(7/10)|
|
|
| Artist | King Crimson |
| Title | Three of a Perfect Pair |
| Type | Album |
| Released | 27.03.1984 |
| Genre | Experimental rock |
| Style | New wave, industrial, prog, pop |
| My rating | (7/10) |
|
Tracklist:
|
Credits:
|
For me, this is one of the albums that I did a complete 180 over in terms of my opinion about it. At first I didn't think much of it. I regarded it, as most people do, as the worst of 80s Crim and at most mediocore ending to the trilogy. Over the years my opinion gradually shifted as I became more familliar with the songs and the band. As I'm writing this, I just really like this album! I don't love it, but like a very good way to put it. It's a cute and quirky collection of "music" (I'm putting quotes there, cause some of the sounds featured here are only vaguely musical...).
This first track is undoubtedly one of Crimson's best works - definitely a highlight of this era. The lyrics and the main riff are especially fun. It's a nice melodic tune that is very likeable.
When it comes to Model Man/Man with an open heart, these track kinda morphed into one in my head, cause of the very simillar titles. Musically tho, they're pretty different. Adrian's "soaring" vocals in the latter are very memorable. Both of the songs are so groovy and quirky! Fripps chirping guitars complement the rhytm section pretty well. You can hear that they move further and further into the 80s aesthetic - I cannot believe Fripp wrote some of this stuff. Gone are the days of turgid prog and mellotron...
...and Sleepless doubles down on that. The obvious thing there is Tony beating the shit out of his bass with TOAPP skin (which is literally the coolest thing ever) but I also like the airy synths behind all that. I'm not a big fan of the chorus of this song, as it's too Frippish and bittery dissonant to fit with the floaty 80s vibe of the rest of this track. Also, I like how in the second half Bill starts this pounding Phil Collins-style drum beat that elevates the song to a whole another level.
And this is where the album ends for most people. The rest of the tracklist is full of wankery/dicking around type of songs that go nowhere, but I'm sure most will agree that there are some curious gems here. Namely Larks 3 and Dig Me, which could really well be my favourite track on this record...
The song "Dig Me" seems to be written from the perspective of a broken and long abandoned car, rusting in a junkyard. I love how adequately it's represented in the music. Fripp plays this disjointed, angular riff while Belew and Brufford make pounding, mechanical, metal-scraping sounds that fit the lyrics especially well. And all of this is paired with the contrasting, powdery/spacey chorus that features this cool melodic strumming by Fripp that I always enjoyed. While the verses sound like decaying scrap metal, the chorus feels like a feel-good first ride in a new car (at least this is how I imagine it feels like...).3rd part of Larks "suite" is definitely the one I come back to the most, even tho it's not my favorite at all. I prefer the 5th installment, but this one feels the most approachable and downright fun to listen to. It represents this incarnation of KC pretty well, as it blends the elements of excessiveness and accesible music seamlessly.When it comes to those sound collage tracks, I like Nuages the best, as it's the most calming and ambient. I don't have much to say about No Warning and Industry, except that the latter sounds weirdly goofy with it's Seinfeld-style recurring slap motif by Tony. I don't hate this track tho, it's just completely inaccessible ale tough to get through.Overall it's definitely not a highlight in KC's amazing discography, as they made other albums that simply outshine the rest. But it's definitely worth a listen. I also recommend checking out the live album "Absent Lovers" from the 1984 tour. It features the last concert the band ever played in this line up, and I regard it as the best live album ever made. Please check it out if you enjoy this record!