Too bad Wetton isn't involved, was looking forward to hearing a five minute frippertronics break in the middle of "Heat of the Moment"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxnKhClqJrc

Gavin Harrison, Bill Rieflin, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Mel Collins, Jakko Jakszyk and Robert Fripp.

jakko being the bum note, but maybe the material will be better than that last record

I've never seen Crimson. I don't care who's in it. I'm so there.

Would have been cool if Fripp reconvened with David Sylvian.