THRAK A]

While I didn't love this era of King Crimson as much as the John Wetton era there was no way I was missing out on this box set. I began buying these with "The Road To Red" and although it set me back a few hundred quid I went out and got the other three ("ITKOK", "LTIA" and last year's "Starless"). While the price might appear hefty on the surface, the contents are a bargain, currently this box is retailing at £95 for 12 CDs, 2 DVDs & 2 Blu Rays, you do the math, it's a steal. Onto the contents, while nowhere near as exhaustive as the Wetton era sets the emphasis hear is on quality rather than quantity.There are 3 complete live shows on CD, 2 on Blu Ray and video (an upgraded "Deja VROOOM" and an unreleased show from San Fransisco, the SF show picture quality is a long way from the rumoured HD visuals but the soundtrack is superb), an expanded version of the long out-of-print "VROOOM" EP, an audio documentary about the making of the album using outtakes from the studio session reels, the original and 2015 mixes of "THRAK" (the 5:1 mix really showcases The Double Trio as it should be heard), a CD of improvs and a CD of B-sides, outtakes and odds-and-sods. On top of that you get a full colour book, posters, postcards and other memorabilia. Giving "THRAK" this new lease of life has really opened my eyes to what an incredible and unique album it is, I enjoyed it before but it never had the same impact on me that the likes of "Red" or "Discipline" had, now it has. KC are setting the standard for this format, opening the vaults for fans in a way that no other band has, roll on the next one!

Music is of course excellent, unfortunately the same can't be said for the mix.Steven Wilson has overall done a pretty good job with Crimson's 40th Anniversary remixes so wasn't thrilled when they announced current singer/guitarist Michael "Jakko Jakckskcksyycksky" Curran would be taking over for THRAK.Fripp refers to the new mix in the sleevenotes as "a new take on stereo in the early 21st Century" (or along those lines). '20th Century' would have been more accurate; this sounds more like a George Martin circa-1965 stereo realisation. As an academic exercise to break apart the dense soundscape the 'double trio' create here, the mix is perfect. An enjoyable listening experience however it is not. Especially not for the newcomer.Whereas Wilson's job involved applying digital technology for the first time to 20-40 year old (at the time!) tapes, an improvement in quality was often palpable. The idea that a 1995 Real World Studios mix could somehow be improved upon in a home studio - even twenty years later - is baffling however and justifies the profession of mixing engineers everywhere. What it feels like you're getting here is a listen-back to the raw tracks pre-mix. Eccentric panning renders the album unlistenable in headphones and the sheer intensity of the 6-piece is all but gone. The vocal production is especially disappointing.I've focussed on the stereo mix here. Peaking behind the magician's curtain to hear Crimson tunes dissected is already the selling-point of surround mixes. Extending that novelty to the stereo mix though is unforgiveable. The 30th Anniversary remaster already brings a perfect mix into the 21st Century. It has balls. This doesn't.[As a brief addendum: following Belew's dismissal from the group and this shambles of a mix I became incredibly uninterested in the activities of Fripp & Co. for several years. That was until seeing them on the UK leg of their Uncertain Times Tour, Nov 2018. My low expectations were thankfully blown away: the octet is an incredible band and Jakko really justifies his place, both on the new and '69-'74 material. Just please keep him away from all mixing duties in the future!]

