VARIOUS - SOMETIMES GOD SMILES: THE YOUNG PERSONS' GUIDE TO DISCIPLINE VOL.II - 1998

This CD, essentially a sampler disc of the Discipline label's music, is far more than "just a sampler" and deserves much more recognition than that label would imply. It's a tour de force of some of the most interesting musical forces of our time -- the Discipline label, specifically, caters to musicians who push boundaries, who struggle to express themselves in the best way possible, and as a result, who play very compelling and moving music.

This disc features many of the past and present members of King Crimson (and, I'd wager, some future members.) Bill Bruford, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, and numerous others have several tracks apiece, and Robert Fripp chimes in with a few of his own. However, taking this disc on is no easy feat; in just the first three tracks we scream from King Crimson's "Three of a Perfect Pair," a fairly mellow track underlaid with pounding rhythm, through Adrian Belew's foray into complicated easy listening "Never Enough" and into ProjeKct Two's "Heavy ConstruKction," an abstract and dance-worthy piece of music explicitly intended to challenge the listener.

Other highlights include the spectacular "Of Bow and Drum" by Adrian Belew, "Sabre Dance" by Radical Dance and "Allegro Con Brio, Symphony No. 5" by the California Guitar Trio. But to highlight some is to discount the rest; and there's not a single bad track to be found here.

If you want to hear some of the most interesting, diverse, and all-around kick-ass music that's being produced today, buy this disc. I picked mine up for $6 -- and that's a price that can't be beaten for this much music at this high of quality. Kudos to Discipline, and Fripp, for selecting these tracks.
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