LIVE IN MILAN, 2003

The interminable sprawling beast the is The King Crimson Collectors Club gives birth to release number 39, aimed at the many insatiable Crimheads out there, me included (my name might give it away)!

This is a superb set from the last line up to release a studio album, and features Trey Gunn on Warr guitar not long before he left the band (temporarily possibly - I'm not sure). As with all KCCC releases it includes the set warts and all, so there are one or two blips that probably only fellow fanatics would spot, so I won't dwell on them here.

My one gripe about the latest era shows that have been released is Mr F's insistence on including the entire soundscape that precedes the set. I can appreciate that some (say 5 minutes max) of the 'scape could be included to give a flavour of the introduction to the band walk on, but 25 minutes! Most people at the show probably didn't sit through all of it, and the casual cd listener (if there is such a thing in Crimsoland) will be heading for the skip button well before the end.

The set proper begins with the 43 seconds of The Power To Believe pt1, which launches into a full on version of Level Five, and doesn't look back. Highlights on cd1 are The ConstruKction Of Light & Dinosaur, the latter a personal fave from the Belew era with great singing by Mr B.

Cd2 is even more in yer face, but opens with the awesome Belew ballad One Time - utterly lovely. Cd2 contains probably the best version of LTIA Pt4 I've heard, and boy have I heard a few! The encore is Red which is the only track that sounds a bit perfunctory imo. All in all an essential edition to any Crimheads collection, and even worth a punt for the more casual participant.

Finally, old curmudgeon that he is, when will Mr Fripp realise that there are at least 4 Shepherds Bush Empire's worth of punters in the UK who need to see the Crims one more time before we all get too old/deaf/broke. CRIMSON COME HOME PLEASE YOUR AUDIENCE NEEDS YOU*******