Palace Theatre Providence United States

Palace Theatre Providence United States

“We weren’t aware this was to be a final statement and when we were, we were wrong there too. But we did know we were knackered” [endtease]wrote RF about the last theatre performance for this incarnation of KC. Despite being somewhat road-weary this is nevertheless a durable set showing a band playing near the top of its game. Highpoints include the two improvisations which RF noted in his diary from the period as being “more spacey than before.” Whilst A Voyage To the Centre of the Cosmos structurally echoes Asbury Park, the second improv, Providence, comes from another place altogether; somewhere well off the musical map. An assertive and highly recommended gig. Please note that this concert is also available on CD as part of the Great Deceiver 4CD live set.

AUDIO SOURCE: Multitrack

DGM AUDIO QUALITY

AVERAGE CUSTOMER RATING

TRACK
TIME
01
Walk On
00:49
02
Larks' Tongues In Aspic Pt II
06:23
03
Lament
04:39
04
Exiles
07:16
05
Improv: A Voyage To The Centre Of The Cosmos
16:44
06
Easy Money
07:11
07
Improv: Providence
10:05
01
Fracture
11:31
02
Starless
12:14
03
21st Century Schizoid Man
09:50

PURCHASE
SHOW
Written by Kevin Shelton
This Is The One For Me (45 Years Ago Today)
I've made no secret of the fact that, for me, King Crimson reached its apex of live performance and inventive creativity during the last seven days of June and July 1,1974; that the band somehow tapped collectively into the Great (or Large) Accumulator and embodied superhuman energies. Of course, opinions differ: Some favor Asbury Park; others, the great mystical night of July 1. To me, the best overall gig this band played during that period took place in the old-fashioned, cushioned Rococo surroundings of the vintage Palace Theater. All the pieces that are "written to be played" sparkle, and they culminate in the greatest spontaneous composition the band ever produced, the magisterial and mind-boggling "Voyage to the Centre of the Cosmos (My Mate Atman)". Get this in some form, and don't hesitate. This isn't just King Crimson every bit as powerful as it ever was, but King Crimson more powerful than ever.
Written by Jack Floyd
False End by a Historic Band
Although not as powerful as they used to be, the band still keeps it’s destructive and fearsome force, presenting a surprisingly inventive set. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic - Part II begins by showing what King Crimson were still capable to do even with all the pressure in the air. Lament is a real beast, showing Wetton’s voice in awesome form, Exiles starts a little bit hidden, but quickly expands itself to it’s feral state. The Improv: A Voyage To The Centre Of The Cosmos is a bit similar to Improv: Asbury Park in the beginning, but later turns into a radically different piece. Right after an esplendid rendition of Easy Money, another improvisation is born, Providence has some tension and mystery around it that refuses to vanish until the piece’s last part, where Cross show all of his violin skills over Fripp’s wah-wah distorted guitar playing. After tight and forceful playing, the band is still surpring with a violent Fracture and a chaotic Starless. As the last piece, 21st Century Schizoid Man ends the set featuring all the four members’ skills that made this line-up so historic. 
Written by paul duffy
Among the very best
It could be my ears or even better equipment, but I’d swear this sounds even better than the box set versions on TGD. As for performances, this is as superlative an effort among the four of them as any lineup of Crim ever delivered. As so many of the reviews have stated, this is one for the ages. Disc 2 in particular might be my favourite, maybe even more than Absent Lovers. Well done!
Written by Tim Joseph
On the other hand ...
Yes, both gig and The Great Deceiver boxed set are beyond excellent.  However, I’m buying this download so that after 16 years I can finally hear the end of Starless - I’ve never found a CD player that could play the end of my Virgin CD1!  I presume the DGM pressing is better :)) I haven’t had chance to check it yet, but I notice that all but one timings given for the download are quite a bit longer than those given on the CD.  (Easy Money is 3 seconds shorter for some reason!)  Has there been a change of speed, or was there quite a few small edits on the CD version?  Or are all the timings just wrong??! Nevertheless, if you haven’t got either version yet - what are you waiting for?  This is King Crimson at their absolute peak.

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