King Crimson 40th Anniversary Editions * Update *

From the KC DGM website http://www.dgmlive.com/news.htm

Forty years ago this month King Crimson went onstage at Hyde Park London as part of a bill topped by The Rolling Stones. The concert propelled the band from being the “hottest new band in London” to “hottest new band in the UK” overnight.

This status was confirmed when their classic debut album In the Court of the Crimson King achieved a UK Top 5 chart placing upon release in October that year. Such chart success was quickly replicated elsewhere with the record entering the US top 30 and replacing The Beatles’ Abbey Road at the top of the Japanese International Artist chart by the end of the year.

To celebrate 40 years of the Crimson Kings, DGM & Panegyric proudly announce the release of a series of CD/DVD-A editions of the original King Crimson studio albums.

Each CD/DVD-A release features the full original album plus bonus tracks on the CD. Two of the titles – Lizard & In the Court of the Crimson King feature entirely new 2009 stereo album mixes by Steven Wilson & Robert Fripp.

The DVD-A presents each album fully remixed into stunning 5.1 Surround Sound with Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) in the producer role and King Crimson founder member Robert Fripp as executive producer.

The 5.1 mixes are accessible in full MLP lossless audio on DVD-A players & DTS 5.1 on standard DVD players/DVD Rom drives. Additionally, High Resolution stereo is also accessible on the DVD-A (24/96 DVD-A & 24/48 DVD/DVD Rom).

Selected DVD-A titles in the series will also feature era specific, rarely seen, King Crimson video footage. Each album is presented in a double Digipack, with booklet artwork featuring new sleeve notes by Robert Fripp and King Crimson biographer Sid Smith alongside archive material and photos, enclosed in an outer card slipcase.

The first three titles are set for release this year with further titles to follow throughout 2010:

Red: September 21st 2009
In the Court of the Crimson King: October 12th 2009  (various editions)
Lizard: October 26th 2009

Red – (KCSP 7 CD/DVD-A) September 21st release.



CD: Features the original album plus three extra tracks, stunning pre-overdub trio versions of Red & Fallen Angel and the full version of Providence.

DVD-A: Features the original album in Hi-Res Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound editions, with the three additional tracks from the CD plus Journey to the Centre of the Cosmos also available in Hi-Res Stereo. The trio version of Fallen Angel and the full versions of Providence and Journey to the Centre of the Cosmos are also available in 5.1 Surround Sound.

Video footage: Rarely seen footage from French TV from 1974 featuring performances of Larks’ Tongues in Aspic II, The Night Watch, Lament & Starless


In The Court of the Crimson King – October 12th release – Available in three editions.



(KCSP 1 CD/DVD-A edition)

CD: Features entirely new 2009 stereo edition mixed from the original pre mix multi track tapes by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp, plus bonus tracks including early versions of I Talk to the Wind, the backing track for Epitaph and the session that produce the opening wind effect for 21st Century Schizoid Man.

DVD-A: Features the original album in 5.1 Surround Sound. The 2004 master edition & the 2009 new mix also appear in Hi-Res Stereo, along with several bonus tracks from the original recording sessions.  
Video Footage: Newly re-sequenced archive footage of 21st Century Schizoid Man from the legendary Hyde Park concert.

(DGM 5009 2CD edition)

CD1: as per above.

CD2: Features the 2004 master edition plus bonus tracks including the Morgan studios instrumental recording of 21st Century Schizoid Man, the John Peel Top Gear recording of I Talk to the Wind (not previously released on CD) and a transfer of the original single a/b side of The Court of the Crimson King.

(KCCBX 1 4CD/DVD-A Boxed set – Limited edition.)
Full details to be arranged.

Lizard – October 26th release.



(KCSP3 CD/DVD-A edition)

CD: Features entirely new 2009 stereo edition mixed from the original pre mix multi track tapes by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp plus three bonus tracks: Lady of the Dancing Water (alternate take), Bolero (alternative version originally from Frame by Frame) and a studio run through of Cirkus from the original recording sessions.

