Posted by Sid Smith on Jul 30, 2010 - This post is archived and may no longer be relevant

In The Wake of Poseidon and Islands will make up the next installment of the 40th anniversary remasters. Both feature brand new 5.1 surround sound remixes by Steven Wilson and brand new stereo mixes by Wilson and Robert Fripp.

The titles are scheduled for release on October 1st and can be pre-ordered at our friends at Burning Shed and at DGM Mail Order.


The press notes for In The Wake of Poseidon have this to say:

The fourth release in King Crimson's superlative 40th Anniversary series.

Featuring new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes (by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp), Sid Smith sleeve notes and extra tracks (including Greg Lake's guide vocal rendition of Cadence And Cascade), this is a definitive edition of a classic album.

This edition presents a near complete new stereo mix by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp. As tape for one track, The Devil's Triangle, could not be located, the original stereo is included to maintain the original running order.

The CD also includes a new mix of Groon (Cat Food's b-side) a newly mixed alternate take of Peace: An Ending and the first CD appearance of Greg Lake's guide vocal take of the beautiful ballad Cadence and
Cascade.

The DVD-A features a 5.1 mix by Steven Wilson, with Devil's Triangle up-mixed to 5.1 by Simon Heyworth, hi-res stereo versions of the 30th anniversary stereo master, the 2010 album mixes and ten hi-res bonus tracks including the original single a & b side Cat Food/Groon, the bonus tracks from the CD and a number of other session takes, rehearsals and mixes.

For an album that shouldn't have been recorded by a band that didn't exist, In The Wake of Poseidon continues to intrigue King Crimson fans 40 years after its initial release.

Next up is Islands


The fifth release in King Crimson's superlative 40th Anniversary series.

Featuring new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes (by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp), Sid Smith sleeve notes and copious extra tracks and alternate versions, this is a definitive edition of a frequently beautiful and sometimes unfairly overlooked part of King Crimson's always intriguing back catalogue.

Islands, the only studio album from the second performing lineup of King Crimson was always more akin to a snapshot of the band than a fully realised image.

The CD/DVD-A package assembled as the fifth in the series of 40th anniversary releases provides that much bigger picture. The CD presents a complete stereo remix by Steven Wilson & Robert Fripp alongside a group of additional tracks representing a near complete alternate album of studio takes, run-throughs and mixes.

The DVD-A presents a complete 5.1 surround sound mix by Steven Wilson, a hi-res stereo version of the 2010 mix, a hi-res stereo version of the original album mix taken from the 30th anniversary master source and almost 90 minutes of additional material, the vast majority of it previously unreleased, including many studio takes mixed from the original recording sessions specifically for this release. The material covers everything from early rehearsals of Pictures of a City (one of the final new songs performed by the 1969 lineup) to the previously unheard A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls (showcasing early ideas & elements that would appear in fully realised form on later KC albums), a fragment of Fripp playing the tune of Islands on a mellotron, a blistering live Sailor's Tale from the Zoom Club & much more, making this an essential release for King Crimson fans.

Islands occupies a unique place in the King Crimson discography. Unlike the previous albums In the Wake of Poseidon & Lizard which were studio creations, never taken on the road by a performing band, most of the Islands material was performed live. Yet the album manages to offer the continuity of the earlier albums, showcasing Fripp's growth as a composer & arranger in pieces such as the title track & Prelude: Song of the Gulls, while simultaneously providing the classic Crimson sonic assault of Sailor's Tale, a piece ideally suited to being performed live & one that would stretch & alter with each new performance.

More details and full tracklistings for both releases will be issued soon.