LIVE IN CHICAGO
(DGM)
9/10
Has there ever been a more polarising band? Revered or reviled with no mid-ground, King Crimson has had nine incarnations across 48 years with guitarist Robert Fripp the sole common denominator. It has performed a greater breadth of music than any band in rock history: from symphonic to psychedelic via jazz, metal, funk, folk, industrial noise, free improvisation and more than has no name. This current octet and its immediate predecessor are the first incarnations to perform the whole gamut of what King Crimson can be and has been.
The revolution came in 2013 when Fripp conceived of a line-up with three drummers: a way to revisit the neglected back catalogue while also reinventing it. With saxophonist Mel Collins back in the fold (after a mere 43 years!) and with Tony Levin, rock’s supreme bassist, returning, this was a line-up that could not only play anything the band had ever done, it could improve on it. The nearest thing to a weak link would be Jakko Jakszyk’s vocals, but even they suit a proportion of what he has to sing. This live double album is the ultimate statement of Fripp’s 48-year obsession.