USA: 30th Anniversary Edition [Limited Edition]

Product Description
USA was originally released in 1976 to counteract bootlegs taken from live FM radio broadcasts of King Crimson's American tour that were being eagerly sought out by the band's ravenous fan base. The line-up features Robert Fripp, John Wetton, David Cross and Bill Bruford. USA was only ever released on vinyl and appears on CD for the first time. This new reissue includes three extra tracks that were not included on the original vinyl release 'Walk On - No Pussyfooting', 'Fracture' & 'Starless'. Limited edition cardboard sleeve. 24 bit remastered. 2002.

USA: 30th Anniversary Edition,King Crimson,Caroline,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

USA: 30th Anniversary Edition [Limited Edition]

Average customer rating:

A Blast From The Past
Hold on to your chair
Definitive Statement

USA: 30th Anniversary Edition
King Crimson
Manufacturer: Discipline Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Red 30th Anniversary Edition Remastered
Starless and Bible Black - 30th Anniversary Edition Remastered
Larks Tongues in Aspic - 30th Anniversary Edition Remastered
Discipline
Earthbound

ASIN: B00064WSOG
Release Date: 2006-01-16

Tracks:

Walk on... No Pussyfooting
Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Pt. II
Lament
Exiles
Asbury Park
Easy Money
21st Century Schizoid Man
Fracture
Starless

Customer Reviews:

A Blast From The Past.......2007-01-04

Originally bought this as an LP back in 1975, I had heard it on a local Philly "underground" AOR (at the time - I think it was WMMR) and loved it. Wore out the LP. Finally got around to buying the CD for my collection. Favorites are "Larks Tongues" and "Lament". "21st Century Schizoid Man", though one of my favorite KC tunes, is kinda weak here. But still ear-ticklin' good! I love listening to this, particularly fun to blast it on my truck stereo while filling up and see the gangsta hiphoppies stare, wondering what the heck it is I'm listening to so loudly that they can't hear their subwoofies! Buy it and see what I'm talking about!

Hold on to your chair.......2006-11-02

This is a great c.d. from Crimson's best lineup. I have never owned it until recently because I've got plenty of live music from this period of KC (Great Deceiver and Night Watch) and thought it would be redundant. It's not. The band (like the Grateful Dead) redefines these songs each time they are played. This c.d. is also longer than the original lp release.

Definitive Statement.......2006-09-13

This is an excellent album, and a most welcome reissue of the mighty Fripp-Wetton-Bruford lineup's first live relese.

Originally a single vinyl released posthumously in 1975, it has now been remastered and expanded with two bonus tracks from the same show. And what bonus tracks!! No less than two of the band's greatest epics ever: 'Fracture' and 'Starless'!!

What can I say? The playing is phenomenal, the renditions definitive, the tracklisting inspiring, the individual performances out-of-this-world (Fripp, Wetton and Bruford at the top of their games), the sound quality excellent (altough I found this pressing to be somewhat "hissy") and to top it all, a nice packaging following the 30th Anniversary series template (jewel case, original artwork restored, booklet with press clippings and pictures from the era, etc).

This is the sound of the band at its "avant-metal" zenith. Not to be confused with the 80's poppy new-wave sound most people are familiar with. What you have here is an all-analog roaring beast firing on all cylinders.

Note however, that this reissue faithfully maintains all of the original's quirks: 'Easy Money' is still edited; Eddie Jobson's overdubs on 'Larks', 'Lament' and 'Schizoid' are fully mantained; John's voice is processed on 'Schizoid', etc.

If that dissapoints you and you wish you could have this entire gig (28th of June 1974, Asbury Park, NJ) in complete form, original running order, free of overdubs and newly remixed, then rejoice because it's coming out next month on CD as part of "The Collectable King Crimson" series first release!! (as well as being currently available by mail order or download thru DGMLive.com)

The are many other places where you can hear this particular Crimson live, such as the "21st Century Guide - Vol 1" 4th's disc, the "The Night Watch" live album and 1992's awesome (but currently out of print) "The Great Deceiver" box set; but as a single CD statement, this is hard to beat.

