Although some live albums from the current band are tops, such as Chicago 2017 and the Meltdown set. 

Without exaggeration I have over 200 live recordings of KC from all across their career. I have no idea how I'd pick one.

Now if we take all the KC Club releases out of the mix and stick to the recordings on PA Then http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=7170" rel="nofollow - The Great Deceiver: Live 1973 - 1974 or http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=1926" rel="nofollow - The Night Watch would be my picks.

But my pride and joy is a bootleg I did of Robert Fripp performing his Frippertronics and doing a combo lecture Q&A at The University of Toronto. He mentioned multiple times his dislike for bootleg recordings and I felt like such a naughty boy for doing it, but it turned out great and was for sure a one off performance.

So they had live shows before the larks tongues in aspic album was released? Interesting. 

I was at the Chicago 2017 show, it was jaw-dropping amazing!!   June 18, 2017....Chicago Theater, an amazing, old and elegant venue.  

If you did it for private use only Fripp would probably not have any objections. He is only against people making a buck with bootlegs.

^Nary a nickle made. As all of my concert recordings are...just for me.

But as I recall and it was Apr. 01 1983, he mentioned something about "The Moment" and how it was meant to be experienced in not again and again. So it seemed about more than just monetization at the time. Maybe he changed his tune over time?

Their Chicago one also kicks serious butt. Problem with Radical Action is that you only get the instruments, not the crowd, so it does end up feeling like these are studio renditions (which is a feat on its own, but a different ballgame in terms of so called live albums).

Same for me; would probably put Radical Action first since it covers all KC periods.

I thought it was just a little too hyper-philosophical for me at the time.

Do you mean this one, Hull Technical College November 13 1972?

Audience recording, part of the Larks Tongue In Aspic 2012 Box set.

Recording is fair, performance is very good. Not sure I'd classify it as a must have.

Check out the March 12 1972 Live at Summit Studios Denver set if you can. Excellent on all fronts.

For the Wetton era Crimson, I always had a soft spot for USA, because it was the hostorical reference. Of course Nightwatch and Great Deceiver are better-sounding, but let's face it, Asbury Park is the best Wetton-era improv they've done.

progtime1234567 wrote: Any of them besides Earthbound. That album is just impossible to listen to.

Not that much anymore. I've grown to almost like it.

you should try the 40th anniv with the expanded extra tracks as bonus and the bonus second discs with the Denver Summit Studio Radio Broadcast. The original tracks on the album are now listenable. The good thing about Burrell-era Crimson's Earthbound is that the band was at its most improvisational. But of course, you'll find better-sounding stuff in the KCCC shelves.

I've got Absent Lovers from the Levin-era (it's the main one, if not the only one) and is just OK

As for 90's and 00's Crimson, I don't have a favorite.

As for the recent years, I quite prefer Orpheum to Toronto's double discs thingie, but Radical Action and the Chicago thingies are quite good.

.

Thanks, I forgot how often I used to listen to USA in college!!  Agreed, a very fine LP with sublime performances.  Great cover art also! 

Sean Trane wrote: As for the recent years, I quite prefer Orpheum to Toronto's double discs thingie, but Radical Action and the Chicago thingies are quite good.

Interesting... I didn't want to buy both of these because, on paper, the seemed too similar to me. Probably based on reviews I finally bought the Toronto live (and I find it quite good, indeed), so just out of curiosity: why do you prefer the Orpheum live (I never listened to this one myself)?

Hi,

Considering how many live shows RF/KC have, it is a wonder that one bootleg made it through, however, I often wonder how some of these folks end up releasing one show and not another, and it is weird to me that RF apparently does not like/enjoy what's left of his early Frippertonics show, which he likely thinks have "too many mistakes" ... when in the end, the mistakes are what makes the whole thing great.

I understand his wanting to be "perfect" and "right" on all things KC, but seeing this on his individual shows is a bit strange ... what's he playing for, anyway? I understand his request, even at KC shows to simply enjoy the show, but in this modern age, memories are not made with closed eyes at a concert ... they are made with ears on a recording ... even if it wasn't something the artist released at all ... 

This is the best one.

Any suggestions? 

Hi,

Very nice and enjoyed that a lot ...

When comparing this to the 3 (more recent) version with 3 drummers, this is a vastly superior concert.

