Thing Crimson

Crimson Chic
Two people posted this to me in the mailbag almost simultaneously.
After all these years, The Sydney Morning Herald has published a review on USA by King Crimson. The SMH reviewing King Crimson is a bit like the Oprah show reviewing 'Fight Club', but do hang on. It isn't exactly a trashing:

King Crimson came to represent the apogee of virtuosic prog-rock grandiloquence, which is odd when at heart - or at least live - it was often a blowing band.

USA captured the fourth Crimson incarnation - guitarist Robert Fripp, violinist David Cross, bassist/singer John Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford - on its 1974, and last, American visit. Every gig in the endless touring brought at least one free improvisation and extensive blowing on some of the composed pieces.

There is Wetton's bruising, rather dominant fuzz bass and the squalls of Fripp's guitar that constitute the wildly energised Asbury Park, as well as the sustained magic of the serene, other-worldly guitar solo on a reinvented Easy Money, which steadily builds to the violence of a malicious armed robbery.

The original LP is augmented with readings of the menacing Fracture and the anthemic Starless, so that you have the equivalent of a complete concert. Everything in Fripp's gawkily named Discipline Global Mobile catalogue is available through Didgeridoo Records.

So there. Crimso don't completely swing and miss down under after all these years. Must be all the angst in the air as I've been giving my old King Crimson CDs quite a thrashing lately. Frankly I've not felt this much angst since I was at high School.
Turns out I got another piece of inetresting info from Walkoff-HBP:

Funnily enough, I met this reviewer (John Shands) 2 weeks ago at a Jazz gig, completely unbeknownst to me that he is the SMH Jazz reviewer. We got to talking about music, as you do... (sidebar: As you know, Its what you like, not what you are like that matters - High Fidelity) ...anyhow he asked how I got into Jazz, and of course I said that is was through prog-rock, then to Jazz Fusion then to straight jazz. So we got talking about King Crimson and all the Jazz elements, like Mel Collins & Keith Tippet. So perhaps this got him thinking, six degrees and all that.

Hilarious.
By the way, I've also created this funny little tune about a Mickey Rourke anecdote I heard from Mr. Murphy.


I've posted it up at iCompositions. You can get there by clicking the badge in the right column.
Do check it out. :)

Blue Jays Get BJ


Okay, that looks rude, but this is a rude shock indeed. The Toronto Blue Jays bagged BJ Ryan for 5 years and 47million dollars. Not everybody thinks this is wise.

Ryan's contract would be the largest ever given to a reliever in total dollars — yes, bigger than anything the Yankees ever awarded Mariano Rivera, a future Hall of Famer. The last reliever to secure a commitment of five years or more is believed to be Bruce Sutter, who received a six-year deal from the Braves after the 1984 season. Sutter's total package was worth $10 million — slightly more than Ryan will earn per year.

Granted, the Jays must overpay to lure U.S.-born players to Canada. Granted, the team plans to spend $160 million in payroll over the next two seasons. And granted, the competition for Ryan was considerable; the Indians were willing to go four years and possibly five for the closer, though not at the average annual value the Jays reportedly will pay.

The Jays know they must add dominant pitching to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East. Still, it would make little sense for Toronto, a franchise with relatively modest resources, to invest so heavily in a 70-inning closer when it also needs two hitters and a starting pitcher.

Three years, $27 million would be a more sensible price for Ryan, and frankly, even that sounds high — all but the best relievers fluctuate in performance from year-to-year. Then again, Ryan wouldn't be the last free agent who gets ridiculously overpaid this off-season. The industry is awash in revenue, and the owners are following their historical pattern, spending as mindlessly as Paris Hilton and making players wealthy enough to date her.

That's Ken Rosenthal there, so it's kind of iffy but you get the sentiment. so it'ss bacck to the drawing board there too. Meanwhile that deafening silence you hear out of Tampa isn't the sound of George's one hand clapping. It's the fact that it may be hard to even get a trade for Michaels out of Philly, as 'Stand Pat' Gillick reverts to form after his blockbuster trade that sent Jim Thome away.

According to Gillick, both Jason Michaels and Shane Victorino - both considered possible starters before the Rowand deal - are still in the Phillies plans. Gillick even floated the idea of playing Burrell at first on certain days against left-handers to get Michaels playing time and give Ryan Howard a break.

The priorities after the Wagner decision appear to be for a starting pitcher. Gillick said on Friday that would likely come from a trade and not the free agency market.

Well, unless it's Carl Pavano and cash for Jason Michaels, it's increasingly looking like a Crosby and Thompson platoon in CF next year.