Fans of the legendary King Crimson should be thankful that co-founder and mainstay Robert Fripp has such an obsessive pattern of archiving the Crims' various live performances. This late 1973 gig at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam features the most hailed Crimson line-up of Fripp (guitars), John Wetton (bass/vocals), David Cross (violins, etc) and Bill Bruford (percussion), in a furry of musical bliss from the frightening to the beautiful, from the ominous textures to the shadowy lines, from the words of anger to the words of mourning. "The Night Watch" is, simply put, one of the greatest rock concerts ever caught on tape. Today, live albums have become stop-gap releases more than ever, available mostly through TV offers, with a tacky keychain or poster thrown in. And unfortunately, since this performance was released over twenty years after it happened, it will probably only be seen by many as a nostalgia release. But we know better. King Crimson blew fans away with their studio albums, but as a live entity they were an unmovable mountain. Despite all its mind-boggling complexity (and Fripp's own criticism, evident in his extensive liner notes), this band invaded whatever venue they were scheduled and produced a sound that could fill a stadium yet still possess enough grace to fit in a concert hall. Selections such as 'Easy Money,' 'Lament,' and '21st Century Schizoid Man,' would have made a stadium audience stamp their feet and hold lighters high in the air, while 'The Night Watch,' 'Trio,' and 'Fracture' mesmerized those in the more intimate venues. If you only buy one live album by King Crimson (there are many), "The Night Watch" is perfect. Around 26 minutes of these exact recordings were supposedly used for the "Starless and Bible Black" album (after overdubbs and studio polishing), but nonetheless, "The Night Watch" is a moving piece of history from these musical heroes.
4.5
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