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From the Vault...
12/27/1998
#609 |
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info
King Crimson
"Beat"
© E'G Records
Year of Release: 1982
Rating:
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track listing
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Neal And Jack And Me
Heartbeat
Sartori In Tangier
Waiting Man
Neurotica
Two Hands
The Howler
Requiem
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King Crimson
"Beat"
King Crimson's 1982 release, Beat is different. It's theatrical,
likewise progressive, as leader Robert Fripp and his latest entourage of musicians
calling themselves King Crimson were experimenting in New Age Jazz, 1980s New Wave,
and African-style music.
Neal And Jack And Me starts out as a New Wave front heard in the
early recordings of Peter Gabriel. Heartbeat did get some regular
radio airplay, as it features (as well as throughout the album) some exceptional
guitar work by Adrian Belew.
The instrumental Satori In Tangier begins on a soft-classical touch,
but then the beat grabs you, as it becomes another 1980s New Wave/Pop sound,
as heard in such acts as Peter Gabriel and Duran Duran. Waiting Man has
some heavy synthesizers, as the vocal style here is definitely compared to Peter
Gabriel.
Neurotica is half spoken word, half vocals, with some crazy instrumentation.
This song can be compared to The Talking Heads. One word to describe this song
is Strange. Two Hands is dreamily eerie, the unique guitar work of
Adrian Belew provides the effects on this one.
The Howler is a carnival-driving song. Again, it is compared to
The Talking Heads, and this song is another strange one. It's almost
psychedelic in the way the music changes styles.
The closing instrumental, Requiem has a Pink Floyd Wish You
Were Here effect, with its moody synthesizer backdrop, and the guitar
work here is not as smooth as Wish You Were Here, but it does provide
a mood. Also the guitar work does get a little out-of-hand towards the end,
as it should of been much smoother as the background music provides. Somehow
at the end of this song, it sounds more like an orchestra tuning up to begin
playing. I was quite disappointed on how this song ended, likewise, in the
way it ends the album. This song kind of leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
But as this review first states, King Crimson's Beat is different.
For those who enjoy New Wave music such as Peter Gabriel and The Talking Heads,
this album may be enjoyable. But as it gets towards the end of the album,
it starts losing its direction, and I can say that this album would have to
be placed somewhere towards the bottom of King Crimson's finest albums.
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