KING CRIMSON - Discipline

Great complex music

Please note these comments refer exclusively to the new CD re-master.I was somewhat worried that 'Discipline' - one of my all-time favourite KC albums along with 'LTIA' (my all-time favourite), 'Red', 'Lizard', 'ITCOTCK', 'TCOL' & 'TPTB' - might have been spoiled by the so-called loudness wars influence that has sadly affected so many recordings these days ever since the iPod/mp3 revolution. I do have an mp3 player, BTW, which I happen to use quite a lot, loaded mostly with AAC VBR 192 kbps files.What a relief to hear there's been some serious care taken to truly improve the sonics of this fine album. It seems as if a (not so thin) veil had been lifted from it. I actually thought the 30th Anniversary edition of 'Discipline' was quite good sonically (compared to previous editions), but this latest re-master is a real breath of fresh air.The album sounds more organic, spacious, real, ie it is less 'clinical' and 'distant', yet it does not fall into the trappings of the let's-make-it-all-loud-and-very-clear-and-enhance-high-frequencies-to-satisfy-portable-playback tendency.This 40th Anniversary edition is a must-have for those who value this remarkable album. I'm sure the extras are worth it and the 5.1 version of the album is very likely very well crafted, too. I was, however, particularly looking forward to the new stereo re-master, and this does not disappoint.It is clear that both Robert Fripp & Steven Wilson have approached this project with the utmost respect and dedication as they have with previous the 40th Anniversary editions.Been waiting patiently for the 40th Anniversary edition of LTIA, the jewel in the crown, in my opinion, of the whole KC catalogue.Unfortunately, it seems the only album that will not be re-mastered this time round is 'The ConstruKction of Light'. If this turns out to be the case, it's a shame as 'TCOL' is a rather peculiar album which is terribly underrated. 'TCOL', in my view, does need to be 'improved' sonically - it is a gem of an album: raw, intense, powerful and, to some extent, fairly 'naive'.

King Crimson's `Discipline' was one of the ground-breaking albums of the 1980s. Robert Fripp for the first time brought in two fine young American musicians, Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, to join him and veteran KC drummer Bill Bruford in a reconstituted and for the first time guitar-dominated foursome.The result is by turns mellow and energetic; complex, interesting and fun, it sounds nothing like the work of KC's previous incarnations. If you like the music of Talking Heads from the same period, you'll likely warm to it immediately. Lead vocalist Adrian Belew (you can't always describe what he does here with his voice as technically `singing') actually sounds like David Byrne in several places. Multiple guitar interplay weaves over inventive rhythms to form joyful conversations. It's more or less instantly accessible, as good on first hearing as on the hundredth.On the 2011 remix, Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp again teach less skilled music producers the art of masterful remastering. The DVD is the star, featuring the album on MLP Lossless 5.1 surround & DTS 5.1 digital, and MLP Lossless & PCM stereo. The video content features performances of `Elephant Talk', `Frame by Frame' and `Indiscipline' from 2 different sessions for the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test. Both the CD and the DVD feature extra tracks not on the original 1981 album release: `A selection of Adrian's vocal loops' and some new Steven Wilson mixes of `The Sheltering Sky' & `Thela Hun Ginjeet'.Even if you have an earlier release of this album, the sound mix on the 2011 package is so exemplary that it's worth buying as well. If you don't have this truly great album in your collection, this is the one to go for.

I have to confess to being a newcomer to the sound of King Crimson ,i bought a copy of LARKS ,TONGUES IN ASPIC about a year ago and wasn't sure if i wanted to venture further into their world, however a couple of months ago i decided to get DISCIPLINE and also their 1975 Live album USA.DISCIPLINE is a very different beast compared to their previous work - their first album in 7 years and features a new line up with Adrian Belew on vocals and the sound reminds me of Talking Heads. I was surprised how good the album was and the sound quality is superb,you also get a dvd with some great extras including some live performances from THE OLD GRAY WHISTLE TEST from 1982.Anyone who listens to King Crimson needs to have an open mind as your'e never quite sure what's coming next and i am certainly willing to explore their work in more detail.A good album which grows in appreciation with each listen.

When this came out I was really excited to hear what King Crimson would sound like now. I had been turned on to them by a friend starting with Starless and Bible Black and Red. I had also been following Adrian Belew’s career through his work with David Bowie, Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, and the tracks he contributed to on Grank Zappa’s Sheik Yerbouti. Tony Levin was familiar through his work with Peter Gabriel and on Robert Fripp’s Exposure, which had showed hints of the potential reawakening of King Crimson.I love Discipline from start to finish, there is not a weak moment on it but on this 40th Anniversary Edition you get so much more. The album on the CD sound great but the 5.1 surround sound version opens up the music to reveal further subtleties that were not apparent before. I can listen to this late in the evening and hear all the power of the music without cranking the volume up to 11. This is the case with all the 40th Anniversary Editions and it is a remarkable achievement.I don’t know how many versions of this, and other KC albums, if you have a decent surround sound syestem and you are a fan of this period of Crimson then you really do need this 40th Anniversary version of Discipline.