Drummer reacts to "Elephant Talk" (Live) by King Crimson

[@mattreynolds612]

Man for man one of the most talented bands ever.

[@patrickmcevoy5080]

Adrian Belew is a mad scientist with his guitar. This is my favorite incarnation of King Crimson - they were the perfect prog band for the era.

[@aMan-or9ij]

Adrian Belew fucking kils it! Tony Levin kills it! They all fucking kill it!!! ...and this recording is so fucking crisp!

[@stanleystardust]

Fortunate to see this line-up of KC 5-ish times during the eighties - always a mind blowing experience. Adrian's perfect solo is one that makes Fripp smile, ever so slightly - with bemused amazement. Then Fripp goes off in his unique way.

[@kaz282]

Tony Levin is one of the few guys who actually studied music at a college level. He went to Eastman School of Music in Rochester.

[@just_a_no_one...]

Yeah, my dad was with him in Eastman.

[@Raiderblack]

The Chapman Stick is an amazing instrument and Tony Levin is the Master... And you have to love Adrian Belew great guy with a unique talent...

[@damonhines8187]

Levin's like a mad sensei: see him, catch his vibe in 'Sleepless', from the 'Three of a Perfect Pair' album from this lineup. In advance of and probably after the release of 'Discipline', Fripp's diary of the coming together of this group was published by International Musician magazine. Loads of fun anecdotes. At one point, Belew was having trouble with his guitar part and Levin played both his bass part and Belew's part on his stick. Wheee-hoo!! 😮😂😊🤙🏼🎶❤✨️🕊

[@ScottFoster-o4u]

I’ve managed to see Adrian twice. Both times at a very small bar. Once solo and once with the Bears. Great shows the both!!

[@johnfoster5295]

Did you notice, each "verse" is a list of synonyms for talk. The first verse starting with A, the second starting with B, etc.

[@Kevin6059]

What a freaking lineup this was - saw KC with Adrian twice many years apart. Two of the best shows I've ever seen. Come to think of it, so was the other KC without Adrian, but the first one with Bruford, Adrian, Tony, Fripp was perhaps the most spectacular display of musicianship I've ever witnessed.

[@L33Reacts]

Mannnnn you are so damn lucky. I think this is my favorite or second favorite iteration of Crimson. It's so damn good and they play so well together.

[@JC-rb3hj]

I saw this line up at Perkin's Palace in Pasadena, Ca in 1981. It was ridiculous how great the set was. An unbelievable amount of talent on one stage.

[@61hink]

Try Adrian Belew solo - either "Big Electric Cat" or "The Momur" would be a great starting choice.

[@lookmanohands1966]

Discovered this song late. 10 years ago maybe. Love this song, have replayed dozens of times over the years. Totally influential to the best bands after their time.

[@L33Reacts]

Yeah they were definitely a well that bands came back to over and over. And who can blame them? They are utterly unstoppable lol

[@L33Reacts]

It's so groovy. I can tell it's gonna get a lot of replay from me

[@Alix777.]

True, it's a Primus style bass ! I love the KC 80's trilogy. Their sound and groove was so different from everything they did before and after, thanks mostly to Adrian Belew. He's an amazing guitarist, song writer, performer and entertainer. And he can do elephant noises with his guitar ! Boss.

[@L33Reacts]

Tony Levin pioneered sooooo much of what les does/did. Both are so talented... and Mr Levins harmonies are great with Adrian's vocals. I love Adrian man. He is so damn good at everything he does up there lol

[@janewells5970]

It’s a very powerful experience to watch Tony and Adrian play. Bearsville!

[@L33Reacts]

I really hope I can get there lol

[@stevejennings1809]

I've seen Toni Levine play with Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe some 30 plus years ago. You can find a live performance on KZbin of the Talking Heads in 1980, Crossed Eyed and Painless, where Adrian Belew is playing lead guitar, great jam. Talking Heads is another rabbit hole for you to go down.

[@erikmaronde2244]

The Instrument Tony Levin Plays here is called a Chapman Stick. Tony is one of the Pioneers on this Thing, Nick Beggs and Trey Gunn are some others making it shine. 🎶🖖

[@L33Reacts]

Absolutely dude he is a fantastic pioneer...

