King Crimson Documentary News

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From UltimateClassicRock.com:
In a new trailer for In the Court of the Crimson King, an upcoming documentary about King Crimson, band members past and present muse about the ever-evolving prog-rock act.

Director Toby Amies helmed the film, previously titled Cosmic F*Kc, which will debut in March at South by Southwest. It includes footage from the band’s 2018 and 2019 tours, along with interviews featuring members from throughout their 54-year history.

“It’s the dream band viewed from outside,” former drummer Bill Bruford says in the clip, available below. “It’s the band you could do anything you wanted to in it.” But the trailer isn’t all easy praise, as various alumni reflect on the tensions and dysfunction that's seemed to follow King Crimson since their 1968 formation.

Some of the quotes appear as out-of-context quips. “When I came back from making some of that music, my hair had fallen out,” says former singer and guitarist Adrian Belew. Guitarist and co-founder Robert Fripp, their lone consistent member, fires off one-liners like, “I can’t be the only sane man in this asylum” and “I don’t have the problem; the problems lie elsewhere.” And at one point, co-founding multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald — who left the group soon after their seminal debut LP, In the Court of the Crimson King — apologizes to his former bandmate: “I love you, Robert, and I’m sorry I broke your heart.”

It’s not all dark, though. Fripp directs some words of kindness toward the most recent iteration of Crimson: the eight-member, triple-drummer lineup that might end up as their last. “This is the first King Crimson where there’s not at least one member of the band that actively resents my presence,“ he says. “Which is astonishing.” Fripp offered his thoughts of the film in an email to Rolling Stone, writing, “A grown-up documentary showing the lives of King Crimson’s working players during 2018–19. The rock 'n' roll lifestyle of glamour and excess in fine detail, including getting on and off buses, living and dying, resentment, a little humor and even some music.”

See the trailer for In The Court of The Crimson King-

 
I worked for Fripp for several years, or his company anyway. I'll never forget once standing listening to some multitrack tapes being played back (at Fripp's home) for potential bits that might be used on a future KC album project, Fripp leaned to me and said Crimson is NOT a democracy. I had never said otherwise. But I think he was just saying that it was up to him to decide if and when the band would get together and consider future material. He was leaning towards giving it another go, but no plans were in place at this time. It was me who first stated to him the surround mixes would be the logical step with these albums. He agreed with me, and said it was something further into the future. He was correct, the timing was not right, and SW had not appeared out of nowhere just yet.
 
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I might be reading too much into that comment but KC returning to form with new material and improvising truly new material without a net live would be VERY welcome! This tribute style band reading the back catalog for the last few years is just not the same kind or level of energy.
 
The revisitation of the old material was a way to bring things to a tidy closure. I saw it as a way of saying farewell and good night. That old material needed to be brought out and played since 95% of it had not been touched since 1974. The fans wanted to hear it and time is in short supply at this point.
 
Update from David Singleton on Discipline Global Mobile:
Mind the Gap
Interesting tidbit in the final paragraph:

As we neared the end, the “gap” became more apparent.
How can it take from October until February for us to license our own music from our own publishers?!
What kind of surround sound mix is suitable for a movie like this?...


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