Search - King Crimson :: Beat

Excellent

William R. Nicholas | Mahwah, NJ USA | 12/12/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album to this day gets a bad rap with fans of King Crimson. Beat was meligned on release, accused of being a commercial album.



It is true that "Heartbeat" is a love ballad, one of the few in the Crimson catolouge. It is also true that Beat's production is more polished than any King Crimson album before it.



But even Fripp's beautful solo on "Heartbeat" would have been enough to keep the track off mainstream radio. This song, and "Neil And Jack and Me," are probably the only two tracks APPROACHING pop--maybe somewhere five block away.



Listen to "Nuroticia" and you'll here Crimson inventing all kinds of ways to create chaos with their guitars. "The Howler" is perfect dissonent art rock.



If this band was ever sold out, show me where, becuase it is not on Beat."