Steve Vai and Danny Carey Join Former Members of King Crimson for a Reinterpretation of Three King Crimson Albums
via Brown Dog Films / YouTube
Revisiting Three Iconic Records
Former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin have joined forces with guitarist Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey to form BEAT, a project dedicated to reinterpreting three of King Crimson’s influential 1980s albums: Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair.
In 2024, the group performed 65 sold-out shows across North America, later extending their run into Mexico and South America in 2025. Now, ahead of the September 26 release of BEAT LIVE, they have shared the video for “Frame By Frame.”
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Honoring the Legacy
Adrian Belew reflected, “In the eighties, Robert Fripp made the observation the King Crimson quartet was perhaps the best live band in the world at the time. Tony, Steve, Danny, and I are committed to honoring this legacy with each and every performance staged.”
Speaking about “Frame By Frame,” Steve Vai said, “This is a miraculous piece of music. It contains unique, death-defying poly-metric intertwined guitar parts that seamlessly and elegantly support a most gorgeous lyric and vocal melody line. It’s a joy to perform every time. Did I mention that the guitar parts are death-defying?”
Release Formats and Features
BEAT LIVE will be available in three versions: a 3-LP set, a Blu-ray with two CDs and a 12-page photo booklet, and a limited collector’s edition containing the Blu-ray, two CDs, a bonus CD, and a 36-page artbook.
The Blu-ray features songs such as “Neurotica,” “Heartbeat,” “The Sheltering Sky,” “Elephant Talk,” “Red,” and “Thela Hun Ginjeet.” The concert film was directed by Scrote, with editing contributions from Scrote, Vai, Alan Berry, and Don Adams. Additional video content was directed and edited by Alan Berry, including a mid-tour interview filmed by Sweetwater.
Creative and Technical Contributions
Videography credits include Alan Berry, Mike Skillsky, Jon Luini, and Dan Ermey. Art direction was led by Scrote and Ermey, with photography by Alison Dyer, Tony Levin, Peter Dervin, Jerry LoFaro, Mike Skillsky, Dan Ermey, and Jim Snyder.
Audio production was handled by Scrote and mixed by Bob Clearmountain, assisted by Ira Becker. Mastering was done by Emily Lazar at The Lodge, with Bob DeMaa assisting. Additional audio work came from Bill Mims, along with editing by Scrote and Vai.
Listen to the Live Official Video ‘Frame by Frame’ below:
Origins of the Project
Tour producer Angelo Bundini, also known as Scrote, recalled, “When Adrian called me to help bring his idea to fruition, I immediately thought it best to focus on the 80s albums: Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair. These three records famously mark Adrian and Tony’s entry into King Crimson. Their fluid, melodic virtuosity, and Fripp’s and Bruford’s dramatic precision created a totally unique, dynamic push and pull that would influence nearly every rock musician and/or band going forward for years, if not decades, to come.”
