King Crimson - Starless (Blocked Episode)

How does this piece make me feel? It feels like aching emptyness is turned into poetry, and that poetry takes the aching in me on a journey, turns it into spirit, and it becomes transcendental. It is not turned into something different, but somehow the emptiness then has context, and I can leave it behind.

Adie

Hey Doug, love what you do, man. Late to the game here. I’m new to the Patreon - I joined specifically to see what you had going on over here and see what Patreon was all about. Always wondered why you didn’t have any KC on YouTube but they’re notorious sticklers so I guess I’m not surprised you HAVE done some KC, and also not surprised it’s not youtubable. Just watched the the Vimeo reaction. I’m a big Crimhead and I’m pleased you got it the first time through. To answer your question on what I feel when I listen to the song and the lyrics - KC has always been very dark in the lyrics department, although usually with a touch of humor thrown in, with a very British sensibility. Poetry for sure. Although when Adrian Belew joined the humor became much more overt - not in a bad way, just different. All that said, lyrics are usually secondary to me with this band. I’m a total package kind of listener and a deep appreciator of lyrics. Love Dylan, knopfler, etc… but first and foremost with KC is the music, the arrangements, the folks in the band at the time, and the overall sense of the moment. They’re very much a live band along the lines of Grateful Dead. Which may seem an odd connection, but when you listen to KC improv and the Dead improv, they’re almost trying to get to the same place via completely different routes. Especially the Dead in 1974 and their most “out there.” That’s a long way of saying the lyrics to Starless don’t depress me, nor do I look to them for consolation or empathy. The music / composition just knocks my socks off. Simple as that. Rock on, Doug.

Michael Miller

Love the studio version. TLev is awesome but Wetton crushes.

Yo Chris Ramsbottom .. for extra spookiness and a great version of Richard Burton reading the poem .. try Michael Brook's 'Darker Room' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P0N0UTpv-w .. (sorry a bit off-topic but what a segway) G.

Graeme

I was hoping you'd react to this! Hope you can pull off some more KC reactions!

Second thing to say is that the phrase "starless and bible-black" was coined by Dylan Thomas in the first paragraph of his tone poem "Under Milk Wood". You must listen to Richard Burton's reading of it sometime, it will really make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!

Chris Ramsbottom

Hey Doug, you asked us what this song means to us, and how it makes us feel. I have to say it feels like a great big velvet hug! I'd use "velvet" to describe the tone of Fripp's guitar, the mellotron strings, Levin's bass and Jaksyk's voice. I find it very strangely comforting and I go to this song when I feel down. Is that "misery loving company"? Don't think so because I feel lifted afterwards.

Chris Ramsbottom

I love that Fripp always looks like he could put down his guitar, and go straight to doing your Income Tax Return without batting an eye. There's something oddly appealing about his somber disposition. He once said: "My life as a professional musician is a joyless exercise in futility."

Rick Morse

I nearly suggested you review this live version only to find you had. For me it is "Misery loves company" perfectly captured in words and music. Anyone in the depths of despair can listen to this and say I am not alone. Epitaph is another dark tune that I find strangely uplifting. It is a very pessimistic song from 50 years ago. Still relevant today, yet here we are still chugging along. Hope springs from yesterday's despair for the future only being partly true.

I love Starless, I can relate to the emotion evoked and so admir the talent of the musicians. It would interest me to get inside Robert Fripp's head for a moment to better understand where this inspiration comes from. Sad music is the most poignant.

Jim Reeves

Excellent! I hope you do more King Crimson in the future.

BRIAN MILLER

Court of the Crimson King is considered by many the first real prog album. I was glad to be able to see them August 2 in Denver. They performed 'Starless'. Very impressive band with incredible musicians. Such an abstract piece that conveys despair and hopelessness.

Rick Kress

Nice version, although I have to admit that I love the originals a bit more than this one. It's a shame that Mr. Fripp won't allow these to be seen a bit more, but perhaps what we might think is "dark" and starless" is not at all ... but a completely different view of things.

Pedro Sena

I saw KC in Allentown do this in November of 2017. Great performance, but pales in comparison to the Studio version on the Red Album. A very interesting version is done by U.K. on their reunion tour which features Wetton and is very much worth checking out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlcgIle1DiI

B Mac

No Bruford, no Cross, no Wetton. Nice cover of the original though. Doesn't come close to comparing though.

I am as always happy to be educated by Dr Doug on the technical musical side of everything. Anyway. loving your work Dr Doug, and would be appreciative if you could fit some 80s post punk stuff in there.

Ian Raine

Agree the studio version is far more intense and my favourite also due to Wetton’s thundering bass in the closing section. There’s now a live version on Youtube called ‘Melody Starless’ that I think pre-dates the studio version with David Cross on violin. A must watch even just to see Bruford in action.

A wonderful version, but it still lacks a bit compared to the original studio version which is even more intense.

Martin Broten

This is not the original lineup on "Red". John Wetton was on the album. This is Tony Levin on bass. A much more recent live recording than 1974! This is a recent lineup, with the 3 drummer format.

Bradley Stone

The Mellotron provides the strings. It has an iconic sound all of its own - very haunting, a bit of a "wobble".

Bradley Stone

This is good but the studio version is much more powerful.

Joseph Riordan

As for the John Wetton vocals, years ago I heard Starless sung by him on one of his solo tours and it was just amazing.

The strings sound that you hear that's a mellotron (or it's synth version of it in case of live performance).

Cannot stand the saxophone. It automatically ruins any song for me. My first time listening to this band and they're definitely very talented.

JORDI SALES

I'm of two minds on the vocalist there. Jakszyk is technically a better singer than the vocalist in the original (RIP John Wetton), but Wetton had such depth in his performance. His raspier voice I feel fit the tone better. Jakko generally just leaves me underwhelmed when he sings their more melancholy songs ("Islands" is another offender) And that's a shame because on their more high-energy pieces he is spectacular.

Blinky

Doug is a patreon god!

Glenn Wo

Thanks y’all. We’ll figure this out

R. Douglas Helvering

Direct link works fine Doug. Thx mate, you're a star :)

The link works - thanks!!

Dennis Rees

I've added the private link to the vimeo vid in the description...hope that helps. (In the meantime, I'll keep trying to figure out the issues.)

R. Douglas Helvering

ok so the Tool vid now works but not the Crimson .....this is weird stuff ....cleared the cache like you said .....when i click on the play icon i get a white box with a link in it ,,,, copy/pasting that link just gets me to the the Daily Doug opening picture with a play icon on it that is inactive. Sorry mate

That link is just the cover page.

Dennis Rees

Cleared the cache - still not opening. displays this link: https://i.vimeocdn.com/filter/overlay?src0=https%3A%2F%2Fi.vimeocdn.com%2Fvideo%2F1205619625_1280x720&src1=https%3A%2F%2Ff.vimeocdn.com%2Fimages_v6%2Fshare%2Fplay_icon_overlay.png

Dennis Rees

Please try clearing your browser cache and try again.

R. Douglas Helvering

Likewise - link not working - I'm in the US.

Dennis Rees

likewise ....link not working. Am in the UK

Yes! I learn something new everyday. (The link needs to be private but also allow embedding.) Let me know if there are more issues.

R. Douglas Helvering

Ok, it's working now, that's weird

Ken Scott

Kenneth...are you outside the US?

R. Douglas Helvering

Says it can't be played 😠

Ken Scott

Thank you! I would love some more KC reactions! I would love to see your reaction to LTIA.