DVD-A: Features the original album in 5.1 Surround Sound. The 2004 master edition and the 2009 new album mix also appear in Hi-Res Stereo, along with the three bonus tracks from the CD. 




and also the SW website http://www.swhq.co.uk/index.cfm

DGM have announced details of the first 3 reissues in the revamping of the King Crimson back catalogue, to be released in September and October as CD/DVDA editions. SW has been working on these on and off over the last year, restoring the multi-track tapes from the best possible sources, remixing the albums into 5.1 surround sound, mixing unreleased tracks and alternate takes from the master tapes for the first time, and in some cases also creating brand new stereo mixes which enhance the sonics of the originals significantly. All of this work has been personally overseen by Robert Fripp, who also took part in the stereo remixing. The first 3 titles are Red, In the Court of the Crimson King (released as close to the exact 40th anniversary of its original release as possible), and Lizard. For those that have never considered the latter to be a significant part of the KC catalogue, the 5.1 version is a revelation!

Full details of all these releases (except for the multi disc box set version of In the Court of the Crimson King, for which details are still to be decided) are on the DGM website.






Edited by rushaholic - July 30 2010 at 17:23

Aw crap, I really don't want to buy my KCs over again, Steven Wilson doing the surround sound mixes makes it way too tempting. 

Must resist, must resist, must resist. 

Awesome! I might have to buy ITCOTCK AND Red again. I don't have Lizard yet, now it is my chance to get it in October. The live video footage will be kick ass!

Stooge wrote: There's a good enough excuse for me to finally pick up Lizard.

Haha. just what I was thinking.

I'd get Red as well, and Larks if they ever do it.  Probably S&BB also

rushaholic wrote: (KCSP 1 CD/DVD-A edition) CD: Features entirely new 2009 stereo edition mixed from the original pre mix multi track tapes by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp, plus bonus tracks including early versions of I Talk to the Wind, the backing track for Epitaph and the session that produce the opening wind effect for 21st Century Schizoid Man. DVD-A: Features the original album in 5.1 Surround Sound. The 2004 master edition & the 2009 new mix also appear in Hi-Res Stereo, along with several bonus tracks from the original recording sessions.   Video Footage: Newly re-sequenced archive footage of 21st Century Schizoid Man from the legendary Hyde Park concert. (DGM 5009 2CD edition) CD1: as per above. CD2: Features the 2004 master edition plus bonus tracks including the Morgan studios instrumental recording of 21st Century Schizoid Man, the John Peel Top Gear recording of I Talk to the Wind (not previously released on CD) and a transfer of the original single a/b side of The Court of the Crimson King. (KCCBX 1 4CD/DVD-A Boxed set – Limited edition.) Full details to be arranged.

ahhh man.I've started by the 30th anniversary,Oh well I may wait for these now.

That's ^ gonna be sweet though especially the hyde park footage.

I promised myself when i bought their first 7 albums on the 2006 japanese mini-lp edition, that will be the last time i bought KC albums. I believe i have bought those album at least 3 or 4 times!

CPicard wrote: Just after Magma released its box (which I don't have bought, but...) So, what do I do with my "old" CDs now?

When I decided to get the MAGMA box i sold all my previous albums (had all of them minus K.A) and the money I made almost added it up to the prize of the box. I don't know if I found the right buyers but I got the impression that Magma CDs are pretty sought-after. Here in Sweden you have to pay at least 17-18 bucks for a single new CD.

But it depends upon how many albums you've got + finding some good buyers I guess.

As for the topic: I think I'm going to get rid of my old KC CDs and awaiting these.


Edited by sampo - July 15 2009 at 06:15

Sorry, chaps, but I'm not going to be fooled by this. I'm perfectly happy with Robert Fripp's "definitive" 30th anniversary mixes. They sound as clear as anyone could hope for.

When you've forked out for these new bits of plastic, will you start saving for the even more spectacular 50th anniversary editions? Oh, come on!

Can't wait! Looking forward for the "Lizards"alot!  one of my fav albums

I just wish the man(Fripp) would just break down and do a 40th anniversary tour. I know the guy is not young anymore(neither is Tony Levin) but 20-30 dates over two months iin the USA is not too much. I'd even let him play 5 to 10 dates in the U.K and 5 to 10 in Europe.