Product Info
26-Disc Box Set : 20 x CD / 4 x Blu-Ray / 2 x DVD
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“…Let’s make a hit waxing…” – studio chatter on recording sessions, 1969
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.
The set - as with the previous boxed seven sets in the series - 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 & a protective outer sleeve.
“…an uncanny masterpiece” – Pete Townshend, 1969
It’s a quote that’s forever associated with the album. It was used in advertising at the time of release. Unlike many claims made in advertising it has, like the album it heralded, stood the test of time. It’s easy to forget how quickly things moved for the first incarnation of King Crimson: Formed January 13th 1969; by late Spring they were regulars on stage at the likes of The Marquee and The Speakeasy clubs & performed with Tyrannosaurus Rex at The Lyceum, during May recorded the first of two BBC sessions, initial album recording sessions in June & then, in early July – the big breakthrough – played to 650,000 people in Hyde Park supporting The Rolling Stones, the album recorded in July/August, signed to Island Records (& Atlantic in the USA), missed the Isle of Wight festival due to illness/exhaustion, more gigs & a second BBC session in August, broadcast in September, a Top 5 charting, unanimously lauded album in the UK, followed by a Top 30 debut in the USA weeks later, toured the USA – with concert appearances at legendary venues such as the Boston Tea Party, Chicago’s Kinetic Playground, New York’s Fillmore East & another appearance on a bill with The Rolling Stones – this time at a Miami festival & then, following a series of December appearances at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, it was over, as quickly as it had begun – the arc for the band from formation to dissolution had taken barely more than 11 months, leaving behind an iconic – both musically and in terms of cover art - self-produced debut album, a fearsome live reputation & the sense of a band that, in its brief period of existence, set its own agenda. This boxed set collects every existing note that the band played - from the live gigs to the complete studio sessions, the album itself, plus every alternative take & all mixes of the album including the original mix, the 40th and 50th anniversary mixes in stereo & surround sound & a brand new Dolby Atmos mix - the ultimate edition of the quintessential debut album.
Familiar sources, fresh sounds...
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
This release is the final piece of the puzzle covering the Anthology of King Crimson from 1969-2008.
Ultimate Boxed Set Edition of one of rock music’s seminal debut albums.
Blu-Ray 4 features all-new, 2020, Dolby Atmos mix by Steven Wilson.
Complete, fully mixed stereo recording sessions feature on Blu-Ray, DVD & across 6 CDs.
Blu-Rays also feature the original master edition of the 1969 album mix in 24/96 stereo, the 2019 stereo & 5.1 mixes, the 2009 stereo & 5.1 mixes, a complete alternate album comprising 2019 mixes & more.
"Let's Make a Hit Waxing" - single CD 'in the studio with the band' mixed & compiled by David Singleton - also features in 24/48 on DVD & 24/96 hi-res on Blu-Ray.
13 further CDs present all known live recordings of the band, BBC sessions, a CD compilation of Giles, Giles & Fripp material (1968) & all studio recordings & alt takes of the main album.
Presented in an album sized box with outer slipcase, containing a 12" booklet featuring an intro from Robert Fripp, notes about the source tapes by David Singleton, sleeve-notes by King Crimson biographer Sid Smith & previously unseen photos from the recording sessions plus memorabilia.
Artwork derived from 2019 scans of the original paintings, meticulously restored.
The eighth boxed set in the series documenting King Crimson’s studio & live recordings from 1969 onwards.
Tracklist
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
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
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
Atmos 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