Cheap Night Watch (Music) (King Crimson) Price

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Customer Reviews of Night Watch

Best Line Up of Crimso Rocks with 2 CD Set!
This is my favorite version of King Crimson with John Wetton on bass and vocals, Bill Bruford on drums and David Cross on violin, viola and mellotron along with the ever present Robert Fripp on guitar and mellotron. King Crimson has always been more adventurous in concert than in the studio so when I found out this 2 cd "The Nightwatch" was available I had to get a copy. I was not disappointed! The set features material recorded in 1973. It is a shame that Jamie Muir had already left the band at the time of this recording. Bruford perhaps the best progressive rock drummer ever is astounding on the live versions of "The Talking Drum", "Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II) and "21st Century Schizoid Man". John Wetton an excellent instrumentalist in his own right favors an attack like that of players such as Jack Bruce, John Entwistle and Jack Casady in which the bass at time becomes a lead instrument. In my opinion his playing was never better than in King Crimson. His vocals are reminiscent of Greg Lake's. Fripp's guitar playing is never less than excellent. The unsung hero is perhaps the violinist David Cross. Fripp states in the liner notes that the loud playing of Wetton, Bruford and himself perhaps led to the departure of Cross who struggled to be heard above the other three members. His contribtuions during the quieter segments provide added color and flesh out the sound. It would have been interesting if saxophonist/flutist Mel Collins would have remained in this line up with Cross. Tracks like "Easy Money", "Lament" and "Starless And Bible Black" prove why this version of King Crimson is held in such high esteem. Some of the material from this concert appeared in edited and/or overdubbed form on the "Starless and Bible Black" album but the songs appear here in their original live form. Fripp has stated that this version of Crimson was his heavy metal version of the band. The power and high muscianship of the band is evident on this recording and my only regret is that the concert was not longer! Progressive rock at its finest. If you enjoy this particular version of King Crimson I highly recommend the 4 cd set "The Great Deceiver" which contains more live material from this version of the band.

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I wish I could have been there
King Crimson was always better live than in the studio, a fact the band realized when they released "Starless And Bible Black". 26 minutes of that album were from this concert, so you can get the context of some of the pieces better when listening to the full gig.
It's kind of poigniant when you think about what was happening as this concert was being performed: the band was playing to a somwhat unreceptive audience in a symphony hall; the musicians themselves were worn out and tired; and the equipment was substandard (in fact, Cross' mellotron completely burns out in the middle of "Nightwatch"). But the band rises above these obstacles to create some amazing music.
The best part of the CD comes in near the end: the awesome 18-minute-long medley of Improv/Talking Drum/Lark's Pt. 2. The improv is one of Crimson's most disturbing; the best moment happens near the end when the mellotron/bass duet breaks into a chaotic interplay: 'tron shoots up into the stratosphere while bass plunges into an abyss. Then the drums come in with the groove for "Talking Drum", which has always been a favorite of mine. Fripp really lets go on this one; I'm surprised he didn't break any strings or blow his amp.
After the end of "21st Century" as the band walks off stage you can hear a classic Fripp sound: the middle of "Heavenly Music Corporation", from Fripp's improv session with Eno in 1972. A very nice touch at the end of a stellar concert. I wish I could have been there.

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One of Rock's Finest Moments Caught on Tape
Fans of the legendary King Crimson should be thankful that co-founder and mainstay Robert Fripp has such an obsessive pattern of archiving the Crims' various live performances. This late 1973 gig at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam features the most hailed Crimson line-up of Fripp (guitars), John Wetton (bass/vocals), David Cross (violins, etc) and Bill Bruford (percussion), in a furry of musical bliss from the frightening to the beautiful, from the ominous textures to the shadowy lines, from the words of anger to the words of mourning.
"The Night Watch" is, simply put, one of the greatest rock concerts ever caught on tape. Today, live albums have become stop-gap releases more than ever, available mostly through TV offers, with a tacky keychain or poster thrown in. And unfortunately, since this performance was released over twenty years after it happened, it will probably only be seen by many as a nostalgia release. But we know better.
King Crimson blew fans away with their studio albums, but as a live entity they were an unmovable mountain. Despite all its mind-boggling complexity (and Fripp's own criticism, evident in his extensive liner notes), this band invaded whatever venue they were scheduled and produced a sound that could fill a stadium yet still possess enough grace to fit in a concert hall. Selections such as 'Easy Money,' 'Lament,' and '21st Century Schizoid Man,' would have made a stadium audience stamp their feet and hold lighters high in the air, while 'The Night Watch,' 'Trio,' and 'Fracture' mesmerized those in the more intimate venues.
If you only buy one live album by King Crimson (there are many), "The Night Watch" is perfect. Around 26 minutes of these exact recordings were supposedly used for the "Starless and Bible Black" album (after overdubbs and studio polishing), but nonetheless, "The Night Watch" is a moving piece of history from these musical heroes.