Gizmodrome

Well, I've given this album a full listen three times, hoping it'll grow on me, but no dice. If anything, it's worn on me more with each listening. Even as I've gotten more accustomed to the damn thing, I can't escape the despairing question, "Why, Lord, why?" Or more accurately, "Why, Stewart, why?"

I was excited when I heard about this "supergroup." But that excitement dissipated dead away on first listen. It's hard to believe that these four musicians pooled their talents, only to come up with something so unlistenable. Stewart Copeland and Adrian Belew are undeniably among the very best of their generation, on their respective instruments. Mark King of Level 42 is no slouch on the bass, and Vittorio Cosma -- the lowest profile in the lot, unless you're conversant in Italian prog rock -- ceretainly has his chops on keyboards. And there's no shortage of collective songwriting talent in that quartet.

But it's all derailed by what's up front. Why Copeland would take the lead vocal slot when he's got Belew and King in his band is beyond me. His voice is as flat as they come, with little grasp of melody or pitch. That worked in small doses when he was in The Police, either for comic effect ("On Any Other Day") or as a foil to the lead singer ("Does Everyone Stare"). But a whole album with Copeland front & center on the mic is hard to take.

Belew left King Crimson for this?! Well, at least are there any of his trademark mind-boggling guitar solos?

Belew didn't leave Crimson. He wasn't asked back when Fripp reformed the band.

That said, I'm disappointed to hear this. I assumed when I heard about it it would be an instrumental band.

I assumed all along that Gizmodrome would be a song-based band, just based on the songwriting smarts in the lineup and the fact that it includes two proven, capable singers (Belew and King). Heck, three of them, for all I know; Cosma might possibly have a good set of pipes too.

It was my understanding that Belew could not make the Crimson call when Fripp made it due to NIN commitments which he later bailed on. And by that time, Fripp had moved on. I could very well be wrong. Then Belew got in a bit of a snit, which has since seen him patching things up with Fripp. I am thrilled to see a Crimson lineup without Belew next week, though! All I've ever seen was a Crimson [90s/00s] with Belew singing and I'm interested in hearing Jakszyk for a change. I also saw Belew a few months back and he was superb. He managed a "Frame By Frame" that I didn't [!] miss Fripp on!

That said, I am now more interested now in Gizmodrome knowing that Copeland was singing! As one who burns a torch brightly for Klark Kent [but not The Police] I may enjoy this more than others. Also a big L42 fan so…



Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

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I think it also had to do with the new version of Crimson growing out of the Jakszyk/Fripp/Collins side project. Kind of how the 90s version grew out of the Sylvain/Fripp collab, though we never got a version of Crimson with Sylvain as the frontman. (Probably better that way for both.)

I'm seeing Crimson this Thursday. If the live albums I've been listening to are any indication, it'll be great. Jakszyk is a fine singer.

I need that "Radical Action [To Unseat The Hold Of Monkey Mind]" box with the DVDs instead of the Blu-Ray. Hopefully the merch table will deliver.



Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

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Yes, you do. I streamed it a lot while prepping for the Levin interview. It's fantastic. I too hope to pick it up at the merch table. That and other things.

Quote

I need that "Radical Action [To Unseat The Hold Of Monkey Mind]" box with the DVDs instead of the Blu-Ray. Hopefully the merch table will deliver.

I was listening to it already when I opened this thread! It's actually on Spotify, unlike everything else in the Crimson catalog. I must say it's excellent. I had my doubts about this line-up sans Belew (because I'm such a fan of his), and with 3 drummers being overkill. But the songs focus mainly on the pre-Belew era, and Jakko delivers the goods vocally. As you can imagine, without Belew the music is dead serious...which isn't a bad thing, but definitely different without "Elephant Talk" and "Dinosaur" and songs of that ilk in the set list. I'm not interested in the video, but a CD purchase wouldn't be out of the question.

zoo - It's a package deal. Hard copy includes 3xCD and video in either 2xDVD or 1xBlu-Ray. Since I don't have [and hope to never have] Blu-Ray, DVD version ahoy for me.



Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

[postpunkmonk.com]
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Some instrumentals from the Belew era are in the setlist. Rumor has it that some Belew-era vocal songs are also making their way in. "Neurotica" popped up recently.

Apparently the band did a private "dress rehearsal" last night in the same venue they're playing tonight. Below is the setlist. Looks like more Belew-era material is working its way in. Also more stuff from the transitional era between Court and Larks[/i.

Setlist

Holy Toledo…! "Breathless" from "Exposure??!!"






Moonchild?!?!?



Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

[postpunkmonk.com]
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I know!

It's an almost completely different setlist from the Radical Action live album, too. They're really digging deep.

I'm gonna hit that merch table so hard tonight...

Mr. Toland - Report back with your findings [maybe we should start a KC thread… d'you think?] since I have mentally budgeted $100 for merch and want to know what's out there.



Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

[postpunkmonk.com]
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Absolutely.

All due respect to Adrian Belew -- and he gets plenty from me, any day of the week -- but any musician whose name isn't Robert Fripp has no reason to assume anything resembling a sense of tenure in King Crimson.

True. Tony Levin told me that even after being in the band for 35+ years he never knows what's going on.