As the previous Crimson boxes there's a lot to read, see and listen, and I'm still digging it. My impressions so far on the music:CD 1 - JurassiKc THRAK - This one I listened from the blu-ray. Compared to "Keep That One, Nick" from the Larks' box this one is much more polished, good to know and listen, but hard to listen again. Maybe I'd choose some demo and 'studio run-through' tracks to put on a separate disc. They also could build a track, beginning with its acoustic demo than adding other instruments and so...Anyway it's was great to listen proto-Dinosaur with incomplete lyrics.CD 2 - Maximum VROOOM - I was impressed by the clarity and definition of the audio. Although "When I Say Stop, Continue" sounds like a band finding a way thru a new composition, the additional tracks - originally from The VROOOM Sessions -, look like filler to me. They could be left on the original album.CD 3 - THRAK original mix - (used to compare to the new one)CD 4 - ATTAKcATHRAK - At first I thought it would be a different combination of improvs glued in a single long track, like the previous THRAKaTTAK, but they assembled five THRAK 'instances', around 10 minutes each, with different styles or 'flavors' and it worked better for me. Still digesting... More on the blu-ray audio-only.CD 5 - THRAK 2015 mix - First listened in the room with stereo speakers, then again on some passages with headphones.General impressions: I've read on AllAboutJazz that Jakko had separated all instruments in the stereo mix, reducing each of them from stereo to mono, but while it worked for guitars and sticks, I think he had gone too far on the drums separation. It works fine in Coda Marine 475, but on others he created a "Thrak effect" as their 'out of phase playing' (I'm not musician, I hope you understand...) worked better when they were mixed with minimum channel separation. On the first tracks it seems to have more low-end or compression, but on the last ones they have a lower volume in the mix.Track by track:Coda Marina 475 - As noted above, the drums separation worked better, but Trey/Fripp vocals (now twice) up front in the mix looked like the recent DGM Hot Tickle, when Pat counts the beats on Larks IV... At the end, when Trey says the last '5' (in 545), it echoes from right to left in the previous mix, while in the new one it keeps center. Jakko also include a different chord, by Fripp I think, to finish it.Dinosaur - Belew's vocals lost the reverb and stereo effect it had, becoming flatter (?). The soundscapes after the bridge was softened (as most of them throughout the album). On the other hand you can hear Tony Levin more clrealy at "somebody is digging my bones"THRAK - Here the channel separation, most notably on drums, seems exagerated. Some passages seems cleaner, not just clearer/sharper, but THRAK is noise!People - The main beat was softened looking like a different version... and losing punch!Radio II - seems to have more compressionSex, Sleep... - Here at 2' the drums separation brings the "Thrak effect".VROOOM VROOOM - is quite lower than the 2002 mix. The same for its Coda.CD 6 - Byte-size THRAK - this singles/EP compilation brings some versions I didn't know. Among then "Dinosaur (single edit)" whose beginning seemed too abridged and could be better edited, and some tracks from the "Nashville Reahearsals".CD 7~12 - Live concerts from London, New York and Mexico - not listened yet, except for London on the blu-ray.Discs 13/14 - DVDs - I haven't listened/seen them a I have the option for the blu-ray.Disc 15 - Audio-only blu-ray:THRAK 2015 mix - It's really good and for me better than the new stereo mix. As you are expecting to hear the instruments distributed on five channels it was very well done, like the previous by Steven Wilson.Kcensington THRAK - Great concert and mix in stereo and 5.1.ATTAKcATHRAK - fantastic in surround! Great in stereo, even greater in surround!JurassiKc THRAK - Very good in 5.1Disc 16 - blu-ray 2 - the videosWhen I choose the Warfield concert, it started in black and white with the band's name and spoting each musician and his name. At first I thought it was a menu, but the concert followed exactly like the teaser DGM put on youtube.To my surprise the video quality isn't any better than the teaser on youtube, so for me it's a waste of resources to put it on a blu-ray. I was expecting for something with better quality, but all we got is close to "Live in Argentina". Sometimes the cameraman is clueless and don't know where to focus... (check the begining of "Indiscipline".) The audio is great as the whole set.On the other hand it was great to see "Live in Japan" on blu-ray. Although it's the same concert released on Deja VROOOM it has subtle differences in editing. Now I can put my VHS on eBay... Even with its misty image, it's better than the Warfiled footage."Tony's Road Movies" could be left in the DVD alone for its home-movie quality. I don't know why dupicate it? Another inadequate use of the blu-ray capabilities.

Good

One of their best

it’s all been written before fantastic group fantastic music heaven