I used to play bass guitar. Growing up in the ’90s, I dreamt of playing bass licks like Chris Squire of Yes. I didn’t dream of playing like King Crimson’s Tony Levin, because that lofty ideal was just unattainable for me. Playing with a pick like Squire, sliding up and down the neck of bass? That, I could try to do. The stuff that Tony Levin does on Crimson’s “Sleepless” or “Frame By Frame?” Not a chance.
You may not know Tony Levin’s name, but you definitely know his playing. He’s been with Peter Gabriel since the former Genesis frontman went solo, playing on the majority of his studio albums and live shows. Levin was also the bassist on Pink Floyd’s 1987 album A Momentary Lapse of Reason (a top five Floyd album for this writer, regardless of its infamy). Levin took the place of Chris Squire when former Yes members Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe joined together under their own names for an album and tour.
Aside from his work with Peter Gabriel, Tony Levin’s longest gig was as the bassist for King Crimson on and off for the last forty years (including a spell in the ’90s when he shared bottom end work with Trey Gunn). The band’s final incarnation was a massive line-up consisting of guiding light Robert Fripp (guitar), Levin on bass, Mel Collins (saxophone and woodwinds), Jakko Jakszyk (vocals and guitars), Bill Rieflin (keyboards) and a three-drummer attack consisting of Pat Mastelotto, Jeremy Spencer, and Gavin Harrison. For the first time in decades, the music of the late 1960s and and ’70s iterations of King Crimson was played alongside work from the 1980s, ’90s, and 2000s, resulting in awe-inspiring sold out shows around the world.
It’s this, the final incarnation of King Crimson, that is featured in Toby Amies’ documentary In The Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50.
The film features contributions from then current and former members of the band, all of whom share their truths of their time in KC, and how it affected them personally and professionally. While the band’s sole constant, Robert Fripp, is given much of the spotlight, the film isn’t Fripp’s alone. One of the through-lines is the story of late period member Bill Rieflin, a personal friend of Fripp’s and a former drummer for Ministry and R.E.M. who, during his tenure in King Crimson, was dying of cancer. In many ways, Rieflin is the hero of In The Court of the Crimson King. His determination to continue playing music for as long as he could is inspiring to watch.
In conjunction with the VOD release of In The Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50, I had the opportunity to talk to Tony Levin about the film, the band, his friendship with Bill Rieflin, along with a few non-related KC questions.
You can watch In The Court of the Crimson King: 50 Years of King Crimson on VOD. Or, even better, treat yourself to the eight-disc box set that consists of the two Blu-rays, two DVDs, and four CDs celebrating the film and one of the best live bands in the history of music. You can order that from our friends at Burning Shed in the UK and elsewhere in North America. You can also learn more about Tony Levin at his official website.
Oh, and once you’re done watching our interview, check out the video to the song “Cosmetics” from Canadian hero Lawrence Gowan, featuring my all-time favourite Tony Levin bass part.
