Perfect Pair

Upon its release in 1984, Three of a Perfect Pair caused some unrest among fans of King Crimson. Most of their audience felt that the band had made a conscious and obvious decision to try to break through to a more mainstream pop audience. But in hindsight, this is hardly the case; it sounds unlike anything that was out at the time. Like 1982's Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair doesn't quite meet the high standards set by 1981's Discipline, but does contain a few Crimson treats.

“Welcome to the start of the King Crimson 1984 tour of America I hope you know some of these songs and note the discrepancies and applaud our bravery afterwards” says Belew. The band take a little bit of time to bed down on this opening gig, ironing out a few wrinkles on the fly as is customary on these opening shows.A storming version of industry with Belew at his pointillistic, abstract best, coaxing all manner of elliptical sounds which are probably not recommended by the makers of the guitar or his pedalboard set-up. The track creates its own space and time in which Crimson glowers and scowls. Belew’s distorted voice in the verse sections of Dig Me continues the brooding intense atmosphere. There’s a sprightly yet thunderous rendition of Sleepless to savour although Man With An Open Heart has a heart-stopping moment as Belew realises he’s using the wrong guitar and the song has to be restarted. Also of interest is a wild Sartori and a rumbling version of Discipline.The quality of this audience recording isn’t too shabby though close listening reveals there’s something of an ongoing albeit enthusiastic commentary in the quieter sections.

Hear First is Talkhouse’s series of album premieres. Along with streams of upcoming albums—today’s is The Lowest Pair’s The Perfect Plan—we publish statements from artists and their peers about the mindsets and impressions that go into, or come out of reflection on, a record.