David Cross Interview

Dick Heath wrote: (For some peculiar reason I can't put this thread on the Interview section)

Maybe that's for the better, This section is perfect for these kinds of announcements.

If I get it to work, I'll be listening for sure

Arsillus wrote: Oooo! Can he go ahead and reform the Bruford/Cross/Fripp/Wetton era King Crimson with a new album and a world tour??!?!?!?!? But hey, that's pretty awesome you get to do that interview!

We did it and hope some caught it!!!!!! And I asked your question off and on the air - maybe I don't need to tell you the response.....................

Now confirmed that the album is released just about everywhere other Japan (they got the album 2 months ago!!) on 27th June.

I have to reinforce Krimson biographer Sid Smith's comments in the Closer Than Skin's press release. (After 2 listening sessions of the whole album, and then additional plays of tracks 1, 4 and 5), this is probably the best rounded album released by former member of the Larks Tongue In Aspic perod of King Crimson. However, in no way does Closer Than Skin dwell in the '72 to '74 period of Krimson, in fact it is album of modern rock and prog rock and the best I've heard this year - and don't get confused by the fusion tag that Progarchives appears to use for Cross. The record takes influences from a much broad range than the Krimson of 30 years ago, and melds them into tunes which new sounding and exciting. There are brief references echoing back to that period, e.g. lyrics by Richard Palmer James, or  an instance of an instrumental sample (which has struck a strong chord in me), for 3 to 4 minutes into track 5 (Awful Love), you'll find a bit of classic Fripp guitar riff taken, to provide a counter rhythm to a middle eastern feel in the song. At the end I left with the thrill, that I'm hearing a modern Krimson album loosely in the style of the mid 70's group but heavily modified by 30 years of experience and changes in its leader.

The young band David Cross has gathered around him, is very good. Mick Paul with an excellent no thrills electric bass, Paul Clark on rock guitar (who Cross told me is always being pushed into new territories slightly beyond the fringes of rock and excelling in them), Arch Stauton (who has a warm mellow voice - there are moments when he reminds me of the vocals on the High Tide album - and again Cross let on Stauton was auditioned singing the song heard on track 6), and Lloyd with some great drums.

And compared with two other David Cross albums in my collection (i.e. Exiles, Testing To Destruction), this is a far more satisfactory and consistently good album. A must for Krimson fans. As I'm reluctant to commit to 5 stars at this early stage in the album life - e.g. will it survive time and me! -I have no hesitation for going for Progarchives 4 stars, with the reservation of up grading at some later time.

(I shall now park this review in the review section!!!!)