Rick Beato interview with the new King Crimson (BEAT)

Midnight Toker

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Going to see this at the Warner Theater tonight! Can’t wait. I’ve held off from watching any vids of them so far but did catch 2 songs from opening night. Considering they now have 15 shows under their belt, this is going to be simply amazing! Musicianship of the highest caliber! Consider when someone like Steve Vai has to constantly call Robert Fripp to ask what the hell are you doing here…then it’s nothing to sneeze at. Bass drums and guitar all playing in different time signatures…friction,friction,friction…release! 🤓 …all while somehow being musical, melodic, and downright beautiful.
 

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Holy shi%! Top 5 show of all time for me. Carey was insane…and nailed all the Bruford goodness. Belew and Levin were playing like they were 30 yrs old again! Belew sang his ass off and of course provided the bulk of the “stunt guitar…even with Vai by his side. But Vai…holy shi%! He was mimicking banks of Frippertronics modulation w/ just a whammy bar, or deep Fripp repeated delay w/ tapping (as seen in the below vid) He was amazing!! Sold out, slam packed, killer night. The band really gave it all for the receptive crowd. Still buzzing a day after. It really was something else. Even compared to seeing the 80's lineup on the Three Of A Perfect Pair tour. This was higher ground.

Random vid from Youtube. My phone stays off during concerts. It was actually nice to only see 1-2 phone screens in front of me instead of hundreds. This crowd was Crimson knowlegable and was there for the experience. =D>




 

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They are here on November 25th. A number of friends are going and have tried to entice me along, but I have been hit with a number of unexpected large expenses this fall, and we are struggling to stay on target with our budget. Rising costs of everthing. Xmas just around the corner. Fiscal prudence required. Extremely tempting but unfortunately no go to show.
 
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Bernie

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I wish I had seen King Crimson around 2017, 2018, or 2019 maybe, as they were real good then with their 3 drummers, a good singer and Robert Fripp)... I haven't liked much Adrian Belew's King Crimson : I saw them in 1982, and bought some albums that left me a same impression (very precise playing though)...
So I wouldn't go if they'd come here : I think it's a bit better than "21st century schizoid Bob with his wife" still 😨 🥲
I find it a strange idea to see a band calling itself Beat (King Crimson) as there are no important members of the King Crimson that I've liked, and none of their hits either...I'd rather see Peter Sinfield, Michael Giles ° and a few others trying to complement each other in a King Crimson kind of way...Still wish a very good time to those that go and see them...

°Edited : and Mel Collins I'd say with a couple + drummers from last line up maybe I felt like adding.
 
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Midnight Toker

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I wish I had seen King Crimson around 2017, 2018, or 2019 maybe, as they were real good then with their 3 drummers, a good singer and Robert Fripp)... I haven't liked much Adrian Belew's King Crimson : I saw them in 1982, and bought some albums that left me a same impression (very precise playing though)...
So I wouldn't go if they'd come here : I think it's a bit better than "21st century schizoid Bob with his wife" still 😨 🥲
I find it a strange idea to see a band calling itself Beat (King Crimson) as there are no important members of the King Crimson that I've liked, and none of their hits either...I'd rather see Peter Sinfield, Michael Giles ° and a few others trying to complement each other in a King Crimson kind of way...Still wish a very good time to those that go and see them...

°Edited : and Mel Collins I'd say with a couple + drummers from last line up maybe I felt like adding.
To each his own. No important members? Belew (who has played w/ Zappa, Bowie, etc and Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel) were both in that 80’s band…the only King Crimson lineup to ever put out more than one album (they did three in a row…which were the most commercially successful in the group’s history.) It’s by far my fav era. This (the Beat Tour) was supposed to happen years ago w/ Fripp. Between Covid and other contractual obligations it just didn’t work out. Fripp then decided to retire, but gave full blessing to Belew and Levin to go forward with the project, which is named (Beat) after one of King Crimson albums from the 80’s.(Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair) Bill Bruford was also in that band. That 80’s band IMHO had the best guitar,bass,drums,vocals…and songs, of any Crimson lineup. And I’m a fan of it all. I saw Crimson’s last ever show in the US w/ the 3 drummers just a few years ago. 😉 As great as those drummers were, Danny Carey who did Bruford’s parts, is on a whole other level.
 
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Aristera

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To each his own. No important members? Belew (who has played w/ Zappa, Bowie, etc and Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel) were both in that 80’s band…the only King Crimson lineup to ever put out more than one album (they did three in a row…which were the most commercially successful in the group’s history.) It’s by far my fav era. This (the Beat Tour) was supposed to happen years ago w/ Fripp. Between Covid and other contractual obligations it just didn’t work out. Fripp then decided to retire, but gave full blessing to Belew and Levin to go forward with the project, which is named (Beat) after one of King Crimson albums from the 80’s.(Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair) Bill Bruford was also in that band. That 80’s band IMHO had the best guitar,bass,drums,vocals…and songs, of any Crimson lineup. And I’m a fan of it all. I saw Crimson’s last ever show in the US w/ the 3 drummers just a few years ago. 😉 As great as those drummers were, Danny Carey who did Bruford’s parts, is on a whole other level.
And don't forget Tony Levin! KC, bassist for Peter Gabriel, Stick Men, jazzin' with his brother, and solo projects.
 

