Here at last was a Crimson that appeared stable enough in its personal and musical relationships to maintain some longevity. Unfortunately, after injuring himself onstage in a previous concert, Jamie Muir suddenly left on February 17, reputedly to join a monastery. The remaining quartet embarked upon a successful European and American tour that spring. In August the band began rehearsing songs to be included on their
upcoming "Starless and Bible Black" album. "The Great Deceiver", a bitter attack on the commercialization of the Vatican, and "Lament", a satire of the music business and rock music managers in particular, were both
The Songs:
The Great Deceiver
Lament
We'll Let You Know
The Night Watch
Trio
The Mincer
Starless and Bible Black
Fracture
moments of calm and a guitar-solo midsection that continues to impress guitar students to this day. The album, eventually released early the following year, included many compositions recorded in Great Britain and Europe at live shows. This came as a complete shock to listeners of the album; all crowd noise (if any) had been edited out, and the tightness of the band was more indicative of a studio performance. Gone were the days of the "Earthbound"-era live shows. This was a perfectionists' band.
Musicians:
David Cross: Violin,
Viola and Mellotron
Robert Fripp: Guitar
and Mellotron
John Wetton: Bass
and Vocals
Bill Bruford: Drums
Copyright
1974 by EG Records 