Meltdown: Live in Mexico City | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Live album by | ||||
Released | 20 October 2018 | |||
Recorded | 14–19 July 2017 | |||
Venue | Teatro Metropólitan in Mexico City | |||
Genre | Progressive rock | |||
Length | 218:07 | |||
Label | Discipline Global Mobile | |||
Producer | Bill Rieflin (mix production), Robert Fripp, David Singleton | |||
King Crimson chronology | ||||
|
Meltdown: Live in Mexico City is a Blu-ray and triple-disc CD live album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson. Recorded over five nights in July 2017, Meltdown was released on 20 October 2018 and was produced by the band's keyboardist Bill Rieflin from Multitrack recordings. The release was announced in August 2018 and was preceded by streaming of the track "Indiscipline" on 4 October. [1] [2]
Comprising three compact discs and a Blu-ray, Meltdown: Live in Mexico City is a robust package documenting an incarnation of King Crimson that the group's founder Robert Fripp described as "the best band I’ve been in, musically, personally, professionally." [3] The three CDs distill King Crimson's five concerts in Mexico City from 14 to 19 July 2017 down to three and a half hours, and the Blu-ray video further condenses the performances to two and a half hours. [4] [5]
Meltdown marked the first release to feature recordings of the band's extended lineup playing "Breathless", "Discipline", "Moonchild" and the cadenzas of Tony Levin and Jeremy Stacey. [4] These recordings are taken from concerts during the band's June–July 2018 European tour, and are featured at the end of the third disc as the 2018 Official Bootleg.
In his road diary, Levin surmised that the series of concerts would impact how the band played in the future. [6]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
All About Jazz | [7] |
Writing for All About Jazz , John Kelman praised Meltdown, highlighting the video recording of the performance as well-edited. [7] He considered the release an improvement on 2016's similar box set, Radical Action to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind . [7]
No. | Title | Writers | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Walk On" | Robert Fripp, Mel Collins, Tony Levin | 3:46 |
2. | "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One" | David Cross, Fripp, John Wetton, Bill Bruford, Jamie Muir | 9:28 |
3. | "Neurotica" | Fripp, Adrian Belew, Levin, Bruford | 4:57 |
4. | "Cirkus" | Fripp, Peter Sinfield | 7:40 |
5. | "Dawn Song" (Lizard: The Battle of Glass Tears, Part I) | Fripp, Sinfield | 2:19 |
6. | "Last Skirmish" (Lizard: The Battle of Glass Tears, Part II) | Fripp, Sinfield | 6:10 |
7. | "Prince Rupert's Lament" (Lizard: The Battle of Glass Tears, Part III) | Fripp, Sinfield | 2:30 |
8. | "The Hell Hounds of Krim" | Gavin Harrison, Bill Rieflin, Pat Mastelotto | 3:42 |
9. | "Red" | Fripp | 6:42 |
10. | "Fallen Angel" | Fripp, Wetton, Richard Palmer-James | 6:08 |
11. | "Islands" | Fripp, Sinfield | 9:02 |
12. | "The Talking Drum" | Cross, Fripp, Wetton, Bruford, Muir | 3:48 |
13. | "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two" | Fripp | 7:02 |
Total length: | 73:14 |
No. | Title | Writers | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Indiscipline" | Fripp, Belew, Levin, Bruford | 7:59 |
2. | "The ConstruKction of Light" (Part I only) | Belew, Fripp, Trey Gunn, Mastelotto | 6:05 |
3. | "Epitaph" | Fripp, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake, Michael Giles, Sinfield | 8:33 |
4. | "Banshee Legs Bell Hassle" | Harrison, Mastelotto, Rieflin | 1:40 |
5. | "Easy Money" | Fripp, Wetton, Palmer-James | 9:56 |
6. | "Interlude" | Fripp | 2:47 |
7. | "The Letters" | Fripp, Sinfield | 6:12 |
8. | "The Sailor's Tale" | Fripp | 6:24 |
9. | "CatalytiKc No. 9" | Harrison, Mastelotto, Jeremy Stacey | 1:12 |
10. | "Meltdown" | Jakko Jakszyk, Fripp | 4:22 |
