Released in March 1974, the bulk of Starless And Bible Black is a live album with all traces of the audience skilfully removed. Coming between the startling inventions of Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, and the far-reaching repercussions of Red, Starless And Bible Black is a powerful and experimental album mingling live recordings with stand-alone studio tracks. Brimming with a confidence borne out of the band’s increasing mastery of the concert platform as a basis for inspired improvisations, the sparse, pastoral beauty of Trio, the impressionistic, sombre moods of the title track, and the complex, cross-picking rhythmic brilliance of Fracture all stand testimony to the musical ESP that existed between Cross, Fripp, Wetton and Bruford. A classic and compelling blast of King Crimson as you’re likely to hear.
Released in March 1974, the bulk of Starless And Bible Black is a live album with all traces of the audience skilfully removed. Coming between the startling inventions of Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, and the far-reaching repercussions of Red, Starless And Bible Black is a powerful and experimental album mingling live recordings with stand-alone studio...
An ethereal record that flawlessly fuses classical music with rock
Starless and Bible Black is one of the first Crimson albums I heard and it IMMEDIATELY struck me. From the opening crazy melody of The Great Deceiver, to the unbelievably complex Fracture, it's probably THE album that got me into Crimson. David Cross truly shines on this album. His work on Trio could be taught in musical school. The Night Watch is a song about a Rembrandt painting and when I found that out I said to myself:" A song about a 17th century Dutch painting?". Yeah, that's why I love K...
Starless and Bible Black is one of the first Crimson albums I heard and it IMMEDIATELY struck me. From the opening crazy melody of The Great Deceiver, to the unbelievably complex Fracture, it's probably THE album that got me into Crimson. David Cross truly shines on this album. His work on Trio could be taught in musical school. The Night Watch is a song about a Rembrandt painting and when I found that out I said to myself:" A song about a 17th century Dutch painting?". Yeah, that's why I love King Crimson. The Mincer is an underrated track, it's mysterious and I love it to death and it serves as a perfect "prelude" to the album's, in my humble opinion, masterpiece: the title track. To a non-fan and even to a fan, it may seem like nothing special, but the way it combines minimalism with heavy rock guitars is something I haven't heard before or since. Bruford's subtle drumming, Wetton's hard-hitting bass notes, Fripp's focused guitar playing and the magical addition of Cross's ethereal strings this track basicaly represents everything I love about King Crimson. If I had the chance to explore the deep corners of the cosmos with a spaceship, this is the track I would have on repeat. And then Fracture.... I have seen Crimson in Milan in 2016. Every track was welcome, but then, like lightning out of the sky, came Fracture and I said to myself: I can go home now. There are probably no words to describe this track, which Fripp himself called "the most difficult piece of music he's ever played" if I remember correctly. Starles and Bible Black, along with Discipline, is my favourite KC album. I could go on to describe each track in detail, but I find it pointless. Music is to be experienced and once it is, if truly and openheartedly, needs to analyzing. You do it for yourself and yourself only. Thank you King Crimson, for enriching my life with this record (and everything you have recorded anyway).
