Now that Dolby Atmos is available and there are facilities available, the Curzon cinema in London being one, would there be any chance of Crimson music being played for everyone. Dolby Atmos is expensive for the average listener. I listened to Steven Wilson's latest album at the Curzon and I was impressed.
Written by Andrew Mather
14 March, 2024
March 15 1997
A rare visit for me to London and Epitaph Playback holds great memories of a special time. The power of the music remains. The subsequent times and timings of life appears even more magiKCal.
Written by Kilian
13 March, 2024
Re: 1980s live vinyl releases
The news of a potential 'Absent Lovers' vinyl release is great news!! Another show which would be great to have released in a standalone vinyl format would be the 'Europe 1982' "lost" live album which was mixed by Brad Davis Robert Fripp in 1983.
The 1982 Frejus / Cap D'Agde are arguably just as definitive a representation of 80s Crim as 'Absent Lovers' and the fact that the mixes are from the original time period lends it an authenticity.
Fripp even said this about the performances in his...
The news of a potential 'Absent Lovers' vinyl release is great news!! Another show which would be great to have released in a standalone vinyl format would be the 'Europe 1982' "lost" live album which was mixed by Brad Davis Robert Fripp in 1983.
The 1982 Frejus / Cap D'Agde are arguably just as definitive a representation of 80s Crim as 'Absent Lovers' and the fact that the mixes are from the original time period lends it an authenticity.
Fripp even said this about the performances in his diary in 1999:
"David & I were completing the mastering for Club release No. 5: KC at Cap d'Agde. The sound & playing are very good, good enough for a main release, but the repertoire is sufficiently covered by "Absent Lovers" at this point."
Since 1999 there have been a number of more "main" releases and I would argue that having a vinyl release of this material would not be excessive, rather a companion to 'Absent Lovers'.
Alex Mundy replied:
Dear Kilian, Thank you for your enthusiasm, I will pass on your request.
Written by Dmitry
13 March, 2024
Elements period (2014-2021) box set
Another question is about large box set (20+ discs) of last KC reincarnation. I have owned all tour boxes (2014-2021) and found some interesting demos or studio rehearsals of new songs. Are there any plans to release a box set with a lot of studio and live material?
Thank you for your answers.
Alex Mundy replied:
Dear Dmitry, Sounds like a great plan, do you know something that I don't? Seriously though, at this time there are no plans (that I know of) for such a release. We will make articulate announcements as and when new titles are being scheduled for release.
Written by Dmitry
13 March, 2024
A scarcity of miracles box set
Hello, Alex!
Could you give us some inside information about it. Will it contain 15+ or 2-4 discs?
Alex Mundy replied:
Dear Dmitri, At this time, I'm not sure of the content of the re-issue, but as soon as there is some information to share, we will let you know via the news page, and social media outlets.
Written by J Hessel
13 March, 2024
Jakko and Steve Hackett
Here is a video of Jakko performing the Genesis song Entangled with Steve Hackett last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6xCU8IFFnE&t=17s
We were lucky to have Jakko in this last version of King Crimson!
Favorite Crimson singers in my opinion.
Wetton, Belew, Jakko, Lake, Boz
I put Lake lower than the first three because of the limited body of work , live and recorded, compared to the others. He did have a very special voice.
The most original singer of these has to be Belew with his un...
Here is a video of Jakko performing the Genesis song Entangled with Steve Hackett last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6xCU8IFFnE&t=17s
We were lucky to have Jakko in this last version of King Crimson!
Favorite Crimson singers in my opinion.
Wetton, Belew, Jakko, Lake, Boz
I put Lake lower than the first three because of the limited body of work , live and recorded, compared to the others. He did have a very special voice.
The most original singer of these has to be Belew with his unique approach and lyrics. The most versatile is clearly Jakko. Wetton had the most beautiful voice and style. Boz is the most underrated.
Just my opinions, what's yours?
Alex Mundy replied:
Dear J, Just to say that the video is actually from 2013, but uploaded last year. There is also an interview with Jakko from a month or so ago, which is worth viewing Jakko Jakszyk: My Go-To Guitars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SwBpnzJlR0
The best-sounding show of the 1972 show is sadly one of its weakest
Everybody knows the classic "Earthbound sound" of the cassette soundboards recorded during King Crimson Mk. II's terminal 1972 tour: thuddy, hissy, overloaded, flattened dynamics, etc. The sound quality of that original album (among other things) felt like Fripp's unsubtle commentary about his state of mind at the time: he had a sour view of this experience, one which took years to sweeten, and he wanted listeners to know it. The Stanley Theatre show is singular during this tour as being the one...
Everybody knows the classic "Earthbound sound" of the cassette soundboards recorded during King Crimson Mk. II's terminal 1972 tour: thuddy, hissy, overloaded, flattened dynamics, etc. The sound quality of that original album (among other things) felt like Fripp's unsubtle commentary about his state of mind at the time: he had a sour view of this experience, one which took years to sweeten, and he wanted listeners to know it. The Stanley Theatre show is singular during this tour as being the one live show that DOESN'T sound that way: other than the in-studio radio session at Summit Studios later in March, this is the sole existing known recording of the 1972-era band that doesn't sound like it's been squashed like a grape by the limitations of a cheap input microphone.
Shame that the actual show is terrible, authentically one of the worst that Crimson gave during an era where intra-band tensions have probably never been higher. The surprise for many Crimson fans -- returning to this once-neglected era via DGM and the miracle of downloadable music after years of its reputation being canonically set as "the unfortunate era" -- is how riveting and exploratory many of these Islands-era shows are (I recommend 10/18/71 Leicester and 2/17/72 Detroit in particular). None of that is in evidence here, where the group is sloppy (one suspects partially drunken as well) right from the get-go of "Pictures Of A City." None of the playing ever gels, and the low point is hit on "Ladies of the Road," a song which was always the source of live mischief but which here collapses into outright unprofessionality on the part of all but Fripp.
It is interesting to hear a band quietly feuding with itself onstage, and it makes for a memorable one-time listening experience. But this is not the place to go for a quality (or even representative) show for this era, which is a shame given that it is by far the best-sounding concert tape we have from this era.
I've always been a fan of Larks era King Crimson, and this Bootleg doesn't disappoint, A full play-through of every LTiA song, in addition to some improv that i swear sounds like a unpolished version of "Guts on My Side" from the 40th anniversary version of Starless and Bible Black. Honestly worth it just to hear that, plus a performance of Dr. Diamond. A great listen for a Larks fan!
I love all three variations. Wish they had developed the idea more, to include it on the live show or the album, but we do have it here, so it's okay!!