'I'm a Dinosaur, someone keeps digging my bones'
July 1st 1974. A date that has a special resonance for King Crimson. 22 years apart from the final show by the 'Red' touring line-up to a triumphant return to London for the 'Thrak' band. Oh, and 3 years and 2 days later a completely different live show promoting 'The Power To Believe', again at the wonderful Shepherds Bush Empire.
Always an enigma, always moving forward, searching. The true spirit of the much derided musical form described as Progressive Rock. What has always made them stand out is the uncompromising attitude of leader Robert Fripp. The final show on July 1st 1974 has all the hallmarks of the peak, the end of a cycle, an era.
Touring 'Starless and Bible Black', shows got better and better. This final show at Wollman Skating Rink, Central Park, New York has been described by Fripp as their finest since 1969, that he felt 'a tingling through his spine'. Listening to the remastered bootleg tape, it's not hard to see why.
The set ran :-
Walk On (No Pussyfooting)/21st Century Shizoid Man/Lament/Exiles/Cerberus (improvisation)/Easy Money/Fracture/Starless/Talking Drum/Larks Tongues In Aspic II
Always loved the Wetton fronted line-up. His voice suits the melodic yet dissonant style perfectly for me. The line-up of Fripp/Wetton/Bruford/Cross certainly reached a peak here. Released as part of the ongoing series 'The King Crimson Collectors Club' on CD as their 10th release, it also featured as disc 20 on the mammoth 24 disc 'Road To Red' box set.
Just 7 days after the Central Park gig they were in Olympic Studios recording one of their finest, and actually my favourite elpee 'Red'. Adding 4 extra musicians to bring saxophone, oboe and cornet alongside the violin of David Cross, the newly set up 3 piece King Crimson began work on their final statement of the decade.
The live show, as with many of those inside Road To Red, is essential. Red as an elpee and last will and testament of the original journey of King Crimson, is even more so.
Fast forward 22 years. After a successful 6 week European Tour, the new 'double trio' King Crimson arrive at London's Shepherds Bush Empire for a pair of shows. I remember this night well. Never saw the 60's/70's KC (too young) but have seen a handful from the 80's on. This was a great show. Loved the distraction, the beautiful soundscapes from Fripp as a replacement to the absent California Guitar Trio. Pulled many an inquisitive fan away from the bar.
Adrian Belew has been on my radar so to speak since his Zappa days, stuff like City Of Tiny Lights on the magnificent Sheik Yerbouti double elpee, and some fine guitar duels with FZ to boot. His voice alone stands out (love the 2 elpees by spin off The Bears by the way) let alone his carefree noise annoys guitar style. On the night, new and old melded together well, and wile the new far outnumbered the old, Red and Larks' Tongues II were personal highlights. Of course, ya gotta love tracks like 'Dinosaur' and the final encore 'Elephant Talk', succinct and strident.
Gathered together as two separate then one combined 2CD set, it was the KCCC's 3rd release, a nod to the significance the band held it in.
And, as almost a footnote, King Crimson returned to the same venue 3 years and 2 days later. Stripped down to a 4 piece, the set and sound has completely changed. The new elpee, 'The Power To Believe', and The CostruKction Of Light was the main focus of the set, complete with a couple of improvisations and a new Larks' Tongues, Part IV. Filmed as part of the Eyes Wide Open 2DVD set, alongside a Tokyo show from April 16th the same year (but with a largely different tracklisting), the show ends with a heartfelt and powerful 'Heroes', a track Fripp added 'hairy arsed guitar' to for David Bowie in Berlin.
Not as essential to me as the two July 1st shows, it is a great gig and a joy to watch. The thing for me with King Crimson is the unknown quantity mixed with the intensity and joy of both. We shall not see their likes again, the true real Progressive Rockers.
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