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  Addendum January 25, 2011
Written by Carnamagos
I’ve nothing to add to the other superlatives here, but I want to note one thing about this recording that no one else seems to mention: David Cross’s mellotron was largely missing in action for much of the evening. It is audible, but barely. Whether this was because of a problem with the "Tron, or with the microphone (or something else entirely), I don’t know, but I just thought I’d mention the fact.
Great!!!! August 21, 2010
Written by ekimshield
I saw this band in June ’73 (a few months before this recording) performing much of the material presented here. This a faithful document of that (and this) hair-raising night. A desert island recording if ever there were one. Get it!
Glasgow, 1973... December 29, 2009
Written by avakashitar
I wish I could’ve been there (but I only arrived on Earth a full month and three days later, so, no good for that...).
Although I had the studio albums and "The Night Watch", and had heard most of "The Great Deceiver" box set years ago, it was downloading this gig for a cursory listen that really gave me a whole new appreciation for this band. The sound here is superb, and the playing even more so. I love the intro improv before it launches into "Lark’s...I", and everything feels crisp, punchy, and powerful. All the improvs were very good, and has led me to check out more by this band.
Thank you for putting this download online.
Jesse Morris
great but redondant and an overview August 31, 2009
Written by danielontheparapet
All those coming out concerts are great but it becomes redondant , even if it’s never the same excatly! The problem is that this incarnation of the band was always playing the same stuff. And it’s at least good to see one concert without the freaky 21st.. to end it or in the middle or whatever Plus i think Cross was a very limited violin player specially after the passage of Mel Collins on improvisation. More colours, more subtilities less raw primitivity power in the islands incarnation. I thing this band would have reach his full potential with Mac Donald back. And Red is the somptuous conclusion of a band who were searching a melodic line (except for 4 or 5 cuts) all the time. It would have been very interesting to seem them touring with a genius guy with that music instead of a good but without sparks violin player. I think Van Der Graff generator succed in the Vital album to mix the raw energy pf KC plus the amazing performances of saxes and violin combined K.C. failed that test to me Now Both bands are disaterous bands without genius. Those old men still think there can be Nadir!(PH alter ego 16’enns year old kid) At least VDGG i had one fantastic cut on the comeback album Present: IT is call NUTTER ALERT! One genius cut in 30 years well that’s better than KC" did in all those cheap cd"s with Belew? Are they only in it for the money? Old bands and old singers that can’t retired are pathetics! Remember the words of Jacques Brel when he retired at the summit? Well dig for them! I will conclude by the words of Peter hammill at the only US appeareance of Vdgg in the 70’s: ”Everytime Fripp is trying to bring out Fripp it’s a disaster for the world!” I don’t think it was true at that time. Now it,s more than obvious. Keep on searching Mr. Fripp those old tapes. you are lest pathetic digging in the past than living in the present! A beginning of something else is very invisible indeed in your toughts! Is engaging in a spirit of goodwill eliminates all sorts of criticsm Excuse any english mistakes ! i am french cdn. (i dare you to write as good french as i write good english) Modesty is always false
Staggering January 21, 2009
Written by kevineden
My first DGM download and what a scorcher. Having heard some of it on the Great Deciever box I was partly prepared for this gig. What a staggering beast of sonic power this KC were. Wettonbass plays with harmonic assurance and mind crunching volume. Brufordrums must possibly be the best drummer of this period bar none. His dexterity, inventiveness and sheer velocity still surprise. Mr Guitar just got better and better and some of his solos are out of this world. To my ears this band were never surpassed and thank the stars that RF and DGM keep dishing up these delights for our ears and minds.
Amazing October 31, 2007
Written by HenryKC
I was lucky enough to be at the Apollo on October 23, 1973. It was a truly amazing experience. As you can hear from the demands for an encore, the crowd went crazy at the end. Not everyone at the Apollo got that reception. That was the second time Crimson had played the Apollo that year, having been there in March, I think.