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I think that Adrian Belew played with Zappa, Talking Heads, Bowie, Joe Cocker as a guitar player, not as a lead singer...His singing and songs do not touch me much I must say (and I didn't listen many times to KC records with him). I knew about Tony Levin too, but his part is not as central.
I think the 3 drummers in the last line up are much much better than Bill Bruford (alone if you wish).
(BTW I said "no important members of the KC that I've liked").

Thanks for the information on how the Beat(KC) story happened and why (on the video Vai's guitar playing doesn't cut through and I hardly hear the individual notes, then you know...). I am very surprised too to read that the 3 albums with Belew/Levin and Brufford have been the most commercially successful ones. I believe(d) that 'In the Court Of the C.K.' would have sold more than them three together.
Well.., as you said, 'to each his own', and early King Crimson is my favourite ; I'm really keen of P. Sinfield's (and others) lyrics then too...

Bernie
 

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I think that Adrian Belew played with Zappa, Talking Heads, Bowie, Joe Cocker as a guitar player, not as a lead singer...His singing and songs do not touch me much I must say (and I didn't listen many times to KC records with him). I knew about Tony Levin too, but his part is not as central.
I think the 3 drummers in the last line up are much much better than Bill Bruford (alone if you wish).
(BTW I said "no important members of the KC that I've liked").

Thanks for the information on how the Beat(KC) story happened and why (on the video Vai's guitar playing doesn't cut through and I hardly hear the individual notes, then you know...). I am very surprised too to read that the 3 albums with Belew/Levin and Brufford have been the most commercially successful ones. I believe(d) that 'In the Court Of the C.K.' would have sold more than them three together.
Well.., as you said, 'to each his own', and early King Crimson is my favourite ; I'm really keen of P. Sinfield's (and others) lyrics then too...

Bernie
Adrian did quite a lot of the lead vocals during his time with Zappa.
 

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I might have seen Franck Zappa with Steve Vai and there was an other guitar player (on top of Franck Zappa himself). Do you know what years Adrian Belew was in Zappa's band ?
Usually Zappa does some of the singing and there are often several singers on top. Different than being a frontman or the act itself still.
 
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Prince of Darkness

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I might have seen Franck Zappa with Steve Vai and there was an other guitar player (on top of Franck Zappa himself). Do you know what years Adrian Belew was in Zappa's band ?
Usually Zappa does some of the singing and there are often several singers on top. Different than being a frontman or the act itself still.
Just checked it out and was rather surprised to find that Adrian was only with Zappa for about a year, 1977-78, touring and playing on "Sheik Yerbouti", where he provided the lead vocals for "Jones Crusher" and "City of Tiny Lites".

As to the live work 'According to Belew, "Frank either played or sang, never both at the same time, so ultimately my role became covering his parts. When he sang I played his guitar part. When he played I sang his vocal part." He also took on the role of band clown, performing impressions (such as the Bob Dylan impersonation on the song "Flakes"), wearing unusual clothing, and performing visual stunts. ("Need someone to wear a flashing helmet and bounce around like a robot? How about Adrian? Need someone to wear a dress onstage? There's always Adrian.")'. This can be found on the "Baby Snakes" concert film and soundtrack album.

'Belew has described his year in Zappa's band as a "crash course" in music theory, due to Zappa's rigorous rehearsals and often technically demanding music; he has stated that he "went to the Frank Zappa School of Rock."'
 

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:) Thanks : funny to read what Adrian Belew's role was and how he describes it...
Not sure however I would call Franck Zappa's music Rock, as in rock there is more democracy I think : contemporary music maybe would fit better (?)...

Thanks a lot for all these very interesting details.
 

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I think that Adrian Belew played with Zappa, Talking Heads, Bowie, Joe Cocker as a guitar player, not as a lead singer...His singing and songs do not touch me much I must say (and I didn't listen many times to KC records with him). I knew about Tony Levin too, but his part is not as central.
I think the 3 drummers in the last line up are much much better than Bill Bruford (alone if you wish).
(BTW I said "no important members of the KC that I've liked").

Thanks for the information on how the Beat(KC) story happened and why (on the video Vai's guitar playing doesn't cut through and I hardly hear the individual notes, then you know...). I am very surprised too to read that the 3 albums with Belew/Levin and Brufford have been the most commercially successful ones. I believe(d) that 'In the Court Of the C.K.' would have sold more than them three together.
Well.., as you said, 'to each his own', and early King Crimson is my favourite ; I'm really keen of P. Sinfield's (and others) lyrics then too...

Bernie
Levin's parts are always central...and typically part of the percussive role when on bass, or he plays the bass parts and low counter melodies at the same time when on Chapman Stick. Levin has been in many/most of the Crimson incarnations in the past 30 years. Including the final tours with the 3 drummers (which were great...but not Bruford great! Bill is one of my alltime fav drummers. Especially his time in early Yes. It took employing Danny Carey (one of the top 5 drummers alive!) for this tour to cover his parts! Probably the most challenging thing Carey has ever done! Btw, Bruford at that point had been in the band since Larks Toungue in 73. He was on 7 straight Crimson albums. Likely more than any member besides Fripp.

I grin from ear to ear every time I see the Bruford/Levin powerhouse combo on the song Indiscipline. It's like Bruford is just messing with Levin trying to throw him off. He throws every odd timing and the kitchen sink at him. All Levin can do is smile, close his eyes and concentrate. 🤣 (Here's an example from a 90's gig.

 
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Bernie

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I like the line up on this version of Indiscipline : never had heard them till now... Who are the two musicians on the left of the stage ?
 
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