Album of the Day

USA, by King Crimson (1975): In the liner notes for Half Alive in Hollywood, Mike Keneally talks of how over the course of the disc Bryan Beller's bass rises to the top of the sonic heap, displacing Mike's guitar in its wake. Beller must have been channeling John Wetton during Crim's 1974 tour of the US, as captured on this disc, because Wetton absolutely rules these tunes. His bass is punchy, growly, and constantly demands to be listened to. His partnership with drummer Bill Bruford was perhaps at its zenith here, as evidenced by their fantastic interaction on the improv "Asbury Park." Fripp and Cross are just along for the ride.

As Joe puts it in the Ground and Sky review, "[t]he material on here, pardon the technical term, kicks major ass." Indeed.