Like almost all of King Crimson's archival releases, Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal 1984 is only for the dedicated, but that hardly lessens its value. Comprised entirely of material recorded live in Montreal, Canada at a 1984 concert, when the early '80s incarnation of the group was supporting Three of a Perfect Pair, the double-disc set may be revelatory for fans. Generally, this era is considered one of the group's weakest, but the music here demonstrates that the group could be quite adventurous at times. Certainly, only dedicated fans will have the patience to work their way through the double-disc set, but they may be pleased by what they find. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic.com)