11. | "Radical Action II" | Fripp | 2:28 |
12. | "Level Five" | Belew, Fripp, Gunn, Mastelotto | 7:08 |
13. | "Starless" | Cross, Fripp, Wetton, Bruford, Palmer-James | 12:46 |
Total length: | 77:32 |
No. | Title | Writers | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Peace – An End" | Fripp, Sinfield | 1:56 |
2. | "Pictures of a City" | Fripp, Sinfield | 8:22 |
3. | "Devil Dogs of Tessellation Row" | Harrison, Rieflin, Mastelotto | 3:10 |
4. | "Fracture" | Fripp | 11:03 |
5. | "The Court of the Crimson King" | McDonald, Sinfield | 7:03 |
6. | "'Heroes'" | David Bowie, Brian Eno | 4:42 |
7. | "21st Century Schizoid Man" | Fripp, McDonald, Lake, Giles, Sinfield | 13:13 |
8. | "Discipline" | Fripp, Belew, Levin, Bruford | 5:29 |
9. | "Moonchild" | Fripp, McDonald, Lake, Giles, Sinfield | 2:27 |
10. | "Tony's Cadenza" | Levin | 1:20 |
11. | "Jeremy's Cadenza" | Stacey | 1:06 |
12. | "Breathless" | Fripp | 4:59 |
13. | "Cool Jam" | 2:31 | |
Total length: | 67:35 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Walk On" | 3:28 |
2. | "Neurotica" | 4:51 |
3. | "Pictures of a City" | 8:23 |
4. | "Cirkus" | 7:34 |
5. | "Dawn Song" (Lizard: The Battle of Glass Tears, Part I) | 2:19 |
6. | "Last Skirmish" (Lizard: The Battle of Glass Tears, Part II) | 6:10 |
7. | "Prince Rupert's Lament" (Lizard: The Battle of Glass Tears, Part III) | 2:26 |
8. | "Epitaph" | 8:31 |
9. | "Devil Dogs of Tessellation Row" | 3:09 |
10. | "Fracture" | 11:05 |
11. | "Islands" | 10:10 |
12. | "Indiscipline" | 8:03 |
13. | "Peace – An End" | 1:56 |
14. | "Easy Money" | 9:55 |
15. | "Interlude" | 2:47 |
16. | "The Letters" | 6:13 |
17. | "The Sailor's Tale" | 6:23 |
18. | "CatalytiKc No. 9" | 1:13 |
19. | "Fallen Angel" | 6:00 |
20. | "The Talking Drum" | 3:48 |
21. | "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two" | 6:51 |
22. | "Starless" | 13:24 |
23. | "The Hell Hounds of Krim" | 3:39 |
24. | "21st Century Schizoid Man" | 13:58 |
Total length: | 152:16 |
Credits adapted from liner notes [8]
King Crimson
Technical personnel
Chart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [9] | 58 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [10] | 84 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [11] | 48 |
King Crimson were an English-based progressive rock band formed in London in 1968. Led by guitarist Robert Fripp, they drew inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, blues, industrial, electronic, experimental music and new wave. They exerted a strong influence on the early 1970s progressive rock movement, including on contemporaries such as Yes and Genesis, and continue to inspire subsequent generations of artists across multiple genres. The band has earned a large cult following, especially in the 21st century.
Robert Fripp is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session musician and collaborator, notably with David Bowie, Blondie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall, the Roches, Talking Heads, and David Sylvian. He also composed the startup sound of Windows Vista, in collaboration with Tucker Martine and Steve Ball. His discography includes contributions to more than 700 official releases.
William Frederick Rieflin was an American musician. Rieflin came to prominence in the 1990s mainly for his work as a drummer with groups such as Ministry, the Revolting Cocks, Lard, KMFDM, Pigface, Swans, Chris Connelly, and Nine Inch Nails. He worked regularly with R.E.M. following the retirement of Bill Berry in 1997. He was a member of King Crimson from 2013 until his death in 2020.
In the Court of the Crimson King is the debut studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 10 October 1969, by Island Records. The album is considered one of the earliest and most influential of the progressive rock genre, with the band combining musical influences that rock music was founded upon with elements of jazz, classical, and symphonic music.
