Which King Crimson surround album should I get?

[van1]

IMHO, "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" is the best, so I would start with that one, but you also would not do wrong by starting with either "In the Court of the Crimson King" or "Red".

Choose wisely!

KC were a bit before my time. I'm looking to dip my toe and pick up 3 of their Steve Wilson 5.1 albums. Just wondering why you said 'choose wisely', was looking to grab 'Court', 'larks' plus 1

 

[4-earredwonder]

KC were a bit before my time. I'm looking to dip my toe and pick up 3 of their Steve Wilson 5.1 albums. Just wondering why you said 'choose wisely', was looking to grab 'Court', 'larks' plus 1

I think you might like Islands. IMO, it's one of their more accessible albums. I have them all and worth every penny! Steve Wilson worked with Roger Fripp himself on all the KC remasters and they're ALL brilliant, IMO.

https://www.amazon.com/Islands-40th-Anniversary-King-Crimson/dp/B003XTUZIM/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1524522520&sr=1-1&keywords=King+Crimson+Islands+DVD~A&dpID=514JalHHWML&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch [EXCELLENT PRICE, but have NO idea what AmazonUS would charge to ship this disc to Australia].

AmazonUK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Islands-40...r=1-1&keywords=King+Crimson+Islands+DVD~Audio

 

[van1]

I think you might like Islands. IMO, it's one of their more accessible albums. I have them all and worth every penny! Steve Wilson worked with Roger Fripp himself on all the KC remasters and they're ALL brilliant, IMO.

https://www.amazon.com/Islands-40th-Anniversary-King-Crimson/dp/B003XTUZIM/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1524522520&sr=1-1&keywords=King+Crimson+Islands+DVD~A&dpID=514JalHHWML&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch [EXCELLENT PRICE]

Great news about steve wilson's involvement and even better that they're all still available (at least in dvd-a, i wouldnt be going for the big boxes anyway)

Man, amazon.com is spoiling you guys. I can still get good deals elsewhere but their overseas shipping (at least for 1or 2 items) is prohibitive

Thanks for mentioning the doors best of, feel free to keep mentioning any new M/C mixes, i'm sure i'll be up for some of them

 

[4-earredwonder]

Great news about steve wilson's involvement and even better that they're all still available (at least in dvd-a, i wouldnt be going for the big boxes anyway)

Man, amazon.com is spoiling you guys. I can still get good deals elsewhere but their overseas shipping (at least for 1or 2 items) is prohibitive

Thanks for mentioning the doors best of, feel free to keep mentioning any new M/C mixes, i'm sure i'll be up for some of them

I did edit my original post to include an AmazonUK link for Islands.

And Van, you'd be surprised how many items I order from AmazonUK as sometimes they're WAY cheaper than AmazonUS........

I'll think of some more 5.1/4.0 titles you might like if you can indicate what type of music you most enjoy?

BTW, Van, Welcome to QQ!

 

[Albert Dagger]

KC were a bit before my time. I'm looking to dip my toe and pick up 3 of their Steve Wilson 5.1 albums. Just wondering why you said 'choose wisely', was looking to grab 'Court', 'larks' plus 1

You could pick the debut album, larks’, red and discipline. This should give you an overview of the different KC incarnations, at least until the ‘80s.
Though, if your choice relates to the mix quality, no doubt that the best surround mixes are Lizard, Larks, discipline and Thrak (by Jakko), IMO.

 

[Fourplay]

I think you might like Islands. IMO, it's one of their more accessible albums. I have them all and worth every penny! Steve Wilson worked with Roger Fripp himself on all the KC remasters and they're ALL brilliant, IMO.

Welease Woger!

 

[skherbeck]

KC were a bit before my time. I'm looking to dip my toe and pick up 3 of their Steve Wilson 5.1 albums. Just wondering why you said 'choose wisely', was looking to grab 'Court', 'larks' plus 1

I'd recommend "Red" as your third... that album really rocks!

 

[César]

Why limiting to SW's mixes? I'd add to your list Thrak. Their last great record in my opinion and a great example of their output on the nineties

 

[rusinurbe]

Why limiting to SW's mixes? I'd add to your list Thrak. Their last great record in my opinion and a great example of their output on the nineties

Totally agree Thrak has to be Jakko's best surround mix by far

 

[JerseyEd]

Lizard, Red, LTIA, Court.

