King Crimson 2009 re-issues CD / DVD stereo/5.1 all inclusive thread (Part 4)

Maybe if they were offering a 5.1 mix here, I'd be on board, but I already own several incarnations of this one, including the expanded HDCD and the last completely unedited version. Enough's enough. And the Road to Red set is just too exorbitant, with too much material that I already have. I'm not crazy about the current trend towards milking the shrinking CD market by making them buy the same stuff over and over again for a few extra goodies. I'll go for Beat when that becomes available, but that's it.

 

So it seems the Red reissue coming out later this month is the one to get vs. the one that came out earlier in the SW 40th Anniversary campaign?

 

Only if you want a remixed stereo mix.

 

They can't do a 5.1 mix, as most of this material is derived from 2-track live recordings.

And my feelings on the box are at the other end of the spectrum from yours. I was hoping to not have to go to all the varied sources to round up everything that is now conveniently culled into one easily-acquired package.

Also, I think you underrate the historical significance of Red. It is a bit of a game-changer; its influence is broad; its repackaging is totally justified by the increasingly held view of it's importance.

Endless greatest hits compilations can be rightly called 'milking' the market. Creating a boxset around an influential album that had no hits in it's era, can hardly be called out with such derogatory terms. Just the opposite - Fripp should be congratulated for putting in all the extra work they've done to give us a complete picture of a revered moment in time.

 

They included surround mixes of the improvs from Providence on the previous edition of Red. I'm pretty sure that the Asbury Park concert is a multi-track recording, as are the other complete shows featured on the Blu-ray. I get the impression that Fripp made a conscious decision to shy away from 5.1 with this set, for whatever reason. I'll be curious to hear how the newly remixed shows sound on the Blu-ray now.

Of course, I changed my tune a bit with this set, particularly after the price came down (I did jump in with a pre-order at AmazonUK, though I may still end up cancelling). Maybe my initial reaction was an attempt to convince myself that I don't really need it. I'm a huge fan of this period of King Crimson and already own several live sets from '74, including a lot of what is featured in the box. Still, my resources aren't unlimited and surely DGM knows that most potential customers who might be interested in this set already own at least a decent hunk of this material in one form or another. Including surround mixes of the five multi-track shows (or at least U.S.A.) might have been one way to give a bit more added value here.

I think that there has undeniably been a trend in recent years towards milking older fans--the ones who are more likely to spend big money--with endless lavish, deluxe reissue sets like this. Some are more tantalizing than others. I guess we all have to decide for ourselves which ones are worth the investment.

 

I hear ya. The reason I don't have a lot of the stuff included in this set is the same -- lack of funds. I still don't have the In The Court Of The Crimson King Box.

So, for me this is a great way to catch up, and it's not spread out over different releases.

Sorry, about the 2-track comment -- I thought I knew something.

 

Now if I were in your shoes, I'd be all over this set without hesitation! You're in for hours fun here.

 

I didnt have any of the mach 72-74 collectors clubs
Relying on Griet Deceiver for that redundency
Had cc shows cherry picked from all the other eras

My later love for improv jazz in the last 15 years led me to look back at the multi show spontineity roots in the mighty Lark's Red Crim

Was just about to 5 or 6 72-74 collectors clubs last year, puzzled by which pnes to get and and didn't

I jumped on Larks and the Road to Red when offered

 

Any news about further releases?

 

I'm hoping for Beat and TOAPP this year. On average, we get two CD/DVD-A sets or one and a boxset a year.
2011 - SABB and Discipline
2012 - Larks and Larks box
2013 - USA and Road to Red box

Either Beat and TOAPP or Earthbound and Road to Earthbound boxset (only kidding!).

We have Beat, TOAPP, THRAK and Earthbound left. With a bit of luck we might get a glimpse of Under Heavy Manners / God Save The Queen in 2016 :eyeroll: ;-) lol!

For Beat I'm hoping for a HD transfer of The Noise - Live in Frejus (not to mention outtakes!) and an audio only section for the early stages of the US tour which had a radically different set. More studio outtakes and of course 5.1 for people who are into it. Maybe the Munich footage as well...
For TOAPP I'm hoping for lots of studio outtakes and 'Discipline' from the original Live in Japan film which from some inane reason was cut off the Neal and Jack and Me DVD and of course 5.1.
For THRAK I'm hoping for VROOOM as well as THRAK in 5.1. Maybe some cuts from THRAKATTACK as well. Also outtakes of course. If you want live audio/video you might as well just get the Live in Argentina 94 2DVD set (AND you can keep it beside your THRAK set!)
For Earthbound I'm hoping for a retun policy!

 

Listening to Larks' today for about the fourth time since I purchased the set and I'm finally connecting with it. Just stunning.

Hopefully Red will be next. I've listened to that set twice and I enjoyed it. Just hasn't hit me in the sweet spot like Larks' now has.

 

Congrats!
Larks Toungues is (are) not easily digested but it's worth the effort.

 

So Red has clicked now too. Starless is just tremendous.

 

This is music you can enjoy for a lifetime (maybe even more). It won't get boring.

 

...as are the title track and Fallen Angel.

 

Red was the first Crimson track I ever heard. It was one summer afternoon when I was bored out of my skull and I was in the car, flipping channels on the radio trying to find something. I caught the song midway through, during that strange, spooky middle section and I found it really intriguing, so I stopped playing with the dial and listened. When the riff came on it blew me away completely and I was praying for the DJ to say the name of the artist or track afterwards. Fortunately they did mention it, and I bought the album not long thereafter. Providence took a while to sink in, but the rest was amazing, sometimes incredible. Starless leaves you speechless.

There are some King Crimson albums I rate very high, but I think Red is to this day my favourite. Still amazing and rewarding after all these years.

 

I listen now Larks'Tongues in Aspic in surround and honestly don't understand how a sound can be so perfect..
Same goes for Lizard etc..

 

Beat was announced at the same time the Starless - Live in Europe box was announced. Both coming in October, but based on past experience, I predict that it won't be until November that they appear. Scroll down to May 8th entries here:

http://www.dgmlive.com/news.htm?position=80&

 

Wow, nice titles.

 

A belated thank you to those who provided feedback relative to purchasing these KC 40th Anniversary sets. Red and Lark's Tongue In Aspic are just amazing pieces of music and are now part of my musical DNA. I still need to purchase Islands and may check out Discipline at some point. Then there's the big Red, Lark's and Starless boxes...

 

Apparently Beat will come even later since the Starless boxset is already up for preorder and Beat is not.

 

Well, considering that Panegyric is releasing the Starless set, Relayer, Drums & Wires, the 2 Fripp/Sylvian albums AND the 3 CD Fripp/Eno Live in Paris 1975 all at the same time, I'd say they have their hands full, no?

 

Well the two Fripp/Sylvian albums are straight re-prints of the old Virgin CDs and came out in July and the Fripp/Eno live is also a simple re-issue of the digital download so if Beat doesn't come out now I don't think it is because Panegyric is too busy. Probably Fripp doesn't want people to "defocus" from the big lumpy profitable Starless boxset.

 

Well, you could either focus on his greed, or you could hunker down and accept that you'll have to wait. Which option leaves you feeling better? I guess you could shoot Declan Colgan (head of Panegyric) a nasty email in the meantime.