Discipline is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 2 October 1981 by E.G. Records in the United Kingdom and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States.
King Crimson On Broadway is a live album by the band King Crimson, released through the King Crimson Collectors' Club in July 1999. The tracks on the albums were recorded at the Longacre Theatre in New York City, New York, US, on November 20, 21, 22, 24 and 25, 1995, as the band was touring to promote the album THRAK.
"Thela Hun Ginjeet" is a single by the band King Crimson, released in 1981 and on the album Discipline (1981). The song name is an anagram of "heat in the jungle", which is a reference to crime in the city.
"Larks' Tongues in Aspic" is a musical suite by the English progressive rock band King Crimson. Spanning thirty years and four albums, the series comprises five parts, all of which carry unifying musical motifs. Parts I and II were released as the introductory and final tracks on King Crimson's 1973 album of the same name, part III was featured on their 1984 album Three of a Perfect Pair, part IV appeared on 2000's The Construkction of Light, and the final part, "Level Five", was included on the 2003 album The Power to Believe. Despite breaking the naming convention, Robert Fripp, King Crimson founder and only constant contributor to the suite, insists that "Level Five" is part of the pentalogy.
The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume Two – 1981–2003 is a compilation album by the highly influential English progressive rock band King Crimson, containing the best-known songs from the group's 1981–2003 phase. No material from the album the construKction of light (2000) was included in this box set. It was released in 2005.
The Condensed 21st Century Guide to King Crimson is a compilation by progressive rock band King Crimson, released in 2006. It contains select studio tracks from the two box sets, The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume One – 1969–1974 and The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume Two – 1981–2003.
Vrooom Vrooom is a live two CD set by the band King Crimson, recorded in 1995 & 1996, and released in 2001. It features the six member “double trio” lineup of the band, with guitarists Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew, bassists Tony Levin and Trey Gunn, and drummers Bill Bruford and Pat Mastelotto.
A Scarcity of Miracles is the lone album by Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins, released in 2011. It united singer and guitarist Jakko Jakszyk with three musicians best known from King Crimson, guitarist Robert Fripp, saxophonist Mel Collins and bassist/Chapman Stick player Tony Levin. Porcupine Tree member Gavin Harrison was featured on drums. Jakszyk and Harrison would go on to participate together in the next incarnation of King Crimson.
Live at the Orpheum is a live album by the band King Crimson, released by Discipline Global Mobile records in 2015. The album was recorded on 30 September and 1 October at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California on the band's The Elements of King Crimson US tour of 2014.
Radical Action to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind is a box set of live performances by King Crimson, released on 2 September 2016. It is the first full-length release by the seven member incarnation of the group that formed in 2013.
Live in Toronto is a live album by the band King Crimson, released by Discipline Global Mobile records in 2016. The album was recorded on 20 November at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, Canada during the band's The Elements of King Crimson tour of 2015. It is the second full-length release by the current seven-piece incarnation of the band and featured new compositions never before released by the band on record.
Live in Chicago, or Official Bootleg: Live in Chicago, June 28, 2017, is a live album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson, released through Discipline Global Mobile records on 14 October 2017. The album was recorded on 28 June at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois during the band's 2017 United States tour. It is the first full-length release by the eight-piece incarnation of the band and features new songs and rearrangements of compositions mostly from the early 1970s.
Live in Vienna, or Live in Vienna, December 1, 2016, is a triple-disc live album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson, originally released in a limited capacity in Japan as Live in Vienna 2016 + Live in Tokyo 2015 on 27 September 2017. The expanded album, just titled Live in Vienna, was released through Discipline Global Mobile on 6 April 2018.
Larks' Tongues in Aspic is the second of the major box set releases from English progressive rock group King Crimson, released in 2012 by Discipline Global Mobile & Panegyric Records. The set is devoted to all existing recordings associated with the 1973 album Larks' Tongues In Aspic.
THRAK is the fifth of the major box set releases from English progressive rock group King Crimson, released in 2015 by Discipline Global Mobile & Panegyric Records.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)