Beat

Artist: King Crimson
Label: E.G. Records
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 017046159326
EAN: 0017046159326
ASIN: B000003S1C

Release Date: 1991-08-23

Beat

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Tracks:

Neal and Jack and Me
Heartbeat
Sartori in Tangier
Waiting Man
Neurotica
Two Hands
The Howler
Requiem

Similar Items:

Three of Perfect Pair
Three of a Perfect Pair
Discipline
The ConstruKction of Light

Customer Reviews:

After a giant leap, a small (but interesting) step backward for Crimson.......2005-08-25

Sometimes, innovators take such a giant leap forward that they leave little room for improvement. Such is the problem with King Crimson's "Beat," their follow-up to 1981's masterful, groundbreaking "Discipline." As with "In the Wake of Poseidon" (1970), their encore to 1969's "In the Court of the Crimson King" (which officially launched the progressive rock movement), "Beat" represents an erratic effort to continue King Crimson's tradition of relentless trailblazing.

"Beat" has a rough, unfinished quality to it, evidenced by the stingy running time and meandering nature of Adrian Belew's lyrics. Indeed, Sid Smith's authorized biography of the band (the excellent "In the Court of King Crimson") confirms that recording "Beat" was a bit of ordeal for the Crims. Apparently, the river of inspiration that resulted in "Discipline" had slowed to a trickle. Where "Discipline" reveled in the excitement of discovery, "Beat" struggles within Crimson's self-defined, insular milieu.

"Beat" begins promisingly enough. The intro of "Neal and Jack and Me" recapitulates Crimson's "Discipline" sound - a tangle of intertwining, Gamelan-style guitars - before Belew jumps in with a typically idiosyncratic rant, based loosely on the experiences of Beat poets Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac (hence the album's title). "Heartbeat" is a catchy, tastefully written, flawlessly executed four-minute gem, perhaps the closest Crimson ever came to writing a pop song. Other standout tracks include the percussive, atmospheric "Two Hands" and the gently percolating "Waiting Man," both of which feature Belew's voice at its melodic best.

Unfortunately, several tracks invite unfavorable comparisons to earlier Crimson efforts. The frenetic, slam/beat poetry of "Neurotica" pales in the wake of Belew's more inspired spiels on "Discipline's" "Elephant Talk" and "Indiscipline." The intro of "Sartori in Tangier" evokes the haunting electric violin of 1974's "Fallen Angel," before segueing into a slightly cheesy funk rhythm evocative of low-budget 1980s film soundtracks (this is one of the few times Crimson has dated themselves). "Requiem" harks back to the jazzy, improvisational style of Crimson's mid-70's era. But where earlier Crimson instrumentals such as "Fracture" and "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" achieved catharsis through a disciplined approach, "Requiem" aimlessly meanders toward an anticlimactic conclusion.

"Beat" only intermittently succeeds in achieving Crimson's self-defined standard of excellence. Listening to this record will remind you how great "Discipline" was - and that's not such a good thing for "Beat."

Talking Heads or Adrian Belew?.......2005-08-20

This album came out several years after Adrian Belew recorded, then toured with, Talking Heads. In several of the tracks, Belew sounds eerily like David Byrne. Add Robert Fripp into the mix, who also had recorded with Talking Heads ("I Zimbra" in 1979 and on other occasions), and it makes you wonder who influenced who. Maybe it was Eno who influenced Belew and Byrne. Regardless, this album fits neatly in with "My life in the bush of ghosts" and "Remain in light". On the tracks which don't sound like Talking Heads, the band degenerate into a free form jazz sound, which is appropriate, given the title of the album, an ode to the Beat generation. I'm not a Crimson completist, but to me, "Beat" (blue), "Discipline" (red), and "Three of a perfect pair" (yellow), like the colors they represent, are the primary colors, and therefore the very essence of the band.

You Can't "Beat" This Album.......2005-04-07

The second of three masterpieces by the greatest quartet in rock history.

I apologize for the terrible pun in my title...On second thought, I make no apologies. Everybody else writes bad puns so why not me. In fact, I do think it's good!!!

Not as good as "Discipline," but still an amazing album........2004-01-28

Here was a rarity for King Crimson fans, and for more reasons than one. First, it was the first King Crimson album ever to feature the same lineup as the previous album, that lineup being the always present Robert Fripp on guitar (as well as organ and "Frippertronics"), Adrian Belew on guitar and vocals, Tony Levin on bass and stick (and throwing in some support vocals), and Bill Bruford on drums and percussion. This lineup was set to change the way progressive music would be perceived, with their excellent mix of pop melodicism and experimental avant garde. There was the second surprise was that if people thought "Discipline" was poppy or new-wave, they weren't ready for "Beat." The songs may be radio-friendly, but they are not without a high degree of complexity.

These are not simple songs, the blistering fretwork of Fripp, Belew, and Levin just intertwine to form a tapestry of amazing musicianship. The melodies and guitar harmonies are all just an incredible mixture of melodic structure and flying off the handle. Fripp's solos are as off-kilter as ever, showing a great need to get as much out of both his own abilities and the technology (the three '80's King Crimson albums are pinnacles of synth-guitar technology). Between the soaring solos of "Sartori in Tangiers" and the neo-jazz-improvizations of "Requiem," Fripp proves that King Crimson have not abandoned their progressive roots, even if they've embellished it with a bit of '80's new-wave pop. Bruford's drumming keeps time very well, but people underestimate the nuances of his playing. He's not just playing straight to keep time...he's keeping the "beat" of the songs, mixing in his own subtle sense of quirky rhythmic flourish. It's there, you just have to listen for it, but he really is showing off a little occasionally. Belew also gives some of the best vocal deliveries of any vocalist's life, singing with enough bravado that he actually outdoes himself ("Indiscipline" was funny... but listen to "Neurotica" or "Neal and Jack and Me"). The album's best moment is "Waiting Man." Sure it's a pop song, but it's such a sweet exercise in musical craftsmanship.

"Beat" is definitely the more accessible of King Crimson's three albums of the '80's, but this is not a bad thing. It may have been poppier, but they never sacrificed their musicianship or their sense of progressive abandon for the sake of a hit. Even the simpler songs are full of moments of intense energy and complexity that you have to wonder where the line is drawn between pop and progressive. It was as if King Crimson were trying to prove that there need not be any division, as long as it's good music. Good point, and good music it is. Many people don't like "Beat," that's their choice, and I'll agree it's not as good as "Discipline," but it's still an amazing album.

i can't feel that beat.......2003-09-20

this is a second part from Crimson's eigthies new-waved influenced trilogy ("Discipline","Beat","3 of a perfect pair").and it's the least impressing one.
The best songs from here are the pop ones ("Heartbeat","Two hands","Neill and jack and me",).it is funny because Fripp's band is famous for long epic suits and complex compositions and not for pop songs.the longer tracks and more Progresive-rock oriented ("Requiem","sartosi in tangiers","the howler") are quite boring and are lacking originality that almost all of King Crimson tracks has."Requiem" sounds like a parody of groups mid-seventies noise experiments - without melody or any synchronicity.

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