Ahhh, King Crimson's Earthbound, the much maligned 1972 live album that celebrated the interesting yet doomed tour of the Islands album and brief line-up of the band that included Robert Fripp (guitar, Mellotron), Boz Burrell (vocals, bass), Mel Collins (sax, flute, Mellotron, keyboards), and Ian Wallace. Panned by Fripp, their record label, critics, and fans alike when it was originally released, time has proven to heal all wounds, as Earthbound is now seen in better light all these decades later. Containing a raw, rough sound quality, Earthbound is basically an official 'live bootleg', but with this 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, Fripp & company have done their best to clean the album up as much as possible, but the real selling point is the inclusion of a ton of bonus material making this the live album it always should have been.
Regardless of whether or not the Islands era band was the weakest incarnation of Crimson or not (that statement is certainly viable), it can also be said that any King Crimson line-up has plenty of merit, as this one does for its jazzy leanings. Boz Burrell is easily the weakest link, his spotty vocals and sub-par bass skills (it's been said that Fripp taught him how to play bass before they actually recorded the album and went out on tour) don't add much to the proceedings, but Fripp is in fine form here, as are Collins and Wallace, all three combining for the nucleus of a red hot jazz combo with rock firepower. Included on the expanded Earthbound set are a plethora of extended improvisations and jams, such as "Groon", "Peoria", and lengthy versions of "21st Century Schizoid Man" (quite savage here actually), "Pictures of a City", the lovely "Circus", and of course, the essential "The Sailor's Tale", complete with dazzling Fripp guitar work and mounds of Mellotron.
A new stereo mix of the Summit Studio Sessions, also recorded on the 1972 US tour, which feature a few nuggets not on the Earthbound set, including a lush "Cadence and Cascade" (Boz sounds better singing the mellower tracks by far), and epic blues/jazz/rock jams "Summit Going On" and "The Creator Has A Master Plan (Including Summit & Something Else)", are a great addition to this anniversary edition. Considering that the original Earthbound album contained only five tracks, you get a lot of extras here for your money.
Though the Islands line-up of King Crimson were only together a short period of time and basically split after the tour was complete (Fripp would then unleash arguably the greatest version of King Crimson to the public!), it remains a curious oddity in the history of this legendary progressive rock act. This remains a great document of that time in the bands career.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
Original Album
CD-1 21st Century Schizoid Man 11:38
CD-2 Peoria 7:23
CD-3 The Sailor's Tale 4:49
CD-4 Earthbound 6:15
CD-5 Groon 15:34
Bonus Tracks
CD-6 Pictures Of A City 8:22
CD-7 Formentera Lady 9:30
CD-8 Cirkus 8:25
New Sequence Stereo
DVD-1.1 21st Century Schizoid Man 11:42
DVD-1.2 Peoria 7:23
DVD-1.3 The Sailor's Tale 4:48
DVD-1.4 Earthbound 6:14
DVD-1.5 Groon 15:31
DVD-1.6 Pictures Of A City 8:22
DVD-1.7 Formentera Lady 9:30
DVD-1.8 Cirkus 8:25
DVD-1.9 Ladies Of The Road 6:08
DVD-1.10 The Letters 7:57
DVD-1.11 The Sailor's Tale 14:04
DVD-1.12 Groon 12:18
Summit Studios: New Stereo Mix
DVD-2.1 Pictures Of A City 9:50
DVD-2.2 Cadence And Cascade 4:49
DVD-2.3 Groon 13:52
DVD-2.4 21st Century Schizoid Man 10:18
DVD-2.5 Summit Going On 11:42
DVD-2.6 My Hobby 1:30
DVD-2.7 The Sailor's Tale 7:03
DVD-2.8 The Creator Has A Master Plan (Including Summit & Something Else) 38:27
Summit Studios: Quad Mix
DVD-3.1 Pictures Of A City 9:50
DVD-3.2 Cadence And Cascade 4:49
DVD-3.3 Groon 13:52
DVD-3.4 21st Century Schizoid Man 10:18
DVD-3.5 Summit Going On 11:42
DVD-3.6 My Hobby 1:30
DVD-3.7 The Sailor's Tale 7:03
DVD-3.8 The Creator Has A Master Plan (Including Summit & Something Else) 38:27
Schizoid Men:
DVD-4.1 Schizoid Men Part 1 1:46
DVD-4.2 Schizoid Men Part 2 4:46
DVD-4.3 Schizoid Men Part 3 3:13
DVD-4.4 Schizoid Men Part 4 5:16
DVD-4.5 Schizoid Men Part 5 6:23
DVD-4.6 Schizoid Men Part 6 3:56
DVD-4.7 Schizoid Men Part 7 5:14
DVD-4.8 Schizoid Men Part 8 3:19
DVD-4.9 Schizoid Men Part 9 5:01
DVD-4.10 Schizoid Men Part 10 3:23
DVD-4.11 Schizoid Men Part 11 11:41
Original Vinyl Transfer
DVD-5.1 21st Century Schizoid Man 11:38
DVD-5.2 Peoria 7:24
DVD-5.3 The Sailor's Tale 4:51
DVD-5.4 Earthbound 6:05
DVD-5.5 Groon 15:35
Earthbound – is the twelfth release in the acclaimed King Crimson 40th anniversary series.
• The album has been expanded ON CD & DVD
• CD features an expanded 12 track version of the original 5 track album.
• DVD features the 12 track expanded album in 24/96 hi-res stereo audio.
• DVD also features the Summit Studios performance in a new stereo mix & in quadraphonic.
This is the only surviving multi-track performance from the 1972 tour.
• DVD features the album length "Schizoid Men" sequence of edits of 21st Century Schizoid Men taken from the Ladies of The Road live album
• A transfer of the original vinyl album completes the audio selections.
• Presented as a 2 x digi-pack format in a slipcase with new sleeve notes by King Crimson biographer Sid Smith along with rare photos & archive material.
• Continues the highly collectable King Crimson series.
Boz Burrell: Vocals, Bass
Robert Fripp: Guitar, Mellotron
Mel Collins: Saxes, Flute
Ian Wallace: Drums
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