Album Club - Week 149: 10/06/2014: King Crimson - Beat (1982)

[Album Club]

This week we have to thank Jon (Velocesprint) for his selection. We worked hard to make this one happen, so please do it justice folks!
Don't forget to listen to the entire album before placing your vote.



King Crimson – Beat (1982)



I could not find this on Spotify or Grooveshark and other sharing sites so had to cobble together the album from You Tube videos

King Crimson - Beat

I have chosen this album as it is one of my favourites for many reasons – great tunes, brilliant musicianship and is also a good workout for the system – especially when it is cranked up loud. This was one of 3 albums with the same line up Discipline first, then Beat and finally Three of a Perfect Pair (interestingly I think it was the first time that King Crimson made consecutive albums that had the same line up (despite this being the 9th studio album!)).
I heard it first in about 1984 (after hearing Discipline). Although Discipline is usually better reviewed I think this is a more rounded album.
This period of King Crimson is a really great one with the line up being Adrian Belew (Guitar, Lead Vocal). Robert Fripp (Guitar, Organ, Frippertronics), Tony Levin (Chpmanstick, Bass Guitar, Support Vocal) and Bill Bruford (Drumming).
The album definitely has two quite different sides with side 1 being more accessible and side 2 being more experimental – the great thing about albums is they are often constructed this way for very good artistic reasons – sadly this very important human connection is lost in CD and in downloads.

The album can feel edgy and uncomfortable at times but to me I always hear something new in it at every play.

Here is a list of the tracks and my personal review of them:


Side 1
1. Neal and Jack and Me – great starting track introducing the complex rhythms and I think a great vocal



2. Heartbeat – I was once told that the bass line on this track mirrored the human heartbeat and that gradually through the track it increased so that by the end your pulse was raised – possibly placebo effect but it certainly does this to me whilst being a great song with good vocals again from Belew.



3. Sartori in Tangier – great instrumental with an interesting mix of sounds and a great kick start at the beginning – I think Levins use of the Chapmanstick is excellent on this.



4. Waiting Man – what a great track – hypnotic with great percussive elements



Side 2
5. Neurotica – an appropriately named track. Nuff said and don’t forget this was 1982.



6. Two Hands – apparently lyrics penned by Mrs Belew. A gentle and more reflective track.



7. The Howler –has slightly edgy feel to it this all the way through this track



8. Requiem – starts off quite subtle and ethereal and gradually builds to a more fractured and raucous crescendo before settling back to finish where it started. Great drumming from Mr Bruford on this one.



You can find a great wiki on King Crimson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Crimson

Some interesting viewpoints if you scroll down to the reviews – not all of them favourable: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=1915

[The Barbarian]

Believe it or not i have the three Crimson LP's 'Discipline'/'Beat'/'Three Of A Perfect Pair'.. I prefer 'Discipline' out of the three. However i just cannot get on with them, i dunno what it is but i always think of Talking Heads for some reason..

[MikeMusic]

Worth having
7/10

Not their very best for me, but a must for the collection

[losenotaminute]

First track is great, all of the rest sound exactly the same. 4/10 from me I'm afraid.

[mr sneff]

Believe it or not i have the three Crimson LP's 'Discipline'/'Beat'/'Three Of A Perfect Pair'.. I prefer 'Discipline' out of the three. However i just cannot get on with them, i dunno what it is but i always think of Talking Heads for some reason..

I can understand that, Andre. Fripp played on Fear of Music and Belew played on Remain in Light, so there's definitely a Talking Heads connection. I reckon Discipline is the best of the three of that particular KC incarnation. Funny how it's often the first album of an incarnation of KC is the best, barring The Construction of Light of course

[mr sneff]

The King Crimson line-up 4 (1981–1984) is probably the most commercial sounding of all the KC incarnations. I like Beat, 7/10 from me, but it's not my favourite KC album or my favourite from this line-up (that would be Discipline). I prefer side one of the original album (Neal and Jack and Me > Waiting Man) to the second side. Least favourite track is Requiem, sounds like a studio improv to fill up the side

[loo]

Sorry but this did nothing for me , 2/10 for the technical ability
I do love Alfa's though
Paul

[DSJR]

Legend has it that KC albums are like a series of trilogies. The first is the best. the second (this one) OK and the third very patchy.

Wish you'd made this one Discipline, as we all but murdered this one on dems at the time.

[The Barbarian]

& if you notice this is the steve ball logo for DGM

[high.spirits]

Try as I may, this is just not for me - sorry. 4/10