King Crimson - Great Deceiver (Live 1973-74) (@256)

King Crimson - Great Deceiver (Live 1973-74) (@256)

(Review from progarchives.com)

This box set features live recordings of the band from 1973 and 1974. All recordings feature the lineup of Robert Fripp, John Wetton, David Cross and Bill Bruford. Jamie Muir, who left the band in early 1973, is not featured on the set.

Throughout the four discs, the listener goes through many different concerts and ultimately is presented with many different songs (although there are a few repeats) as well as a plethora of improvs that really show the experimental nature of the group.

The first disc of this album is taken from a concert from Providence, Rhode Island, and stretches onto the second disc (for the first two songs). The set list is varied and has a stellar version of Starless with David Cross giving a superb violin part. Of the two improvs, which are Providence (which would eventually find its way onto Red with the crowd track cut out) and A Voyage To The Center of the Cosmos, the latter one really shows how the band could play completely improvised music and make it sound like it was well rehearsed and planned out... utterly stunning to put it shortly. Fracture also has a particular kick this time around, with the raw sound quality really coming and making it just a bit better than the other versions. The two songs on the second disc from this show, being 21st Century Schizoid Man (which is good, but the Night Watch version is better) and Walk Off Providence No Pussyfooting (which would act as the introduction and the closer of the show).

The second disc has a couple of rarities in Cat Food and Peace- A Theme as well as some wicked improvs (although they aren't as spectacular as the Cosmos one on the first disc). The version of Larks' Tongue in Aspic Part I is especially biting here with more violin presence. There's also an abridged version of Easy Money as well as another full version on the same disc. Anyway, there's more crowd presence on this disc, which gets a bit bothersome in the quieter pieces like Book of Saturday and Peace- A Theme. Despite that, though, it just doesn't live up to the overall energy and feel (as well as the set list) of the first disc. It's good, just not to that extent.

The third disc has four improvs as well as the only official release of Doctor Diamond (a song that was almost featured on Red but was cut out at the last minute) as well as another stellar version of Starless. Of the four improvs, the final one really is the best of them because of the great interplay between Bruford and Wetton (with Fripp playing excellently as well). This is also the first disc to feature a Talking Drum/Larks Tongues in Aspic Part II segue (with LTiA II being abridged) and for the most part it also comes off rather nicely. This disc also sounds wonderful with a nice overall ambience and a great balance in the instruments.

The final disc is from Toronto's Massey Hall and a show from Switzerland. The opening four pieces range from constructed pieces (Fracture and the Night Watch) to all out improvs. The two improvs here, titled Clueless & Slightly Slack and The Golden Walnut, are a bit longer than the standard improvs on this set, but they are very captivating and really show the overall cohesiveness and intensity that the group was able to convey through their seemlessly complicated and intricate improvisational pieces that sound more like a rehearsed piece than something done completely on the fly. The rest of the disc comprises of 3 more improvs (one actually based on the No Pussyfooting theme) and a two part one titled The Law of Maximum Distress, which is probably my least favorite improv in the collection. Another strong version of Larks Tongue in Aspic part I and a rousing and sudden finale in The Talking Drum are also here, and for the most part they are pretty good.

Line-up :
* Robert Fripp - guitar, mellotron, electric piano
* John Wetton - bass guitar, vocals
* David Cross - violin, mellotron, electric piano
* Bill Bruford - drums, percussion

Track List :
CD1
01. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting - 0:48
02. Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Part Two - 6:24
03. Lament - 4:38
04. Exiles - 8:57
05. Improv - A Voyage To The Centre of the Cosmos - 15:03
06. Easy Money - 7:12
07. Improv - Providence - 10:18
08. Fracture - 11:14
09. Starless - 12:03
CD2
01. 21st Century Schizoid Main - 8:26
02. Walk Off from Providence/No Pussyfooting - 2:11
03. Sharks' Lungs in Lemsip - 2:31
04. Larks' Tongues In Aspic - 7:49
05. Book Of Saturday - 3:02
06. Easy Money - 6:41
07. We'll Let You Know - 4:54
08. The Night Watch - 5:17
09. Improv - Tight Scrummy - 8:58
10. Peace - A Theme - 1:01
11. Cat Food - 4:36
12. Easy Money (2) - 2:20
13. ...It Is For You, But Not For Us - 9:10
CD3
01. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting - 0:58
02. The Great Deceiver - 4:26
03. Improv - Bartley Butsford - 3:12
04. Exiles - 7:19
05. Improv - Daniel Dust - 4:09
06. The Night Watch - 4:39
07. Doctor Diamond - 5:11
08. Starless12:25
09. Improv - Wilton Carpet - 5:52
10. The Talking Drum - 5:29
11. Larks' Tongues In Aspic: Part Two - 4:07
12. Applause & Announcement - 2:12
13. Improv - Is There Life Out There? - 14:49
CD4
01. Improv - The Golden Walnut - 11:46
02. The Night Watch - 4:37
03. Fracture11:51
04. Improv - Clueless and Slightly Slack - 8:12
05. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting - 0:53
06. Improv - Some Pussyfooting - 2:26
07. Larks' Tongues In Aspic: Part One - 8:16
08. Improv - The Law of Maximum Distress: Part One - 6:31
09. Improv - The Law of Maximum Distress: Part Two - 2:33
10. Easy Money - 7:32
11. Improv - Some More Pussyfooting - 5:53
12. The Talking Drum - 6:02