The October concert was good but now I have downloaded the music from the gig I am astonished at just how good. To anyone just thinking about dowloading this concert, just do yourself a favour and do it. Cheers, Henry.
Devastating!!!!! October 15, 2007
Written by wolverinepete
I burned this beast onto a CD and am now blasting it at concert level over a quality stereo system at home, just unreal. This is my first download from this site and my God, what outstanding sound quality. Get this, NOW! Indulge me while I free associate a while, this concert is blaring in the background and is bringing back a rush of memories. I was born in 1958, and fortunately had a sister three years older who was passionate about rock. She’d grab me by the scruff of the neck and make me sit down and listen to certain bands, and one that scared the piss out of me in 1969 was Crimson. Just the album cover of "In the Court of the Crimson King" gave me the fear, and the title track haunted me (btw, extremely powerful use of this song in "Children of Men" if you haven’t seen it, given RF’s apocalyptic bent I can see why he licensed it for this movie). I didn’t rediscover KC until "Lark’s Tongues" was released. The cool rock station in Chicago was WXRT, and they had "Easy Money" on rotation. I was 15 years old, thought myself cutting edge, so went out and bought it. What the hell did I know of time signatures and dissonance, this was just wild chaotic nonsense... WHAT MADNESS WAS THIS?!?! Part of me wanted to just smash this record to bits and fling the pieces out the window, but then the beautiful respite of "Exiles" would pull me back in and give it another chance. I was challenged, and kept playing it and playing it because I knew there was something magical going on, and I kept finding more and more in it each time. Thirty four years later I still find more gold after each listen, amazing. Thoroughly hooked, I had the extraordinary pleasure of seeing this incarnation of King Crimson post SABB at the Chicago Auditorium in April 1974, a double bill with Robin Trower (after the "Bridge of Sighs" release). A mere snivelling punk, how was I to know it would be the best rock concert of my life? For those of you unfamiliar with the Auditorium, it was designed by Louis Sullivan, and the acoustics engineered by Dankmar Adler, one of the great listening venues in the States. I had perfect seats, center of the first balcony. First comes Trower wailing out to an uncaring God in the heavens, followed by Crimson not wanting to cry to Him but to thrash the bastard. The entire evening I had goosebumps, each crescendo was like getting tasered, a grin plastered on my face. "Fracture" is now blaring, and this is insane: wow, shred wallpaper at a hundred paces indeed! I’ve enjoyed your music for a lifetime, and now find this. More joy, more ecstasy, timeless music that is the embodiment of the Spirit of Music. A magical moment in time frozen in amber, but still wildly alive (as in the background "Talking Drum" dances and dances and dances....) I bow at your throne, long live King Crimson! From a fan, sincerest thanks.
My First Of Many Downloads Here!!! May 4, 2007
Written by Catfoody
First of all I must thank Robert Fripp most sincerely for the creation of this amazing website and for the offering of equally amazing live shows to download; I wish more musicians would offer the same service to their fans!
After purusing the catalogue for a while, I came across this show. The main review sounded great and the fans all seemed to agree, and when I saw the setlist I had to listen to a preview clip. I chose...what else..."Cat Food" and was blown away by the sound quality; this was definately a must have show for my King Crimson collection, so I purchased the Flac download and it is money well spent! This show is incredible and every Crimson fan should buy a copy!
The lineup of Fripp, Wetton, Bruford and Cross is one of my favorites and this concert really showcases their talents. The set is a wonderful combination of the "Larks’ Tongues In Aspic" album with what would become "Starless And Bible Black" with lots of suprises thrown in. Fripp, Wetton, Bruford and Cross are all spot on with the performances of each song in the set with every song being a highpoint for me. If King Crimson instrumentals are your thing then "Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Pts. I & II" and "Fracture" will blow you away, if it’s the vocal performances then "Easy Money", "The Night Watch", "Lament", and "Cat Food" are a real treat for the ears.
