“Be sure to name this bootleg ‘Warts And All’” quips a smiling Adrian Belew on the first of four evenings at a particularly hot and sweaty Nashville venue.
Replete with cavernous digital reverb effects and a bright somewhat shiny mix that places every error and spontaneous exploration under an unforgiving spotlight, it’s nevertheless a great gig that’s brimming with good will and a great atmosphere. Highlights include a sensational off-the-leash solo from Belew on Oyster Soup and at the end of Ressone To Stimuli Belew announces “That’s the first time that anythings been sung on that one, even for these guys” says Belew indicating his sweat-covered colleagues on stage. The track would eventually receive a set of lyrics and become better known in the Crimson canon as FaKcts Of Life.
Other new tracks being tried without the aid of a safety net is our old friend from the ProjeKcts days, Heavy ConstrucKtion containing added Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With”. Described as ‘an honourable performance’, Fripp adds “The audience were very generous and forgiving of the train wrecks that appeared regularly, even in places never before known to Crim as likely to endanger forward motion. The band were well humoured, even light hearted.”
