King Crimson Alumni Gather Strength to Continue Their Musical Journeys with Beat – The Oakland Press

When it comes to music, Adrian Belew has had an illustrious career – and he’s used to it.

This fall, he added another addition to his packed resume.

“Thinking back to 2019, I realized that in two years we will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1980s quartet King Crimson.” – explains the singer and guitarist. “The recordings that me and Tony (Levin, bassist) first got involved with were in something called King Crimson. I celebrated David Bowie. I celebrate the music of Talking Heads. So I thought that was also something that really needed to be honored.”

He and Levin do this with Beat, rounding out a lineup with all-star guitarist Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey, replacing Crimson founder and leader Robert Fripp and the semi-retired Bill Burford, respectively. The repertoire comes from the three critically acclaimed albums the quartet recorded between 1981 and 1984 – “Discipline”, “Beat” and “Three of a Perfect Pair” – and was acquired with the express approval of Fripp, who announced the end of Crimson last year . done for good (although this is not the first time he has said this) and refused to participate, as did Bruford.

“Bill said, ‘What… and you stand at the baggage carousel all day?!’ That was his downfall,” Belew, 74, who also played in Crimson from 1994 to 2008, says with a laugh. “But they both gave me support. Robert said, “If you feel strongly about it and want to ride it, you have my support.” And that’s it.

Levin, 78, who remains with Crimson until 2021 – and last year toured with his other regular employer, Peter Gabriel – says he was “not surprised” by Fripp’s support for the Beat project. “He even lent us some sound stages that we play during breaks. So he supports it and that’s great.

For Belew, performing in Crimson was important – as he says, “I’ve been preparing my whole life, really” after “accidentally” starting his career as a sideman with Frank Zappa, as well as Bowie and the Talking Heads. “It was all fantastic and amazing,” he admits, “but my real goal was always to be a songwriter, singer, guitarist and lyricist, and that’s what I got with King Crimson.”

The ’80s lineup essentially brought the band back from a Fripp-imposed hiatus in 1974, after starting six years earlier in England with seven albums and rock radio favorites like “The Court of the Crimson King” and “21st Century Schizoid Man.” ” It was a progressive rock group that touched on jazz and other genres, but in 1981 Fripp decided that a reboot should also be a reboot.

“It was an interesting time,” Belew recalls. “King Crimson was a really serious music band that came into a time when everyone was really thinking about videos and MTV and all that. We thought about developing the music and we had the players who could do it. The new Crimson also used contemporary technology, including Fripp with guitar synthesizers, Bruford with electronic drums, and Levin with the Chapman Stick, a stringed instrument that can be played both melodically and percussively.

“The actual sound we created was so unique and striking that I think people didn’t know what to think of it,” Belew recalled. “It was very rich and complex, with different time signatures and our guitars playing different lines that were in sync with each other. But at the same time, there was a skinny guy in a pink suit singing something you could sing along with, so it was complicated and yet accessible – which is a very rare thing.”

These albums were also among Crimson’s most popular albums – particularly in the United States. Vai and Carey were also once fans, which made them a good choice to be a part of the Beat venture.

“I’m excited to see King Crimson’s music from the 80s again.” says Levin, who released his solo album “Bring It Down to the Bass” last month. “It was really nice. But what really excites me most about this tour are the players. …Steve Vai’s interpretations, and these are Robert Fripp’s interpretations, and Danny Carey going crazy on the drums, that’s what made my mouth water on this tour.

“That’s why I signed up without hesitation, to see where this music could go. It’s really current music and yes, we did it very well in the ’80s, but even then I’ve tried to expand my roles into other areas and now I see where it can go with really high-end, top-notch players who are really at the top of their game , and are also fans of 80s music.”

In fact, this was Belew’s vision for Beata.

“I don’t want this to come across as a band that just copies King Crimson and plays it exactly,” he explains. “We will take this elsewhere, with the people we have engaged. Tony and I are half of the (original) band, so it’s definitely legal.

“Of course it’s not King Crimson; we don’t call it that. But we will not cover all the material. We’re going to play it exactly where it needs to be played to a small extent, but there were also places of improvisation in King Crimson’s work. This is just a part of what King Crimson has always been.”

Having added 21 shows to meet demand for the fall tour, Beat is now considering more dates for next year. Belew and Levin also hope to record new music with the quartet, although active individual careers make specific plans difficult.

“You know, I was hanging out with (Vai) in his studio and he said, ‘I’ve got this little guitar here and I keep hearing you, wondering what you would sing and play along with it. – says Belew. “I said, ‘So do you think we could write something together?’ and he said, “Yes, I would love to see that.”

If this doesn’t happen, it’s not because we don’t want to. This is because there is no way to put us all in the same place. But we’ll try; It feels too good not to.”

Beat will perform on Sunday, October 27 at the Masonic Temple Theater, 500 Temple St. in Detroit. Doors 6:30 p.m. 313-548-1320 or themasonic.com.