After spending the second half of the '70s on various solo projects, the irrepressible Robert Fripp decided to reinvent King Crimson. Instead of building on the group's '70s legacy, Fripp burned his bridges and started from scratch, even though KC drummer Bill Bruford returned to the fold for the '80s version of the band. The new Crimson was influenced equally by funk, world music, Balinese Gamelan orchestras, minimalism and the new pan-cultural sounds being made by the likes of Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel (in retrospect, the former's REMAIN IN LIGHT, which featured future Crimson guitarist/vocalist Adrian Belew, seems an undeniable influence).

The interlocking melodic/rhythmic patterns of Fripp and Belew's guitars, Tony Levin's Chapman Stick and Bruford's electro-acoustic kit combined the Gamelan approach with a Phillip Glass-like repetition. With each cycle, a note or phrase would change slightly, altering the rhythm and focus of the pattern. The effect is both hypnotic and invigorating. Fripp's frenetic guitar-synth excursions and Belew's feedback-heavy post-Hendrix leads merge with this technique to fine effect. Belew's David Byrne-like tenor, unpretentious lyrics and pop (!) songwriting sensibilities make the package complete.