In 2009, DGM launched the King Crimson 40th Anniversary Editions of In the Court of the Crimson King, Lizard, and Red. Each album features a new 5.1 surround sound mix by Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson, additional bonus material, comprehensive sleevenotes and in some cases, a new stereo mix.

By Adam Garrie

Along with Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Miles and Coltrane—King Crimson stand as the most important musical personification of the 20^th century.  Fortunately for subsequent generations, the 20^th century was the great age of recorded sound and thus the music will doubtless be omnipresent in vaunted places for quite some-time into future centuries. 

At the end of the first decade of what we are told to call the ‘naughties’, three of King Crimson’s albums are given a technical  revitalisation thanks to 21^st century technology. For the more myopic of my readers you need only read the following if nothing else: Buy these three DVD-A/CD sets, and that is a recommendation that flirts sportingly with a demand.

Now onto what matters.  First of all, let’s be clear as to the fact that there is no ‘new’ material in these sets.  However, due of the artistic grandiosity of the music contained therein, a ‘re-working’ of such pieces is far more exciting a prospect than  new material by almost any other band of musicians.

Each DVD-A/CD set contains a new 5.1 surround mix and new stereo mixes, mixed and produced by Robert Fripp himself as well as Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree. Of the three releases only Red does not contain a new stereo mix, Fripp finding the original mix suitable for such a re-release, it has however been copiously re-mastered. 

When I first heard of new King Crimson releases in what for lack of more precise nomenclature can be called ‘hi-definition’ formats, I sincerely hoped the format of choice would have been SACD, as I passionately believe that in the digital realm there is no better means of sound reproduction than the DSD sound carried on an SACD.  Alas, Fripp and Wilson settled with the less cumbersome and still very high quality DVD-Audio format.  A hypothesised reason could be the fact that Fripp wanted to include DVD video material on the discs as well as a DTS track that can be reproduced more readily than the more niche DVD-Audio format.  Still seeing as each set comes with a redbook CD version of the new mixes/mastering, one could easily have included a hybrid SACD/CD along with a DVD video disc for the DTS tracks—but c’est la vie.

For whatever reason Fripp and Wilson decided to use 24 bit 96 khz lossless sound, rather than the 24 bit 192khz lossless sound DVD-Audio is capable of.  I dare not speculate as to why.  In spite of my initial technical qualms however, I must say the sound on the discs is stellar.  Refraining from hideous gimmicks like high dynamic rage compression, the discs reveal a depth to all three albums that surpasses any other release.  With respect to the new mixes, all are done in a tasteful yet inventive manner (more about individual albums below), and for those who want an ultra-high quality version of the original stereo mixes all three are here to be heard in 24/192 lossless sound making these discs an imperative listening even for those who consider re-mixing a kind of sin against originality. 

Now then on to the albums....

In The Court of The Crimson King (1969)

Un-apologetically harsh at times, un-apologetically beautiful at others and at all times challenging and highly emotive—1969’s In The Court of The Crimson King, ushered in a new era of music, whose legacy has grown over time, and whose impact remains steadfast. 

Whilst many bands in London’s thriving music scene of the late 1960s, contented themselves to revel in the optimism of ‘The Summer of Love’, a new more starkly grim social and political reality was besetting itself over Britain, Europe and indeed the wider world.  The Fifth Republic had withstood the Sorbonne Riots,  the season had turned on The Prague Spring, the anti-Vietnam War movement was becoming a caricature, and throughout Britain Macmillan’s ‘You’ve never had it so good’, had transformed into a country caught between political warnings of cultural breakdown, and impending economic collapse. 

It was against this backdrop that the young West Country band, King Crimson, wrote an uncanny masterpiece for all ages and none.  With bands like Soft Machine, Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Procol Harum, Crazy World of Arthur Brown and The Nice pushing musical boundaries ever further, King Crimson not only rode this tide but mastered it.  The original line-up of Robert Fripp, Ian MacDonald, Greg Lake, Michael Giles, and Peter Sinfield took ‘art rock music’ for lack of a better word, and elevated it to a new realm of sonic, rhythmic and harmonic sophistication.  Lyrically poet Peter Sinfield left the pedantic, drugs obsessed, juvenile optimism  of the time for dust, and embraced powerful, dark,  legitimately philosophical lyrics worthy of Blake, Houseman, and Eliot. 