Highlights: 'Larks Tongues In Aspic, Part II', the fantastic 'Starless' and '21st Century Schizoid Man'.

Average customer rating:

The Crimson King !
BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE 2 MINI-SLEEVE VERSIONS!
Jobson's Overdubs an Uncertain Plus
I was psyched when they finally released this on CD...
Live snapshot of Crimson at their peak

USA: 30th Anniversary Edition
King Crimson
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006ANZO
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Tracks:

Walk On...No Pussyfooting
Exiles
21st Century Schizoid Man
Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
Asbury Park
Fracture
Lament
Easy Money
Starless

Album Description

USA was originally released in 1976 to counteract bootlegs taken from live FM radio broadcasts of King Crimson's American tour that were being eagerly sought out by the band's ravenous fan base. The line-up features Robert Fripp, John Wetton, David Cross and Bill Bruford. USA was only ever released on vinyl and appears on CD for the first time. This new reissue includes three extra tracks that were not included on the original vinyl release 'Walk On - No Pussyfooting', 'Fracture' & 'Starless'. Limited edition cardboard sleeve. 24 bit remastered. 2002.

Album Details

Digtally remastered limited edtion miniature LP-like sleeve.

Customer Reviews:

The Crimson King !.......2007-03-10

The added tracks make this a must have reissue. The shortened tracks, "Asbury Park" and "easy money" can be heard in their entirety on the recently relased "live in maintz/ asbury park" double disc. And you can hear Cross's violin on "Maintz/Asbury" too. So you have to wonder why his parts were overdubbed on the original pressing. This was a fantastic live band, one of rock's best in any era, and anything they did is worth hearing. No band could hold your attention while improvising like this version of Crimson could. Reunion time?

BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE 2 MINI-SLEEVE VERSIONS!.......2006-03-29

As of January 2006, KC collectors should be aware there are now two mini-sleeve versions of this title.

The 30th Anniversary version, the first release, was a non-glossy, gatefold mini-sleeve CD.

The 2nd version, released 1/06 in Japan, is a single jacket, glossy cover which more closely replicates the original UK cover.

The 2006 OBI: Catalog # IECP-10011

30th Anniversary version: Catalog # CDVKCX12

Jobson's Overdubs an Uncertain Plus.......2005-04-23

This is a high fidelity, butt-kicking record, so my reservations are based on fine points and on my view that there are other, better representations of the 1973-74 Crimson. What's odd about this record are the violin overdubs by Eddie Jobson. As others here point out, David Cross, the violinist on site, was dialed out of the mix (perhaps because he wasn't loud enough in the original), and Jobson brought in. Jobson is an excellent player, mind you, and he sounds great on a record like Roxy Music's live "Viva." But overdubbing a live record is tricky business at best, and the ambiance of the violin is rather obviously not that of Crimson's locale: it sounds mailed-in. The best live set from this period remains "The Great Deceiver;" in second place I'd put the double set "Night Watch." The production of the "Great Deceiver" performances, many also made in America, is drier and "realer" sounding overall (there's either ambient echo or a tad added to "USA"), and the violinist Cross is fine on those records. Still, "USA" remains the only single-disc live Crimson from this period.

I was psyched when they finally released this on CD..........2004-11-16

Boy was I psyched when they finally released this on CD recently. Fripp hated this album and only released it back in 1975 to combat all the bootleggers out there. I don't understand why he hated it. The band is so tight here and it really rocks. There is another Crimson live album called Earthbound that's a piece of crap that never should have been released. The line-up here is Fripp/Wetton/Cross/Bruford...very strong, and it's from the last tour before they broke up and reformed with Levin/Belew several years later. This is nicely remastered with various newspaper clippings for liner notes. It also has two additional strong tracks from the same concert. You gotta love CDs!

