Sleepless

Making an extremely strong case for the artistic validity of the 1980s incarnation of legendary progressive-rock icons King Crimson, the overwhelmingly overpowering 'Sleepless' unexpectedly became a minor hit single for Robert Fripp and company in 1984. The most striking thing about 'Sleepless' is its absolute monster of a bass line, generated from a modified Chapman Stick, and played by maestro bassist Tony Levin. This instantly memorable riff constitutes the essence of the song, which is also embellished by Bill Bruford's adept polyrhythymic percussion structure, Fripp's patented guitar Frippertronics, and Adrian Belew's suitably schizophrenic and paranoiac vocals. Check out a jaw-droppingly virtuosic live performance of 'Sleepless', filmed during the band's April 1984 tour of Japan in support of then-current album 'Three of a Perfect Pair'.