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June 22, 1974  |
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Performing Arts Centre Milwaukee, WI |
 Action Breeds Reaction: It's The Mix, Not The Performance July 19, 2012
Written by Carnamagos
Human reactivity is a common vice. Case in point: The 1973-74 version of King Crimson has been posthumously praised to the heavens, perhaps to the stage where the trumpet-bearing angels themselves are becoming a little resentful. As a result, of late we see inferior periods of the band (1971-72; 1981-84) trending upward, and the magisterial 1973-74 outfit, it seems, trending downward. Do the books really need to be re-balanced? I don’t think so, but listeners should decide for themselves. ¶ The relevant questions here are the following. Is this performance on a par with those of "the week of miracles" (6/24-7/1/74)? No, it isn’t. Is it as poor as the DGM review claims? No, it isn’t--not even remotely. Is the problem that the musicians are tired and irritable? I don’t think so. This is merely a very eccentric mix, and that is what I think has put the DGM reviewer off the scent. ¶ To give just a few examples: John Wetton’s bass is generally much further down the mix on this tape than it has been in other soundboard tape mixes. David Cross, by contrast, is louder in the mix, which makes his occasional flat playing--usually caused by monitoring problems, it is true, and not confined to this gig--more noticeable than usual. The ending of "Starless" seems peculiar mainly because the guitar drops almost completely out of the mix at that point, and we are mostly left with a "power trio" consisting of Cosmic Mellotron of Doom, bass, and drums. ¶ The improvisations, as usual, are a matter of personal taste. This one is entertainingly all over the map, with elements of the "usual" ’74 improvs mixed with jazz fusion-ish bits reminiscent of the 1973 tours. It’s neither the best nor the worst that this tour has to offer. ¶ Finally, since there are only forty-four minutes’ worth of material here, I question the validity of asserting that the entire performance must have been sub-par--unless the set really was that short, which is possible, if they were a supporting act, but still doubtful. ¶ In sum: This is an odd mix. Some may like it, others not. I am on record as saying that all the Summer 1974 dates are desiderata, and those who agree shouldn’t be put off this one by a review that equals the mix in its oddity. ¶ Finally, let me say that I look forward to equally "objective" reviews of the post-1974 era. ;-)
More Articles
Your search found 3 items (Viewing 1 to 3 of 3)
| Fan Review |
not as bad as they say Sun., Aug 5, 2012
Posted by: crimson_king22
i went ahead and downloaded this concert, despite what others have said about it. it’s not as bad as they have made it out to be. With the exception of Improv #2, which is horribly scattered and leads Read more
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| Fan Review |
Action Breeds Reaction: It's The Mix, Not The Performance Thu., Jul 19, 2012
Posted by: Carnamagos
Human reactivity is a common vice. Case in point: The 1973-74 version of King Crimson has been posthumously praised to the heavens, perhaps to the stage where the trumpet-bearing angels themselves are becoming a little Read more
|
| Fan Review |
Still '74 Crim Thu., Jul 19, 2012
Posted by: PR1955
1974...To me the "glory" year...Yeah description sez it all...But it still has the fire you want in a Crim show...If only this combo carried on after this Read more
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