Live snapshot of Crimson at their peak.......2004-02-12

This long-delayed reissue of King Crimson's 1974 live album may seem superfluous to those who already own "The Night Watch," 1997's double CD taken from the same era (Bruford/Cross/Fripp/Wetton lineup). It's true that the track listing overlaps that of "The Night Watch." But "USA" remains essential for Crimso aficionados, due to the inclusion of material unavailable elsewhere, as well as its presence in the original EG Crimson discography.

It took Fripp & Co. a long time to reissue this one; perhaps they were looking for a complete take of "Easy Money," which fades out abruptly here. But the wait is justified by an excellent remastering job. The mix is clear, allowing the band's prodigious talents to shine through. Many consider this incarnation of King Crimson to be the greatest progressive rock lineup of all time; "USA" will only reinforce that belief.

The powerful, improvised instrumental "Asbury Park," a more confident and focused relative to "Starless and Bible Black" and "Providence," highlights the disc. There's also a rare live performance of "Starless," with alternate lyrics and a slightly different intro melody. Finally, the truncated "Easy Money" features a radically different guitar solo from the original version.

The generous CD booklet features a plethora of live pictures, scribbled set lists, and articles and reviews of the band and tour - even some negative ones!

Tracks:

Walk On...No Pussyfooting
Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
Lament
Exiles
Asbury Park
Easy Money
21st Century Schizoid Man
Fracture
Starless

Album Description

USA was originally released in 1975 to counteract bootlegs taken from live FM radio broadcasts of King Crimson's American tour that were being eagerly sought out by the band's ravenous fan base. The line-up features Robert Fripp, John Wetton, David Cross and Bill Bruford. USA was only ever released on vinyl and appears on CD for the first time. This new reissue includes three extra tracks that were not included on the original vinyl release 'Walk On - No Pussyfooting', 'Fracture' & 'Starless'. 24 bit remastered. Virgn. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE 2 MINI-SLEEVE VERSIONS!.......2006-03-29

Jobson's Overdubs an Uncertain Plus.......2005-04-23

Their best live album...tamed a bit for CD.......2005-04-08

To make things clear --

Most of this concert is from the June 28 1974 Asbury Park NJ show; 21st Schizoid Man is from Providence, June 30.

The original LP had Jobson's overdubbed violin/piano, and the fadeout on Easy Money. The CD retains both these curiosities.

David Cross had not yet left KC when these performances were recorded. So why the overdubs? Ask Fripp...

Walk On/No Pussyfooting isn't just a 'hum', it's a segment from the then-new Fripp/Eno album that KC played over the PA before making their entrance. It was on the LP too, so it's not a bonus track.

The CD has either been remixed or rather heavily re-eq'ed compared to the LP; notably the bass breaks on "Larks' Tongues II" are far less raucous than on the LP. This is true even though overall the CD's mastered a lot louder and somewhat bassier than the LP. Too bad, because Wetton's bass sounds great on the LP -- huge fuzzbox/wah action. Curiously, the bonus tracks sound better to me than the original tracks -- less processed, more hissy, more like the sound of the LP

This is KC's best live album (unless you count 'Starless & Bible Black', much of which was recorded live), but the CD alas doesn't sound *quite* as killer as the LP did. Still nice to finally have on CD. And normally I prefer CDs to LPs, believe me. 'Asbury Park' is certainly one of the finest sustained free improvs prog rock (and KC) ever produced, and all by itself would make USA worth owning.

Killer bonus tracks.......2005-01-16

Anyone who owned the original vinyl album is in for a treat here, as the reissue features terrific versions of "Fracture" and "Starless" making this an almost complete concert. Almost, because like the original album, this CD's biggest flaw is the missing improvisation awkwardly snipped from "Easy Money." I'm going to give Robert Fripp, who oversees all these reissues, the benefit of the doubt and assume that the original tapes are missing, since putting a fade-out on a live album is a cardinal sin in my book.

