KING CRIMSON — Beat (review)

KING CRIMSON — Beat album cover Album · 1982 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
Although there are some tracks on this album that are maybe better written and executed than on the previous Discipline album, I rate this album rather lower than the latter mentioned.

Certainly Sartori In Tangier and Requiem are good enough tracks to have fitted on Discipline, but the rest of the tracks are simply too poppy-prog. Don't get me wrong the music is anything but dumb pop , but it does have a lot of pop characteristics, mostly in the structure: Rather short tracks with plenty of Verse Chorus repetition and a very pop/new wavish look that makes the music dated and too 80's-typed that I will probably never like it. It also has that very cold technical pop feeling and its utter professional feel that stops me from liking it as an artist statement: it simply sounds to calculated and too business-like for my tastes. The opening track N,J&M, I suppose is based on Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassidy, notable beats (beatnicks or beat poets) , but the music always failed to arouse my interest enough!!

Now only was this noticeable musically (listen to any three record of the era), but this was also the case in the appearance and concert. Check out the Neal, Jack and Me DVD for a double concert and see the very artsy-fartsy looks, acts and of course that horrendous electronics pads percussions even reaching as far as duplicating gongs. Yuk!!

Only my respect for Crimson stops me from rating this album lower
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Green Puma / Tropical Dandy Jazz Related Rock
THE LINK QUARTET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vinny Golia Quintet : Can You Outrun Them? 21st Century Modern
VINNY GOLIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bow Code Fusion
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthem For No Man’s Land Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ANDREAS SCHAERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cabaret Eclectic Fusion
MARIUS NESET
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Paper Plane Pilot
MIKE DE SOUZA
js· 4 hours ago
Green Puma
THE LINK QUARTET
js· 4 hours ago
Heavy Cream
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
js· 6 hours ago
Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 19 hours ago
Harmônicos
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed