THE COMPLETE 1969 RECORDINGS REVIEWED
Posted by Sid Smith on Oct 31, 2020

All About Jazz's John Kelman has posted his review of The Complete 1969 Recordings boxed set. . .

 

Click here to read the full review

 

The Complete 1969 Recordings is also the featured review in the latest edition of Prog magazine...

 

The Complete 1969 Recordings, a 26-disc boxed set, will be released in November 2020.

Pre-order links

Inner Knot (US)
Burning Shed (UK/EU)

The complete audio history of one of the most important debut albums of all time is presented across 26 discs in this boxed set. Featuring a new Dolby Atmos mix by Steven Wilson, 6 CDs' worth of session material on CD & Blu-Ray for the first time (fully mixed by David Singleton), a further disc of newly compiled studio material, the box also includes the original studio album, every alternate take known to exist, every mix known to exist, all live recordings known to exist & a selection of pre/Crimson 1968 recordings.

As with the previous seven boxed sets in the series, The Complete 1969 Recordings is housed in a vinyl sized box complete with a booklet featuring an introduction by Robert Fripp, notes about the source tapes from David Singleton, sleeve-notes by King Crimson biographer Sid Smith, previously unseen photos from the recordings sessions, additional memorabilia and a protective outer sleeve.

Having done 5.1 Surround Sound mixes for both the 40th & 50th-anniversary editions of the album, Steven Wilson was able to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by Atmos mixing, allowing for far greater movement within the mix itself. As he put it: "I've definitely had a bit more fun with the Atmos mix, watch out for solos and mellotrons circling overhead!" While the improv section of 'Moonchild' is a particular beneficiary of this approach, the mix is very active, with plenty of ear-catching moments to offer to listeners.

Likewise, significant work on the multi-track tapes was undertaken by David Singleton - who mixed all of the existing multi-track sessions recordings to stereo as well as running the single track CD length 'Let's Make a Hit Waxing' - from those same tapes. "Listening to the original recording sessions was astonishing.  Time collapses and you are suddenly there in the studio with a young band, just starting out, as they experiment with recording their first album. It is not so much listening to a slick product, more witnessing a process. You are present at the birth.”

 

King Crimson
The Complete 1969 Recordings
Tracklisting

Discs 1 - 18, 25, 26 CD
Disc 19 DVD, Disc 20 DVD-A,
Discs 21 - 24 Blu-Ray

 

Disc 1
Live at Hyde Park
 
1 21st Century Schizoid Man
2 The Court of the Crimson King
3 Get Thy Bearings
4 Announcement (Incomplete)
5 Epitaph
6 Mantra
7 Travel Weary Capricorn
8 Mars
9 Band Reunion Meeting
 
Disc 2
Live at the Marquee
 
1 21st Century Schizoid Man
2 Drop In
3 Announcement (Incomplete)
4 I Talk To The Wind
5 Epitaph (Incomplete)
6 Travel Weary Capricorn
7 Improv (inc Nola and Etude No. 7)
8 Mars
 
Disc 3
Live at Plumpton Festival
 
1 21st Century Schizoid Man
2 Get Thy Bearings
3 Announcement
4 The Court Of The Crimson King
5 Mantra
6 Travel Weary Capricorn
7 Improv
8 Mars
 
Disc 4
Live at Chesterfield Jazz Club
 
1 21st Century Schizoid Man
2 Drop In
3 Announcement
4 Epitaph
5 Get Thy Bearings
6 Announcement
7 I Talk To The Wind
 
Disc 5
Live at Chesterfield Jazz Club
 
1 Announcement
2 The Court Of The Crimson King
3 Mantra
4 Travel Weary Capricorn
5 Improv
6 Mars
 
Disc 6
Live at the Fillmore East
 
1 The Court Of The Crimson King (Incomplete)
2 Announcement
3 A Man, A City
4 Announcement
5 Epitaph
6 Announcement
7 21st Century Schizoid Man
8 The Court Of The Crimson King (Incomplete)
9 Announcement
10 A Man, A City
11 Announcement
12 Epitaph
13 Announcement
14 21st Century Schizoid Man
 
Disc 7
Live at the Fillmore West
 
1 Mantra
2 Travel Weary Capricorn
3 Improv Travel Bleary Capricorn
4 Mars
5 The Court of the Crimson King
6 Announcement
7 Drop In
8 A Man, A City
9 Announcement
10 Epitaph
11 Announcement
12 21st Century Schizoid Man
13 Announcement
14 Mars
 
Disc 8
Album - Original Master Edtion - expanded
 
1 21st Century Schizoid Man
2 I Talk to the Wind
3 Epitaph
4 Moonchild
5 The Court of the Crimson King
6 21st Century Schizoid Man
7 I Talk to the Wind
8 Epitaph
9 The Court of the Crimson King (Single A Side)
10 The Court of the Crimson King (Single B Side)
 
Disc 9
Alternate album - expanded
 
1 Wind Session
2 21st Century Schizoid Man (Morgan Studio Version with Overdubs)
3 I Talk To The Wind (Alt 2019 Mix)
4 I Talk To The Wind (Duo Version 2019 Mix)
5 Epitaph (Isolated Vocal 2019 Mix)
6 Epitaph (Alt Take 2019 Mix)
7 Moonchild (Take One 2019 Mix)
8 The Court of the Crimson King (Take 3 2019 Mix)
9 21st Century Schizoid Man (Trio Version 2019 Mix)
 
