State Uni. Open Air Theater San Diego United States
San Diego was the last of nine dates Crimso played opening for Tool and it catches them on dazzling form. The gigs were part of a wider KC roadtrip which took in a total of 21 concerts as the band tried and tested material for what would eventually become The Power To Believe.
Transfered directly from the multi-track ADAT tapes, and mixed by Alex “Stormy” Mundy, this truncated set acts as a first class introduction to King Crimson, which of course, for the many fans of Tool who made up the audience, is exactly what it was.
The swiping violence of the chokes on Level Five can make even the most battle-weary KC-vet stand back in wide-eyed admiration and this rendition of Deception of the Thrush captures both sides to Crimson’s musical personality, veering as it does between the terrifying and the transcendent.
The interlocking sections of TCOL are delivered with the kind of full-blooded passion that reminds us how tight a unit the Double Duo could be, whilst a truly knockout LTIA4 has a savage reading of the fast lines from Fripp and a classic squerning wern-fest Belew solo at the end.
A highly-charged gig where the team blow the doors off the venue with a tight uncompromising set in which even the older material sounds fresh out of the writing room. This is also the concert where during the second portion of Red, the team are joined by Tool drummer Danny Carey, who slips behind Pat’s kit to give it some thumping goodness.
State Uni. Open Air Theater San Diego United States
San Diego was the last of nine dates Crimso played opening for Tool and it catches them on dazzling form. The gigs were part of a wider KC roadtrip which took in a total of 21 concerts as the band tried and tested material for what would eventually become The Power To Believe.
Transfered directly from the multi-track ADAT tapes, and mixed by Al...
A good choice for those starting out with concert downloads
I am a big KC fan, but by no means a completist. I don't need to have every version of LTIA II ever performed. I don't need a new version because there are 4 extra measures in the in or in the coda. But I do appreciate versions that give me new insights to the pieces. Level Five here sounds like you'd imagine it being played by the best hard rock band you can think of; not quite as sterile/perfect as the studio version...more muscular. Knowing Ade's fondness for the Beatles, you could say i...
I am a big KC fan, but by no means a completist. I don't need to have every version of LTIA II ever performed. I don't need a new version because there are 4 extra measures in the in or in the coda. But I do appreciate versions that give me new insights to the pieces. Level Five here sounds like you'd imagine it being played by the best hard rock band you can think of; not quite as sterile/perfect as the studio version...more muscular. Knowing Ade's fondness for the Beatles, you could say it's got a bit of Helter Skelter tossed into it. TCOL is another highlight for those who want a human-sounding version. The solos on LTIA IV are worth the price of admission, too. Sound is very good to excellent, not quite the perfection of something in the last few years, but still justifies the extra couple of bucks for the FLAC, if you are so inclined.
Written by Jesse Morris
Two of my Favourites - I wish I was there...
...And now I can be! This is really good stuff. The sound is very together; you wouldn’t know they were opening up for anyone - they sound revved up to play a full-length gig. Complete and total commitment from beginning to end, especially on the newer stuff. There were no dull spots and no slacking. While "Into The Frying Pan" isn’t my favourite Crimson piece (even though it is a good one), here it sounds like it’s ready to conquer the world, and has provided an opportunity for reassessme...
...And now I can be! This is really good stuff. The sound is very together; you wouldn’t know they were opening up for anyone - they sound revved up to play a full-length gig. Complete and total commitment from beginning to end, especially on the newer stuff. There were no dull spots and no slacking. While "Into The Frying Pan" isn’t my favourite Crimson piece (even though it is a good one), here it sounds like it’s ready to conquer the world, and has provided an opportunity for reassessment. I love when live versions of songs can do that. And Danny Carey sounds good on the end of "Red"; I’d love to hear what a full-length version with him would be like. All in all, Syd picked it right out of the gate - extremely good choice. Well done, guys!
Written by Timothy Ohara
Inspired
This may be the best live Crim2K yet. A very focused and inspired set, flawlessly played with tremendous energy. There is a hilarious bit of audience banter to be heard right at the end of the running time, where a fan comments to the other on the quality of some of California’s premier agricultural products. Hopefully this full-blooded KC blew the minds of a few unsuspecting stoners in the arena that night.
Written by Elijah Hibit
Yowza
Man, when Sid said it was absolutely essential, he wasn’t jokin! This set is incredibly powerful. The band is totally on their game. It’s so great to hear L5 and DC as they’re being played in their earliest stages. It’s incredible how heavy this band is. What a perfect matching with TOOL. I can’t believe they only did a handful of dates. Keep this stuff coming!
