Frying Pan rocks out thanks to a stonking big backbeat from the Mastobeast and the acetylene blast of the twin guitars sound like they’d cut through sheet metal like butter with Fripp stepping up and stepping out. Could be the track of the gig!
Once again its Pat who stokes the engines on a devastatingly good rendition of Level Five whose precision detonations send shivers and shockwaves through the audience.
Sadly the only downside of this gig is that Trey Gunn is often buried in this soundboard mix. Although he’s clearly audible throughout (and on some tracks such as TCOL well to the fore), there are times when that gritty deep-down gut-punch bass lacks the oomph we’re accustomed to. However, his solo on Deception of the Thrush just keeps getting bigger and bigger, unfurling and unfolding one gorgeous chorus after another.
Despite it’s ‘old dog’ status, Belew manages to get Thela to do a few new tricks during a more informal soloing section where his energy and invention are quite simply dazzling.
And you’ve got to love the improvised Tinkerbell introduction to Red!