:: Posted by chipster61 on March 07, 2011

King Crimson 73 Apr 9 - Olympia; Paris, France
Early tour in 1973 after Muir’s departure captures Crim coming together and Bruford filling holes with new ideas.

http://www.dgmlive.com/diary/photos/KCParis73.JPG

Sid said, "The whole band is storming through the show although special mention should be made of the guitarist who frequently exceeds all expectations – even those of seasoned Fripp-listeners in the DGMLive team!"

We said, "The sound is a little dodgy, but there is no denying that this lineup blistered the paint off the walls whenever they took up the cause. And they take it up with passion here in Paris. What is a very special treat is LTIA1. You just don’t hear that enough these days."

King Crimson 00 June 25 - Olympia; Paris, France
Twenty Seven years later and this finds a new Crimson quartet exploring new ground with new players  and sonics.  The 2000 KC improvs are the best since the 1973-74 era IMHO.

http://www.proggnosis.com/covers/K/K34112.jpg

Sid said, "Of all the shows currently available on DGM Live, from this tour, Paris (to these ears at least) is probably the hottest date of the lot. The five minute improvisation, Sapir, from HC set appears in its full unedited 13 minute form. Highly recommended."

We said, "A consistant set (to these ears) with the best ’Prozakc’ so far, an amazingly creepy (in the good sense) Improv, a  smoking ’Sex, sleep, eat, drink, dream’ a a touching ’Heroes’. A band playing such complex stuff so well and yet sounding like... a band. Amazing."

King Crimson 00 Oct 13 - Izumi T-21; Sendai, Japan
The TCOL material has gelled, the second tour begun and the players have a much better handle on all the material.  They now begin stretching them firmer and tighter than a fish’s butthole!

http://www.dgmlive.com/diary/photos/KCSendai2000.JPG

Sid said, "It’s just possible that we have the definitive version of Seizure – as tight as a fish’s butthole, it’s as though all the work of the projeKct 4 and previous tours have been distilled into a near-perfect 8 minutes. And if that wasn’t enough there’s a rather charming second bell-driven improv chimes so sweetly."

We said, "Great show... Great mix... Great playing... Really on... "The ConstruKction Of Light" is sheer perfeKction... Well done laddy’s."

King Crimson 03 March 14 - Park West; Chicago, IL
The early 2003 tour, the most dynamic and still trying out songs from the new TPTB disc.

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/657899f653d79014941d9cabd10f884b/1117869.jpg

Sid said, "Looking out at the crowd Belew exclaims “These are our people!” And he wasn’t the only one to be impressed that night. “Hooray! A most enjoyable show at Park West” wrote Robert Fripp in his diary."

We said, "The band was relaxed throughout the show, and felt free to play around a little. They also left everything on stage. By the end of Potato Pie you can tell they’re spent."

ProjeKct Two 98 April 16 - Jazz Cafe; London, UK
Along with Northampton, the definitive set of ProjeKct Two.

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/46b06045f7b80a562ddf34a01a43981a/1121860.jpg

Sid said, "Whether it’s that buzzsaw bass or screeching lead lines (and often it’s both at the same time), Gunn is absolutely all over this gig, stomping – as the saying goes – the sucker flat. Next to the other P2 shows this is a shorter set but a more focussed affair as a result and one of the tightest gigs in the band’s brief history."

We said, "I think that the projeKcts music is the best of KC since LTIA formation.  In this release you can feel the work in progress of some of the songs (Heavy Const, Thrush)."

Robert Fripp Soundscapes 06 March 4 - Blueberry Hill; St. Louis, MO
Starlight from a Starless night...

http://www.dgmlive.com/diary/photos/RF4MAR2006.jpg

Sid said, "Time Stands Still and At The End Of Time have a sombre, towering presence here but it’s the surprising inclusion of the guitar theme from Starless, contained in the vignette Starlight I, that raised eyebrows and caused jaws to drop. Included in the set in an off the cuff moment following a request (with accompanying cash bribe) from the floor, Fripp later developed the theme on the expansive and truly beautiful Starlight II."

We said, "It’s very difficult to pick one of these pieces that means more to me than another. They seem to be taken in as a whole in my mind. "Starlight" and "Starlight II," of course, are my favorites because I "paid for" them that night. But the entire concert was a joy to experience."