The less played as extra layers to John's (single tracked) voice and Robert's guitar in this diamond track - the better. The utter beauty needs no extra ornaments - and here it shows, most perfectly. To say that this tune is otherwordly beatiful, it still bears the manner of understatement... 46 years (and a bit) after it happened to be put down to tape. I'm never tired to listen to it once more, after umpteenth dozens of times. Could this be ever bettered than on this left off take? Well, it has been, yes, just once. For this you need to head up to the gig in Atlanta, at the Richard's, 23th June 1973. What happens there - is - simply - one time in the history of the whole Universe. Glad the song got to the KC 50 series, that just would not have been complete without "Book Of Saturday" - one of the Crimson's finest state-of-art moments ever.

I was there and it almost didn't happen because of rain before the show. Despite the shortened setlist I like to think the circumstances made it even more memorable.

Many years waiting for the full version of In The Court Of The Crimson King. Now is the true version. I give it seven stars. ★★★★★★★

As Tony mentioned, the weather was divine for an outdoor event - full sun all day followed by a full moon for the performance! The Bud Stage, meanwhile, resides within the Ontario Place waterfront park, a variously pristine, charming, shabby and decrepit public place and marina - hey, it's a play-of-opposites - with great views of the city of Toronto, Lake Ontario, joggers, bicyclists and other goings on - Cirque du Soleil, for example, was set up on the grounds with their colorful tents. As a concert venue the Stage itself is a fine place for a show and if the band were lucky enough to stay at Hotel X across the street (Tony took a shot of it) then they enjoyed the same fantastic high-rise views of city and waterfront that we did - our room on the 20th floor looked down upon it all, a ten-minute walk away. The performance? Crimson delivered one on this night. Mel and Tony were a bit buried in the beginning but the sound was dialed in and the vibe of the audience and band seemed to knit together as the show progressed, moving from a kind of loosely measured anticipation to rapt attentiveness (only a handful of idiot whistlers invading the quiet parts!) to a final third where the muse arrived, stripped off her dress and possessed us all. Risks were taken, surprise jams indeed surprised and Schizoid entered the body of a dervish at the end - I'll never forget Jakko laughing at the scene - those who were there will know! And speaking of Jakko, he really rocked both the guitar cords and the vocal chords - he has claimed his rightful place in the pantheon. Tony, sporting his rock goggles, brought the bottom, especially during the last third. Mel, well, Mel just always brings it period - what would this incarnation be without him? Bob, having bestowed a charming lecture to the packagers (he's a writer and a thinker, he ought to publish his peculiar pen & guitar pick mythology - I volunteer to edit it!) was especially forceful and driving, grabbing solo riffs, pushing limits, bestowing wisdom and humor all round. The drummers commanded the stage and I swear I thought Jeremy was going to bludgeon his kit into rubble - he gets off the keys in an awesome rage! Pat the shaman clapped for Gavin the scientist - it's often a dual-drummer telekinesis given Jeremy's other job on the ivories - and gave us all authority to amp up our participation and get a little nuts by the end. I don't need to hear Schizoid as an encore but this time I did, if you know what I mean. I've filed out of many shows as a group in silence but our audience couldn't shut up about it and as the muse donned her dress and took flight above us we reentered reality under the abiding auspices of a dream well dreamed. Great night.

I can not express how lucky I was to find myself positioned in the third row with great friends right in front of Pat’s kit. In 2017, at Massey Hall, I sat first row in front of Pat, so I knew that this show was going to be a lot louder than the Leipzig show of this tour, where I was seated near the bar in the back, and at least equally as loud as the Massey show a few years ago. I must say, I was much more impressed by the sonic quality at this show then at Massey Hall. For the fourth time seeing King Crimson since my first live concert experience with them on November 20th, 2015, I can not express how absolutely spoiled I felt seeing them again in such outstanding musical form at this show. The intensity of the percussion, the complex layering of dissonance in the pursuit of structure, and the musicianship of each member was outstanding. In comparison with all the other King Crimson shows I have been to, I never thought I would witness the soaring heights of Mel Collins’s vociferous leads, nor the haunting guitar work of Robert and Jakko, the outright intensity of the Drumsons, and the uniting force of Tony in such an incredible performance. Not getting the Royal Celebration Package was the only regretful aspect of the evening. After finding out that both Jakko and Robert spoke to the very lucky VIP guests, I knew that this was suitable grounds for the blues. Nonetheless, the cohesion of the band, musical prowess of each member in the moment, and the overly generous setlist are just some of the things that made this show unforgettable.

I'm compelled to chime in on this concert as apparently at least one attendee complained about a "horrendous" loud mix - and as someone who was dead center in the front row, I can say that is categorically incorrect - mind you, as a professional musician myself, I am equipped with earplugs designed specifically for being in louder environments on a regular basis. I did discuss the sound specifically with my bandmates who were sat in the upper balcony and several other attendees strewn throughout the theatre - all of them concurred that the mix was not at all overbearing, in fact quite balanced. I will mention I personally thought the first night at Lisner in 2017 was problematic though, whereas the second night it appeared to be significantly clearer - as if the mix were better dialed in for the room. Needless to say, from where I sat - even directly in front of Jeremy I am pleased to note that every detail - even the most subtle was not only discernible but "just right". As far as the performance itself, overall I'd characterize it as "measured" - this wasn't a night of reckless abandon (compared to for example, Milwaukee in 2017) but it was clear everyone onstage was enjoying themselves and it was evident within the occasionally cheeky conversations between the instruments. Additionally, I was struck by how beautifully, emotionally, and dynamically both Robert and Mel expressed themselves - particularly during the second half. Of course the interplay between the "Drumsons Of The Apocalypse" was riveting throughout, and one cannot help but smile as they egg each other on. *PSA: only one drumstick was lost on this occasion* ...all in all, it was a great start to this year's Crimson season for me, and if this is any indication, the remaining 50th Anniversary shows will be awe-inspiring...more reports to come!