STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK

When "Starless and Bible Black" was originally released in 1974 it was not readily apparent that six of the eight tracks on the album were performed live in concert. Robert Fripp has long maintained that King Crimson was a "monstrous live creature" and that this particular incarnation relied upon improvisation as if it were the band's own "life's blood". Now, with the benefit of almost twenty-five years of hindsight, this album proves Mr. Fripp was correct as to both counts.

After the release of the King Crimson recordings "The Great Deceiver" in 1992 and "The Nightwatch" in 1997 we now know that no less than four songs on this album ("We'll Let You Know", "Trio", "the Mincer" and "Starless and Bible Black") were either improvised completely "off the cuff" or based upon loose compositional themes. We also know that "The Night Watch", "Trio", "Starless and Bible Black" and "Fracture" were recorded at the famous Amsterdam Concertgebouw show of November 23, 1973. The live tracks were later modestly enhanced in the studio to good effect for the album. "The Mincer" received the overdubbed vocals of John Wetton. "The Night Watch", which suffered a meltdown live, received overdubbed guitar, violin and mellotron parts. "Fracture" received a violin line in its middle section.

Each of the live improvised tracks on this album demonstrate the full mastery that this particular incarnation of King Crimson had achieved in improvising as as a form of musical expression. The transformation that King Crimson had made in just a little over a year forces comarisons to such acts as Captain Beefheart's Magic Band and The Mothers of Invention rather than their former prog brethren, Yes, Genesis, ELP and the like. When Crimson was improvising each member was listening to and playing off the leads of their bandmates. The two tracks that demonstrate this best are "We'll Let You Know" and "Trio". The quiet restrained "Trio" is actually "played" by Fripp, Cross and Wetton, however, Bill Bruford is given compositional credit even though he doesn't play a note. Later, Robert Fripp would describe Bruford's contribution as "admirable restraint", so as to underscore the principals that less is more and the simplest is the most difficult to discharge effectively.

The two studio tracks on the album, "The Great Deceiver" and "Lament" kick things off as the first two tracks on the album in typical fashion for Crimson. A loud, raucous cacophony of sound, mind bending time changes and abrupt stop/starts of sound and rhythm. The roaring opener lurches abruptly into "Lament" and it's modestly strummed guitar intro that is recorded at a modest decibel level. This doesn't last long and soon the decibel level rises abruptly and the sudden and abrupt time changes soon follow. All this in two tracks that last approximately four minutes each.

The opening section of "Lament" also effectively demonstrates Bill Bruford's new expanded approach to percussion, the large variety of percussion instruments he plays and the overall free technique he has adopted. This stands in stark contrast to his days in Yes when his role was more restained, composed and restricted to his drum kit.

The album's magnum opus is the Fripp penned "Fracture". The song is over eleven minutes long and has three major sections. The song is the perfect showpiece for Fripp's well known cross-picking technique, however, the contributions of each of the band members is crucial to the piece. In the two opening sections of the song the other band member's roles are more instrumentally restrained and in support of Fripp. The final section of the song features the entire band playing ithe main theme of the song in full ensemble strenth and at maximum volume. Once again, there are the requisite abrupt volume and time changes. Enough to keep the listener constantly adjusting the dial on the stereo.

Lyrics seem to be an afterthought with King Crimson, especially this particular incarnation. Only four of the album's eight tracks feature lyrics, penned by Richard Palmer-James, a friend of John Wetton's who was enlisted for the task. The lyrics do seem to mesh well to the music, though they seem a bit pretentious a times.

It is this reviewers opinion that King Crimson was and is one of the great live performing bands in all of Rock Music. The intense energy along with accomanying skill of musicianship demonstrated by this band has always been uncommon. It therefore follows that this album should be held in high regard, given the origins of the recorded material.

Four and one quarter stars rounded to four stars.