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King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black Audio CD

A fair review of the King Crimson "Starless and Bible Black" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all King Crimson reviews here, or go back to the King Crimson tabs.

King Crimson Band: King Crimson
Title: Starless and Bible Black
Rating:
Release Date: 2000-10-17
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Great Deceiver 2: Lament 3: We'll Let You Know 4: Night Watch 5: Trio 6: Mincer 7: Starless and Bible Black 8: Fracture

great music, but not perfect
It's sort of caught in the middle. Starless and Bible Black is not quite as interesting as the King Crimson albums released before and after. While the music's memorable because 70's rock is just a great thing to behold (if I can be completely honest!!) and while nothing else out there really SOUNDS like the work of King Crimson, the fact remains Larks' Tongues In Aspic and Red are clearly better albums with better songwriting.

The songwriting on this album just isn't at the point of brilliance like the other two albums. "Fracture" used to be really fascinating to me, and while I love the many instrumental tricks that were used (along with the muddy, heavy guitar riff that occasionally pops up) it's not quite as good as I originally thought I was.

Many of the shorter songs sound forced and not very interesting as a result. One track even sounds like the Moody Blues (probably my favorite song on the album). Some of the ideas even sound like they were recycled from the Larks' Tongues album, and used again with less interesting results. Red feels more like a complete album in comparison, so either buy Red or Larks' Tongues in Aspic. That's not to say this album isn't worth buying. It is! I still like the music a lot, in fact, that's why I'm giving it 4 stars. Just don't expect a masterpiece of perfectly executed musical ideas like the other two albums. Expect a flawed, though listenable and somewhat creative rock album from the mid 70's. .


Another excellent album from KC
If you've listend to these two, then you must get Starless. Unlike some, I feel Starless and Bible Black holds up quite well between Lark's Tongues and Red. There's lots to enjoy on this disc.


ONE of BEST KC's ALBUMS ( AS WELL AS IN COURT OF CK,RED)


1. I think it has some best art quality (for me)in all KC albums as well as ISLANDS ,though they have a little distance from classic(S&BB is closer to be a classic)
So I love it more than other KC ones,and more specially. The Great Deceiver
2. Lament
3. We'll Let You Know
4. The Night Watch
5. Trio
6. The Mincer
7. Starless And Bible Black
8. Fracture

Prog Classic ! Recommended as well as Red,Islands,Lizard,Lark's . and surely their first one!
KING CRIMSON is one of the few bands that will amaze and amuse you so much!

.


Almost There....


With Bruford added to the lineup, TONGUES sets the stage for the transformation, and STARLESS nudges it to the doorstep. -

This album, along with the previous LARKS' TONGUES IN ASPIC, is Crimson's run-up to RED, which is the only truly great Crimson album prior to their 80s masterpieces. Listen to "The Great Deceiver" and "Fracture" and you will see the door nudge open just a bit, allowing a tantalizing peek into RED.



-.


A great comming together of various elements, IMO
Now, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I like King Crimson and I had only previously owned the debut album. There's not a bad song in the bunch, though the songs I like are: The great deceiver, We'll let you know, Night watch, Trio, Fracture and my firm favourite is the scary 'Mincer'. I mean wow, what a dark but cool song.
I wonder what other people think of the vocals? I feel as though they should be louder in the mix. The title track has no lyrics but is obviously some dig at the bible or religion or something. I don't like that, and it seems everyone did that in the 70's, perhaps at the influence of 'John Lennon'? Anyway, the music is cool.
For an idea of what the album sounds like, it's like garage band rock jams but with a few ballads and folk songs thrown in for diversity and good measure. Trio is a lovely classical music venture, Night Watch is a folk song and Lament also has a hint of balladry, but is raging rock towards the end of the song. The tone is not as loud or distorted on this album as it was on Lark's tongues and the bass is very prominent in the mix. The mellotron plays the part of an organ rather than a pseudo-symphony, except that it occasionally tries to sound (quite successfully) like a heavily distorted 6th string of a guitar (Notably on the afforementioned 'Mincer'). Also, this album was lifted from the same creativity well as 'Moonchild'. Oh by the way, Love the lyrics to 'Great deceiver' and 'Night watch' and 'lament'.


You can see a complete list of all King Crimson discography, or go back to the King Crimson tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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