Album Review: King Crimson – Sheltering Skies

The reactivated King Crimson of the 1980s – that’s King Crimson Mk IV for aficionados – represented the most radical overhaul to date of the group’s approach, and that’s saying something. Arguably the smallest-ever lineup of the group came circa Red, when Crim was down to a trio, but that lineup had un- and semi-credited auxiliary musicians, Ian McDonald chief among them. But when the outfit begun as Discipline became King Crimson, the group was a foursome: mainstay (some would say “leader”) Robert Fripp on guitar, returning drummer Bill Bruford, and two Americans: Tony Levin on Chapman stick, bass and vocals, and guitarist /singer/songwriter Adrian Belew.

The new group debuted with a 1981 album that took its name from the project’s original label: Discipline. And while two more albums would follow, the first was the best and most groundbreaking of the lot. 1982’s Beat was superb in its own way, but the group’s reliance upon Belew to come up with the core material put a strain on the project. The final album of the trilogy, 1984’s Three of a Perfect Pair showed the strain, though it too had its moments.

In terms of live performance – the area in which King Crimson had and would always do its more innovative sonic exploration – the group was arguably at its peak circa 1982. The foursome had become comfortable (though that’s assuredly the wrong word) with the material from Discipline, and there was a crackling energy applied to the newest tracks showcased on Beat. That second-of-three was released in mid-June of ‘82, and by late August the band was simply on fire.

Bootleggers be damned – and Fripp certainly did/does damn them – the group officially recorded many of its shows. Over the years, and owing to demand, there have been myriad live releases documenting this period. In the early 2000s King Crimson Collectors’ Club released no less than five concerts from 1982 alone: Cap D’Agde, Berkeley, Philly, Munich and New York City.

One more especially notable recording would come from an August 27, 1982 performance in Frejus, France. Now released commercially – which is to say not via fan-only channels, but through wider retail outlets – Sheltering Skies is a document of that performance.

The set list draws primarily from Discipline and Beat, but torrid versions of “Red” and “Larks Tongues in Aspic” are presented as well. The arrangements strike a fine balance between faithfulness ot the studio counterparts and an exploratory approach that opens up the material. Belew’s vocals in particular often deviate from the studio versions. The improvisational approach that marked mid ‘70s Crimson (as documented on USA) and later “double trio” and “seven headed beast” configurations would largely be set aside. But the music still crackles with unpredictability. The dizzyingly complex musical interplay of cuts like “Thela Hut Ginjeet” demanded much of the four musicians, but in their capable hands it also provided a canvas for flights of musical adventurousness. The aural maelstrom that is “Indiscipline” is even more terrifying in Frejus than in the studio. The subtle magnificence of “The Sheltering Sky” is even more transcendent here than on Discipline.

The music is muscular, tight and daring all at once, and thanks to the confluence of superb sonics and the spontaneity baked into live performance, some listeners may find that they prefer the recordings here over the ones on the studio LPs. Ultimately, there’s no reason to choose. Get ‘em both and luxuriate.