Refreshed

KING CRIMSON
Discipline (Virgin)
Beat (Virgin)
Three of a Perfect Pair (Virgin)
These remastered editions of progressive rock giant King Crimson's 80s albums continue bandleader Robert Fripp's 30th anniversary celebration of the band's existence, even if they are a year late. Since Fripp had dissolved the band in the mid-70s, Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair were considered to be "comeback" records, and sparked some controversy. By the end of the 70s progressive rock had been critically discredited, and contemporary writers would never admit to supporting anything connected to prog, so critical reaction to these albums was decidedly mixed. (The CD booklets helpfully include copies of reviews from the period, which range from backhanded compliments to sneering dismissals.) Meanwhile, many longtime fans were unsure of the new blood (former Zappa guitarist Adrian Belew and Peter Gabriel bassist Tony Levin joined Fripp and drummer Bill Bruford) and mystified by the overt new wave pop and dance elements The Reagan-era edition of Crimson sounded like no one else, including its prior incarnations. Fortunately, the music has over the years held up extremely well.

Originally released in 1981, Discipline sets the stage for the quartet's new wave makeover, with roiling string work from Belew and Levin (who doubles on Chapman Stick) that keeps the songs constantly in motion. Belew's melodic instincts temper the avant garde tendencies, making for an album of actual pop songs, even if they're given all sorts of off-kilter twists. Fripp mainly restricts himself to textural work here, embracing his new pal Belew's fascination with guitar synthesizers and providing all sorts of quirky noises above, behind and within the songs. The opening trio "Elephant Talk" (the best Talking Heads song David Byrne never wrote), "Frame By Frame" and the lovely "Matte Kudasai" have justifiably become regarded as Crimson classics, and the shimmering instrumental "The Sheltering Sky" deserves that status as well. This edition includes an indistinguishably "alternative" version of "Matte Kudasai."

1982's Beat pretty much stays the course with the same angular guitar licks, catchy melodies and danceable (for the new wave 80s) rhythms. As might be inferred by the title, there's a loose theme running through the record that relates to the Beat writers of the 50s. Thus we have songs like "Neal & Jack & Me," Belew's rumination on Kerouac and Casady, and "Sartori in Tangiers," an instrumental feature for Fripp's liquid leads. "Neurotica," meanwhile, is a deliberately wordy look at modern urban life while "Requiem" is an improvisational noisefest reminiscent of the band's work circa 1974's Red. The best-known number is "Heartbeat," perhaps the band's most pure and appealing pop tune (so pure Belew would recycle it on his Young Lions album years later). Beat doesn't expand on Discipline's innovations, but it proves that the prior records' sound was no fluke.

Three of a Perfect Pair, which first came out in 1984, is bit more problematic. The album opens well with two sterling pop songs, the delightfully herky-jerky title track and "Model Man." The catchy "Sleepless," a showcase for Levin's amazing Stick work, gets the toes tapping and hips twitching. By the mid-point, however, the band goes into "Nuages," a guitar synth-driven piece of atmospheric fluff that would have been called "ambient" if the term had been in general use at the time. The rest of Pair gets bogged down in that style, showing signs of life only in the quirky vocal song "Dig Me" and an update of Fripp's mid-70s epic "Larks Tongues in Aspic." Most of the bonus tracks are pointless remixes of "Sleepless," but one is a genuine curiosity. "The King Crimson Barber Shop" is a funny close-harmony exercise apparently intended as a promo item of some sort.

Following the Pair tour, Fripp shut Crimson down for the second time. It ended up being merely a hiatus, as he resurrected the name once again, augmenting the 80s lineup with touch guitarist Trey Gunn and second drummer Pat Mastelotto for the incredible Thrak. The group continues into the new millennium. Michael Toland

For fans of: Talking Heads, Television, early Elliott Sharp