THE POWER TO BELIEVE

That's what I get when I listen to this album, to this...magnificent album! I knew it would be good, I have been reading the reviews of it for nearly a year and a half before I could get my hands on it...but this, this is not good...it's a MASTERPIECE! I couldn't believe my ears... this band, my favorite band, a band that is more than 35 years old, can make this stunning record in 2003!!! Wow, I was blown away... the Crimsons are still Kings!!! In this album we have a bit of everything. We have that semi conceptual feel the first four (69-71) albums had, the experimentation and tightness of the Wetton-Bruford era (73-74), the structural complexity of the ´80 (81-84), the heaviness of the ´90...and it's still one of the most innovative and modern sounding albums I have hear in this new millennium!

"The power to believe I:a capella" is the introduction to the album, with Belew singing thrue some sound vocal machine... it's calm and yet disturbing, and then...

"Level 5" Huhuhuhuh, Crimson always does the best instrumentals...and this is no exception... actually this song is a Lark's tongues in aspic, number 5... Yes, it is undercover but it is the fifth part! All four musicians are great, but my hat off to, as always master Fripp and Masteloto... who plays some of the best drumming from him, specially the programmed ones. If you had any second thought to get this because Bruford is no longer in it...don't have then, Masteloto is better than ever! And this coming from a big Bruford fan!

"Eyes wide open" is a calm song...but as always a bit disturbing, after all it's Crimson. This version is much better than the on from the "Happy with what you have to be happy with" EP. Belew sings very nicely and the lyrics are also quite good.

"Elektrik" is another instrumental which shows how groovy the band can be. It's dark and it has some excellent playing from Trey Gunn.

"Facts of life intro" is as the name says it, an intro...individually it's no big thing but it works great as an opening to the actual song. "Facts of life" is hard, with Belew singing some...crazy lyrics. The structure of the song has some hints to Level 5, which is understandable as the album is as I said before semi conceptual. Fripp is amazing here. Play it loud!

"The power to believe II" is the second part of TPTB series. It features a different musical background than the first one, making it extra creepy.

"Dangerous curves" is excellent... I love this track; the way it builds up in an almost "electronic-techno" kind of way is great. Here Crimson shows how advanced they still are from everyone else in music. The second best song after Level 5, at least in my eyes and ears.

"Happy with what you have to happy with", this version is shorter than the one from the EP...why I don't know, but it's not a big lost anyway. It's almost impossible not to sing along the chorus. "Happy with what you have to be happy with you have to be happy with what you have...to be happy...bla bla bla..."

"The power to believe III" is another variation from the series, here the vocals are different than the rest and the lyrics are not exactly the same, as some parts are sung and others not.

"The power to believe IV coda" the album ends like it started...darks, cold, creepy...and beautiful.

Get this...get it and be prepared to be blown away! Crimson is KING

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