King Crimson: where every chord tells a story

Two things occurred on the way to getting my ears wrapped round another of Robert Fripp-led King Crimson musical statements, ‘The Power To Believe’: leafing through Kurt Cobain’s ‘Journal’ I came across a passage where he names Crimbo’s seminal album ‘Red’ (1974) as one of all-time great rock albums and then, discussing Crimbo with Mudvayne heads recently (interview due onsite soon) who are near-obsessed with the Brit-legends.

Maynard Keenan (of Tool) said once: “I have a feeling kids are going to come and hear King Crimson and go, ‘Tool ripped these guys off blind!’, because it’ll be right there for you to see. But we’ve said all along that we’re definitely influenced by this band, there’s no mystery.”

35 years from the inception, the band is still as inventive, innovative and daring to not persistently discover new boundaries over the previously self-set ones but triumph over. Trimmed down to a quartet, from the recent ‘double-band’ format, ‘The Power To Believe’ features maestro Fripp, guitarist/vocalist Adrian Belew, bassist Trey Gunn and drummer Pat Mastelotto and it could well be the best of their career (‘Red’ excluded).

As usual, simple genre descriptions are useless, as Crimbo have always existed outside the confines of rock, prog, jazz, ambient, experimental. They simply incorporate all elements to produce something that certainly stands on its own and, as often the case, one feels like a scientific vocabulary should be employed – a treatise, perhaps, being more appropriate – rather than simple rock phraseology. Crimbo have always created own sonar bubble where rules don’t exist but theories are aplenty. Every chord has had a full philosophical training!

The title songs is split into four parts, it starts with ‘A Cappella’ version and ends with a dreamily fragile ‘Coda’ that takes us back to the days of concept (art). ‘Level Five’ confirms that feeling of return-to-forever-songs with its intricate, precise and complex arrangement, as does ‘Elektrik’, ascending through its stanzas like a lesson in composing. What a mathematical progression! For the difference from ‘Eyes Wide Open’, the catchiest song here, akin to the Talking Heads quirky funkers that hit the right spot between popular’n’intelligent. (Belew worked with the art-rockers during the 1980s.)

‘Facts Of Life’ has an ominous intro (as a separate track) that evolves into a proper rocking song that is on a path of destruction; an evil drum-pattern and frenzied guitar provide vehicle for visiting outer rim before settling into a higher rocking orbit. ‘Dangerous Curves’’ emerging from silent pause is a prolonged process with a repeated phrase seemingly speeding up until one is completely webbed in this net of spellbinding.

These sonic renegades are firmly at it: King Crimson begins new chapter with this album; it also continues an opus that will hardly ever be rivalled.

9/10