The big unit with the drummers was outstanding, but it was almost "mechanical" in comparison to what is here on this concert, and I think that BB and Adrian Belew were the difference. There were moments when they were out experimenting and adding things that made it all better ... as opposed to the more recent version where there is no room for free lancing, and seeing it here is  exceptional ... and much better from a live perspective.

The recent version felt more like a classical music concert .. .tight as heck, and mechanical ... as opposed to seeing this earlier version which showed what rock music can do and how ... turn them loose! And it was neat.

Thx for posting ... this was far out.

omphaloskepsis wrote: I want to get the best live recordings/DVDs from each incarnation of KC. I don't have any Poseiden, Lizard, or Island Live-era material yet.   ...

There are subtleties that are seen in all of these live shows, and they demonstrate something very different each time. By 21st century standards, the 3 drummer version is better, because it generates more power and boiling sound ... which is what many bands these days do, loud, louder and noisy ... and the power drumming making it look better than it really is. Of this modern version the only drummer I do not exactly care for was Gavin Harrison, who for my tastes was too mechanical ... which might make it easier for RF that could have wanted things to be nice and tight ... and Gavin added that, but I thought it worked in some things, and not in others. For example, in softer material, I thought Gavin was very weak as he does not have the "touch" and "feel" that the other 2 drummers had, something which came from Bill Bruford and his amazing ability to add bits and pieces all the time, something which might have bothered RF some, since it was unexpected and made him aware of it, which takes a wee bit from his concentration on his own guitar playing, which is not easy stuff ... you don't go around teaching that to anyone at all! It's not a riff on a hit song, meaning less within the structure of the piece.

As an example, listen to Rachel Flowers doing Starless, and she accentuates the little touches that the various mixes of KC have left behind, and the little touches that BB adds are far out ... and they can not exactly be heard on any of the other KC mixes. 

I have not heard a lot of the shows from the earlier days with the original line up ... and I think I remember looking for some shows with Greg Lake and I am not sure that I found many ... though some clips from somewhere or other. My guess is that while their 1st album exploded (not immediately btw), in the end it took a bit before folks came around to appreciate it ... in Madison, WI one DJ, said that RF was doing a cheap JImi Hendrix impression and that the big piece (Schizoid Man) was just a loud bruhaha about nothing. I don't think any of us think or see that at all, today.

The majority of bootlegs from KC, that I remember started with Bill Bruford ... for some reason, I think he helped upgrade the status of the band some, and it might not have been taken as seriously before ... but I have to find the write ups from those early days to verify that ... 

My take is that the three drummer version is more what RF has wanted for KC ... very tight and well played classical music like material ... giving rock music a new meaning for what it can do, something that a lot of bands are too lazy to ... as an excuse for their inability to play better and tighter.

Good Call. Agree!  If you haven't check out the Live Irvine meadows (ToAPP tour).  It's killer. Ade and Bruford were on fire.  Fripp did his tronics for 10 minutes at the start. It's a collectors club release.

If you don't care for TCoL, you will... If you Listen to Hollywood House of Blues shows. (CC release also.)  Trey was very impressive, and Robert was on fire that night. He shredded and shredded at length.

The Studio TCoL does not do the music justice.  Any Live version knocks it up tenfold.

My conclusion is that some bands are damn good regardless and choosing one over the other is tough, specially when they are different.

It's hard to not feel that the Jamie Muir stuff was so important and far out ... but I think that RF was having a hard time with the improvisation nature of it, which in a couple of bits and pieces on the net, are just fabulous, and I would say they are my favorite ... and remember that Bill Bruford was also there and he did not hurt ... he added some nice touches. It was as if Bill could tell what Jamie was doing and he merely added the needed touches. That's a rarity in rock music, where most folks are afraid of letting go on the stage and it will ruin the guitarist's solo ... wow ... such a big miss, huh?

In reality, the way to experience KC is LIVE, not in a recording, even though you eventually (specially in a DVD) get to see some bits and pieces that we consider better. Other than any of the Muir bits, I'm not sure that KC is that special, other than LIVE anywhere. The 3 drummers on the DVD, or CD are not as effective as they are LIVE when you hear all the fills, bumps and grinds.

The only time I dislike "live" by anyone is when the stuff is mailed ... and many top bands are like that, and one of the reasons why I don't really bother with it ... and we're not talking new bands ... I think many of these have lost their desire ... that took them to the top ... and now humiliated by singing the same song for the 1000th time ... and the "The Piano Man" gets cut off by a commercial ...