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| P2 At Albany Again |
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| :: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., Feb 20, 2012 |
My thanks to J Eric Smith for sending in this marvelous review of P2 playing Albany. You can hear the gig that Eric is writing about here.
Eric writes "I was a music critic (for better or worse) in Albany, New York for many years. My wife and I recently relocated to Des Moines, Iowa, and as part of launching a web presence in my new home community, I have been reviewing old archives of my work for items that might lend themselves to new purposes. I found a ProjeKCt Two live review (copied below) while digging through old floppy discs and files, and thought I would share it here, since I have not seen many other formal newsprint reviews from that era posted here. It was a lovely show, one that I still cite as one of my all-time favorite live performances.
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ProjeKct Two
Valentine’s Music Hall, Albany, New York, May 8, 1998
Copyright 1998, J. Eric Smith (Originally appeared in Metroland, The Alternative Newsweekly of Northeastern New York)
"OK, now we’ve played everything we don’t know,so we can play something that we actually do know," announced electronic drummer Adrian Belew at the end of ProjeKct Two’s second all-instrumental, all-improvised set. Belew, 10-string Warr guitarist Trey Gunn and electric six-string guitarist Robert Fripp then encored with King Crimson’s "Vrooom," an angular number originally created by Fripp, Belew, Gunn and their Crimson bandmates Tony Levin, Bill Bruford and Pat Mastelotto.
As nice as it was to hear "Vrooom," the true value of the encore was to place the evening’s improvisational extravaganza in context by providing a single sample of how ProjeKct Two sounded when tackling a fully developed and structured instrumental piece. Frankly speaking, the encore paled in comparison to the 90 minutes of music preceding it, as its rehearsed complexities and nuances were nowhere near as impressive as the knotty, towering sound collages that ProjeKct Two created on the fly as the rapt audience watched and listened.
Fripp, Belew and Gunn were watching and listening to each other as well, and much of the thrill of this concert came from witnessing the interactions between these deeply talented musicians who have played together long enough to anticipate each other’s thoughts, sometimes before they eve realize that they’ve had them. Belew or Fripp typically opened each number with a drum or guitar pattern that the other musicians would would investigate, mount and ride, sometimes to loud and uplifting summits, sometimes to quiet, scary grottoes, sometimes back to the point at which they started. It was actually harrowing to experience in many cases, as the trio careened just on this side of control as they rode, the looks on their faces indicating that it was just as thrilling (and frightening) for them as it was their audience.
As important as technical prowess was to the concert’s success, mention must also be made of ProjeKct Two’s technological proficiancy. Belew was playing the latest generation of Roland virtual drums, allowing him to create a seemingly infinite number of sonic assaults as he clattered and rattled along with a look-Ma-I’ve-got drums grin on his face. (Understandable, given that he’s normally a guitarist.) Gunn matched Belew’s rhythmic and textural intensity as he tapped, stroked and and beat the touchboard of his Warr guitar.
Fripp spun out any number of his trademark spine-tingling sustained guitar lines but also used the treatment technology he has developed over the years via his Soundscape and Frippertronic performance experiments to create a wealth of tones and intonations. At times, the bands’ sounds were so far skewed from what your eyes were reporting to your brain that it was almost psychologically easier to look at the floor and imagine that Fripp was playing cluster chords on some beaten-up jazz-hall piano while Gunn blew on a baritone sax and Belew kept time by tapping on whisky bottles and ashtrays. Crazy, man, crazy.
All told, ProjeKct Two’s concert was a magnificent one, and I must confess to feeling great relief in being able to report that. Why? Because Robert Fripp’s written and recorded works have done more to shape both how I listen to and how I think about music than have any other artist’s over the last two decades, although I never actually stood in the same space with Fripp until last Friday. So imagine the potential for debilitating disappointment at this show, and then imagine the transcendent relief and joy when it didn’t come to pass. It literally moved me to tears. And how often can a wordless concert do that?"
More news
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Larks' Tongues Listening Party
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Thu., Feb 21, 2013
DGM Live's webmaster-in-chief, Eric, is holding a listening party in honour of LTIA.
Eric writes: "What is your first and/or endearing memory of Larks’ Tongues in Aspic? Share it with the world!
