DISCIPLINE

This is the fourth KC album that I've heard, the others being their debut, Larks, and Red, and it stands far above and beyond the levels of talent and musicianship of the latters.

There are albums which I feel sort of "do it" for me, meaning that they contain a little bit of everything that meets my musical fancy. Discipline has it's moments of maniacal, apocalyptic chaos, soft and almost melancholic ambience, and shifty rhythm. All three of this parts come together in one flawless album that doesn't have incredible length, but still feels ultimately satisfying. The fact that this was the only album Mr. FRIPP was completely satisfied with says tons about it as well. Anyways, to the music itself:

The album starts off with a most unusual number, Elephant Talk. You'll notice right off that they're not joking around with this one - Adrian BELEW has the knack of perfectly intertwining not only his guitar with FRIPP's, but simply talking a poetic, metaphoric narrative over the music. Awesome.

The second cut, Frame by Frame, is basically the album's best example of the harmonic playing abilites of Robert FRIPP and Adrian BELEW. They mix it perfectly here, and the vocals aren't too shabby either. Not the best, but very "KC-ish". Another fantastic number.

The first musical interlude in the album is the third cut, Matte Kudasai. This cut has a very atmospheric, ambient, and beatifully melancholic at the same time. This one just sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. Its easily the most accessible song on the album, and rightfully so.

Now all hell breaks loose. The fourth cut, Indiscipline, hearkens back to the instrumental talents from previous songs, like Larks Tongues in Aspic parts one and two. It's obvious the guitar duo wanted to play and play LOUD in this one, and it certainly fits the mood of the poem being voice over it by Adrian BELEW himself - it was a letter written to him by his wife about a painting, but it can easily be associated with the name of the song itself. Just listen and be awed. Listen to Mr. BRUFORD go.

The fifth cut, Thela Hun Ginjeet, follows the same style of Indisicpline, but the instrumental section is very weird - in a good sense. This is the most experimental song on the album, and the story Adrian tells throughout is worth hearing also. The weakest link on the album, but still great overall.

The sixth cut, The Sheltering Sky, is what I'm really talking about. I've always been a fan of the pseudo-ambient playing style, and they do it perfectly here. The guitar textures are done remarkably well, and the 8+ minutes of music are never boring for a second. Easily the most beautiful song on the album, and my favorite as well.

Last, but definitely not least, we have the title track. What a perfect way to end the album - heavy guitar lines, warping time-signatures, not to mention a perfect instrumental harmony. This one's considered as one of KC's best songs, and it definitely shows. Flawless.

All in all, this album has come to be one of my all time favorites, out of the 90+ prog albums I own. It was good enough to take the spot of Red, my previous KC favorite. If you're a KC fan and haven't heard Discipline, do yourself a favor and, well, uhh....do it!

-UltimaPrime

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