The Power to Believe - 18 Years On

[miamiscot]

I honestly never saw what was so great about this or any other post-80s KC albums. I have tried. But considering how adamant Fripp has always been about not repeating himself, and always moving forward, I find this era of KC to be shockingly non-innovative. TPTB is simply a collection of KC tropes collected from the 70s and 80s, and presented with a bit more guitar crunch and a lot less dynamics and elegance. But they're all the same ideas from decades past.
I am glad for people who are as enthusiastic about this as Red, but for me this doesn't come close to either the visceral power and searing beauty of Red, or the incredible elegance, invention and grooves of Discipline - although it clearly tries to ape both those albums.

You "Red" my mind. I like all the post-Discipline records but...

[Trane]

Post-70's Crim

Thrak, Discipline
Power


(big space)



Pair, Light,
Beat

[chalkpie]

Post-70's Crim

Thrak, Discipline
Power


(big space)



Pair, Light,
Beat

I like those teen smut albums, though.

[Trane]

I like those teen smut albums, though.

That's the next one coming.

[bigjohnwayne]

I am in the minority that prefers Construkction of Light (either version, though I prefer the new one) to Power to Believe.

Most of my Crimson listening is live material these days, and to be honest I enjoy the 2000/2001 era shows far more than the 2003 ones, which probably is the reason for my preference.

[arturs]

Motivated by this thread I gave PtB a full-attention listen today and damn if it's still not great after all these years. I hear the influence of Red, of Tool, and a little but not much of Discipline. But PtB is far more than the sum of its influences.

I think the secret recipe involves Trey Gunn more than anything else. His riffs and tuneful blobs and gurgles and whatever else you want to call them consistently pull something really unique out of the stew. Pat's electronics can be in general hit and miss, but on PtB after he does what he does I mostly agree he did what was needed.

I do agree that the 2000/2001 material lent itself to a live setting better than PtB. The one or two PtB shows I own via the KCCC do not improve much on the originals.

[davef]

agreed! My fav track on the album!