
Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday gives us the chance to share familiar, and sometimes not so familiar, songs. This week the title or lyrics of the song must contain the word Breeze, Cloud, Sky, or Wind.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
The song I’ve chosen this week contains the word sky, but only once!
Last week it was 1minute 30seconds before we hit the song lyrics. This week we add another 3 seconds before any word is heard and the last lyric will be heard at 4minutes 18seconds and yet the track is 12.36 long. How can this be a Song Lyric Sunday?
Do I care? Well, quite frankly, no. This one is a Marmite song (Vegemite for some). You will either love it or hate it!
The video is a masterpiece. It shows each artist clearly. The 3 – yes 3 – percussionists, one of whom also plays the mellotron. The clarinetist with his red braces (suspenders). The imposing bass player, cool as cool could be. The guitarist, singer, in the middle, displaying his lovely curly red hair. Then there’s the quiet chap, sitting in the top right corner.
Robert Fripp, excels on lead guitar. He is the only remaining founder member of King Crimson, an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968. They exerted a strong influence both on the early 1970s progressive rock movement and on more recent rock and experimental artists. Though Fripp is often seen as the band’s leader, Fripp himself tends to shun this label. However, I shall concentrate my comments on him!
There are all sorts of subtleties in this performance. I particularly like the hand over of lead guitar at 6.12, and when did the first handover occur anyway????
Apart from the fact that I adore this song there are all sorts of side issues that are fascinating. The more you look, the more there is to see. However, I’ll let you now choose whether you wish to spend the next 13 minutes listening to this masterpiece.
Starless is a suite written and performed by King Crimson. It is the final track on their seventh studio album, Red, released on 6 October 1974. If you wish to cut this short, by all means do so – but you will be missing something special. If instead, you wish to discover whether Robert is naughty in the bedroom then dash ahead to beneath the video!
Starless
Sundown dazzling day
Gold through my eyes
But my eyes turned within
Only see
Starless and bible black
Old friend charity
Cruel twisted smile
And the smile signals emptiness
For me
Starless and bible black
Ice blue silver sky
Fades into grey
To a grey hope that oh yearns
To be
Starless and bible black
Sundown dazzling day
Gold through my eyes
But my eyes turned within
Only see
Starless and bible black
Old friend charity
Cruel twisted smile
And the smile signals emptiness
For me
Starless and bible black
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: David Francis Cross / Richard William Palmer James / Robert Fripp / William Scott Bruford / John Kenneth Wetton
Level Five lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
So, you either now love it, hate it, or have missed out on the opportunity to find out. More now about that fantastic lead guitarist.
Robert Fripp chooses to sit whilst playing, he’s always preferred to do so. Since 1985 he has used New Standard Tuning, which he developed himself, and he plays right handed although he is naturally left handed.
Apart from heading this band he has been a session musician on many recordings and at many concerts and is held in the highest esteem by many guitarists around the world. He has worked with David Bowie, Blondie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall, Midge Ure, Talking Heads, and David Sylvian. He has even helped create the sounds for the Windows Vista operating system. He has contributed to over 700 record releases.
And he has been married to Toyah Willcox since 1986 and has an asteroid named after him!
Not bad for a quiet little chap in the corner!
I really am in awe of this gentleman, and he’s married to Toyah Willcox! Did I mention that?
During the Covid19 pandemic Robert and Toyah have been performing regularly online. If you search on your favourite site you will be down a rabbit hole for at least half an hour.
Here’s a sample
and to find out if they are naughty in the bedroom look here
and, finally, Jim, who hosts SLS, tells me that he is a keen user of his home gymnasium, so this one is for him!
I can only shake my head in wonderment!!!!!!!
I do hope that you have enjoyed this as much as I have.