Oh my god. King Crimson is back.

[Benjamin Strange]

Seven members: Gavin Harrison, Bill Rieflin, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Mel Collins, Jakko Jakszyk and Robert Fripp. Three drummers! A saxophonist! Tony Levin! NO ADRIAN BELEW!

I very excite.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Handyman]

No Belew? I'm not sure what to think of that.

 

[Hotblack]

I'm not sure how to process this information.
I think I'm excited.

 

[bkbirge]

It ain't King Crimson without Belew. Still cool group that I would definitely see though.

 

[Benjamin Strange]

It ain't King Crimson without Belew. Still cool group that I would definitely see though.

Methinks 1969-1980 would disagree with you.

 

[bkbirge]

Methinks 1969-1980 would disagree with you.

I know, I just dig Belew.

 

[Marial]

No Belew is a little disappointing, but any configuration is better than no Crimson at all.

 

[Benjamin Strange]

I know, I just dig Belew.

As do I, but I like the fact that a seemingly indispensable element of KC is, well... dispensable.

 

[MEKer]

No Belew is a little disappointing, but any configuration is better than no Crimson at all.

I think he was asked but he belew it off.

 

[zenrad]

I think he was asked but he belew it off.

AHAHAHAHA!

 

[bucephylus]

Sorry kiddos, but regardless of how much you may like Belew, KC is Fripp.

Best wishes to RF for his new phase. Cat doesn't get anywhere near the recognition he deserves. Not by a long shot.

 

[Rickengeezer]

Never cared for Belew's singing voice, here. Collins back in the fold, he is old school KC. Who is the singer? Don't recognize some of those names.

 

[Jim Nazium]

Bust out your bell-bottom cords and fire up the lava lamps! 70s prog-rock is back!

 

[KPJ]

Never cared for Belew's singing voice, here. Collins back in the fold, he is old school KC. Who is the singer? Don't recognize some of those names.

Jakko Jakszyk would be the singer. He was the vocalist guitarist in 21st Century Schizoid Band and is Michal Giles son-in-law. He did a great job with the Crimso back catalog.

 

[BawanaRik]

It ain't King Crimson without Belew. Still cool group that I would definitely see though.

Court did OK.

 

[BawanaRik]

No Belew is a little disappointing, but any configuration is better than no Crimson at all.

It's unlikely they'll be anything less than great.

Fripp was always the BL in Crimson

 

[Mystic Michael]

So good to see Gavin Harrison involved in this. Methinks Ol' Bob still recognizes talent when he hears it. I've been super impressed with the sheer musicality of Gavin's drumming, throughout the past 12+ years of playing with Porcupine Tree.

Steven Wilson's loss is Fripp's gain...

MM

 

[SactoBass]

No Bill Bruford?? (yeah, I know, Bill retired from public performing in 2009)

 

[Lobster11]

I was as surprised as anyone to see Belew omitted from the new lineup, but reading the other things Fripp said, it makes sense: Fripp clearly (and characteristically) wants this new incarnation to be something unique, and completely different from previous incarnations. (A three-drummer "front line" with guitar/bass/sax "back line"???) Belew's voice and guitar playing are so distinctive, it would be impossible to NOT sound like Belew-era Crim with him in the lineup.

Also, let's not be too quick to rule out the possibility that it was Belew's choice. After all, he was enthusiastic about joining NIN, but then decided it wasn't right for him, and he's got plenty of other irons in the fire.

My bet is that the decision was mutual. Everything I've seen in recent years suggests that Belew and Fripp are good friends and have stayed in touch regularly, and Fripp gave his blessing to the Crimson ProjeKct, so it's hard for me to imagine that either unilaterally dumped the other without having talked it out. I'll bet that when the story comes out, they'll both say that the decision was mutual and based on "musical differences."

 

[eukatheude]

Didn't Fripp decide to retire from the music scene after that Jay Z thing?