Search - King Crimson :: Usa: 30th Anniversary Edition

Jobson's Overdubs an Uncertain Plus

Johann Cat | 04/23/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a high fidelity, butt-kicking record, so my reservations are based on fine points and on my view that there are other, better representations of the 1973-74 Crimson. What's odd about this record are the violin overdubs by Eddie Jobson. As others here point out, David Cross, the violinist on site, was dialed out of the mix (perhaps because he wasn't loud enough in the original), and Jobson brought in. Jobson is an excellent player, mind you, and he sounds great on a record like Roxy Music's live "Viva." But overdubbing a live record is tricky business at best, and the ambiance of the violin is rather obviously not that of Crimson's locale: it sounds mailed-in. The best live set from this period remains "The Great Deceiver;" in second place I'd put the double set "Night Watch." The production of the "Great Deceiver" performances, many also made in America, is drier and "realer" sounding overall (there's either ambient echo or a tad added to "USA"), and the violinist Cross is fine on those records. Still, "USA" remains the only single-disc live Crimson from this period."

BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE 2 MINI-SLEEVE VERSIONS!

BOB | LOS ANGELES, CA | 03/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As of January 2006, KC collectors should be aware there are now two mini-sleeve versions of this title.



The 30th Anniversary version, the first release, was a non-glossy, gatefold mini-sleeve CD.



The 2nd version, released 1/06 in Japan, is a single jacket, glossy cover which more closely replicates the original UK cover.



The 2006 OBI: Catalog # IECP-10011



30th Anniversary version: Catalog # CDVKCX12



WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?



Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.



Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.



Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.



Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.



All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs."

I was psyched when they finally released this on CD...

Stephen Cabral | New England | 11/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Boy was I psyched when they finally released this on CD recently. Fripp hated this album and only released it back in 1975 to combat all the bootleggers out there. I don't understand why he hated it. The band is so tight here and it really rocks. There is another Crimson live album called Earthbound that's a piece of crap that never should have been released. The line-up here is Fripp/Wetton/Cross/Bruford...very strong, and it's from the last tour before they broke up and reformed with Levin/Belew several years later. This is nicely remastered with various newspaper clippings for liner notes. It also has two additional strong tracks from the same concert. You gotta love CDs!"