Every song is great and King Crimson are awesome. I wish I had been at this show, but thanks to Robert Fripp I can now enjoy listening to it over and over again and will definately be purchasing more great concert downloads in the very near future!
I have seen the future, yesterday afternoon! March 22, 2007
Written by tungarbulb
Back in 1983 or so, the late composer/performer Frank Zappa proposed an alternative to the marketing of vinyl records (CD players were brand new and unaffordable to most people). His proposal, using the digital transmission technology of that day, was to have people be able to purchase and download music online via telephone and dial-up modem (at 1X speed!) using one’s TV set to view the album artwork and analogue cassette deck to store the music (no Internet at the time, few PC’s and no CD burners). Damn shame Frank never lived to see his proposal come to fruition, but here it is.
It’s so nice to be able to order a recording on line and receive it in hours rather than days. It’s great to have the FLAC option and get true CD-quality in a download.
Oh yes, the show. The sound couldn’t have been better if they’d rented a time machine and flown modern digital recording gear back to 1973. Shows you what happens when the original recording engineer and the remastering people know what they’re doing! The performance was as sharp as they come. My sole complaint is the 6 and a half minutes of pre-encore crowd noises at the end of LTIA part 2. I suppose it preserves the fly-on-the-wall, documentary quality of this official bootleg, but I consider it a minor nuisance.
All in all, I am very optimistic about how this new technology and business model will get some very crucial music by RF and other artists out of the vaults and into listeners’ hands where it belongs.
WOW January 26, 2007
Written by margaret
Thanks Bob, Bill, Ian, John et al, you guys changed my life, no pre release,just a gig at the Apollo, i was 16, u gave an intro to a wider world, i know you get this stuff all the time, i’m 51 now, but seeing you guys there has affected my whole life, i;m now an artist, because you showed me there was another way..,my LOVE to you all.. MagsXXX
A Dream come True January 5, 2007
Written by foxbardave
I think myself incredibly lucky and priveliged to have been at this concert. It was a superb experience on the night as indeed was every Glasgow concert. I have always wanted a recording of that night ever since Robert told us it was being recorded for posterity. My vivest recollection was just how beautiful David and John dueted on violin and I think viola. Thats one dream come true and I can only hope that another for todays King Crimson to come back to Glasgow.
Perfecting in Perfection in Perfecting ... January 2, 2007
Written by landru141
I’m often asked why I collect certain band’s live material. Why, for example, would you want multiple shows of the same band playing the same songs from the same tour? But, the truth is only a few bands have that magic for a period of time that make almost every performance worth hearing. I suppose King Crimson (especially this era) is the absolute epitome of the variations a set of songs can take. The combination of classical music’s heavy construction and jazz’s improvisation provide a wealth of musical information, while still maintaining a feeling of "vibe" so lacking in other prog rock bands. A track like “Lark’s Tongue …” has sections that you remember, but the whole piece seems constantly to move and change from recording to recording. Imperfections or variations become little landmarks. A particular bass or cymbal hit can make all the difference. This particular set is absolutely stunning. As noted in other reviews, the recording was used as part of the "Starless and Bible Black" album, which should indicate the quality level. But, in some ways, this album supersedes SABB by restoring the full free-range of the set and the band’s natural ability for dynamics. It is hard to say it’s better ... but it is certain that if you love the that album, this era of the band, then this is a MUST HAVE download. I only review when I am truly blown away and this set is absolutely why I look at dgmlive on a weekly basis ... just waiting for a tasty treat like this. And, "Cat Food" to boot ...
Crisp, precise December 30, 2006
Written by Hagiasophia
The sound quality is so deliciously good!!
Everyone sounds like they’re where they are, not smacked on a single sheet of paper but in living, moving colour.
You can hear the many subtle different tones and voices David will express on viola and violin. All the members working majestically and sharing their space.
Sharp tongues in Larks I.
What a royal Exiles.
The duo’s between David and Robert are incredibly intuitive in The Talking Drum, you can feel the intense musical connections.
