King Crimson - 1972-11-30 Preston, UK (2020)

OK, so the opening riff of LTIA Pt I is completely overloaded and distorted on this audience recording but in a strange and absolutely unintended way, the almost claustrophobic avalanche of sound that engulfs your precious ears gives you a sense of just how heavy an experience it was seeing King Crimson in concert. Nobody in the crowd had heard this music of course so the Larks’ terrain was entirely unfamiliar. All these years later the lineup still has the capacity to surprise; after the coda, the extended glockenspiel/kalimba that eventually finds its way to silence isn’t something one usually hears at that point in the piece.

A wandering microphone renders much of Robert’s witty interactions with the audience moot and is variable in the verse section of Book Of Saturday. Luckily the 29-minute improv coming out of the song clearly captures the violin duet between John Wetton and David Cross which was a feature of the band’s live set at this stage. The nimble accompaniment from Robert gives way to Bruford and Muir’s percussion as Cross and Wetton continue this folky interlude.

As it develops, with Jamie Muir’s explosive interjections or John Wetton’s claw hammer bass nailing your head to the wall, this improvisation has that epic quality that made this Crimson so special, seamlessly covering extremely contrasting textures and territories. The second improvisation, after Exiles, beginning with tremulous guitar swells and pizzicato melodies and tinkling bells is once again testament to the gentler climes to which Crimson would tackle. Of course, the more tumultuous exchanges between the drums including an astonishing work out between Bruford and Muir is the stuff that really turned the heads of audiences. If you can get past the less-than-optimal sonics on this tape there are many treasures to savour.

Robert Fripp - Guitar, Mellotron
John Wetton - Bass, Vocals
David Cross - Violin, Mellotron, Keyboards
Bill Bruford - Acoustic Drums And Percussion
Jamie Muir - Acoustic Drums, Percussion, Allsorts