King Crimson
The Great Deceiver: Live 1973-1974

A box set to showcase the unparalleled skill of Fripp and company.

The King Crimson, for about fifteen years now, have significantly slowed their studio output.

This gap (if it can be called that) has been more than filled with the introduction to the market of an endless number of compilations, box sets, concerts, and official bootlegs. Obviously, not all of this material is strictly essential… but thanks to this operation, we have been able to rediscover a good number of gems that, otherwise, would have been forgotten.
We can, for example, recall the stunning "Absent Lovers" which captures an extraordinary performance from '84, "Epitaph Vol. 1&2 + 3&4" that presents us with the very first incarnation of the Crimson King, the official bootleg "Live in Detroit, 1971" featuring a Peter Sinfield actively participating on stage (not only functioning as a lyricist here but also creating the stage set and playing the VCS3) and a splendidly reimagined jazz/blues version of In The Court Of The Crimson King… etc. etc.

Among all these products, this wonderful box set also stands out, composed of no less than four CDs, and titled "The Great Deceiver: Live 1973-1974".
The line-up is the same as that of "Starless & Bible Black" and "Red", which is:

Robert Fripp - guitar and mellotron
John Wetton - bass and vocals
David Cross - viola, violin, and mellotron
Bill Bruford - drums and percussion

The first performance we encounter is taken from the concert held in Providence, on June 30, 1974.
The setlist initially closely resembles that of "USA": indeed we find in sequenceWalk On… No Pussyfooting, Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part Two, Lament, and Exiles. In particular, the latter shines with its own light, and even manages to overshadow its excellent studio counterpart.
After this series of pieces already known to the ears of the Crimson listener, here comes the moment of improvisation with the tonic and vigorous Voyage To The Centre Of The Cosmos. Bruford kicks things off providing the perfect rhythm and immediately Robert Fripp arrives with one of his incomparable guitar riffs. The whole, after the entrance of the mellotron (first timid, then domineering and leading), dissolves into a gloomy melody that will greatly inspire the current King Crimson.
We continue with Easy Money, Providence, the haunting Fracture, and Starless… magical as always.
The closure is entrusted to a killer version of 21st Century Schizoid Man and a gentle improvisation titled Walk Off From Providence… No Pussyfooting.

Following the Providence performance is that of the Apollo Theater in Glasgow (October 23, 1973).
This time, we start with Sharks' Lungs In Lemsip: the right amount of space given to David Cross. We then find a solid performance of Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part One, Book Of Saturday, andEasy Money. Other moments of incredible depth are the cacophonous We'll Let You Know, the gentle The Night Watch, and Tight Scrummy… another impromptu creation, with Bruford even more precise than a metronome.
The live show in Glasgow will also be remembered for the presence of a delightful surprise (which couldn't possibly be left unrecorded here): the Crimson King gives us a very rare performance of Peace - A Theme and Cat Food. Here in Cat Food, the absence of the piano is more than compensated for by both Fripp and Cross…   moreover, Wetton's voice manages to merge perfectly in this version (much harsher than the one on "In The Wake Of Poseidon").

After these two gems, we arrive at the concert in Pittsburgh on April 29, 1974.
Again we find Walk On… No Pussyfooting, followed by the delightful The Great Deceiver. To Exiles andThe Night Watch are respectively appended the melodic improvisations Bartley Butsford and Daniel Dust.
Continuing the listening, we encounter another interpretation of The Night Watch and the excellent and vigorous unreleased track Doctor Diamond (where, once again, Fripp's guitar and Cross' viola duel in a violent and frenetic manner). Continuing, we can joyfully listen to Starless, the improvisation Wilton Carpet, the crescendo ofThe Talking Drum, and the grand finale of Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part Two.

Is There Life Out There? (Penn State University, June 29, 1974) is another moment of impressive creativity… the clear demonstration that this group can create out of nothing unthinkable and complex melodies. In this piece, we find elements of Voyage To The Centre Of The Cosmos, the sounds of Asbury Park, and some moments inspired by the earlier Doctor Diamond.
The show in Toronto (June 24, 1974) is also opened by an improvised piece: it is the raw and massive The Golden Walnut. Then again, resurfacing for the umpteenth time are The Night Watch and Fracture, closely followed by another impromptu piece, namely Clueless & Slightly Slack.

Now we arrive at the live in Zurich (November 15, 1973)… the last one recorded in this box set.
In addition to routine songs like Walk On… No Pussyfooting, Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part One, Easy Money , and The Talking Drum (unfortunately devoid of the natural follow-up Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part Two), we find the anguishing and claustrophobic The Law Of The Maximum Distress (Part One & Two), Some Pussyfooting, and Some More Pussyfooting.

In conclusion: I feel confident in saying without a shadow of a doubt that "The Great Deceiver: Live 1973-1974" is an excellent box set… a collection of top-level performances, executed by a band in an absolute state of grace.
If we specifically want to find a flaw, we can say that the box set suffers from a certain redundancy in track choice (for example: three times The Night Watch, four times Easy Money, and so on…): however, this fact, for a true die-hard fan of the band, will undoubtedly be a merit rather than a defect.

Undoubtedly an indispensable purchase for anyone who deeply loves the Crimson King…