For the 1972- 1974 version of King Crimson, developing and writing new material was, as Bill Bruford memorably noted in his autobiography, 'excruciating, teeth-pullingly difficult music-making." When The Mincer appeared on Starless & Bible Black it represented a new way of approaching the process for Crimson; taking live improvisations and then editing and over-dubbing new parts to create an interesting hybrid. Although parts of this show recorded at Zurich Volkhaus on the 15th November 1973 have been previously released on disc 4 of The Great Deceiver box set, this is the first time the entire performance that night has seen the light of day. Using bootleg sources to restore the section of the gig originally excised to create The Mincer, David Singleton and Alex Mundy have recreated an evening of music which underscores Crimson's reputation as one of the classic must-see live acts of the 70s.
This show is also available on CD as KCCC 41.
