InsideOutMusic
Is it too early to name the live album of the year?! “BEAT LIVE” is a high-calibre live album that reimagines King Crimson’s 1980s album trilogy (Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair), through BEAT – a group featuring Crimson veterans Adrian Belew and Tony Levin alongside Steve Vai and Danny Carey (Tool). The musicians bring technical mastery and fresh energy to complex material from one of the most innovative periods in rock history. Highlights like “Frame by Frame”, “Elephant Talk” and “Indiscipline” showcase the band’s tight interplay, expressive vocals, and fearless improvisation. I often hear people say that Glenn Hughes is the only vocalist in his 70s who has still “got it”. Wrong. Adrian Belew’s voice, particularly in “Thela Hun Ginjeet”, handles tricky intervals with clarity and power, in his mid-70s. But it’s not just technique, on songs like “Neal and Jack and Me”, his phrasing carries emotional resonance. Vai’s guitar work adds a new dimension to Fripp’s guitar parts without overshadowing Belew’s textures, and Carey handles Bruford’s intricate rhythms with both respect and personality.
From the opening chaotic, adrenaline-filled “Neurotica” to the propulsive closer “Thela Hun Ginjeet”, the recording is immersive and consistently compelling, even after several listens. It captures the energy of a band that feels alive, not nostalgic. They simply could not have done it any better.
6/6 | Anne-Marie Forker
Release date: 26 September 2025
[Check out our interviews with Steve Vai and Tony Levin in our brand new issue right here!]
