Track by Track is a fun thing for me and something I hope you all will dig. This is where I take an album (some picked by me, some by others) and break it down track by track and give my thoughts on each song. Too many times have I done album reviews and wished that I would’ve mentioned more about certain songs so this new way of doing reviews will be much more in-depth showcasing each and every song.
Track by Track: King Crimson – Red
Red
Easily one of my favorite instrumental songs. This song is such a mind melt. I didn’t really appreciate this song until I heard it live. Going back and listening to it now I still prefer hearing it live but I have a whole new appreciation for this song. This is a fantastic song and an amazing album opener.
Fallen Angel
Another beautiful Crimson song. This song really didn’t move me the first time I listened to it but after a 2nd listen, it absolutely floored me. There is so much depth and it runs a gamut of emotions from subtle calmness to the uncomfortably intense. The vocals are so imperfectly perfect. What I mean by that is that the vocals aren’t spot-on perfect but they possess a kind of innocent quality that lends itself perfectly to this song.
One More Red Nightmare
For some reason, this song reminds me a little bit of something I would expect from the Talking Heads. It’s got this kind of avant-garde feel to it. The verses are what remind me of the Heads but the instrumental sections just seem to fall apart into nothingness which is actually a compliment. After hearing the live version from the Radical Action featuring Jakko Jakszyk on vocals, I just didn’t find this version as captivating. Great song but I prefer the newer lineup’s version.
Providence
So my best friend James told me a little factoid about this instrumental song. He said that it’s an improvisation. 100% improvised, recorded live (In Providence, RI). This is the kind of song that if you listened to it while stoned that you’d probably end up in a corner in fetal position sucking your thumb and wishing you hadn’t done that. I don’t usually like these kinds of improvised compositions but there is some magic in this song. It’s almost as if the band is telepathic in a way and are communicating with each other as to where to go. This is a cool track but listeners be warned: brain-melting may ensue.
Starless
I’m sure this is going to be blasphemous to a lot of Crimson die-hards but I don’t love this version of the song. Maybe because I heard the current version with Jakko on vocals I find myself gravitating towards that version. Wetton’s vocals just seem to be somewhat lifeless to me and lack the connection and full-on emotion that Jakko brought to the song. I also don’t feel that this version truly captured Fripp’s driving passion as a guitar player. Maybe it was the time it came out or the fact that it was a song that hadn’t truly grown yet. I love the song but just not this version.
SUMMARY
Red is a great album. Sonically it’s a really great listen. It’s very well produced and the songwriting is absolutely stellar. The only thing is that I truly love the Jakko versions of most of these songs (the ones I’ve heard him do). Jakko was what made me connect with Crimson on such a powerful level. His voice is everything I love in a vocalist and these songs just to grab me like the more current versions of these songs. Again, it’s a great collection of songs but not necessarily an album I would re-visit.
About The Author
