King Crimson - In the Court Of The Crimson King (1969) [CD+DVD-A] {2009, 40th Anniversary Series} EAC Rip | FLAC (image+.cue+log) - 432 MB | Scans PNG - 121 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.98) - 180 MB
DVD-A | ISO+MDS - 7,34 GB | Audio: MLP: 5.1 / 2.0 (24/96) | DTS: 5.1 (24/48) | LPCM: 2.0 (24/48)
Genre: rock | RAR 5% Rec. | Label: DGM / Panegyric | CAT # KCSP1 | 2009 For better or for worse, a pretty decent argument can be mounted that progressive rock
— or "prog" as we know it today — was born with the 1969 release of
King Crimson's first album, In The Court Of The Crimson King. The
British band's early fans included Pete Townshend and Jimi Hendrix, and
it only took one listen for legendary music-exec Ahmet Ertegun to sign
them to his Atlantic Records on the spot. Now, forty years later,
another of King Crimson's fans, Porcupine Tree's studio wizard and
resident genius Steven Wilson has overseen a 40th Anniversary deluxe
edition of this landmark album, working alongside founding member Robert
Fripp. Wilson is said to have revered the album as a teenager, and is
also managing the analog-to-digital transfer of a number of other
nuggets from the Crimson catalogue.
But back to this one.
In The Court Of The Crimson King made its impact way back in 1969, by
breaking the blues-rock mold of British rock at the time. Crimson
instead stretched those boundaries to include much longer arrangements,
where the guitar was not always the most prominent instrument. The
original album has only five tracks, and there is not a guitar solo
amongst them (even though Robert Fripp was and remains one of rock's
most inventive guitarists).
The album's five songs vary from the studio-treated vocals and
jazz-rock-fusion freak out of "21st Century Schizoid Man," to the
mellotron-laced symphonic rock of "Epitaph" and the lilting woodwinds of
"I Talk To The Wind." Prog-rock bands from Genesis to Rush to Wilson's
own Porcupine Tree all adopted Crimson's blueprint in one form or
another over the decades to come.
Amazingly, the group's original incarnation only produced this single
album and broke up less than a year later (although Fripp kept the name,
and fronted several subsequent lineups of the band through the
seventies, eighties, and beyond).
For the 40th Anniversary edition of In The Court Of The Crimson King,
Wilson has transferred the original five tracks to digital, and
remastered them in MLPS lossless format, including a 5.1 sen-surround
mix that is included on the DVD. There is also a 2009 stereo mix on the
CD.
The bonus material includes alternate mixes of each track (on both the CD and the
DVD), as well an alternate version of the entire album on the DVD built
from alternate takes and, in the case of "I Talk To The Wind," a
practice run at the song in the studio. None of these have been
previously released.
Wilson's remix of the original album is the real prize here though. The
album sounds just as revolutionary now as it did then, and Wilson does a
fine job with the remastering. Greg Lake's vocals (and yes, that is the
same Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer fame), reveal a rather
underrated vocalist equally at home with the frenzied jazz-rock-fusion
of "Schizoid Man" and the introspective fantasy-laced lyrics of the
title track.
Elsewhere, the audio separation is flawless (especially on the 5.1
mixes). The drums are crisp and clear; the woodwinds, flutes, and
mellotrons float like butterflies; and the guitars sting like bees.
The bonus material is noteworthy mainly for the fact that it appears
here for the first time ever, but is otherwise nothing you'd miss
(unless you are a hardcore fan of course). If anything, the alternate
versions of these songs just confirm that the final selections made were
the correct ones.
Likewise with the restored DVD footage of King Crimson performing
"Schizoid Man" at London's Hyde Park (opening for the Stones). The mono
mix isn't unlistenable, but hearing the rest in 5.1 does tend to spoil
you a bit. The black and white video is likewise grainy, and features as
many shots of dancing hippies and flower children as there are of the
band.
All in all though, Wilson and Fripp have done a fabulous job here. If
you don't already own this progressive rock landmark, I can't think of a
better introduction. Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp have breathed new
life into a Crimson classic.
Personnel: Robert Fripp – guitar
Ian McDonald – flute, clarinet, saxophone, vibes, keyboards, mellotron
Greg Lake – bass, vocals
Michael Giles – drums, percussion
Peter Sinfield – lyrics, illumination
tracklist:
CD 01. 21st Century Schizoid Man - 7:24
02. I Talk To The Wind - 6:00
03. Epitaph - 8:53
04. Moonchild - 9:02
05. The Court Of The Crimson King - 9:31
Bonus Track: 06. Moonchild (Full Version) - 12:16
07. I Talk To The Wind (Duo Version) - 4:56
08. I Talk To The Wind (Alternate Mix) - 6:37
09. Epitaph (Backing Track) - 9:06
10. Wind Session - 4:31
DVD Audio Content
MLP Lossless 5.1 Surround
DTS 5.1 Digital Surround
Original Album
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man
02. I Talk To The Wind
03. Epitaph
04. Moonchild
05. The Court Of The Crimson King
MLP Lossless Stereo (24/96)
PCM Stereo 2.0 (24/48)
2009 Stereo Mix
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man
02. I Talk To The Wind
03. Epitaph
04. Moonchild
05. The Court Of The Crimson King
Original Master Edition 2004
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man
02. I Talk To The Wind
03. Epitaph
04. Moonchild
05. The Court Of The Crimson King
Additional Audio Content
01. Moonchild (Full Version)
02. I Talk To The Wind (Duo Version)
03. I Talk To The Wind (Alternate Mix)
04. Epitaph (Backing Track)
05. Wind Session
The Alternate Album
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man (Instrumental)
02. I Talk To The Wind (Studio Run Through)
03. Epitaph (Alternate Version)
04. Moonchild (Take 1)
05. The Court Of The Crimson King (Take 3)
Video Content
Audio mono
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man - Edit
All thanks goes to the original releaser! Disponible sólo a los usuarios