But that's all the bad there is with this CD. The 1972-1974 lineup was made for playing live, and the performances here are flawless. "Exiles" and "Lark's Tongue's II" are some of the better live versions you'll find. KC used to play a new improvisation at each show, usually "named" after the city they were playing in. On this CD it's "Asbury Park," and it's one of their better ones.

Live songs from the Red album are rare, so the bonus track of "Starless" is a great inclusion. I loved hearing it with David Cross's violin at the beginning instead of the familiar guitar from the album version.

The original sound engineer apparently couldn't get the levels right for the violin, and since Cross had quit the band by then, Eddie Jobson was brought on to do overdubs, which are pretty seamlessly inserted. Jobson would later work with singer/bassist John Wetton and drummer extraordinaire Bill Bruford in UK.

This is a great album by a great band at the height of their powers. The double live CD "The Nightwatch" is essential too.

The storm before the calm.......2003-04-07

Oh, those wacky Crims. Each new lineup started practically from scratch, they built their way to the top, and inevitably seemed to split up right when they'd produced their most incredible work. So, come 1974 the group was ready to split up for good (or at least for the next seven years). As monstrous as their studio recordings were (and are), KC's ultimate energy always comes out onstage. So before the calm of the group's first hiatus, there was the storm.. and this one was a doozy. Wild guitar crunch; thunderous yet really tricky drum work. "Lament," full of easy groove and fierce energy. "21st Century Schizoid Man," a deranged composition complex enough to leave lesser musicians with their heads spinning. In the middle of it all was classically trained violinist David Cross, becoming more and more overwhelmed by the band's firepower every night (which partly contributed to the breakup). He adds some nice texture here and there, particularly the darkly sweet "Exiles," but he was quite out of place.

USA's song selection is essentially a normal setlist of the time, though shortened. The ubiquitous "Larks' Tongues in Aspic II" blazes and roars. The one improv included is seven minutes of the most visceral, dynamic improvising that's been released from this group. Robert Fripp's guitar sears with crazed metallic fury. John Wetton's bass thrums with a primal fuzzy distortion worthy of Hendrix. Bill Bruford propels everyone from behind the drumkit with an ease that's almost unnatural considering all the crazily-timed rhythmic work that goes into everything he plays.

This CD issue adds two tracks from the same concerts the original album came from; Fripp's evil instrumental "Fracture" and the ultimate KC song of the era, "Starless." This actually outdoes the version from the Red album, which I hadn't thought was possible - the quiet verses are even more haunting and bleak, the tension-building bridge is even more high-strung and unnerving than the later studio recording (no easy feat when you're jamming in 13/8), and the final mad-blowing assault is enough to make me forget whatever I'm doing and stand captivated by its sheer stunning grandiosity. It's a finish that's just about impossible to follow. That's probably why the obligatory "Schizoid Man," their traditional encore, wasn't placed at the end as it was on the original LP. Anything else would be anticlimactic. I leave off a star for a couple small snags: the small violin & piano overdubs which keep it from being strictly a live album, the obviously looped applause at the end, the inexplicable fadeout of "Easy Money" (it fades because they went directly into an improv they didn't have room to include on the LP). But all Crimson is good Crimson, and I can't focus on the negatives for long when there's so much richness to listen for.

USA is a powerful recording of this lineup at the top of their game, and the remastering treatment only makes everything sound fuller and crisper than ever. It's a worthy compilation for those new to the group, or anyone who likes Crimson at all and wants to experience how powerful they could really be. And if all other reasons fail.. there's still "Starless." I can't stress enough what a phenomenal performance that track is. KC disappeared for several years and sounded completely different once it came out of hiding, but they left behind some music in a league its own that hasn't been equalled. Give it a try and hear what you've been missing.

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