RED

Last week I noticed that Thick as a Brick Part1 lasted my entire commute from my driveway to my parking spot at work and that Part 2 ended at the traffic light one block from home on the way back from work. So I thought "how many of my CDs are like that?" Therefore, yesterday, I started an experiment in which I test if a CD is long enough to last my commute to and from work and then once I got home I could write a review for PA.

The first CD on the official experiment is Red. The seventh of KC's studio records Red brings a heavy feel to their discography. This is not a bad thing. Reading the liner notes after I got home, I was very impressed that such a tight sounding record was surrounded by so much conflict. I read an interview with Bill Brufford on Drum Magazine a few years back and he described the sessions as "pulling teeth". I would've never thought that at all just listening at how "together" they sound here.

The title track, even though is somewhat repetitive, seems very fresh. The bass solo in the middle is played with lots of taste. Fallen Angel has a great melody and I love the arpeggio guitar right before the chorus. It adds good tension. One More Red Nightmare has the funkiest sounding china cymbal at the beginning of the song. It sets the mood for the rest of the song. I would have taken out the weird sounding hand claps, but then this IS KC, you know. Providence is improvised and it sounds it. This tune alone drops a star off from the review, even though I have to admit David Cross is fabulous. Now, Starless is an amazing track. So many moods and changes, great vocals and what I consider some of Fripp's best playing. This is an awesome album closer!

Now the question is, did I get home before the last track ended? No, three traffic lights to go. So, I listened to the title track again.