Disc 10
2009 Album Mixes - expanded
 
1 21st Century Schizoid Man 
2 I Talk to the Wind
3 Epitaph 
4 Moonchild 
5 The Court of the Crimson King
6 Moonchild [Full Version]
7 I Talk to the Wind [Duo Version]
8 I Talk to the Wind [Alternate Mix]
9 Epitaph [Backing Track]
10 Wind Session [21st Century Schizoid Man Intro]
 
Disc 11
2019 Album Mixes & Instrumental Mixes
 
1 21st Century Schizoid Man
2 I Talk to the Wind
3 Epitaph 
4 Moonchild 
5 The Court of the Crimson King
6 21st Century Schizoid Man
7 I Talk to the Wind
8 Epitaph
9 Moonchild (Edit)
10 The Court of the Crimson King
 
Disc 12
Let's Make a Hit Waxing
 
1 Let's Make a Hit Waxing
 
Disc 13
Sessions Disc 1
 
1 21st Century Schizoid Man (Morgan Studio Instrumental)
2 Epitaph Takes 1 to 3
3 Epitaph Takes 4 to 8
4 I Talk to the Wind Takes 1 to 4
 
Disc 14
Sessions Disc 2
 
1 I Talk to the Wind Takes 5 to 8
2 I Talk to the Wind Takes 9 to 12
3 The Court of the Crimson King Stereo Takes
 
Disc 15
Sessions Disc 3
 
1 The Court of the Crimson King Take 6
2 The Court of the Crimson King Take 1 and 2
3 The Court of the Crimson King Takes 3 to 7
4 The Court of the Crimson King Takes 8 to 10
5 The Court of the Crimson King Trailer Take 1
 
Disc 16
Sessions Disc 4
 
1 The Court of the Crimson King (Stormy Mix)
2 I Talk to the Wind Takes 3 to 6
3 I Talk to the Wind Takes 7 to 9
4 I Talk to the Wind Early Take
5 Drum Check
6 21st Century Schizoid Man Sax Sound Check
7 Ahh (Stormy Mix)
8 I Talk to the Wind (Stormy Mix)
 
Disc 17
Sessions Disc 5
 
1 Epitaph Takes 1 to 3
2 Epitaph Takes 5 - 11
3 Epitaph Take 2 (Stormy Mix)
 
Disc 18
Sessions Disc 6
 
1 Moonchild Takes 1 to 8
2 Moonchild Take 9 (complete)
3 Trailer Take and Take Overdubbed
4 Pipe Organ Takes
5 Wind Noise Takes
6 The Court of the Crimson King Takes
 
Disc 19
DVD
24/48 Complete Studio Sessions
24/48 Let's Make a Hit Waxing
16/48 Stormy Selections 
 
Disc 20
DVD-A
24/48 Original Master Edition
24/48 2019 album mixes in hi-res stereo and 5.1 Surround
 
Hyde Park Film Snippet
 
Disc 21
Blu-Ray
24/192 Giles, Giles and Fripp - as per CD 25
24/96 Complete Studio Sessions 
24/192 Live at Chesterfield Jazz Club
 
Disc 22
Blu-Ray
24/96 2009 Hi-Res Stereo and 5.1 Surround Mixes
24/96 Additional audio and Alternate album from the 2009 mixes
24/48 Original 1969 vinyl needledrops of UK stereo & US Mono Promo LPs
24/48 Original 1969 Mono UK Single A and B Sides and US Promo Single A Side
 
Disc 23
Blu-Ray
24/96 2019 Mixes in Stereo, 5.1 Surround and Instrumental Mixes
24/96 Original Master Edition
24/96 2019 Alternate Album and Additional Material Mixes
 
Hyde Park Film Snippet (audio mono)
 
Disc 24
Blu-Ray
2020 Dolby Atmos Mix
24/96 I Talk to the Wind (duo version) 5.1 Surround *
* audio through four channels only
24/96 Let's Make a Hit Waxing
 
Disc 25
Selected Recordings 1968
 
Giles, Giles and Fripp
 
1 Tremelo Study in A Major (Spanish Suite)
2 Suite No. 1
3 Scrivens
4 Why Don't You Just Drop In (i)
5 I Talk to the Wind (i)
6 Plastic Pennies
7 Passages of Time
8 Under the Sky (ii)
9 I Talk to the Wind (ii)
10 Erudite Eyes
11 Make it Today (ii)
12 Wonderland
13 Why Don't You Just Drop In (ii)
14 She is Loaded
 
Disc 26
BBC Sessions and Trees
 
1 21st Century Schizoid Man
2 Epitaph
3 The Court of the Crimson King
4 I Talk to the Wind
5 Get Thy Bearings
 
Live at Fairfield Hall, Croydon
 
6 Trees

 

Discs 1-3, 6 & 7 have been audio restored at DGM to remove hiss & other noise from earlier editions but with original DGM mastering to optimise original sound sources. Discs 4 & 5 present the complete concert on disc in a new transfer & master from the original cassette source - at least one generation better than previously presented. All material on Discs 1- 7 originally taken from audience or band recordings. Discs 12 - 18 are all new to disc & mixed from the original multi-track tapes. Disc 25 is taken from a new transfer & newly mastered from the original tapes. Material on disc 19 is new to disc. Material on discs 20 is new to DVD-A. Material on discs 21,22 & 24 is new to Blu-Ray.

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