DISCIPLINE

My introduction to KC and still my favorite- even though I prefer the rawness and 'feel' of the earlier 60s and 70s albums, "Discipline" is the most complete and flawless work KC has yet produced, an ideal combination of experimentation, instrumental brilliance and perfectly realized songs. "Beat" and "3 of a Perfect Pair", though also wonderful, seemed to tighten the reins more; on Discipline the instruments are allowed to spread out and weave a hypnotic tapestry that is organically psychedelic and yet embracing choice elements of the glossy, synthetic 80's. "Matte Kudasai" is one of my all-time most-loved songs, a tender but eccentric track; "The Sheltering Sky" is mesmerizing and exotic; "Indiscipline" is both heavy and lyrically intriguing, as is "Thela hun Ginjeet" which exemplifies the 'world-music' influence that creeps in throughout the album. Levin's bass (and the unique Chapman Stick) is one of the defining sounds of this album, and Bruford rolls and tinkles through a collection of percussion, rivalling grandmaster Neil Peart in complexity and precision and pehaps besting him in uniqueness. Belew remains my favorite guitarist to this day, but he has never shone as brightly as on this recording, contrasting against the intricate precision and genius of Fripp- a yin-yang dualism that I am convinced both have missed in subsequent days. I cannot find a single flaw on this release (every so often, the lyrics on "Elephant Talk" strike me as a tad too contrived, and this is extreme nit-picking!)Even the most minimal Prog collection should include this one.