[@yes_head]

In before the block. Fun fact: The first Internet discussion forum dedicated to King Crimson back in the 90's was called 'Elephant Talk'. 😄

[@L33Reacts]

Hahaha that's awesome. I'm thinking this one won't get blocked (I hope)

[@DocSardo]

I saw them at First Avenue in Minneapolis (the venue where Prince filmed the movie Purple Rain) during their Three of a Perfect Pair tour. Adrian Belew had a rubber neck guitar which could produce some crazy sounds but unfortunately it had technical issues during Elephant Talk and they had to shut the whole thing down.

[@rofavilla]

Who can not move? Not me, shaking my bottom ,hahaha

[@randlerobbertson8792]

I love this iteration of king crimson absolutely.

[@diverdown631]

L33 New King Crimson Documentary just became available to rent on Prime it's what I'm have for Breakfast

[@L33Reacts]

Oh shit really? I might have to check that out thanks Bro

[@treacadelic]

I've seen Tony Levin twice. Once with Anderson, Burford, Wakeman and Howe and then with Peter Gabriel. I've never seen a more effortless musician in my life. He's just incredible.

[@jorgejaime4325]

Have you heard Liquid Tension Experiment? Tony is having a blast there

[@janewells5970]

Tony is playing a Chapman- guitar and bass on one stick!

[@L33Reacts]

He sure is... I just forgot to mention that in the.video. it's crazy the sound he gets out of that thing. And he can sing too! What a dude!

[@rossgreenstein5116]

I hear David Byrne and the Talking Heads in this!!

[@L33Reacts]

Probably from him influencing Adrian! He is a wonderful musician. I love his frantic style. It's amazing lol

[@jimmayors2315]

Remember, Adrian was a Frank Zappa band member before he was "known"

[@L33Reacts]

Yeah he definitely was! Zappa and Bowie were fighting over him! Lol

[@tomshirey3487]

You *must* check out Tony's version of this song with the Levin Brothers band.

[@deanroddey2881]

The song "Three of a Perfect Pair" is another one you should absolutely check out. It's one of those that manages to sound like it's in three different time signatures at once, but still is completely funky and danceable.

[@L33Reacts]

My second favorite KC song 🎵 I loved it. Here's the link if you are interested (it's on my patreon) www.patreon.com/posts/93306351?

[@robertkelsow-geall7395]

You've not heard a song like this before I bet. It's amazing. You're gonna love it.

[@L33Reacts]

I absolutely did. This was so damn groovy.

[@skatter44]

For another cool KC song, if you can without it getting blocked, check out Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With. It's a funny take on song writers and how rock stars write songs.

[@jimdukeproject]

King Crimson Adrian and Fripp are major influences of Adam Jones and Tool.

[@raymondregis6219]

I think this is an 84 performance. Adrian is playing a custom built guitar synth and Robert plays the Roland GR-303 guitar synth. They get so many more sounds.

[@L33Reacts]

Dude the sounds they play with are so next level. Fripp and Adrian were like yin and yang. Playing off and on each other. It's an interesting duality in the guitar work in their music

[@ZalMoxis]

I remember when this album first came out..... it was sublime....

[@GreyDabbler]

This is one of your best - I love how delighted you seem by this incredible performance.

[@niklasprytz6740]

You Are the best and most interesting ”first listen” on the net! I love your videos Thank you a lot

[@jeemjeem6190]

I pretty sure this is from the "Three of a Perfect Pair" tour which was in 1983 or 1984. The giveaway to me was Adrian's guitar. This is the heavily modified Fender Mustang that was used in his "Twang Bar King" solo release in '83. That, and I see a Roland JC-120 behind him. I think he switched to Line 6 or something in the early 1990's. I saw him solo in 1994 and he wasn't using the Mustang or the JC-120.

[@hoppers13]

Hell, yes! Great song from my favourite Crimson lineup.

