Live in Fort Worth 1974 (Heart Breakers HB-932-1/2)
Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX – June 6th, 1974
(48:40): No Pussy Footing, Easy Money, Lament, Fracture, improvisation, The Talking Drum, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part 2, 21st Century Schizoid Man
King Crimson’s third show on what would be the final tour of the Aspic line up was on June 6th in Fort Worth. They were second on the bill with Robin Trower (whose current release Bridge of Sighs, his second solo album since leaving Procol Harum, was doing very well on the charts that summer) and the headliners Ten Years After.
Live In Fort Worth 1974 is a one disc release on Heart Breakers containing the entire forty-eight minute set. The audience recording is very good with lively dynamics. It does well in capturing the power of the rhythm section. The only negatives are the slight distortion and the chatty audience. The people by the recording find “Fracture” a good time to talk and flit with the girls.
The tape starts off with the opening tape “No Pussyfooting” leading into a unbalanced “Easy Money.” This song was rarely used as an opening number, and David Cross’ out-of-tune mellotron almost ruins the piece.
After “Lament,” Fripp doesn’t give the opening remarks as usual. Instead there is a moment of tuning up before they play an intense version of “Fracture.”
Much of the show is occupied with the long improvisation. As they start off, someone in the audience shouts “Epitaph!” They come close to playing the morose beginning of “Exiles,” but go into a groove similar to the middle ascending riff of “Sailor’s Tale,” a song never played complete by this version of the band.
Bruford has a rare, short drum solo before the segue into one of the most intense versions of “The Talking Drum” from the era. “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part II” has a rare keyboard solo and is followed by the final song of their short set “21st Century Schizoid Man.”
DGM posted this show on their website for download, but haven’t pressed it onto disc. Heart Breakers is the only CD version of this short but interesting set. They package it in a standard jewel case with simple artwork.