Comprised of only five substantial tracks, In The Court of The Crimson King contained a quintet of utterly unique pieces, each with a distinct aura.  “21^st Century Schizoid Man” was a metallic, jazzy, diatribe against social break down, and perennial bellicosity, “I Talk To The Wind”, a pastoral lament, “Epitaph”—  a bold ode to loss, spiritual hypocrisy, individual neurosis, and mortal fate of Homeric proportions.  Moonchild a dark fairy story set against an improvisational backdrop, and finally the eponymous track—which was both an anthem of prowess and simultaneously a neo-medieval quiet dirge.

Forty years after her initial release, the album stands as a musical monument—which along with the works of Strauss, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Miles, and Coltrane, represents one of the most important music feats of the 20^th century.  Long suffering from sound quality that was substandard due to a hectic recording process, the new mix looks to breathe sonic life into a living classic. 

Mixed from the original 8-track tapes, the new mix reveals hidden depths in the mix of all the tracks, but none more apparent than “Epitaph” where once semi-hidden guitar crescendi and highly layered mellotron are brought to the fore as never previously dreamt possible.  Greg Lake’s hauntingly angelic vocals have a crystalline quality that was at times muddied in the original mix, and the intricate percussives of Michael Giles are now more prominent than ever.

Apart from this album being the most infamous of the bunch, for even long time Crimson followers this particular release is the most special because it represents the most vast technological improvement over the rushed original mix.

Lizard (1970)

Lizard has always been a King Crimson album, I’ve championed for its originality, and it’s delving into both highly jazzy as well as classical leitmotifs— and all this in spite of objections to its merits by Mr. Fripp.  The first side of the album delivers powerful tracks that have a metal edge that is balanced with many a consciously jazz sensibility.  The second side (well what was the second side) contains the Lizard suite which melds rather seamlessly lest intriguingly folk themes, jazz themes and classical sections that are frankly rather divine at times.

Lizard is also remembered as the King Crimson album with the greatest number of guest musicians lending their talents to the album.  Most famously Jon Anderson of Yes performs on the eponymous suite whilst Robin Miller performs an utterly beautiful obo solo in the suite.  Also in the suite Mark Charig provides a marvellous cornet solo, with Nick Evans playing a memorable trombone passage.

Lizardwas original recorded much better than In The Court from a technical standpoint, and this is a strong jumping-off point for the new mixes which reveal the very live nature of the album—hallmarks of the jazz and classical vignettes scattered throughout.  The new mix is cleaner, and more transparent than the original, which perhaps will allow this too oft overlooked album a passage back to the consciousness of music acolytes.

Red (1974)

Red’s influence on the music world is in many ways as broadly felt as is the influence of In The Court.  Here rather than meld genres into a pastiche of styles as was done in Lizard and also Islands, this edition of King Crimson created something that was not quite jazz, not quite prog rock,  not heavy metal, and not quite fusion either.  I suppose one could say it was just King Crimson then—‘just’.  Red is a hard hitting album that in-spite of its intensity is lucidly and indeed beautifully crafted.  Some might argue the individual musicianship of the band was never higher up to this point.  If Bill Bruford’s tenure in the band is any indication of this, one could understandably say Mr. Fripp felt rather the same.

Unlike the other albums in this set Red received no new stereo mix, but rather a 24/92 re-mastering of the original stereo mix, this in addition to the new surround mix.  Both are without question worth one’s while as the DVD-Audio format lets this intense album be heard more fully than previous editions.

Perhaps though the biggest treat of all with respect to the new Red are clips from French television of the band (complete with David Cross on violin and Mellotron) performing, “Larks Tongues In Aspic II”, “The Night Watch” (one must have a Rembrandt tribute, really), “Lament”, and “Starless”.  The video and especially the sound quality on these tracks are brilliantly good and make for an exciting look into the archives of Crimson past.

What Fripp and Wilson have done is just what they should have done—allow great albums to flourish as they’ve never done before.  There is no compromise in artistry, and little compromise in technological innovation. 

The only question that remains is when the rest of the King Crimson catalogue will be re-released.  One would hope soon, but till that juncture, the three albums currently available will leave many a whistle as well as appetite wet and wanting.