[@ericligotke3542]

Adrian beh- loo. Listen to thela hun jinjeet. Incredible song

[@brucer2152]

listen to some of Adrian's solo..."Long Rhinoceros" "Big Electric Cat", "Young lions", "Pretty Pink Rose w/David Bowie", "I am what I am", Men in Helicopters"....so many.....so, so many....

[@janewells5970]

We’re going in that direction soon! It would be great if you made a PayPal request! Pick your favorite!😍

[@Vader1138]

As much I love the middle period with Whetton and earlier, I always find myself listening to the Adrian Belew stuff way more. So complex and fresh sounding. Depending on what you've already heard. I would hit Sleepless, Matte Kudasi, or Frame By Frame from 80's. For more on Bills channel, Drum Solo 1982, or Sheltering Sky live at Frejus. Back in 1994 when I was in Memphis, a friend of mine who was in a band I did artwork for was actively trying to get KC to come to town, and the group of us were to go back stage and meet the band. I don't know who his contacts were and it never ended up happening, but was close enough we were given instructions on how to conduct ourselves. We were told the rest of the band we could talk to, and they were happy to do it, but Fripp, we were not to talk to unless he talked first, and if he did we were to only address him as "Mr. Fripp".😂 Like I said didn't come to be. We did each get (paid $30 for) a copy of the Vrooom EP that had just been released, fully autographed by the band. That and the story to tell.

[@L33Reacts]

I love the 80s stuff. I've done matte and frame by frame. Matte was blocked so it's on patreon. I think frame by frame is still up on YT. I'll have to check sleepless out. That's a great story! Mr.fripp.... geez. I'm gonna keep my mouth shut lol

[@Vader1138]

@@L33Reacts thought maybe you had but couldn't remember. Fripp is who he is. He's an artist and business man not a people person. I honestly with my introversion would probably be a bit the same if I was in his shoes. He struggled hard to break free of being screwed over by the industry and get full control of KC. He's protecting what's his. The right or wrong of keeping things so close to the vest is a debate to have in today's environment.

[@Jimbowlcoach]

This show was from Japan in 1982-83. Rumor has it that Andy Warhol painted Adrians Guitars he used in this tour.

[@ericligotke3542]

Edit. Video is from the mud 80’s to mid 90’s

[@MJM1309]

Your going down my memory lane here. Adrian Belew and Bill Bruford Three of a Perfect Pair

[@L33Reacts]

My most replayed KC song other then starless is three of a perfect pair. It's fantastic.

[@sandraandmichaelfield1602]

To see and hear Tony Levin at his most extreme on a Chapman Stick, please check out his band Stick Men, live on KZbin. If you can keep up with them you can keep up with anything musical. Tony is a Chapman Stick wizard! Trust me Lee, you, more than most who do reactions, will get into their unique style. With Peace and Love to all! (Michael)

[@L33Reacts]

That's funny you mention it, because I'll be doing a song of theirs today ;)

[@moon_pan_]

🤘🏻🖤

[@davidberesford7009]

People having fun. Dancing is a appropriate reaction.

[@61hink]

Robert Fripp is still playing! (not "Was" such a monster)

[@waltercrain2910]

it's the all-star line-up. funny song. A through E talk words. great analogy about adrian and the chicken wing. nothin' left on that bone. haha. another great one from this album is "indiscipline" (discipline is great, too). great musicianship and funny as heck. the whole 3 album sequence (discipline, beat, 3 of a perfect pair) is wonderful.

[@cheezer57]

Check out Adrian with Talking Heads live, Rome, 1980.."The Great Curve."..Also, "Epitaph" with Greg Lake (pre-Emerson, Lake and Palmer) on vocals is a favorite of mine.

[@L33Reacts]

Epitaph is gonna be a patreon exclusive tomorrow! I can't wait to hear Greg's fantastic vocals again. He is so damn good lol

[@L33Reacts]

I plan on doing a talking heads track soon thank you for reminding me

[@JoFandango]

@@L33Reacts might have a look on this kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqK3qpmDedN-Y80si=-yqU0kcA8v3izMW0 this could be a different way to review a song . the creators of that video underlined in a brillant way how Talking Heads with the great curve (which is one chord song) were so imaginatives. you'd better put your camera on before dicovering it !