I’m
hosting a private party on Saturday, March 23 celebrating the 40th
anniversary release of Larks’ Tongues in Aspic. It will be a grand
affair and the exciting part is that most of the guests have never heard
this album.
So there is an added sense of danger!
In
the run-up to the event I’m inviting folks of a Crimson persuasion to
contribute their memories of this remarkable album and period in
Crim-history to the following tumblr blog.
Thanks in advance for sharing!
Sincerely,
Eric the Wonder Bee
PS, if you live in Oregon and are interested in attending the event, use the following link to request an invite. "
If anyone else is hosting a celebratory listening party for LTIA please let us know and we'll give you a shout-out.
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Singleton Sings
:: Posted by Stormy on Tue., Feb 19, 2013
The last two Stormy introduced tracks from Songbook #1 are here
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Pat Plays Ringo!
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sun., Feb 17, 2013
Following in the footsteps of Greg Lake, another Crim gets to work with Beatle drummer, Ringo Starr.
Pat is in Australia where he's been touring with Chrysta Bell but has found time to do some extra-curricular tub-thumping with Ringo's All-Starr Band. Taken from Pat's Facebook page he writes "Last night with Ringo All Star Band (R to L: Todd
Rundgren, Gregg Bissonette behind Richard Page (my mr mister brother),
Ringo!, me on Ringo's kit, Mark Rivera, Steve Lukather , John Farris
(INXS), off to left Gregg Rolie (Santana)-- photo by Scott Ritchie.
Peace & Love."
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Gavin Harrison's Desert Island Drums
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sun., Feb 17, 2013
Gavin Harrison has been discussing his favourite drumming albums with the folks at MusicRadar.
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Stick Men Extracts
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sat., Feb 16, 2013
Tony Levin has posted some extracts of the forthcoming Stick Men album, Deep. You can listen to them here. Nude Ascending Staircase was also featured in a recent podcast over on the blog.
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Crimson To A Tee
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sat., Feb 16, 2013
Burning Shed are now offering officially-approved King Crimson T-shirts. Their first batch includes Court, Larks and Discipline. Also in the Burning Shed KC Merch store there's a series of mugs sporting the covers of some of your favourite albums. Find out more underneath the T-shirts.
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Travis & Fripp's Follow Followed Up
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sat., Feb 16, 2013
A couple of new reviews of the the most recent Travis & Fripp album, Follow, have recently been published. Sputnik Music’s write-up reckons "Follow is beautiful. Sad without sounding bleak and uplifting without sounding joyful, the simple-sounding exterior of the album masks the complicated moods underneath. These men have over 70 years of professional experience pouring into this record and with these calming, ephemeral layers of sound serving as the backdrop for their expertise, it’s no wonder Follow is one of the best ambient albums I’ve ever heard."
The album is also the subject of consideration here and there's an extensive review over at the Dutch Progressive Rock Pages by Raffaella Berry.
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When The Pot Calls The Kettle Black
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Fri., Feb 15, 2013
My thanks to the mighty Anil Prasad for the heads-up on the news that Pirate Bay are suing a competitor for, ahem, copyright infringement. Read more here.
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Review of Songbook #1
:: Posted by David S on Fri., Feb 15, 2013
A very detailed description of one writer’s journey of discovery with The Vicar Songbook#1 on Altrockchick.com
It is difficult to describe the importance for all those making music that there are the discerning ears necessary to complete the cycle. This one review completely changed atmosphere within the office.
"Songbook #1 has everything to do with talent, everything to do with musicianship and everything to do with artistic integrity."
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Keeling Brought To Book
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Fri., Feb 15, 2013
Andrew Keeling has a second volume of his diaries published this week.
In The Shadow Volume Two collects Andrew's online diaries between 2006 - 2012, building up into a fascinating insight into the creative decisions facing a contemporary composer. You can find out more about the book by visiting Spaceward's website. Meanwhile, Andrew's rock project with Otherworld is releasing a single soon. You can find out more details here. In case you missed it Andrew has also collaborated with King Crimson's David Cross for an album entitled English Sun. Released in 2009 you can buy a copy here and read my take on the album over on the blog.
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