RED

It seems that KC fans come in different flavours. There are those who arrive there from a hard rock angle and are probably keen of prog metal bands like Tool, there are those who come to KC from the jazz rock camp (Miles, Return to Forever), some who love melodic prog and symphonic rock (a la Yes and Genesis) and finally, people who just love adventurous music that strives tries to forge new ground (eg. Zappa, Gong).

This is no surprise because KC has always been such an eclectic and brilliant band that it can provide something to dazzle people from any of those groups. It also provides music that scares or bores the bejesus out of just about everyone else).

The prog metal fans will generally say this is KC's best album; it's more accessible and structured than most and you can bet your booties that they'll basically say Great album, pity about Providence. I think there are lot of these people here. I disagree completely but there's no hostility; some of the most pleasant and down to earth people I've met like metal sounds.

When I first heard this album I'd been leaning towards really adventurous music that avoided standard musical devices, and keener on jazzrock than I am today (I still like but I'm much more fussy).

So I still far preferred LTIA ... except for Starless which has everything and seems to combine all of those elements of KC, the band starting the song wearing its melodic/symphonic hat, then shifting to quirky/unique mode, then heavy rock mode then combining jazzrock, melodic symphonic rock, heavy rock and weirdness in an outrageously energetic burst of brilliance. As a whole it's the most unique and satisfying piece. There's never been anything like it before or since.

Some think the title track is the best rock instrumental ever. Yes, it has its good points but I find it a bit repetitive, but I love the spooky middle bridge. I see it as Discipline's aggro older brother - a hint of what that tidy math rock that was to come in the 80s and, IMO, the Belew-Levin crew did it 100% better. Still, if you like raunchy guitar, then you'll prefer Red. Something for everyone :)

Fallen Angel is melodic enough but I have generally found KC ballads to be lacking sophistication in their communication - a bit naive, overwrought and emotionally clumsy both lyrically and in vocal delivery. A nice melody and some neat instrumental parts, especially the clever transition from 3/4 to 8/8. Not a bad track but far from essential.

One More Red Nightmare has a daggy metal riff but Bill Bruford's drumming is stunning in an acrobatic sense, if not musically. The weird fills he does twice which seem to overlay 5 on 4 are so original and fresh and his funky parts using a faux pang cymbal (apparently a bent cymbal retrieved from a studio bin) are a joy. I love Bill to bits and if he was younger I'd want to have his babies :) The verse is a tad clumsy but the instrumental parts feature a great sax solo. The song's ending is fun, sounding like the tape just got chewed up.

People call songs like Providence, which opens side 2 on this album and it's sister song, Moonchild from ITCOTKC, experimental but they aren't. Providence is just highly improvisational free jazz-cum-rock, which is shorthand for a structured jam (Moonshild was improvisational free jazz-folk - much lighter).

The only new ground Providence breaks is that it introduces elements of a jazz idiom into rock, and KC had already done that on LTIA and SABB. Whatever. Like any structured jam, when excellent musos are involved, you get moments that are ho-hum and inspired moments. This one is no exception. I love the David Cross improv early in the song, where he and John Wetton make the listener think they are about to break into a structured melodic song and then pull it off-the-air again. As with Moonchild, on its own it is probably a less rewarding listen than the other songs on their respective albums but they sit nicely in the context of the other tracks and have something enjoyable to offer to those who can cope without structured melody or rhythm.

As for Starless, as per earlier in the review, it's just a magnificent work of art. Worth the album price alone or you could just buy the one MP3.

Red isn't not my favourite of KC's catalogue. I prefer Discipline, LTIA, ITCOTCK, and Lizard (I disagree with Bob Fripp's view that Lizard was a failure with brilliant tracks like Cirkus and Bolero).

Still, I will still give Red 5 stars because Starless is not just a masterpiece of progressive music, it is quite possibly THE masterpiece of progressive music. Without Starless this album is worth a 3 to my ear.