The Night Watch is so solemn but the way Robert plays is so fragile (not timid) and so sweet.
John’s voice is so deep and perfectly husky. Not overbearing or too aggressive.
It’s all very dreamy...sweetly, precisely, violently, graciously dreamy. It’s very perfect, elegant restraint...music in the silences between. It is what it is.
And it’s real.
I love this music! December 30, 2006
Written by jescalera
I was born in 1960 in a small city in Spain. In 1975 I discovered "Larks Tongues in Aspic", for me it was a shock. Even now it is one of my favorites recordings ever. A little later I read that King Crimson was broken. I was desolated, they were not going to do new recordings and I was not going to live a gig from this band. This is my favourite crimson, and with recordings like this I know why. It has delicate balance between the sweetness of songs like "Book of Saturday" or "Night watch" and the storm power of "easy money" or "Larks ... II". The sound in this recording is fantastic and it is possible to hear the subtleties of all the instruments. In some recordings the guitar of Robert Fripp sounds terrible, but here is sometimes delicate ("cat food") and other times imposing. David Cross has a difficult task in live recordings. The sweet sound of the violin of the studio recordings is lost and he has to compete with the power of the other instruments. But in this show he is very creative and plays very different from other times. We all know that Robert Fripp is a genius. In many concerts he plays perfect with very rounded solos (specially in the 90’s 00’s shows). In some cases he moves freely, even lost (for instance in some 71-72 shows). But in this show he explore new possiblities returning with ease to order when it is needed, fantastic show! John Wetton is here in the peak of his creativity, never before or later of the 73-74 period has played so well. During this time he is a truly inventive bass player with a strong position in the group. I love Bill Bruford’s playing, specially when he is not doing solos. There are many drummer that play good solos. But his way of acompany the melody in addition of the rest of the group is marvellous. I find that this is one of his best performances ever. When you listen to him in this show you know why he left Yes. His playing improves so much with this music and with the freedom King Crimson offers to him! I hope that he will listen again to this concert. Yesterday I was listening the show. I was 15 and I was in Glasgow. I love this music. Thank you Robert, John, Bill and David. And Thank you to the people in DGM for doing it possible.
Woah! December 26, 2006
Written by DoctorNerve
Sweetness! Some scurge blisterment in here! I love the middle section of Fracture. Nice risky portions on a live setting. A must buy for the fans. I cant wait to drop this on a cd and go for a drive. Happy holidays to ME!
Merry Christmas for all December 23, 2006
Written by acampo
Crim heads! Speaking for the ’completists’ among us, it’s great to have whole shows of excellent sound quality. Another early version of Fracture with a different improv bit than Arlington is much appreciated. Too bad that section was dropped in the ’74 versions. I’m partial to the fall ’73 set list as I was fortunate to be at the mind-bending 9-22-73 concert in NYC ( Hawkwind as the opener) and for the simple reason that they’re longer performances! Hoping to see more high quality releases from this incarnation of the band.
Kudos to the DGM crew on another great DL.
Live at the Apollo December 21, 2006
Written by mjboyce
Best live renditions of Larks Tongue in Aspic material that I’ve heard, particularly Larks Tongue Part 1, Talking Drum and Larks Tongue Part 2. I do prefer, however, the guitar solo in the Jesery (Asbury Park) version of Easy Money. Nevertheless, I was actually excited listening to this material live, and I do believe that is a great accomplishment considering the details of the studio version.
This whole recording is exceptional, really. The only weak point for me, and it is still an acceptable performance, is of Fracture. I have not yet been more satisfied by any recording apart from the one of the Starless and Bible Black release.
The other versions I’ve heard have been interesting, but never gut renchingly brilliant as that performance with its over-dubs. Those over dubs colour aspects of the early sections in a way that make them more exciting, and the ending was and is always something that makes my mind feel like it’s going explode in somatic orgasmic glory.
I like David Cross’s playing on this recording a lot.
