King Crimson "Fracture"

A killer track. My question is...was there ever a proper studio recording of this? Or is the "tweaked" live performance that originally appeared on Starless and Bible Black the one and only definitive version (not counting the various live versions)?

Seems like this epic Crimson instrumental deserved its day in the studio IMO.

 

I agree. My fave Crim track, hands down. Only captured live as far as I know, but maybe that's part of its beauty.

 

I thought he could never get it down in the studio without mistakes, so he opted for the best live take.

 

To a slight extent, the middle section of this is studio. Fripp double-tracked much of his guitar part, and the solo guitar section is all studio IIRC.

FWIW, it was years before I realised how much of this album was recorded live.

 

Seems unlikely.

Fripp manage to nail Fractured's even more complicated follow-up, FraKctured, in the studio – in one take.

Maybe it was the couple decades of practice?

I'd wager RF simply found this very good performance suited to the album, and just took it and embellished it.

Zappa-esque.

 

I think I included a contemporaneous review of Starless and Bible Black
in the album by album thread that even mentioned that part of the album was recorded live, yet it took me years to fully realize any of it was live... because the live element had been so carefully excised...

Dr. Weber

 

Still an amazing listen. Fripp is and always was the master.

 

Same here. I was very surprised, having always assumed the entire album was a studio (completely) recording. But I love the SABB version of "Fracture" and think it's damn near perfect. Guess it is what it is, a killer live performance "gussied up" with some studio help.

A schizoid track.

 

The CD The Nightwatch includes the original performance of "Fracture" and a few other cuts from that album, but the liner notes mention that in some cases they erased live parts from the multitrack, so the overdubs from the SaBB album had to be used.

 

I should mention that SaBB is my favorite Crim album, mainly because of the live urgency of the music. Unlike anything I'd ever heard at that time or since. Definitely one of my desert island discs.

 

Back in the day, a pal heard the live "Larks' Tongues In Aspic Pt. 2" from USA before he ever heard the studio version. He always liked the live version better, and said the studio version sounded "strange." I always wondered if a studio version of "Fracture" might have had a different vibe to it as well. Guess we'll never know.

 

There are multiple live versions of "Fracture" on the different Collectors Club releases- most all are jaw-dropping.

 

Best mastering of SaBB?

 

We will have to wait until the 40th anniversary edition comes out.

 

Well, in my humble opinion I've heard 3 versions: a US vinyl, the original unremastered US (marketed by JEM) CD, and the later remastered US Definitive Edition CD. My US vinyl (Monarch pressing) is my favorite. A real STOMPER. Huge, John Wetton distortion bass.

For CD, if you have time to sift through that elephantine King Crimson comparison thread I am pretty sure that the guys who do the real nuts-and-bolts testing prefer the original, unremastered CD. Someone should really go through that thread and index it with "chapters" or something. At any rate, I think it is a fantastic CD. It is mastered quietly, and it is very crankable and pretty close to the sound of the vinyl. The Definitive Edition CD sounds too loud to me and it may have additional, unnecessary EQ.

 

Huge distortion bass!!!! I could never figure out if King Crimson's John Wetton and Asia's John Wetton were the same guy.

 

This is my favorite pressing...



It is an early UK pressing. Deadwax on the first side has "S. D." and on the second side "Sean & Ray". I'm not sure who S.D. or Sean & Ray are. Any help?

I also have an early US pressing, EG half-speed master and the mini-LP style HDCD version.

Cheers,
Chris

 

Good call.

From Eric Tamm's book:
“One of the reasons I wrote ‘Fracture’ in the manner which I wrote it,” said Fripp, “was to put myself (and the band) in a certain situation where I had to practice every day because it’s so difficult.”

In the digital domain it's the 30th Anniversary Edition for me. As far as the redbook versions go I wouldn't wait for the 40th Anniversary Edition since with Red - which to date is the only 40th Anniversary CD version that is not a remix (unlike ITCOTKC & Lizard) - they (apparently) just added some superfluous digital compression.

 

Not that it matters to anyone, but I love the look of the 30th Anniversary CDs.

Can't wait for the stereo-remixed Court and Lizard, also NTIMTA.

 

Original Island vinyl playing on an LP-12...heaven!

 

S&BB on CD: I think neither the original EG or the 30th are the best that's possible, but both of them have their positives. The DE is not a good choice.

 

Gotcha. But are you saying that these two are the best that are available? I would imagine the 30th's are probably easier to find. I still have never heard any of the 30th editions, but it seems many here do like some of them.

 

One think I'm reminded of when listening to the early/mid-Seventies Crimson; they habitually recorded in "budget" studios, and quickly even by the standards of the day. This is certainly apparent on the CDs that I have.

 

The show at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam from which most of the S&BB album was taken was always intended to be used as the main source of the album. Robert Fripp mentions that during the show, saying that they chose this particular place because they so much enjoyed playing the Concertgebouw last time round. According to the booklet to The Night Watch live CD, the entire album was compiled as follows:

Great Deceiver: Studio recording from Air Studios, London
Lament: Studio recording from Air Studios, London
We'll Let You Know: Live improvisation from Glasgow
The Night Watch: Intro from Concertgebouw, 2nd half recorded at Air Studios. David Cross' mellotron broke down, on the Night Watch CD you can hear him switching to electric piano
Trio: Concertgebouw
The Mincer: Live improvisation from Zurich, with vocals later overdubbed in the studio
Starless & Bible Black: Concertgebouw
Fracture: Concertgebouw, with studio overdubs (removed on the Night Watch CD)