King Crimson - Walking On Air Alt Take

Stormy Monday Selection (Occasional Series - Acts of Random Archive Rummaging)

By the time King Crimson arrived at Real World Studios to record THRAK most of the material had been played-in at a series of concerts in Argentina. Compared to other songs and pieces that appear on THRAK however, Walking On Air had only been performed a couple of times.

This alternative take from the sessions reveals a song that’s still in the process of finding its final shape and form. Trey Gunn’s embellishments around Levin’s undulating bass figure are drop-dead gorgeous. In concert, Trey’s work was often undermixed and/or overlooked. In this stripped-back setting, his playing is heard in exquisite close detail before he’s joined by Fripp’s diaphanous cloudscapes.

Gently propelled in part by Bruford on the same slit drum he used on The Sheltering Sky, the still-provisional nature of the song is emphasised when we hear Adrian call out “E” to usher the song to its conclusion.

[rnemchev]

This incarnation of Crimson is my favorite, Adrian is brilliant both as composer and singer!

[sunsetman]

the percussion harkens back to The Sheltering Sky, which makes the reference in the lyrics all the more poignant. love the take that ended on the final album, but this one is nice too

[spectralmaya]

Thank you so much for uploading all these songs, as someone who experienced King Crimson for the first time only last year, it's always great to hear this KC content, which, while older, is new to me.

Edit: I've since listened to all of THRAK and nearly every (main) KC album, and Walking on Air has become one of my favourite KC songs.

[varsityathlete]

so great they finally understood the value of youtube to their fans and future fans

[vendeta]

Adrian Belew elevated KS to another dimetion

[jeroenrl]

So Adrian is advertising his solo record that came out 15 years later ... Impressive planning!

[lud_lihuen]

Aw this is so beautiful, perhaps I'm a bit intense but I'm literally crying haha, I love to hear early versions of the songs and learn how they were developing and improving, it feels so intimate... Thanks for sharing this one!

[AsukaxSekai]

Adrian’s voice is such a bliss. Thank you for sharing. In future I hope we will get HD live of THRAKATTAK ! And why not previous tours!!!!

[CRecordings]

Sweet baby Jesus, this is unbearably beautiful. I'm guessing the first band member to cry during playback got kicked out of the group.

[dvened]

Thank you for this lovely upload King Crimson <3 see you all in 2021 I hope

[BrunoMigliari]

Such a beautiful song… and classy bass playing by Tony Levin, as usual.

[AdamTinkoff]

Can we invite Adrian to the party in 2021? Please?

[bertbosman]

As always, Tony is nailing it, this time on fretless bass. No note too much, no note too little

[wordplay]

Absolutely brilliant. What a pleasure it is to hear amazing music being played by seriously talented musicians for the sheer joy of it. It lifts my heart and warms my soul 👏👏🇬🇧✊

[СнежныйБарс-гя]

6.07.2020. Кримзон - суперстар. Crimson is superstar. Qazaqstan.

[danielgustavosanchezaguilo]

I had the great luck to see them on that tour of Argentina in 1994 in the City of Cördoba, and also Robert Fripp months before as a soloist, with "Los Gauchos Alemanes", which was a visit to test the local croud, which luckily it was to his liking. Greetings from here. I'll never forget

[Lizardking]

"Los secretos de la noche cobran vida en tus ojos". La letra es preciosa.

[kunuchok]

I heard this song for the first time in the forest - it was magically! 🌄🍃🐾🐱💓

[pth]

Intro makes me think of a bunch frogs for some reason. They all just straight vibing to the song.

[algothus]

A beautiful take From an amazing Song...