The best John Wetton Precision/Hiwatt sound

[hieronymous]

I have to say that USA is my favorite album, with Red a close second, then Discipline and Larks' Tongues in Aspic, then maybe In the Court of the Crimson King. I seem to remember that they deleted USA because it was deemed inferior quality - I never understood that. The LTIA Pt. 2 opener is astounding, as is the improvised instrumental "Asbury Park." This is my personal favorite John Wetton sound, and may even rank as one of my favorite bass sounds period.

[gweimer]

For those who stopped listening in the '80s.  A true heretic, this line-up is awesome, and no Levin/Bruford.

Typical Fripp obsession with percussion, you have to wade through the first 1:40 to the meat of the song.

[Pekka]

That King Crimson Red album contains some of the most excruciatingly difficult to find entertaining music ever!  Even proggies have issues with it. UK played one track of it on the recent reunion tour and even by the not so easily digestible UK music standards that track stuck out like a sore thumb and went over the heads of most of the audience.

I disagree. "Red" is usually the favourite amongst proggies and the only "excruciatingly difficult" track is the live impro "Providence". "Three Of A Perfect Pair" is a much more difficult album as a whole with those nowhere going improvisations.


My fav Crimso albums besides the Wetton trio of "Larks'-Starless-Red" are "Discipline", "Islands" and "Power To Believe". Of course there's no bad King Crimson album.

[Pekka]

I have to say that USA is my favorite album, with Red a close second, then Discipline and Larks' Tongues in Aspic, then maybe In the Court of the Crimson King. I seem to remember that they deleted USA because it was deemed inferior quality - I never understood that. The LTIA Pt. 2 opener is astounding, as is the improvised instrumental "Asbury Park." This is my personal favorite John Wetton sound, and may even rank as one of my favorite bass sounds period.

"USA" has been released on cd with two bonus tracks and the gigs that it's songs have been selected from are available too. 6/28/1974 Asbury park is available as a download or a Collector's Club cd but a best way to get it is as a 2CD package that includes "Live In Mainz 1974" as a second CD.


The Mainz' gig is superb and it contains probably the best version of "Doctor Diamond" which was never recorded in studio.

Their penultimate gig in Providence 6/30/1974 is available as a part of a 4cd box "The Great Deceiver 1973-1974" that contains great live stuff.


Needless to say that I own all of those and then some...

[patman]

Crimson is a band I kind of gave up on a long way back...I need to pick up a couple of their albums and try again.

[gweimer]

I disagree. "Red" is usually the favourite amongst proggies and the only "excruciatingly difficult" track is the live impro "Providence". "Three Of A Perfect Pair" is a much more difficult album as a whole with those nowhere going improvisations.

My fav Crimso albums besides the Wetton trio of "Larks'-Starless-Red" are "Discipline", "Islands" and "Power To Believe". Of course there's no bad King Crimson album.

I finally put on Three of a Perfect Pair a couple weeks back.  My son got it for me, but I've never listened to it.  It's really difficult to appreciate, even as a diehard Crimhead.  It was so painful, I didn't make it even halfway through.  Earthbound was easier to listen to than that.   

[nofi]

discipline seems to be the dividing point for fans. i am definetly on the pre discipline side. i can't begin to listen to the other stuff.

[gearHed289]

How romantic! That made my day.

Ha ha!

Cool seeing everyone's differing opinions on KC. They're all over the map, that's for sure. I really, really loved Discipline and Three of a Perfect Pair, along with Beat in third place. That stuff influenced me to a fault. I was DETERMINED to keep prog alive in the 80s. LOL! KC, Rush, and Missing Persons....

[uwe]

Of all the classic prog bands, KC is the one least going out of its way to be endearing to the casual listener. You might like that attitude or find it grating. I can listen to that stuff once in a while, but one album at a time please. Even ELP is mostly pop music in comparison. I have the KC boxed sets from a few years back. 

[gweimer]

I'm guessing that there are a few Crimheads here, so here's the trivia question for the day - when KC resurfaced in 1981, what was the intended line-up, and the name of the band?

[Pekka]

I finally put on Three of a Perfect Pair a couple weeks back.  My son got it for me, but I've never listened to it.  It's really difficult to appreciate, even as a diehard Crimhead.  It was so painful, I didn't make it even halfway through.  Earthbound was easier to listen to than that.   

I like the album but it isn't as good as "Discipline" or "Beat". The title track is great and "Sleepless" is a classic, the best dance song they ever did!:)

[Pekka]

I'm guessing that there are a few Crimheads here, so here's the trivia question for the day - when KC resurfaced in 1981, what was the intended line-up, and the name of the band?

Hmmm, the name they used for a while was Discipline but I thought the line up was always intended as Fripp/Bruford/Belew/Levin. Jeff Berlin did some rehearsals with Bruford and Fripp but didn't work out and they were even plans for a band featuring Fripp & Levin with Jerry Marotta on drums and Daryl Hall on vocals but both of these happened in 1980.

Daryl Hall may raise some eyebrows for the uninitiated but I advise anyone in doubt to listen to "Exposure" and his own "Sacred Songs" that was produced by Fripp. "Exposure" has some stuff that continues almost straight from "Red", how about this nugget with a power trio of Fripp, Narada and Levin?


I love Levin's sound when he was using a P-Bass.

This is Hall/Fripp/Levin and Phil Collins on drums:

[gweimer]

Hmmm, the name they used for a while was Discipline but I thought the line up was always intended as Fripp/Bruford/Belew/Levin. Jeff Berlin did some rehearsals with Bruford and Fripp but didn't work out and they were even plans for a band featuring Fripp & Levin with Jerry Marotta on drums and Daryl Hall on vocals but both of these happened in 1980.

Daryl Hall may raise some eyebrows for the uninitiated but I advise anyone in doubt to listen to "Exposure" and his own "Sacred Songs" that was produced by Fripp. "Exposure" has some stuff that continues almost straight from "Red", how about this nugget with a power trio of Fripp, Narada and Levin?


I love Levin's sound when he was using a P-Bass.

This is Hall/Fripp/Levin and Phil Collins on drums:

That was the intended line-up before Fripp decided to keep the KC franchise going.  I don't remember why it never came to fruition.  And I can't agree with you more on Sacred Songs.  It's a great collaboration that sounds quite removed from both Hall and Fripp.  The CD has a couple bonus tracks from Exposure.  Like this blistering little piece (wait for 1:15).

[Pekka]

That was the intended line-up before Fripp decided to keep the KC franchise going.  I don't remember why it never came to fruition.  And I can't agree with you more on Sacred Songs.  It's a great collaboration that sounds quite removed from both Hall and Fripp.

"Sacred Songs" was supposed to be released in 1977 but RCA was against it 'cause it was too different from Mr. Hall's day job. It was eventually released in 1980. Daryl also sang a lot more numbers on "Exposure" that were eventually replaced by Joanna Walton and Peter Hammill for the same reasons. I bet Daryl's management didn't jump for joy when heard about his plans to start a band with Fripp.

2CD edition of "Exposure" has the hall sung versions restored along with the originals. Hall does a great job on "Exposure" (original vinyl has Joanna Walton) and also on "Chicago" (Hammill on vinyl) but Hammill's version of "Disengage" can't be topped. Talk about manic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE9F5HvIkRQ&feature=youtu.be

Probably not for Uwe...

[exiledarchangel]

Red is one of my KC favs, maybe because Wetton's sound there reminds me of the sound of my first "live rig" that is a small 30 watt marshall guitar amp with full on overdrive, struggling to be heard over an overzealous drummer. No luck ofcourse, but the amp survived!