King Crimson - Walking On Air (Live At The Warfield Theatre, 1995)

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With this week's video, we are live at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, with the incomparable Adian Belew delivering one of his achingly beautiful songs. It’s a rare moment of calm that opens a window into the inner Crimson. The song came whole and complete from Adrian. All we had to do was flesh it out a little.

But ‘fleshing it out a little’ is another rather under-rated musical skill. Knowing what to play and when to play it (and what not to play and when to not play it) comes with experience, of course. Robert Fripp and I discussed that topic at length.

Tony Levin’s bass part may or may not be ‘easy’ to play – I have no idea and don’t have to care - but it sounds perfect for the song, as if had it been born with the song. The artist has concealed his art. Similarly, the weight and density of the percussion allows the song to float, to walk on air. I can neither see nor remember what Pat and I were respectively playing, but it was minimal, and none the less important for that.

I often remind myself that the acquisition of a skill, such as a drumkit technique, is, in and of itself, no proof of artistry. The art, or creativity, lies in the application of the skill. Many acquire a skill: fewer use it expressively. Many young players have skills from heaven. Showing me the beautiful tools in your tool box is great - I shall admire them – but then I need to know what you can make with them.

In the visual arts, one common complaint (around here at least) is that “no-one can draw anymore”. Unlike in drumming, it seems that there is a dearth of essential skills, by which the budding young artist might express herself sufficiently well to produce a work of art. In drumming, too many skills; in painting, too few? Seems like the absence of skills is as problematic as their abundance.

Whether you're a musician or visual artist, I don’t want to be any more than subliminally aware of your skills as you express yourself to me. The art is to conceal the art. I don’t care to know how it’s done, I just need the end result on my nervous system. Does it make me cry, laugh, clap, shout, or dance?

Let's say you have a photographic level of realism available to you through your blinding ability to draw. But you will tell me very little about how you view the world if you merely produce a poor facsimile of a photograph, as it were. If you have acquired drum techniques of great skill, but as part of the L & F (Louder and Faster) brigade, you refuse to engage with the many modern developments in contemporary drumming, and continue to serve up lesser-Rich drum solos that sound like they came from 1950; despite their brilliance, I shall reserve the right to yawn.

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