[@gregjones861]

L33: Pioneers is dead on. Whatever they do becomes the future. As for English, I like to string together interesting tongue twisters to keep my brain busy. When the actor Marlon Brando died, I wrote "a million maggots mamboed 'neath Marlon's massive manboobs." When I read an article about the red-haired lady Snapple used to feature in their TV commercials, I imagined a Christmas-themed obituary for her (she hadn't died) with the headline "Overfed Inbred Redhead Dead From Sled Overhead". So this song is a TON of fun for me. Plus how cool is it that a song with elephant noises on the guitar from Adrian gets a Fripp solo that sounds either like a mouse (the natural enemy of the elephant?) or a tse-tse fly that shares the elephant's natural habitat. When I bought this record, I thought the intro was guitar and bass. When I saw Tony Levin was doing the entire thing on his Stick, my head exploded. Thanks for dancing for all of us (cuz I believe we all were).

[@L33Reacts]

They definitely set the tone for the next few decades.... and everyone took bits and pieces of what they liked from KC and made their own music. Can't blame them ... this shit is amazing. So groovy I couldn't stop dancing . lol

[@L33Reacts]

I too am an English connessiour... and I do similar things with words. I love to pair words together that have no relation yet sound beautiful such as "jaguar avalon"

[@gradypatterson1948]

Les Claypool is a big fan of Crimson (pretty much all eras) - and the bass for "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" is out-and-out homage to this song specifically 🙂 While it definitely led to tensions, the stark contrast between Adrian & Robert Fripp made for some incredible music - and in the 80s, the band really needed a great showman / frontman like Adrian, as Fripp's stoic demeanor placed emphasis on the music's complexity and de-emphasized its *listenability*!

[@L33Reacts]

They were one hell of a duality. They played off each other well and both did their own thing. Like you said, tension is great for art in small increments. It can create greatness

[@L33Reacts]

I knew it! I knew les was a fan. Jerry does sound soooo much like this. My name is mud too.

[@janewells5970]

You mentioned Les Claypool- he and Adrian Belew collaborated and produced a Grammy nominated song BEAT BOX GUITAR! Check it out!

[@L33Reacts]

I definitely will! That sounds awesome. Les rocks!

[@PaulHilburger]

Tony Levin is the Bass GOAT

[@Lightmane]

Cool video, but I prefer the studio version, but Belew is like the polar opposite of Fripp. I see you're going to do Epitaph too. Epitaph is my favorite piece by them, followed by Starless. I consider Epitaph to be the perfect piece of music. It's just perfect.

[@L33Reacts]

I can't do studio versions at all. They get blocked immediately. So I'm stuck doing live videos for YT. The studio versions go on patreon sadly.

[@Lightmane]

@@L33Reacts I know. It's so stupid. Hope you're listening to them on your own time though. I'm sure you are.

[@daniellegoldsmith9782]

Baloo. Like Baloo the bear.

[@stuffthings1417]

the 3:50 screaching solo could be done without. other than that, friggin A, yo.

[@drewreid1313]

Not hearing comments from you about Buford’s amazing drumming. Odd for a drummer.

[@spiderbass65]

Clicking "Like" before you get blocked. 🤪

[@erolbulut2584]

Tony Levin copies nobody. This looks like their '3 of a Perfect Pair' tour in Japan. 4 masters

[@L33Reacts]

I think you are right. They seem to be the only ones I can get through the Fripp firewall lol

[@arnesaknussemm7294]

Right, this Is Japan 1984, last show of the world tour that followed TOAPP (and the full show Is available on you tube)

[@erolbulut2584]

@@arnesaknussemm7294 I've had it on VHS for 30 years.

[@StephaneBergeronPixelyzed]

That is a gfreat version of the song but it's not the original groove. That toor was from Three of a Perfect Pair in 1984. You should at least listen if not react to either the album version from 1981 or this one from their Fridays appearance in 81 also (Fridays was a pupular TV show back then : kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaetlmVrrKZgm5o