King Crimson
B'Boom

Without a doubt, this "B'BOOM" (official bootleg - live in Argentina 1994) by Crimson shows Fripp and company in splendid form. Two CDs for a total of one hour and forty minutes spread across 19 tracks of pure energy.

The lineup is that of the "brilliant" double trio, namely Fripp, Gunn, and Mastelotto on one side and Belew, Levin, and Bruford on the other. The Discipline group, with the inclusion of Gunn (bass) and Mastelotto (drums), breathes new life into old pieces and possesses an extraordinary musical power in this live performance, with an impressive technical quality. As noted in the booklet by Fripp (the famous Fripp annotations), the bootleg recording was done with care. Hence, a bootleg in response to numerous unofficial recordings of poor sound quality. All tracks are taken from the performances at Broadway (Buenos Aires) except for "Heartbeat" from Cordova.

FIRST CD. The start of "VROOOM" is phenomenal, with guitars possessing remarkable sonic clarity. The track is faster and more compelling than the studio version found in "THRAK". "Frame By Frame" is typical "minimal music" sung by Belew, which uses as its initial base a "Frippian" repetition where the guitars repeat the same "phrase" and then slightly phase out. "Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream" is a sharp track sung by Belew with vaguely blues hints. "Red" is amazing, loaded and full of energy, undoubtedly one of the highlights of this live. The ballad "One Time" sung by Belew is delightful and elegant. "B'Boom" starts with soundscapes intro followed by the agile drum passages of Bruford and Mastelotto. Immediately followed by "THRAK", quite a challenging improvisation to listen to. "Improv-Two-Sticks" is a surprising duet of basses by Levin and Gunn. Another valuable piece is "Elephant Talk", with explosive basses and original solos. An interesting fact about this track is that the words of each verse start with the same letter (the first verse with A, the second with B, the third with C, the fourth with D, the fifth with E). "Indiscipline" begins with a crescendo of surprisingly complex drum passages followed by a powerful guitar attack, where Belew's enigmatic and nervous "talk" inserts itself, supported by a threatening guitar background, which eventually bursts out furiously. The text of "Indiscipline" was taken from a letter sent by Belew to his wife as a comment on a drawing she had sent him when he was away for the Crimson rehearsals.

SECOND CD. "VROOOM VROOOM" is a classic Crimson instrumental, powerful and solid, with typical "Frippian" progressions. Although the central part is fascinating, in my opinion, the track feels slightly extended. "Matte Kudasai", which in Japanese means "wait a moment", is a very sweet ballad sung by Belew, also engaged in imitating the "call" of seagulls. "The Talking Drum" is astonishing, and Fripp's guitar at the end of the track is indescribable. The opening of "Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part II" is spine-chilling with a piercing guitar solo. The diminished fifth chord is entrusted to Fripp's guitar with a metallic and distorted sound on which the two drums overlap. A remarkably disciplined work that, however, undergoes a continuous crescendo until an explosive liberating finale. A masterpiece. "Heartbeat", a love song sung by Belew, is simple and effective. "Sleepless" and "People" with the resounding basses of Levin and Gunn. "B'BOOM (reprise)" with a soundscapes intro followed by a drum improvisation, always measured and never showy. The collective improvisation of "THRAK" concludes the live performance.

In conclusion, an almost unparalleled concert, among the best I've ever heard over many years (sigh... how time flies). I have nothing else to add because the rest would just be: "it's only talk".

PS: "Regarding the cover's rating, I invoke the Fifth Amendment and exercise my right not to express myself".