THE POWER TO BELIEVE

Though many have tried (Djam Karet, Anekdoten, The Flower Kings, Bruford-Levin, Shinsekai all spring to mind; even Fripp himself had a go on EXPOSURE), no one does a King Crimson pastiche as convincingly as King Crimson themselves.

I could take this one step further and argue (as one of DISCIPLINE's original reviewers did) that the musicians appearing on THE POWER TO BELIEVE don't even have the right to call themselves 'King Crimson'. Aping certain aspects of a classic band's style does not turn you into that band.

If I really wanted to sound negative about THE POWER, I could also point out that Crimso have now stopped playing 'progressive' music. What on earth has got into Messrs. Fripp and Belew, and their current associates? Why do they simply regurgitate so many styles from the past? There are pieces here which recycle bits from 'Fracture' and 'Schizoid Man'. Others are strongly reminiscent of 'Discipline' (the album track), 'Mars', 'Satori in Tangiers' and even the Bruford-Levin composition 'A Palace of Pearls'. The dominant mood is sombre, of course, as it has always been with KC, and it makes little difference that the threatening bits of icy mellotron with which the band once interlaced their compositions, have long been replaced with (equally threatening) guitar loops. Adrian Belew includes one beautifully melancholic ballad, in which he tries - once again - to sound like John Lennon (as he also did on THRAK), and its accompaniment sounds more or less like the Australian band the Church; otherwise, Belew only uses vocals in two typically angst-laden heavy rockers.

The wonder is that KC perform all this derivative material with such gusto! Tony Levin isn't missed; Pat Mastelotti executes Bruford-style drum rolls just as masterly as Bruford ever did; and on 'Facts of Life' Fripp plays one of those gorgeously hysterical solos (SCARY MONSTERS-style) that no-one has ever managed to replicate. I've got to admit that parts of THE POWER are exhilarating. You could never call this an original masterpiece, but if you're a Crimso fan, there'll probably be some moments where you find yourself happily foot-tapping along.