CD REVIEW: King Crimson - The Power to Believe
I've been holding off for as long as I could before penning this review of the new album, but I can hold my tongue no more. I've been listening to the album in a variety of locations: in the car, while working and out walking the dog, and I can say right now that this is a real humdinger of a record. Of course, I am biased. Afterall, I am a King Crimson fan, but this document shows exactly what the band that made The ConstruKction of Light is capable of.
While the previous KC2000 effort was mudded and, I would say, ploughed the same furrow with its muscular instrumentals, The Power to Believe is an altogether different beast. If you are a connoisseur, you may have already heard 90 per cent of this record in one form or another, but put this doubt from the back of your mind. Listening to The Power to Believe is like welcoming an old friend back into your home, only to find that he's changed, he's got a bit more definition and a few new tricks up his sleeve.
The record sounds fantastic with Pat Mastelotto getting the producer he deserves - in fact, the Rhythm Buddies have never sounded better - and the twin guitarists provided spiky electrics and lush synthesiser tones. What more could you want? Producer Machine should be commended for his work and enrolled into the KC Hall of Fame (whaddya mean there ain't one?).
Here's the track-by-track breakdown:
1. The Power to Believe I - A Cappella: The opening track carries on the poetic themes presented on the Shoganai/HWWYAHTBHW EP. AB speaks into a vocoder and lays down the lyrical theme of the album. These lines can be traced back to "Her Love is Mine" from 1997's Op Zop Too Wah and recur throughout the "Power to Believe" suite.
2. Level Five - crashes into your life. I always found this quite dull and macho in its previous live incarnations but the studio version fizzes with extra percussive effects and seems to be more urgent, more willing to drag you by the scruff of the neck and pull you onwards to its cacophonous conclusion. Good fun.
3. Eyes Wide Open - this can be considered as the "One Time" of TPTB, and features a very apt lyric for these troubled times of ours. This version is different from the EP "Acoustic" version in that the drums kick in two thirds of the way in and transform it into a different kind of beast. The use of the twin guitar sound from Discipline/ConstruKction of Light is evident. Deserves air-play but it won't get it
4. Elektrik - The original title of the album, this instrumental piece begins with some understated synth guitar work before hurtling towards more interlocking guitar before rocking out with some phrases that sound as if they belong in Level Five.
5. Facts of Life (Intro) - Quiet soundscape reminiscent of Urban Landscape from Exposure creeps into the stereo soundfield - you know that something loud is going to happen and the boys don't disappoint. Thud, thud, boosh, then…
6. Facts of Life - OK - when I first heard this, the opening lines about "Six million ants crawling on a plate" made me want to switch off immediately but then one of those excellent KC touches appeared to keep me listening. Yes - a single sustained guitar note nestled in my left ear, buzzing for my attention, flitting off, before returning again. I bite - the song is OK - a bit KC lite - but I love the guitar solo, which sounds a bit like a solo Fripp did for Sunday All Over the World…all jagged and discordant. The lyrics are so-so, but it is a grower.
7. The Power to Believe II - bits of a Virtuous Circle appear, before giving way to an excellent enthno-percussion theme similar to Shoganai, TG's excellent throbbing, rubber bass work dominates the latter half of the song and the dub percussion from PM is very complimentary. More AB with the vocoder, repeating the full lyric. Then there is a searing guitar solo from RF; he uses that tone that originally addicted me to the band. This is probably one of my favourite tracks from the disc. Excellent!
8. Dangerous Curves - "Can We Have the Lights Down?" This is a studio reworking of the track from the Level Five EP, but there's a more gradual build-up in this version, a much slower start, but then the main theme kicks in there's enough new stuff going on to grab your attention. It builds and builds to its musical climax. It's so engrossing that when the crescendo peaked while we were driving in the car, I let out strangulated scream, which scared the life out of the wife... May I be so brazen to call it "The Talking Drum" for the 21st Century...?
9. Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With - This is a great single so release it immediately. An engaging lyric and a captivating tune. The young nu-metal kids will love it. A little bit shorter than the EP version but you won't even notice it!
10. The Power to Believe III - Sacrilege…absolute sacrilege. This is my one complaint about the album. First, they record "The Deception of the Thrush"...we all hoped that they wouldn't, but they did. Fair enough, I think when I hear it. I understand why the TS Eliot references aren't there (the thorny issue of copyright perhaps?) but then, horror of horrors, they cut the end off the track. They docked the Thrush's tail. Gone is TG's beautiful, weeping lament at the end, consigned to history. Zip. Finito. Adios!My goodness, I was so annoyed. But hey, what can you do about it? It's only a record, right?
11. The Power to Believe IV: Coda - More AB vocoderised on the sweeping backdrop of a soundscape that was originally known as "Bringing Down The Light" from Sylvian/Fripp. A somewhat understated end to a very interesting album.
So there you go. I feel that this record wipes the slate clean after The ConstruKction of Light and there are parts of it that remind me distinctly of the THRAK-era KC. What I mean is that you can hear more of the band's musical palette, it feels more organic, more experimental. It is more colourful, more vivid, more engaging than the previous record. In fact, it is a much better record throughout.
But hey, what do I know? I am just a King Crimson fan!!!