King Crimson - Earthbound (40th Anniversary Series)

Earthbound - 40th Anniversary Edition

Boz Burrell: Vocals, Bass
Robert Fripp: Guitar, Mellotron
Mel Collins: Saxes, Flute
Ian Wallace: Drums

Earthbound, originally released in 1972, was one of the earliest (if not the first) “official bootleg” released by a major rock band, consisting of a series of deliberately lo-fi live recordings of King Crimson’s Islands era line-up on tour in the USA. When issued, because of its mid-price it was excluded from the main album charts in the UK but topped the mid-price charts rubbing shoulders with Jim Reeves & Mantovani. Atlantic in the USA didn’t even bother to release it. By then, the band had broken up & the label had already been alerted to the likelihood of a new King Crimson line-up promised for later in the year. Like the later live album, USA, Earthbound remained unavailable in the early CD era, with both finally being released in 2002 on CD. Ironically this non-availability served to enhance interest in the album while DGM’s live releases made fans aware that there was a larger story to be told of this line-up’s history. When Robert Fripp was asked to guest on the second Grinderman project, Nick Cave noted: “I wanted to work with Robert Fripp because he has done some of the most uniquely unsettling guitar work I have ever heard along with some of the most delicate and finessed” explained Cave. “I grew up listening to a lot of the King Crimson stuff. The vinyl copy of the phenomenal live album Earthbound, is one of my most treasured possessions.”

The new version of Earthbound features an expanded version of the original album on CD & DVD. As a series of stereo only/low-fi recordings, a 5.1 edition was neither possible nor appropriate. However, also included on the DVD of this release is the full performance from Summit Studios, captured on the same US tour in 1972, appearing in both new stereo & quadraphonic mixes, providing the only live surround recordings of this line-up. This release also features 15 minutes of material not included on the original mail order only CD of Summit studios as issued by DGM in 2000. The DVD also features the “Schizoid Men” sequence from the Ladies of the Road live album & a transfer of a 1972 vinyl edition of the Earthbound LP.

• 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.

Only available for pre-order at DGM.com at this time.
Earthbound - 40th Anniversary Edition

Boz Burrell: Vocals, Bass
Robert Fripp: Guitar, Mellotron
Mel Collins: Saxes, Flute
Ian Wallace: Drums

Earthbound, originally released in 1972, was one of the earliest (if not the first) “official bootleg” released by a major rock band, consisting of a series of deliberately lo-fi live recordings of King Crimson’s Islands era line-up on tour in the USA. When issued, because of its mid-price it was excluded from the main album charts in the UK but topped the mid-price charts rubbing shoulders with Jim Reeves & Mantovani. Atlantic in the USA didn’t even bother to release it. By then, the band had broken up & the label had already been alerted to the likelihood of a new King Crimson line-up promised for later in the year. Like the later live album, USA, Earthbound remained unavailable in the early CD era, with both finally being released in 2002 on CD. Ironically this non-availability served to enhance interest in the album while DGM’s live releases made fans aware that there was a larger story to be told of this line-up’s history. When Robert Fripp was asked to guest on the second Grinderman project, Nick Cave noted: “I wanted to work with Robert Fripp because he has done some of the most uniquely unsettling guitar work I have ever heard along with some of the most delicate and finessed” explained Cave. “I grew up listening to a lot of the King Crimson stuff. The vinyl copy of the phenomenal live album Earthbound, is one of my most treasured possessions.”

The new version of Earthbound features an expanded version of the original album on CD & DVD. As a series of stereo only/low-fi recordings, a 5.1 edition was neither possible nor appropriate. However, also included on the DVD of this release is the full performance from Summit Studios, captured on the same US tour in 1972, appearing in both new stereo & quadraphonic mixes, providing the only live surround recordings of this line-up. This release also features 15 minutes of material not included on the original mail order only CD of Summit studios as issued by DGM in 2000. The DVD also features the “Schizoid Men” sequence from the Ladies of the Road live album & a transfer of a 1972 vinyl edition of the Earthbound LP.

• 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.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075G5LMPD/?tag=imwan-20

DGM.com
http://shop.schizoidshop.com/king-crims ... p1700.aspx

This now has a general release:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075G5LMPD/?tag=imwan-20

Thanks! I recently started collecting these and was hoping there would be more.

I'm wondering if the Summit is in 96/24. That would interest me. The original Earthbound really does have pretty poor sound quality.

Yeah, that's what I remember as well. Need to read some reviews before I decide.

Lo-Fi remastered from cassette?
Original CD sounds terrible
I had to laugh there is even a quad mix

Own all the other 1970s remastered 5.1 Crimson sets.

IIRC this will be included with the next massive box set so there will be no reason to buy this lo-fi release if you are going for the box.

Will have to consider this one but it's definitely second fiddle to the Chicago show.

Morbid curiosity and a need for the complete catalogue led me to get this for $9.99.

Well...the original "album" still sounds like garbage and is Fripp's ultimate "Fuck You" to the record label, right down to the tape switching on and off and the hideous sound quality.

The performances rock with zany free-jazz abandon though.

If you are strong enough to endure all 15 plus minutes of "Groon" it is good comedy, and it sounds like the bowels of hell have been released.

Honestly, I have no idea in hell how this ever got issued even though in the US, Atlantic wisely said, Um, er,...no"

But yeah, there's a morbid, demented feel to it that has some unexplainable appeal.

The bonus cuts sound way better than the atrocity that is the original album.

The Summit stuff is fun too.

It was worth it for as cheap as I got it.