King Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King" on CD

2004 issue

 

Steven Wilson's stereo remix is the only version of this album I listen to anymore. Superb clarity and a richness the music deserves.

 

Listened to the DVD-A stereo track last night thanks to this thread. Amazing!

 

Unanimous

It seems it is unanimous. The original EG CD is the best. No wait, it is the original vinyl that is the best or was that the 2004 original master version? No, no it is the 2010 remix that is the best. Wait, wait but of course it is the 5.1 mix that is the most awesome! Well anyways it is a concensus that it is a great album.

 

That's right.

 

The original EG is very easy on the ears but it doesn't have the clarity of the 2004 remaster. If you're a fan of early CDs in general, go for the EG. If you're a fan of quality remasters, go for the 2004.

 

Also available as Japan 1st Pressing 32VD and Japan 2nd Pressing VJD.

 

It's all comparing apples and oranges. Some people applaud the best mastering even when the source tape (or vinyl copy or digital file or whatever) is inferior. Others can put up with a compromised mastering if its from the best possible source. Not everyone judges these things by the same criteria.

 

Does the WG CD have 'original EG' mastering?
I've compare it with 32VD and the difference was quite noticeable.
It makes sense if it has a unique mastering.

 

2004 in HDCD on an HDCD player. Very close to the remix IMO.

 

One thing that puzzles me about the latest dvd-a reissues is that the 2 I have so far, ITCOTCK and ITWOP, even though the files are 24/96 and supposedly redone from the master tapes, they both have no information whatsoever above 22khz, according to Audacity. Has anyone else noticed this? They both sound good though, especially Poseidon.

 

The WG was the first cd version released worldwide and has a very different mastering to the others.

 

Thanks. It makes a sense.

 

The early cd has the better tonality but the poorest tape source / transfers. I am not 100% happy with the 2004 disc but it certainly uses most of the best tapes.

 

1) Original EG [pre 1989, pre-definitive]. *
slight edge over
1a) 30th from 1999

I do not like the 2004. Sounds dynamically reduced to me and I think off tone-wise as well. If this had been done like the 1999 but with the better tapes for side 1 this could have been epic.


* Try to find one of those factory sealed. There are difficult to find used in any condition. Took me quite a while to get one in M-.

 

The 2004 OME sounds great. Not bright on my system (Dyanudio BM5a). Very warm sounding but with good detail.

The Atlantic(red/green label) vinyl has great mid range but was lacking on the bottom end. The 1989 CD was too muffled and you could tell was from lower generation tape.

Just my two cents.

 

the 2004 remaster is the same on included with the 2009 remix, right?

 

Yes.

 

really !!! got rid of that puppy a long time ago sounded so nutered.

Thankfully the DVDA renewed my faith in King Crimson a version that spits from the speakers

 

seems the only concensus is that its a great album which has deserved better treatment, over the years.
For me the DVDA is the one to have though i also have the box to fall back on so may versions of the same songs !!!

next up larks ...

 

Original master edition is the best source for the original mix, we can almost definitely say that. But it's EQ decisions are another story. How does it compare to the famed pink label Island vinyl? (from Fripp's personal copy from the Court box set)



Ouch. Someone had a trigger finger on this one.

 

That gets my vote

 

Of the 4 versions I've heard, my pick is the 1999 30th anniversary release, which is well mastered and uses a good source tape.

Second choice would be the original EG. No mastering sins, but uses a suboptimal source.

I don't particularly care that the OME uses the original master -- it's too damn bright, especially on Schizoid Man, where (as Jeff C has pointed out) the drums simply don't sound natural. Third place.

The Definitive Edition version gets very little love on this forum, and I no longer have a copy to do comparisons, but I remember it having a somewhat muffled sound (maybe from noise reduction?). Still, I don't recall it being unpleasant sounding, and I imagine that if I heard it again I might actually prefer it to the OME because of the more relaxed mastering.

 

Agree, and everyone that's into music should already own a DVD-A player.

 

What about In the Wake?