The fusion band King Crimson had many incarnations, arguably one if the best was when leader/guitarist Robert Fripp teamed up with vocalist/guitarist Adrian Belew, bass pioneer Tony Levin, and Yes alumnus Bill Bruford on drums for a series of hard hitting albums Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair. If you’re a fan of that band, this limited edition book of the full band transcriptions, as well as the tabs, is right up your alley.
Gabriel Riccio does the painstaking work of transcribing note, with editing and tabs done by Trey Gunn, who was a member of Crimson for 10 years and a compatriot of Fripp for almost two decades. Going through each song while listening to them is a dream come true, almost like having a pro ballplayer sit next to you at a game and analyze each pitch.
For example, “Neurotica” includes when and when Belew’s whistle comes in, the car horns of each channel and then both Fripp’s and Belew’s guitar riffs or solos. Levin’s work on his “stick” displays a wild roller coaster ride that has to be seen to be believed, and Bruford’s patented patterns show actual and implied beats. The complementary work between Belew and Fripp, as on “Discipline” for example, helps you appreciate the, dare you say, discipline in involved in the piece. Putting together the work between L evin and Bruford as a rhythmic unit shows why this was one of the teams of the ages. Riccio even specifies if there are “samples” or if the long drums are played with square headed mallets or not. This book is as thorough, complete and brainy as any Crimson session. Highly recommended for the 21st Century Schizoid Man in all of us.