“My favourite word of the night is if as it has a lot of potential. It’s easy to say and only has two letters. I know some bigger words but if’s pretty good as a starter says Adrian two numbers into the set. “So let’s play if tonight. If you remember the album previous to the present King Crimson album, which is Discipline, this album is the same colour as my suit” and off they launch into a swaggering version of Red.
If you want a clue as to why this line-up caused such a stir when they toured the USA you need only listen to Frame By Frame. Taken at a pace that you think they can’t possibly maintain without breaking a limb, the dazzling guitars spin like fiery catherine wheels. It’s bravura display of ideas, technical skill, confidence and intention that really didn’t have much in the way of precedents in rock bands of the time.