KING
CRIMSON
now a week before the tour starts!) But the
approach seemed more important than the
pieces chosen for the show.
IE: Tell us about the new line up. What
makes this version of King Crimson as
innovative as the previous ones?
TL: Great pleasure for me to work for the
first time with sax player Mel Collins who was in King Crimson way back,
to create a very special live show -- I don't
know what'll come after that.
IE: You have always had to juggle your
time between Peter Gabriel, King Crimson
and studio work. Has your situation ever
been a problem where tours had to be
delayed or you had to pass on a tour
because you had already committed to
something else?
TL: Lots of tours and albums I've missed
because of being booked. That's the life of
freelance, in music or any other field. A
couple that come to mind are, having to
say no to a Pink Floyd tour, having to turn
down a Herbie Hancock album, and missing out on a Pavarotti festival concert. But
this past year, the stars seem to have
aligned for me, and I've done back to back
King Crimson, 1972
before I joined the band in 1981. To me,
aside from the 3 drummer innovation,
which is quite radical, it's Mel's playing
that changes the nature of the music most
(from what it was in my previous tours
with the band.) There are lots of solos now,
and many of them are looser in form than
usual in rock shows. It's not for me to say
how innovative we are, or what audiences
will think - my focus, and I could say our
focus, is to do our best to conscientiously
try to change our music - we look at each
piece as a new one, even if it was written
long ago. In my experience, music fans
will make up their own mind how valid
the band is, and how much they like the
experience -- it's enough for me that I'm
giving my best shot at letting go of the
way I did things before and trying to push
into the future.
IE: The double trio version in the 90s was
amazing. Was there ever any talk of having Bill Bruford or Adrian Belew in this
line up? Can you shed some light on why
Adrian was not part of this reunion?
TL: The heart of King Crimson is Robert's
sensibility about what the band is, and
where it should go. I can't explain how he
arrives at the new directions, but he has
quite a great history of innovation, and I
have a lot of respect for his musical
integrity, so I'm very happy to tag along
for the ride. I miss playing with Bill, and
with Adrian, and hope I'll get to do more
of that in the future, whether in Crimson
or otherwise.
IE: Has this line up recorded a new album?
If so, can you tell us about it?
TL: No new album - we're working hard
tours with Stick Men, The Crimson
Projekct, Peter Gabriel, and now King
Crimson. And, let me mention that I have
a new album coming out next week,
though recorded last January -- it's a jazz
album with my brother Pete, that we've
been wanting to make for ages, and
released in vinyl too - called Levin Brothers.
IE: How much creative freedom does
Robert give the other members of the
band? Is it a true rock n roll democracy or
a benevolent dictatorship?
TL: There's much musical respect, which
is a must for a successful band. So Robert
might leave the whole bass part to me, or
give suggestions, or have it all written out.
In any case, I'll happily take on ideas that
lead to a great part, and I am allowed the
latitude to change things to make them
work for me.
IE How much of the Crimson legacy can
we expect in the show? Will you be doing
material from the old Schizoid Man era;
the RED era; or even the DISCIPLINE era?
TL: Can't say before the first show, that'd
spoil the fun. I'm expecting that long time
fans will be very happy.
IE: Has there ever been any talk of getting
all the former Crimson members together
for a one-off evening of music that celebrated the band's 45 year history?
TL: Maybe there has, but it didn't reach
me. Would be fun for sure. But, oh, the
rehearsals it would take to get it all at the
level Crimson wants to be at…. I think
we've rehearsed over 6 weeks for just this
lineup.
october
2014
illinoisentertainer.com
47