RED

So many reviews that there is little left to say. A fantastic album with overdriven bass tone from Wetton, great vocal perfomance, and first-rate work from Fripp and Bruford along with the guests. Since everyone else had pretty much said what I think about this album, I thought that I would offer a technical/emotional opinion breakdown of "Starless," for those of you who are interested.

The beginning is in a slow 4 in G minor, and is one of the most gorgeous pieces of music ever set to record in any music genre. I've played this track for several friends who are relatively unfamiliar with KC and prog in general, and nearly all couldn't hold back tears, and the ones who could were in absolute awe.

The mid-section can be tough to take for many. It's a slow C minor blues in 13/4 (over the C min and F min) that goes to 4/4 over the V chord [G7(#(9)]. Fripp plays a series of adjacent-string unisons that slowly build in intensity and also demonstrate the effect of using different notes over the same chord progression. It took me a few listens to get it, and now I'm digging this section as much as the rest.

The final section starts with a fast, aggressive section in 6/8 that is rather brief, and a bear to count, but it's there. This segues to a recapitulation of the mid-section blues bit, only in a furious 13/8 with the V chord again being in 4/4. There is a recapitulation of the opening melody in the saxes, followed by one more run-through of the 13/8 before they go back into 4/4 for the apocalyptic ending. I have to admit, I'm a bass player, and Wetton's bass tone on this last minute of the tune is so amazing, so dirty and loud, that I can't get over it. Another great feature of the ending is that it is not drawn out with scrubbing and histrionics like many bands do at the end of a live show, for example. Just an amazingly loud, driven line that crashes to a perfect G minor conclusion. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this song, and every time I do, I have to turn the stereo off and think "well, there's really not much point in listening to anything else, now is there?"

I hope you enjoyed the breakdown...