DECEPTION OF THE THRUSH: A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO PROJEKCTS

After the "Thrak" period, the "double trio" lineup of King Crimson split into various "projects" featuring three or four band members (always Fripp and Gunn, others dropping in and out as schedules and temperments allowed) and performing either on a very small number of dates and venues, or, as with ProjeKCt Two, touring rather extensively. Those who attended the concerts were always warned that they would NOT be attending a King Crimson show per se; instead, they would "sit in" on an improvisational session where they may, or may not, hear anything recognizable in song form, and almost certainly wouldn't hear anything familiar. The idea behind the ProjeKCts was to give the musicians room to work on new ideas that may, or may not, find their way into future recordings, as well as to give audiences a rare peek into the creative process displayed by various KC musicians working together -- sometimes -- to try to create something new and fresh. (My wife at the time -- now gone her separate way -- joined me in Cincinnati to see the P2 concert, a show that Trey Gunn said was probably the worst of the American tour -- so "bad" by their standards that Belew "apologized" to the crowd by treating us to several acoustic solo songs. I was fascinated; Wife #2 was horrifically bored.)

As one might expect, the ProjeKCt results were a grandly mixed bag, and depending on the willingness of the listener to abandon expectations and take what was given to them, the concerts (and CDs) were either quite fascinating and sometimes compelling, or a tremendous waste of time and money. Naturally, the ProjeKCts are geared towards longtime fans who know what KC means to them and are willing to give the musicians the leeway they need to create in a public venue.

So, to the individual ProjeKCts. P1 is the most recognizably Crimson-ish of the bands, featuring Fripp, Gunn, Levin, and Bruford. P2 features Belew as the band's drummer, manning the electronic, polymorphic V-Drums. P3 is the smallest of the four, with Fripp, Gunn, and Mastelotto; P4 is Fripp, Gunn, Levin, and Mastelotto.

It is almost pointless to review the individual songs. Some are thunderous orgies of heavy bass lines and drums counterpointed by Fripp solos and Gunn ostinatos, others are quieter and more melodic. Many are almost unstructured "noodling," though the two "song suites," "Ghost" and "Masque," have recurring themes and phrases throughout. As expected, the musicianship is astounding, and the more experienced and technically minded the listener, the more can be gotten from the music.

Fripp leads the four bands, as expected, but gives plenty of room for everybody to soar in their own manner. Gunn comes to the fore as Fripp's alter ego, arpeggiating and counterpointing off of Fripp when Levin is there to hold down the low end; when, as in P2 and P3, he's the bassist, his unique "touch guitar" style shows that what the band misses when Levin isn't there is more than made up for with Gunn's own bass lines. (The occasions in P4 when Levin and Gunn counter each other with "dueling basses" must have shaken the foundations of the concert hall.) Levin is quietly but powerfully competent, and at times lets the dinosaurs rage in earth-shaking bass lines. Bruford's single outing in P1 is, as always, consummate musicianship, but Bruford must have known that he was at the end (for now?) of his tenure with KC; the future of KC's drumming lay elsewhere. Not to shortchange Bruford's contributions; he enjoys improvisation, and adds plenty of quintessential sturm and drang along with tasteful, quieter percussion overlays to the band. Belew, usually the singer/2nd guitarist, is the drummer for P2 -- who knew he was so good? He is, with Gunn, probably the most energetic of the various musicians, obviously enjoying his stint behind the kit and driving P2 to produce almost-danceable music that reminds me a bit of Fripp's short-lived new wave band, the League of Gentlemen. Mastelotto is the revelation for fans who only knew him as "the other drummer" in the double trio. Given full responsibility for holding down the percussion responsibilities in P3 and P4, he treats us to an entirely new kind of Crimson drums -- very electronic, with lots of tape loops and synths playing alongside his own acoustic drumming. He's not Bruford any more than Gunn is Levin, but he's a master drummer in his own right, and the fans who don't like him usually end up grumbling, "Well, he doesn't sound like Bill." No, he doesn't, he's his own man, and a worthy, if very different, successor to Bruford. The various combinations of musicians and improvisational styles provide fascinating glimpses into the inner workings of King Crimson.

The choices of tracks for this CD have, of course, caused a commotion in the fan community, with many objecting to the inclusion of both "Ghost" and "Masque" in favor of personal favorites. Why argue the point? If you like this compilation, go out and buy the other albums. I will say that the most structured song on the CD, the ominously beautiful "Deception of the Thrush," was done by the P2 lineup and again by P4, and is the only piece to make it completely into the performing lineup of the 2000-on KC lineup of Fripp, Belew, Gunn, and Mastelotto. As for the rest of the music, you can hear snippets and phrases of this or that improv recur on the later albums, making KC fans prick up their ears and say, "Hey...."

It's tempting to say that only Crimson fans will like this compilation. I can't give in to temptation. Fans of experimental music, cutting-edge jazz, avant-garde prog, and even German synth bands may well appreciate this CD more than some "true" Crimson fans. It's an interesting way to introduce the non-fan to the world of King Crimson -- a side door, perhaps, as opposed to the usual choices, but an interesting one, and one that might just win an entire contingent of fans who might not be as interested in, say, "Red" or "Discipline." It's also worth noting that the current lineup created their own "ProjeKCt" album, under the moniker "ProjeKCt X." It's as good as the rest.

If the entire ProjeKCt phase bypassed you, this is a great place to start. Don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to hear more...the great thing is, there's LOTS more out there from this short-lived but fascinating "interlude" period of KC.

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