King Crimson - 2016 "Collectors' Club" Shibuya Kohkaido, Tokyo Japan 12.09.1981

This series of gigs marked the start of King Crimson’s long-term love affair with Japan.Is it too fanciful to suggest that the interlocking notes played at the climax of the opening number share the same brittle beauty of koto strings being plucked? Probably is the answer to that is yes but this is a fascinating concert and no mistake.

"Sometimes while we're on the road we write new songs together. This one began in Paris and it's for the next King Crimson album" says Belew prior to a kick-ass rendition of Neal, And Jack And Me. Up until that point Crimson's debut Japanese had been subject to a few missteps here and there, but the take-no-prisoners attitude evident throughout this powerful version is thrilling stuff. The same has to be said for Manhattan - the early version of what would eventually become Neurotica. Those big crashing chords which first originated during the making of Exposure but never quite found a proper home, deliver some devastating blows. A wonderfully raucous version despite some tuning issues in the middle section. The impressionistic extended opening of Sartori is a wonderfully mysterious sequence featuring RF’s Roland, making this sound almost like some forgotten League of Gentlemen track.

The bootleg source kindly supplied to DGM by Benoit Carmichael is bright though there’s not too much on the bass end of things (aside from Levin's biting buzzsaw bass on LTIA). Nevertheless, an important historical moment has been preserved in the KC archive and now made officially available for the first time.

I am glad to see that my boot of December 9, 1981 made it to the official bootleg series. When the Japanese tour came out in August, I was surprise to learn in Sid comments that no recording of December 9 existed in DGM archives. I surely had in mine a decent sounding audience recording of this gig. I promptly contacted DGM to offer them to have a look at it. I have just purchased the flac version to make "official" my position. I am anxious to hear which magic Mr Stormy used to improve this already good bootleg. This is one for you If you like the raw power of the early Discipline band. One can ear here and there throughout the night the transition form Exposure and the League of Gentlemen to KC. A most enjoyable night.

All in all, a very lively show indeed!

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Track listing:

CD 1
01 Walk On 04:33
02 Discipline 05:21
03 Thela Hun Ginjeet 07:26
04 Red 07:20
05 Matte Kudasai 03:45
06 The Sheltering Sky 09:54
07 Frame By Frame 05:28
08 Neal And Jack And Me 06:57

CD 2
01 Manhattan 06:05
02 Elephant Talk 05:23
03 Indiscipline 12:59
04 Sartori In Tangier 07:33
05 Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt II 10:48

Personnel:

Robert Fripp - Guitar
Adrian Belew - Guitar, Vocal
Tony Levin - Bass, Chapman Stick
Bill Bruford - Drums