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King Crimson: Progressive, yes. Prog, no.

KING CRIMSON at Queen Elizabeth Theatre (190 Princes’), Thursday to Saturday (November 19-21), 8 pm. $69.50-$200. ticketmaster.ca


For music fans, particularly punks, “progressive rock” has negative connotations. 

Seventies bands like Yes and Genesis have been derided for their music’s overwrought complexity and self-seriousness. The sharper, simpler and more-to-the-point music of the Ramones, Sex Pistols and other first-wave punks was galvanized by their direct opposition to this prog sound.

Over their near-50-year existence, London, England’s King Crimson, anchored by visionary guitarist and sole original member Robert Fripp, haven’t escaped the label. But according to their prolific and esteemed bassist, Tony Levin, it may not apply. 

“To me, yes, King Crimson is progressive rock, but I avoid using the term ‘prog rock’ because it’s come to signify the progressive rock of the late 60s and early 70s,” Levin says over the phone from his home in upstate New York. “So King Crimson is a progressive band in that they want to move ahead and not do what they’ve done before.”

Levin first joined a version of King Crimson in 1981 after working with Fripp on sessions for Peter Gabriel’s 1976 debut solo album. A noted bassist and master of the Chapman Stick, a stringed instrument that looks like a long, wide guitar fretboard without a body, Levin has appeared on over 500 albums by Alice Cooper, Paul Simon, Pink Floyd, Sarah McLachlan and Lou Reed, among others.

Notably, he played bass on John Lennon’s final album, 1980’s Double Fantasy, and says he went into it like any other session, but allows that he got along well with Lennon. Levin regards himself as an active working musician and, in accordance with his definition of progressive music, is most interested in looking ahead.

He says the current King Crimson show, which hits the Queen Elizabeth Theatre over three nights, features three explosive drummers – Bill Rieflin, Pat Mastelotto and Gavin Harrison – set up at the front of the stage, while the other musicians play behind them. Levin describes the trio’s drumming as “a circus act.”

Of progressive music in general he says, “It’s not the easiest music in the world and, if it’s pompous or pretentious, I don’t really like it.

“However, things can be complex and not pretentious, and also be an interesting challenge for the audience to listen to. It’s not always easy to wrap your head around, but fortunately we’ve found an audience [willing] to do that musical mental work who are rewarded by it.”

music@nowtoronto.com | @vishkhanna

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