Starless

Blimey! They don’t come much more frenetic or savage than this - a riotous reading of LTIA pt1 emerging from a down n’ dirty intro/improv. Pausing only to catch breath in David’s solo (here with additional guitar shadings) before taking off again. “That was a good ending” says an approving Bill Bruford before they duck and dive their way through an especially crunchy Doctor Diamond. The fun continues during Easy Money with ornery and cussed clusters taking flight from the fretboard like a bunch of punch-drunk wasps, ready to sting wherever they land. This is the sound of band that’s really enjoying itself. Listen out for when Bruford audibly swoons during a particularly beautiful guitar solo on Night Watch. Of particular note is a storming improv which combines the eerie Providence sonics with a blast of Journey To The Centre Of The Cosmos rocking out. Mind you, the moment when the band sail out from that to set up a seamless transition into Starless is nothing short of beautiful. A sadly incomplete version of Exiles completes this belter of a gig.

First released on CD as KCCC 29, the opening improv is akin to a gathering storm that suddenly finds its focus in Dr. Diamond. Almost overwhelmed in the beginning by Bill’s use of the gong, it quickly powers up into a great opening number. Prior to a gorgeous version of Exiles, Fripp deploys his classic stage announcement borrowed from Elmer Gantry, “Right, hands up those who like it those who don't fuck off my eyes feel like pissholes in the snow this is the last one for the evening seeds of space fly by my face”.

To celebrate their 50th anniversary, King Crimson are releasing 50 rare or unusual tracks from the archives. Starting on 13th January, the date the band was formed in the Fulham Palace Café in 1969, these tracks will be released one a week for the remaining 50 weeks of 2019. Each track will be introduced by a commentary from David Singleton, King Crimson manager and producer.

Described by Variety magazine as "really about as good as rock documentaries get", the long-awaited, official King Crimson documentary by Toby Amies will be released in Limited edition form as an 8 Disc boxed set containing 2 Blu-Rays, 2 DVDs and 4 CDs. The set includes the full film, an early edited version of the film, live and studio performances from the 50th anniversary tour plus a plethora of additional footage. It also includes the music from the original soundtrack and more over 4 CDs - many tracks previously unreleased and/or new to CD. The film appears in DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround on Blu-ray 1 and in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround on DVD 1. The film and other material on Blu-ray 1/DVD 1 - the final performance of 'Starless from December 2021, an early edit of sections of the film and a set of trailers/shorts, appear in LPCM 24/48 Stereo on both formats. Blu-ray 2/DVD 2 feature: Tring, Rock In Rio, 38 minutes backstage footage and more.

The Great Deceiver is a 4 CD box set by the band King Crimson, consisting of live recordings from 1973 and 1974, released on Virgin Records in 1992. In 2007, it was reissued on Fripp’s Discipline Global Mobile label as two separate 2 CD sets, each featuring new artwork…