Score: 93
Genre: Progressive Rock
Release Date: October 25, 2019
Related Artists: Gentle Giant, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, YES
The beauty of the current wave of 50th Anniversary box set
releases is that they are entering the golden age of modern rock music— the
1970's. If In the Court of the Crimson King foretells a
string of influential 50th Anniversary reissues to follow, music
fans have cause for celebration.
In 1969, there was the crisp, airy resonance of vinyl. In the
1980s, Compact Discs sucked out all the air and antisepticised the sound. In
the late 1990s, clarity and depth were eliminated altogether through
compression to fit on portable digital devices and streaming services. Only
recently have we begun to move in the opposite direction. More storage and bandwidth
mean larger digital files with "less loss" and high-quality sound has
come full-circle and is attainable once again. Herein lies the opportunity to
bring these 50th Anniversary reissues back to life by leveraging modern
technology to restore the sound to its organic, multi-dimensional form.
This Blu-ray disc in this collection does just that, featuring
all-new 5.1 & stereo mixes by Steven Wilson, approved by Robert Fripp in
24/96 resolution. Wilson not only remixed the original album; he also remixed
much of the bonus material that he had mixed initially in 2009. This 4-disk set
includes 3 CDs of the original remixed album by Steven Wilson plus instrumental
versions, an expanded edition of the alternate album from the Blue-Ray, the
original master edition of the 1969 mix, plus additional tracks. Suffice
to say, the sound will overtake you and force you to surrender to its majesty.
I distinctly remember the first time I heard this album. I
bought it from a used record store based solely on the bizarre artwork of the
Schizoid Man himself, which resembles a modern-day Edvard Munch Scream.
On a warm spring day on the porch of my college apartment, I poured myself some
Carlo Rossi wine from a jug, scraped enough resin for a decent bong-hit,
dropped the needle, and surrendered. "Said the straight man to the late
man, where have you been?" I was indeed the late man who had "been
here and there and in-between." The album went immediately into heavy
rotation and to this day, I can't listen to this seminal masterpiece without
thinking back to that afternoon.
To think that In the Court of the Crimson King was
King Crimson's debut album boggles the mind. Typically, bands need a few
throwaways before finding their identity. King Crimson came out of the gates
with unadulterated rawness and a sound much like truth, which hadn't been
spoken very loudly until then. Not only did the music illuminate the chaos of
the times, so did the lyrics. 1969 is when the walls of establishment crumbled
at the hands of the counter-culture, songs such as "21st Century Schizoid
Man" conveyed the angst of the dissociative and marginalized youth of the
time. Images of burning politicians and starving children shed light on the
mental and physical destruction of the Vietnam War and deepened the divide
between generations.
Standout tracks include the original studio instrumental take of
"21st Century Schizoid Man," which has been completely remixed and
re-imagined by David Singleton. It adds Greg Lake vocals from later studio
sessions as well as Saxophone and guitar overdubs, creating a juggernaut of a
song that infuses energy amidst bravado, leaving the listener's consciousness
forever altered. The instrumental closing version of "The Court of the
Crimson King" strips the vocals exposing deeper-layered intricacies of
sound evoking an entirely different atmosphere.
The dissection and reverse-engineering of this masterpiece
provide a bounty of tracks for King Crimson and progressive music fans to sink
their teeth into. "Epitaph," for instance, appears in five different
forms. The "Isolated vocal, 2019 mix" is the most provocative as it
isolates Greg Lake's vocals for three minutes and forty-four seconds before
elevating the instrumental tracks to carry the song to its dramatic, yet gloomy
conclusion.
Over the years, the band's lineup has evolved with its sound.
Their 2019 tour featured eight musicians, including three drummers. They remain
highly influential, and their live shows have garnered the highest of
accolades. This collection falls between the 40th Anniversary Series remixes a
decade ago, the earlier 2019 remastered release, and the planned 2020 box set
release (which will include all of this material). What it offers collectors
and fans alike is a more affordable package of Steven Wilson's remixes plus
rare bonus material. Most importantly, this thoughtfully mixed and packaged
release serves as a 50th Anniversary tribute, a genuflection and a gift left at
the altar in the Court of the Crimson King.
- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen
This edition is unavailable on Spotify.
The following is a link to the 2014 release.
