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IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING: KING CRIMSON AT 50
(directed by Toby Amies, 2022)
**** (out of 5)
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> King Crimson, in all its varied permutations, has been my favorite prog rock band for most of the 50 years that they were a band.
. After a long history of reinventing itself after sometimes lengthy hiatuses, they are, once again, dissolved. This time, likely for good. Resident genius/tyrant Robert Fripp turns 78 this year, and he is getting tired of the touring life. He is not one to ever say never, and as a driven workaholic- another surprise studio album is not out of the question one of these years. But Fripp may not have many years left, and the chance to see this astonishing unit has probably passed, with the last date on their recent world tour.
. I was fortunate to see the band three times- twice with the Adrien Belew quartet configuration, and then recently with the expanded 50th anniversary lineup. The DISCIPLINE show, which I saw in a small, packed club in San Francisco, was one of the most transcendent musical experiences of my life. I think of that night surprisingly often. In Oakland, I got to see the final iteration, featuring Fripp on lead guitar, imposing bass/stick player Tony Levin, the great Mel Collins on saxophone, flute and horns, newcomer Jakko Jakszyk lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, a keyboard player, and not one, not two, but three drummers. It was a precise, muscular monster of a set, covering every period of the band’s varied history, except, notably, the prime Belew period- a gesture of respect to the absent singer, I would imagine.
. This much-anticipated musical documentary paints a picture of a rarified unit, held to all but impossibly high standards by ringmaster and slavedriver Fripp. The music is phenomenal, but drumkit royalty Bill Bruford notes that being in the band comes at a high price. If you are in King Crimson, there is not much room for anything else in your life. Dirt is dished. Much dirty laundry is aired publicly, one former band member almost tearfully begging Fripp’s apology for “breaking his heart”. Another, is about to reveal who the real “cunt” is in the band, when the edit suddenly cuts away, sparing us the petty drama. Great songwriter Adrian Belew vents hurt feelings over Fripp ejecting him from a band he thought they were all integral parts of. Behind the scenes, there has been some reproachment between the two. Mel Collins talks about the rift between he and Fripp being repaired by a humble admission, that for all the hurt Mel felt over his bad behavior, Fripp felt exponentially worse. It is an example of Robert Fripp holding himself to his own very high standards.
. For his part, Fripp comes off every bit as prickly and eccentric as he is widely reputed to be, though there are flashes of humor in his voice and a twinkle in his eye that says he doesn’t take himself as seriously as he pretends to
. Ultimately though, it’s not very revealing about the inner man. That’s something proper English gentleman Fripp prefers to keep to himself. He certainly is a showman though, and everything he does creatively comes with a purpose. That purpose: to chase a lofty ideal of transcendently perfect music that is only attainable for brief flashes, in rare moments. As someone who has experienced these moments with King Crimson, I can tell you that the man and his inscrutable crack unit of world class musicians succeeds at creating this impossible magic more often than you would think.
– And, I suspect, much more often that compulsive perfectionist Robert Fripp assumes.
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© Kevin Paul Keelan and lastcre8iveiconoclast, 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kevin Paul Keelan and lastcre8iveiconoclast with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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