King Crimson’s gig at Watford Town Hall is significant for several reasons. They are playing material that had only recently been composed. For example, Formentera Lady is still so new that Boz tells the audience that he will have to read the lyrics off a cue card. Elsewhere, is an early version of The Letters which they had been tentatively aired during the UK tour in May, and an enthralling workout around the themes that would later be repurposed during the Larks’ Tongues era.

At this point, the fast cross-picking motif really only acts as a head that sets up a groove for Mel’s electrifying solo that seems to channel Coltrane’s ‘sheets of sound’ and momentary flashes of Muscle Shoals-style funk and soul. There is also a Ian Wallace’s celebrated drum solo that variously includes a Carl Palmer skit and Pete Sinfield’s VSC3-derived modulations on the drums in the climax. Oh, and there’s Ian’s beloved duck call rearing its ugly beak - a holdover from his pre-Crim time as a member of Viv Stanshall’s band.

And speaking of peckers, there’s a mad, slightly unhinged version of Ladies Of The Road, again reprised from its earlier unveiling in May. Of course, the other reason that this great-sounding gig is important lies in the fact that among all those audience cheers is an enraptured 13-year-old Jakko Jakszyk, having the course of his life’s trajectory altered forever.
TRACK
TIME
01
Tune Up And RF Announcement
00:42
02
Pictures Of A City
08:43
03
Boz Announcement
00:35
04
Formentera Lady
05:09
05
Sailors' Tale
10:19
06
Tune Up And Ian Comment
00:44
07
Cirkus (Incomplete)
08:30
08
Boz Announcement And Tune Up
00:50
09
The Letters
04:52
10
Cadence And Cascade
04:45
11
Improv A Peace Making Stint Unfolds
14:49
12
RF Announcement
01:04
13
Ladies Of The Road
05:13
14
RF Announcement
01:51
15
21st Century Schizoid Man
08:20
16
Tune Up And Boz Announcement
01:17
17
Mars
10:20
18
RF Comment
00:48
19
Lady Of The Dancing Water
03:18

KC19710715Watford1

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BROWSE SHOWS WITH PHOTOS

Written by Chris Inguanta
I really enjoyed this one
Fripp's guitar is smoking on 21st Century Schizoid man. Mr. Stormy cleaned it up pretty good. Nice to hear this era of the band. Recommended.
Written by Stephen Byrne
A real sonic delight
It is hard to tell at times that this is a bootleg tape - the sound is that clear and mostly free from any external noises. There aren't too many live shows from 1971 so this is a real find.
Written by Jean Luc Michaud
This is a GEM
Soundwise it is way above the usual three stars. The playing sounds quite different than what we are used to hear usually for the songs played at this concert. Kudos to the taper.
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