Side One
Larks' Tongues In Aspic (part II)
Lament
Exiles
Side Two
Asbury Park
Easy Money
21st Century Schizoid Man
DISCOVERY; I didn't realise when I got this that it was the latest King Crimson record or potentially their last. Simply following on from Here Come The Warm Jets, someone named Robert Fripp played the greatest guitar solo in the history of electric guitar on Baby's on Fire so I figured his band might be interesting. Bloody hell was it! USA became my new favourite record and the standard to which I'd hold all live albums at least until I lowered my standards. King Crimson was obviously serious music for serious people. I came to that conclusion because I didn't like the singer. Not that the singer was bad, just very nondescript. This band wasn't about the singer. There was more going on than just a flamboyant ego prancing about the stage demanding your unwavering adoring gaze. Perhaps the little man seated on a stool focused on his guitar was the main event. Serious music. It was OK to like both.
WHERE & WHEN; For years I thought this album was recorded in Europe and they just called it USA because it looked good as cover art. My imagination was quite specific as well. I thought they recorded it at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. That's where I'd have recorded it for sure. So in my mind King Crimson and Amsterdam were inextricably linked. They probably lived there. Amsterdam was full of serious people who liked serious music and the centre for serious music in the world was the Concertgebouw. I'm always disappointed if an album or CD does not have copious liner notes. Not because I'm likely to read them. I just feel better if the potential is there.
It was about this time the folks got a new television. Colour! Oh boy, so that meant I got the old black n white telly for my room! Now I had all the amenities. Favourite thing to do was watch an old movie late at night with the sound down while listening to records. Serious music made for the best soundtracks and Ingmar Bergman made the best visuals.
HIGHLIGHTS; Every note!
STATUS; Temporary MP3 copy
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