REVIEW: King Crimson, The Construkction Of Light (Virgin)
- Wes Long
The notion of a Belew era King Crimson recording without the formidable talents of Tony Levin and Bill Bruford is almost absurd. Of all the incarnations of this ever-changing band it was the 1980's troop which toted the most weight. Tony, Bill, & Robert Fripp created otherworldly prog landscapes for Adrian Belew to romp around freely in with his Beatle-ish pop sensibilities and daring guitar swagger. The pinnacle of their achievements was Discipline, one of those rare albums that makes such an impression it scribbles the where and when of the initial listening experience in the brain with permanent ink.
It's not as if The Construkction Of Light features no-talent hacks on bass and drums. Trey Gunn (bass) and Pat Mastelotto (drums) are the obvious heirs to Levin's and Bruford's thrones, having served time with the double trio version of Crimson on 1995's Thrak. To hear this leaner version in conjunction with Fripp's polyrhythmic layering and Belew's most inspired playing in years is a hair raising potion more potent than a prescription dose of Propecia.
"Prozakc Blues," the splendid "The Contrukction Of Light" and the polar opposite of briefly titled "The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum" are all worthy of the songs on the 1980's color albums: (red/1981) Discipline; (blue/1982) Beat and (yellow/1984) Three Of A Perfect Pair. All three feature Belew vocals reminiscent of his greatly under appreciated early 80's solo efforts, Lone Rhino and Twang Bar King.
The vocally impaired songs are equal parts rock and left field jazz-fusion fury. "Larks' Tongues in Aspic - Part IV" is a modern day "The Rite Of Spring" which ranges from Denny Elfman fairyland dreaminess to meticulously controlled chaos as frightening as awakening to find yourself wired to a Kavorkian device eagerly fingered by a grinning Dr Jack.
King Crimson is doomed in that they've already created their Belew era masterpiece. While any subsequent release would effortlessly sprint to the finish line if allowed to stand alone, it's going to pale in comparison to Discipline. Thankfully King Crimson's not concerned with recreating the past, and the new lineup has enabled Robert Fripp's chameleon to once again successfully change it's colors.
