King Crimson

Meltdown: Live In Mexico

Three-CD set including bonus Blu-ray DVD. The ‘Meltdown’ in the title of this collection is apt because King Crimson have survived for more than 50 years by always getting down to their burning essence, personified by the constant that is guitarist Robert Fripp. Despite being almost the definition of prog in their early days, Crimson survived punk and new wave through Fripp’s aesthetic of compactness. That they are still a going concern in 2018 and so big in Mexico is startling evidence of their longevity and reach.

All aspects of their discography are reflected across this three-CD set taken from three-hour-plus sets recorded at the Teatro Metropolitan, Cuidad de Mexico. The current line-up, which includes Tony Levin and Jakko Jakszyk, weave expertly through material ranging from early and mid-period tunes Larks Tongue In Aspic and Indiscipline to the more recent Radical Action II, the latter a product of the present Crimson incarnation. The third disc comprises bonus bootleg tracks from Europe and a powerhouse rendering of 21st Century Schizoid Man.

David Stubbs