The 21st gig on a 26 date European tour and the Crims are firing on all cylinders. The band is a well-oiled machine here and it’s obvious right off the bat the energy level is as high as a kite on a stepladder. If you listen carefully after Red, you’ll hear Fripp give the Crimson distress call.
Why distress? Because he knows that next on the set list is Frame By Frame and with excitement running high Adrian’s count in is going to be at a fair old lick. Sure enough the track whooshes off like a greyhound out of a trap. How does Old Chuckles Fripp deal with it? Well let’s just say its a safe bet he blew the smoke off his fingertips at the end.
The Sheltering Sky moves into a strange space set partly by Fripp’s reinterpretation of the main theme which then leads into a serpentine solo from Gunn. It may lack the fierce intensity that one usually associates with this piece but it creates an intriguing and welcome sequence of experimentation.
The Bruford / Mastelotto partnership are given extra sharp focus with a frankly jaw-dropping B’boom which goes walkabout from its usual patterns. Overall, the band are clearly in the zone for a remarkable version of Thrak where its improvised section sounds tightly scripted collage mixing up primeval rock and 12-tone serialism to devastating effect; the band are really locked in with each other on what might be the best version of Thrak ever. Oh, Schizoid Man and LTIA2 aren’t too shabby either. This is King Crimson rocking out. Big time!
The 21st gig on a 26 date European tour and the Crims are firing on all cylinders. The band is a well-oiled machine here and it’s obvious right off the bat the energy level is as high as a kite on a stepladder. If you listen carefully after Red, you’ll hear Fripp give the Crimson distress call.
Why distress? Because he knows that next on the se...
This is a fantastic event preserved perfectly for posterity. King Crimson are clearly having a wonderful time throughout and play some of my favourite material, fantastic versions of Sheltering Sky, FXF and Red and a classic re-telling of 21CSM, which is certainly the best live version I have heard - I was laughing through tears at the sheer blast of nostalgia - quite, quite overwhelming. Adrian sang and performed this just perfectly, he is a joy to listen to at any time but here, I feel he has ...
This is a fantastic event preserved perfectly for posterity. King Crimson are clearly having a wonderful time throughout and play some of my favourite material, fantastic versions of Sheltering Sky, FXF and Red and a classic re-telling of 21CSM, which is certainly the best live version I have heard - I was laughing through tears at the sheer blast of nostalgia - quite, quite overwhelming. Adrian sang and performed this just perfectly, he is a joy to listen to at any time but here, I feel he has outperformed even the great Greg Lake. Love it to bits! Rome hasn’t had a shake up like this since the Battle of Allia!
Written by Marco Imperatori
Powerful !!
I saw KC three times in Rome and this was, by far, the best concert I’ve seen. It was energic, terrific, the wall of sound they created was amazing and You should hear from the tape... Gorgeous moments, I miss those KC’s days !!!
Written by Erik Varga
!nd!sc!pl!ne
I’m floored... AGAIN. Held down by a force great enough to overwhelm & saturate my emotions so substantially it’s not only going to take time to escape this ’legless’ feeling but the recovery process may require the advice & close monitoring of a doctor.Along with the usual suspects, Indiscipline is striKINGly obese. With a clear & well balanced mix, there are simply no dull moments in this entire performance. This Crimson presents such variety and the app...
I’m floored... AGAIN. Held down by a force great enough to overwhelm & saturate my emotions so substantially it’s not only going to take time to escape this ’legless’ feeling but the recovery process may require the advice & close monitoring of a doctor.Along with the usual suspects, Indiscipline is striKINGly obese. With a clear & well balanced mix, there are simply no dull moments in this entire performance. This Crimson presents such variety and the appearance of a new ’96 show is a warm addition to the ever growing FLAC storage locker ... Listening right now to this VROOOM VROOOM for the 15th [plus] time I still shake my head in appreciation while wiping away tears of joy!
Written by Jesse Wicker
Powerful
I thought I had met my quota of Double Trio shows, but the previews hinted at a raw power behind this show. I was pleased by harder edge of this show compared to many of the ’95 Double Trio outings I have downloaded. Red, LTIAII, VROOOM, VROOOM VROOOM, and Schizoid all benefit from the increased aggression. The presence of "The Sheltering Sky" is an added bonus, as it is one of my favorite 80s era Crim offerings and lacking in my live collection. I went back and listened to a few pieces fro...
I thought I had met my quota of Double Trio shows, but the previews hinted at a raw power behind this show. I was pleased by harder edge of this show compared to many of the ’95 Double Trio outings I have downloaded. Red, LTIAII, VROOOM, VROOOM VROOOM, and Schizoid all benefit from the increased aggression. The presence of "The Sheltering Sky" is an added bonus, as it is one of my favorite 80s era Crim offerings and lacking in my live collection. I went back and listened to a few pieces from ’95 and ’96 and it confirmed my feeling that the ’96 shows sounded much heavier, aggressive, and harder edged than the ’95 shows. I don’t know why, but the difference is noticeable and may be the result of the band settling in to touring and becoming familiar with each other.
