Did We Make The Album?

Riding in like the soundtrack to a lost Wild West apocalypse movie, a previously unreleased remnant from the THRAK sessions looms into view. Based around one of Tony Levin’s patented earth-digging grooves, Belew takes up some ornery growling guitar wreathed in Fripp’s soundscapes above the cantering beats from Bruford and Mastelotto. As Gunn enters with some swooning, lyrical lines of his own, the piece is maintaining a steady gaze upon groove and deep texture. At around five minutes the introduction of an ascending chord sequence suggests that the team was feeling their way around a song. There’s almost a hint of People’s DNA somewhere in there to these ears, but clearly different. Gunn, Fripp, and Belew’s lead lines are beautifully intertwined after that first chorus and there’s a gorgeous moment near minutes when some strings rise up adding a spectral grace to the stomp. For a moment I wondered if these might be emanating from the Mellotrons that were parked up in Real World Studio but