It has been a few years since we have heard rumblings from the court
of King Crimson. "Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With"
is a CD/EP that runs over 30 minutes. Anything over 30 minutes qualifies
as an album as far as I am concerned, but when your dealing with progressive-rock
heavyweights like this, 30 minutes is merely a warm up of what is
to come, so standby for more soon.
Adrian Belew's voice is present to give the music a distinct flair
and the instant recognition of their legacy. I always thought he sounded
different from anyone else in rock, and it worked out as a perfect
fit for King Crimson's sound. Mastermind Robert Fripp remains at the
helm after all these years and his guitar work is consistently outstanding.
The beauty and suppleness of "Eyes Wide Open" is a huge departure
from a rocker like "Lark's Tongues in Aspic" with its wailing guitar
and odd time signatures coupled with jazz fused overtones. They sound
as if they have not missed a step after all these years and remain
light years ahead of their contemporaries. The best part about their
music is their element of surprise, you never know what to expect
from track to track, and that is what makes them so intriguing and
fascinating to listen to.
If this is just a taste of what is to come, I can hardly wait to get the full course meal.
1. Bude - 0:26
2. Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With [Edit] - 4:12
3. Mie Gakure - 2:00
4. She Shudders - 0:35
5. Eyes Wide Open - 4:08
6. Shoganai - 2:53
7. I Ran - 0:40
8. Potato Pie - 5:03
9. Larks' Tongues in Aspic - 10:26
10. Clouds - 4:10
Credits:
Adrian Belew - Guitar, Vocals, Producer
Trey Gunn - Guitar
Robert Fripp - Guitar, Producer
Pat Mastelotto - Drums