The jams are interesting.
I find the audiance applause at the end before the encore a bit tedious.
The small excerpt from Cadence and Cascade is lovely, and great indeed to hear Catfood.
More, more... December 21, 2006
Written by octopus92
Thanks to DGM for this Christmas gift... The sound is fantastic (as good as on "Asbury Park") and the complete show is really fantastic with energic improvs through that evening... Now, hoping for the complete Zurich shwo from that same year....
Of the Highest Musical and Sonic Quality December 18, 2006
Written by mouthface
There is nothing completely mind-blowingly unique to this concert (except CAT FOOD!...and the fact that the sound quality is about as good as Night Watch!!), and if you have The Great Deceiver you’ve got about half of this concert already... But if you are like me and can afford a 12.95 album every now and then, and you love this iteration of Crimso, then you NEED it. It is great.
Performance and Sound are both Pristine December 18, 2006
Written by halbie
This is a home run in all respects, particularly the sound quality (even at MP3) I’d put it on any "must have" KC list. The work-in-practice Fracture is worth the price of admission by itself. KC was a jamband (dumb term, I know, but it has meaning in this context) long before it was cool or uncool to be one.
Another Amazing Revelation!!! December 18, 2006
Written by LouieB
Like their June 1974 gig in Asbury Park NJ, King Crimson’s gig at the Apollo in Glascow, Scotland on October 23, 1973 has gained legendary status. Part of this concert was used in the band’s classic 1974 release "Starless and Bible Black" while years later, a hefty amount of this material was used in the 1992 box set "The Great Deceiver". Now, thanks to DGMLive, the complete concert as it was captured in Glascow on that glorious night is now available for the first time ever and I must say, this entire concert is amazing. The entire band was on an all time high during this particular gig and you can definitely hear it in this download. Standouts include razor-sharp renditions of "Larks’ Tongues In Aspic pt.1" and "Easy Money" as well as a fresh performance of "Lament". "Fracture" was still in its working stages here as it includes an additional passage that would later be omitted and later included as a part of the track "Starless" (with a slight difference in variation). The second half of the concert is where the stops really get pulled out. Beginning with the mellow "Book of Saturday" and gradually building through the "Tight Scrummy" improv which is built around a clever drum machine rhythm. A dramatic "Exiles" follows which leads to another improv that paves the way for a no-holds-barred "Talking Drum" and "Larks’ Tongues in Aspic pt.2". The audience was definitely enthusiastic as it can be clearly heard in the five minutes that follows. For the encore, the band throws in another surprise by first beginning with "Peace-A Theme" and then slamming into the rarely performed hit "Cat Food". John Wetton definitely makes the song his own as does Bill Bruford. A great way to end the concert. Hats off once again to DGMLive for yet another treat into King Crimson history. Like the Asbury Park and Amsterdam gigs, this is the 1973-74 Crimson at their very best. It’s great to finally be able to hear ALL that went on during this legendary concert including Robert Fripp’s speech getting cut off because "George had to change the reel". As for the music, it doesn’t get much better than this. Fripp, Wetton, Cross and Bruford at the height of their powers!!!
Brilliant sound! December 17, 2006
Written by cuicawrangler
It is indeed great to have this legendary set. What’s more, as I now have a truly unseemly amount of disk space (for an iBook, at least) this was my first adventure in FLAC. The extra time spent decoding for iTunes was more than offset by not having to remove security stickied from a CD case! I am converted. Sounds wonderful.
A joy to hear band and audience tearing it up here, and I LOVE this version of Cat Food! DGM Live, I thank you again.
Hot! December 17, 2006
Written by ModernKaveman
The only word I can use to describe this is "HOT"!
King Crimson - October 23, 1973 - Glasgow December 17, 2006
Written by podjim
I have been waiting for any Glasgow show to be available. This is superb, especially as I was at the gig. The atmosphere was incredible, the playing awesome and this download captures it beautifully. I love this!!!!!
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