Meltdown: Live in Mexico City is a Blu-ray and triple-disc CD live album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson. Recorded over five nights in July 2017, Meltdown was released on 20 October 2018 and was produced by the band's keyboardist Bill Rieflin from Multitrack recordings. The release was announced in August 2018 and was preceded by streaming of the track "Indiscipline" on 4 October.
Content Comprising three compact discs and a Blu-ray, Meltdown: Live in Mexico City documents an incarnation of King Crimson that the group's founder Robert Fripp described as "the best band I’ve been in, musically, personally, professionally." The three CDs distill King Crimson's five concerts in Mexico City from 14 to 19 July 2017 down to three and a half hours, and the Blu-ray video further condenses the performances to two and a half hours.
Meltdown marked the first release to feature recordings of the band's extended lineup playing "Breathless", "Discipline", "Moonchild" and the cadenzas of Tony Levin and Jeremy Stacey. These recordings are taken from concerts during the band's June–July 2018 European tour, and are featured at the end of the third disc as the 2018 Official Bootleg.
In his road diary, Levin surmised that the series of concerts would impact how the band played in the future.
Critical reception
Writing for All About Jazz, John Kelman praised Meltdown, highlighting the video recording of the performance as well-edited. He considered the release an improvement on 2016's similar box set, Radical Action to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind.
Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from liner notes
King Crimson Jakko Jakszyk – guitar, flute, voice Robert Fripp – guitar, keyboard, production, liner notes Mel Collins – saxophones, flute Bill Rieflin – keyboards, mix production Tony Levin – basses, Stick, backing vocals, photography Pat Mastelotto – drums, percussion, additional footage Gavin Harrison – drums, percussion Jeremy Stacey – drums, percussion, keyboards
Technical personnel David Singleton – production, compilation, mastering, photography Don Gunn – mixing Matt Skerritt – video director David Taylor – cameras Chris Porter – bonus tracks live mixing Neil Wilkes – Blu-ray mastering Bearhand Design – artwork, design
Charts Chart (2018) Peak position Italian Albums (FIMI) 84
References
External links
Tony Levin's diary entry for the first show in Mexico City Tony Levin's diary entry for the second and third shows in Mexico City Tony Levin's diary entry for the fourth and fifth shows in Mexico City