Critic's Pick

Nothing about the most recent King Crimson album -- last year's rather inert ConstruKction of Light -- hints at the unstoppable power of the band's live shows, where disciplined musicianship and unbridled fun collide in a shower of sparks. The group's mercurial leader, guitarist Robert Fripp, has altered the lineup...

By Jeff Stratton

July 26, 2001

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Nothing about the most recent King Crimson album -- last year's rather inert ConstruKction of Light -- hints at the unstoppable power of the band's live shows, where disciplined musicianship and unbridled fun collide in a shower of sparks. The group's mercurial leader, guitarist Robert Fripp, has altered the lineup yet again (this time Crimson is touring as a quartet, leaving bassist Tony Levin and drummer Bill Bruford at home), forging a leaner, less cluttered sound. Since the group's inception in 1969, Fripp has dissolved and rebuilt King Crimson countless times, shuttling musicians in and out, most recently breaking the group into smaller, "fractalised" units; at this point he's partnered with singer and guitarist Adrian Belew, stick wizard Trey Gunn, and drummer Pat Mastelotto. Don't expect Fripp to take bows or indulge in show-offy solos: He'll be perched on a stool in the shadows, spinning out his crafty, spiraling sonic architecture. These monsters of prog, who can play circles around any other collection of musicians on the globe, provide a textbook example of controlled excess.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.