Review Summary: King Crimson not only survived progressive rock's fall, but still gave the style a new definition.
King Crimson’s discography is one of the most solid bodies of work in progressive rock. Forming a valid complex, the discographic evolution shows the creative phases of one of the most iconoclastic bands, encapsulating a wide palette of styles, from classic progressive rock to new-wave and grunge. Every album has a sort of conceptual thread that makes it a step in the ascension of a complete creation. Metamorphosis and experiment, artistry and ambiguity crown King Crimson's catalog, making it a real journey through a unique conception.
I must recognize that my favorite album is "Lizard." It presents the reasons why we love King Crimson: the alternation between melodic moments and experiments and the great instrumental skills of all the band’s members. Also, we get a song with Jon Anderson on vocals. Although I treasure "Lizard" the most, I find "Discipline" their most respectable album, being a masterwork that proved the availability of King Crimson’s expressive force in a decade of transformation of the progressive-rock values. With its ample and well-crafted sound, "Discipline" succeeds in presenting a band that fully metamorphosed their style and conceived an album which had a strong impact on the evolution of math-rock and neo-progressive.
Firstly, "Discipline" presents a well-contoured sound that is mathematically crafted. Totally disciplined and confident, "Discipline" is a treat for anyone who imagines music as a mathematical edifice, not as a free-form creation made by an poetic spirit. I must say that I’m not one of these people that search for a defined music, but I enjoy sometimes a more cerebral sound of a certain shape. "Discipline" appeals to a more organized part of ourselves, focusing on the manipulation of the results of the experiments rather than the experiments themselves.
From the very first chords of "Elephant Talk", the rhythms sound concise and the melodic lines are strict, without much space for improvisation. Reminding of the futuristic funk of Talking Heads, the song expresses a desire for simplicity, for finding the music’s core hidden in improvisations (suggested by the parade of big words). It says clearly that the progressive variations aren’t relevant in the new decade, and the texture is all that matters. A presentation of a modern set of ideals, "Elephant Talk" makes an efficient entrance into a compact universe, in the shape of a current that accentuates the importance of the essence. Disciplined and equilibrated rhythmically, the moment suggests the replacement of prog-rock’s freedom with a directness specific to the 80s décor.
"Frame By Frame" accentuates the heavy atmosphere with an expressive keyboard touch. Lacking the roughness of the first song, "Frame By Frame" presents a romantic side of all these mathematical sounds, a correlation of instrumental exactness with a dreamy vocal ascension. With a strange beauty, the song showcases Robert Fripp’s instrumental style, the guitar underlining a beautiful succession of nuances. Furthermore, it magnifies the progressive trait, the sound knowing moody rhythmic changes.
"Matte Kudasai" explores the atmospheric side. With a well-contoured rhythm, it has an imponderable character. Adrian Belew’s voice and Robert Fripp’s guitar create a portrait of the thin line between the sea and the sky. Even if the lyrics aren’t suggesting this image, the floating sound accompanied by delimited rhythms evokes this limit between two apparently infinite entities.
"Indiscipline" appeals to an abrasiveness that makes way for a hidden sort of improvisation. It is not the improvisation characteristic for progressive rock, but rather a portrayal of an indefinite atmosphere composed of direct sounds and measures.
"Thela Hun Ginjeet" (the anagram of "Heat In The Jungle") constitutes the album’s atmospheric peak. Combining footage of a story told by Adrian Belew with a nervous rhythm of African origins, "Thela Hun Ginjeet" creates an atmospheric heat that gives passion to the entire composition. The moment makes up the perfect expression of the new sonority with its powerful beats and harsh sound.
"The Sheltering Sky" stays close to the experimental past of King Crimson. Introducing a constant rhythm, it underlines a memorable guitar variation. Even if it is an allusion to the previous albums, "The Sheltering Sky" still remains concise and modern, tracing the contours of a deserted landscape.
The ending, "Discipline", analyzes the math that stays at the base of the album. Presenting African inspired rhythms which follow a modest sound, it presents the definitive character that composes the whole record's atmosphere.
The majority of great progressive bands didn’t touch the intellectual side of the eighties. Genesis turned to an inspired commercial pop-rock, Yes to a uninspired one, Gentle Giant disbanded, and Jethro Tull released a suite of albums that are now considered some of the genre’s worst. King Crimson perceived the change in approach and switched to a breathtaking expression of cerebral simplicity and architectural rhythmicity. "Discipline" brands a discipline that was fit for the new decade, concentrating on texture and sheer climate. So, I have a different kind of respect for "Discipline", because it represents a confident entrance into a new artistic conscience, different from the musical experiments the 70s. King Crimson proved that they were still a defining voice in the entire rock scene. Due to its importance, bands from Slint to Meshuggah confirmed the album's relevance and its resonant voice through the entire transformation of the progressive rock.