 

[van1]

I did edit my original post to include an AmazonUK link for Islands.

And Van, you'd be surprised how many items I order from AmazonUK as sometimes they're WAY cheaper than AmazonUS........

I'll think of some more 5.1/4.0 titles you might like if you can indicate what type of music you most enjoy?

BTW, Van, Welcome to QQ!

Not a mega fan of the Doors but I do appreciate their stuff so if I had a chance to play a disc I'd choose multi channel. Which pretty much applies to all bands.

I'm a big fan of Aerosmith, cheap trick, max webster, steely dan and tom petty from NorthAmerica.

From elsewhere, Pink Floyd, camel, split enz, xtc and John cale.

As I get older i do have more time for less immediate music, ambient, fusion, jazz and classical.

While I like floyd, camel and Gabriel era genesis, I came to these bands through 'rock' not a love for prog. I haven't owned any king crimson, yes or elp, the only yes I listened to was 'relayer' which didn't do anything for me

I'm ready to give real prog a chance, especially as it has m/c and Steve Wilson tick boxes.

Willing to give a few king crimson a chance and the 'yes' album was also suggested to me

 

[Frogmort]

Probably my favorite all around surround disc and music is Lark's Tongues in Aspic. A close second for music is Red, but the audio isn't nowhere as good. Probably the best surround soundfield ever for drums is on Thrak. The Pat Mastelotto stereo fronts with the Bruford stereo back channels is absolutely astounding. I tend to feel that this mix was basically gleaned more by Woger (Robert) from Steven than by Jakko's involvement. Either way, the dual drums imaging on Thrak is unsurpassed.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Willing to give a few king crimson a chance and the 'yes' album was also suggested to me

I would check out Fragile too. It ties with TYA as my favorite Yes.

 

[van1]

Thanks for the recommendations. So far I've listened to Court, Larks and Red and love them!

No idea how I reached my mid 40's and never heard these!!! Will definitely pick these up and also dig deeper

Thanks again

 

[kap'n krunch]

Thanks for the recommendations. So far I've listened to Court, Larks and Red and love them!

No idea how I reached my mid 40's and never heard these!!! Will definitely pick these up and also dig deeper

Thanks again

Well, hold on to your hat cause there ain't a clunker in the KC series!!!

 

[jimfisheye]

I'd like to get one of the 5.1 mixes (to start with, anyway). I'm guessing either Court of the Crimson King, Larks Tongue, or Wake of Poseidon. Most of the threads are old. And, for example, the poll threads were done before all the albums were released. Now that most of them have been released, what would you recommend?

Should I choose solely based on the music itself? Or does any particular album shine best in 5.1?

I have the latest live Blu-ray, but I don't recall it benefiting much from 5.1.

If those albums are your favorites, then that's where you should start!
I'm the biggest fan of the late 72 - 74 period but ironically, LTIA is my least favorite remix. I am a fan of literally every incarnation of the band (save the recent retrospective tribute band crap going on) so all of them are must haves for me. And all of them have moments of greatness at worst (even LTIA).

My favorite remixes:
THRAK - This has to be heard to be believed! It should be one of your end all be all surround system demo albums. 5.1 was required to contain this album and the remix shows that off. The original sounds just appalling next to this.
Islands - Fantastic mix and next most improved mix!
Lizard - Steve Wilson finished this album for them. (Says it was his favorite and you can hear that.) Makes the original sound like an unfinished demo.
Beat - Another kind of over the top improvment on the original again. The original mix sounds squashed and blurred and this just opens it right up and with the proper weight of the band intact.

 

[jimfisheye]

Not sure what's up with the double post...
Where's the delete button?

 

[sjcorne]

So most would say that Larks' Tongues is the best one in terms of surround mix?

The thing that's annoying with KC is that I can't stream the albums first to tell if I'll like them or not. I've still only got Court, not sure where to go next...

 

[himey]

So most would say that Larks' Tongues is the best one in terms of surround mix?

The thing that's annoying with KC is that I can't stream the albums first to tell if I'll like them or not. I've still only got Court, not sure where to go next...

I go to Lizard more than the others but I dig them all.

 

[rtbluray]

So most would say that Larks' Tongues is the best one in terms of surround mix?

The thing that's annoying with KC is that I can't stream the albums first to tell if I'll like them or not. I've still only got Court, not sure where to go next...

Larks’ is the best. (IMHO that is)