King Crimson: 'A Young Person's Guide to ...' E.G. Vinyl Edition Question

Can anyone offer an opinion as to the SQ of the E.G. label's pressing of the double LP 'A Young Person's Guide To King Crimson' ?

 

bump

 

if you mean the original vinyl pressing on this one, mine was a noisy pressing. the "diary" was the best part of that release.

 

That and the amazing Fergus Hall paintings on the front and back covers.

 

that is true the cover was quite special as well.

 

I bought this in 1988, later sold it. I don't remember any problem with the sound.

 

I have it on polydor, its sounds great and is very quiet.

 

No, I'm referring to a re-issue on the E.G. label released in the late '80s [forget the exact year]. I believe the sticker on the cellophane advertised that it was "half speed mastered".

I have the original Canadian issue [which is suppose to be unusual because it was released on the Atlantic label] and the original Japanese release. I was wondering what this version sounded like - if it was really was half speed mastered. (Where was this edition pressed, BTW?) The complaint about other KC re-issues by E.G. is that they used tape copies of unknown generation to master the albums rather than the original master tapes. I was wondering if this was the case also with this compilation. I believe Virgin and Fripp's DGM label also have re-issued "A Young Person's Guide..." has anyone heard those?

 

I still have the "half speed mastered" In The Court... from Editions E.G./Jem Records that I got for Christmas around 1986, but I haven't compared it extensively to other versions.

 

I'm assuming you mean the 1987 US editions EG release, which belongs to the series you reference above with the well-known SQ issues. some of these reissues were sold as half-speed mastered and some were not, despite being from the same run. I've heard tell that nobody knows whether this was another example of EG's questionable business practices at that time, or whether they were actually mastered half-speed.

to answer your question, I have heard (but not owned) the third side of the set from this issue, which was being auditioned to me as an example of the poor SQ of the series. it had all of the problems I've come to associate with the editions versions of red, court, and Eno albums that I'd eventually own: noisy media and muffled, bias-y sonics that usually indicate mastering from higher generation tapes.

the young person's guide to king crimson has never been issued on CD. you're probably thinking of cirkus (subtitled the young person's guide to king crimson live), which was released in 1999.

 

[quote



the young person's guide to king crimson has never been issued on CD. you're probably thinking of cirkus (subtitled the young person's guide to king crimson live), which was released in 1999.[/quote]
I have it on CD. Japan E'G, VJCP-3001/3002. It's double CD in a fat boy.

 

That's true, it was released on CD. That front cover is my fav all time album cover. That would make a great shirt.

I got my vinyl in high school but haven't listened to it in years since I have everything on cd. I don't remember the sound quality being bad at all.

 

Yep, I had one of those in my hands in a record store years ago and assumed it would be coming out over here (US) too and passed on it, like an idiot. They show up on eBay once in a while, last one I seen was like 60 bucks.

 

My copy is EG but dates from 1979, I think? Vinyl is quiet, sonics are clear and far from sludgy. If anything it's a bit thin, not much bottom end. But then KC didn't develop monstrous bottom end until Levin came along.

 

Thanks for the info re. the EG re-issues. I think I'll pass on the EG "A Young Person's Guide To KC".

In my posts I was referring only to the LP set on vinyl and not CDs. [I thought it had been re-issued by Virgin and DGM on vinyl. Am I wrong?] And as someone above wrote, "A Young Person's Guide ..." was released on CD once - the only CD issue and never repressed- in Japan. I have it. The booklet is reproduced CD size, twice - one in book in Japanese and another booklet in English. It also has a fold-out poster of the KC family tree.

 

well, just a cursory search turned up more than a few examples of the CD online--I had no idea. pressed and distributed for EG by virgin japan in 1990. thanks for the info, everyone. I wouldn't mind getting one of those eventually if I could find it at a decent price. how's it sound?

I don't believe that it was ever pressed in any format with the cooperation of DGM. now that I know about the 1990 CD issue, I think that marks the last time it was issued, two years prior to the founding of DGM.

also,for the sake of clarity--EG had several runs of various records on their label (with some assistance from others, like polydor) throughout the 70s. it's specifically the 'editions EG' pressings from the late 80s which have the notorious SQ issues. these are also the pressings that may or may not have been half-speed mastered.

 

So was YOUNG PERSONS ever released on CD?
If not...I wonder why?
Perhaps it has something to do with it being the only KC I would need.

 

Nope. No CD version. If there was one it would have gotten added to Discogs by now.

http://www.discogs.com/King-Crimson-The-Young-Persons-Guide-To-King-Crimson/master/655

 

You'd think the Japanese would do a Mini LP Replica of it.
Anyways, I made my own for my DAP

 

My only regret is trading off my vinyl copy after I got it on CD. Didn't think there was much reason to have both once I got the CD. Oh well. Live and learn.

 

What CD are you talking about?

 

Umm. Not to be pedantic, but you might want to check post #11.

 

The CD of Young Persons Guide to King Crimson.

 

???
Who What Where When?
Details please.

Edit~Just checked post 11
DAMN!
How did I miss the release?

 

please see my post immediately above your first in this thread.

I was also unaware there was a CD release of this record, probably because DGM has withdrawn the compilation's existence from memory. the lone CD issue, I discovered, was released exclusively in japan two years prior to RF founding DGM.