King Crimson - Walking On Air (Live At The Warfield Theatre, 1995)
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With this week’s video, we are live at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, with the incomparable Adian Belew delivering one of his achingly beautiful songs. It’s a rare moment of calm that opens a window into the inner Crimson. The song came whole and complete from Adrian. All we had to do was flesh it out a little.
But ‘fleshing it out a little’ is another rather under-rated musical skill. Knowing what to play and when to play it (and what not to play and when to not play it) comes with experience, of course. Robert Fripp and I discussed that topic at length.
Tony Levin’s bass part may or may not be ‘easy’ to play – I have no idea and don’t have to care - but it sounds perfect for the song, as if had it been born with the song. The artist has concealed his art. Similarly, the weight and density of the percussion allows the song to float, to walk on air. I can neither see nor remember what Pat and I were