Islands: 40th Anniversary Series (CD + DVD-A) [CD+DVD, Deluxe Edition, Extra tracks]

Another great re-master from King Crimson, `Islands' was King Crimsons forth album and was more of a transition album between King Crimson of `Court' and `Poseidon' and the later Seventies King Crimson of `Larks' and `Lizard' , The whole album has been re-mixed in 5.1 to stunning effect a great treat is `Formentera Lady' appearing on this release in many forms.
The 40th anniversary edition then comes with a CD and DVD and plenty of extras, a surround mix two stereo mixes in Hi resolution original and 2010 Fripp approved Steven Wilson Mix. This release marks the release of most if not all of the studio work of any worth for this period.
The contents then are as follows:
CD:

Original album 2010 mix:
With Bonus tracks:
Islands (studio run through with oboe prominent)
Formentera Lady (original recording sessions - take 2)
Sailor's Tale (original recording sessions - alternate mix/edit)
A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls (previously unreleased)
The Letters (rehearsal/outtake)
Ladies of the Road (Robert Fripp & David Singleton remix)

DVD:

MLP Lossless 5.1 Surround / DTS 5.1 Digital Surround:
MLP stereo / LPCM stereo - Original album 2010 stereo mix:
MLP stereo Original album 1971 mix,

Plus Bonus material
Islands: Alternative album:
1. Formentera Lady - Original recording sessions - take 2
2. Sailor's Tale - Original recording sessions - alternate mix/edit
3. The Letters - Rehearsal/outtake
4. Ladies of the Road - Rough mix
5. A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls - Previously unreleased
6. Islands - Studio run through with oboe prominent

Routes to Islands:

1. Pictures of a City - Early rehearsal by Islands lineup
2. Sailor's Tale - Early rehearsal by Islands lineup
3. Islands (fragment) - Robert Fripp reference cassette - mellotron on vibes setting
4. Formentera Lady - Rough mix from album recording sessions
5. Sailor's Tale - Rough mix from album recording sessions
6. Drop In - Early rehearsal by Islands lineup
7. The Letters - Live at Plymouth, mastered by David Singleton
8. Sailor's Tale - Live at the Zoom Club, mastered by David Singleton

Islands: Additional tracks: Assorted Ladies:

1. Ladies of the Road - Robert Fripp & David Singleton remix
2. Ladies of the Road - Original recording sessions - take 5
3. Formentera Lady - Original recording sessions - take 1
4. Formentera Lady - Original recording sessions - take 3
5. Formentera Lady - Original recording sessions - take 4

As you can see from the extras on the DVD this is a collectors dream of a release from a prog rock band that are now discovering a new way to play on each album driven mainly by line up changes. A worthy re-issue and a great album.

Islands is the last of the opening four quite magical albums from King Crimson (after In the Court of the Crimson King, In the Wake of Poseidon, and Lizard). Produced in 1971, it features in the Sailor's Tale a wonderful jangling guitar solo that Robert Fripp recorded late at night in one take. The moment his guitar meets and surfs a tidal wave of mellotrons still - after 40 years listening - makes my hair stand on end. (David Bowie liked it: listen to Fripp's guitar on 'Fashion') The music on Islands has for me the loosest, most relaxed feel of any KC album. A last nod to Hippy culture before the band entered the darker, tighter phase that led 3 years later to the band's 1974 masterpiece: 'Red'. This album Islands is launched by Formentera Lady, a largely improvised piece with rippling flute solos from Mel Collins, who later plays gut-churning sax on the fantastic Ladies of the Road. The title track Islands is a beautiful, gently lulling piece, a kind of Bridge over Troubled Water without the mush. Keith Tippett's dreamy piano is a million miles from the jagged runs and spiky chords he provided for Catfood on the Poseidon album, and Boz Burrell sings like an enraptured poet beside a shining sea...Sure there's the odd blemish, as if some musicians maybe wandered in just for a take or two - KC was, as usual, about to disband. But this only adds to the charm and keeps quite a live feel. The overall standard of musicianship is, as you'd expect with KC, fantastic. No wonder the other prog rock bands were in awe of them. While the Crimsos were recording in Picadilly, by the way, Pink Floyd were across Regent's Park at Abbey Road creating the equally wonderful Echoes. Must have been that London water. I gather (from Greig Lake on Youtube) that the original line-up are still good friends. What a reunion THAT would be!!! (For a more detailed review of the CD contents see the review here by "Fletch")

Released after "Lizard", founder Robert Fripp was said to have been exhausted and unsure whether he could carry on with another album. Indeed, "Islands" is one of the more fragmented, yet diverse albums to that date. The original six songs seem to be contradictory in their inclusion. From the start of "Formentera Lady", a laid back bluesy number to the final, beyond mellow extended title track. "Formentera Lady" seamlessly melds into "Sailor's Tale" through a simple edit of cymbals. On the album, you can hear the cymbal edit from one channel to both, but editor master Steven Wilson has crafted yet another masterpiece with this album. "Sailor's Tale" begins with an amazing guitar piece by Fripp which sounds as if the guitar is completely out of tune, sequencing into one of the fastest and manic instrumentals yet. The beat with the mellotron is urgently blasted forth with a wind down of Fripp's unique frazzled guitar sound.

"The Letters" is an odd song for King Crimson (is that possible?), with evil lyrics by Pete Sinfield and Fripp, which has a wild bridge blast of guitar and jazzy brass ending with a bold vocal. But it is "Ladies Of The Road" that sparks intense lyrics of misogyny. Often hilarious in its blatant rhyme, the song still bounces along with tongue in cheek sarcasm. "All of you that the girls of the road, are like apples we stole in our youth" and "Stone-headed Frisco spacer, ate all the meat I gave her, said would I like to taste hers, and even craved the flavour". The lyrics are just a side track for the bands free-style. The band has fun alternating between the vocals and the sultry, salacious jazz sections. It's actually a series of bridges with various moods and inventive solos.

What follows is one of King Crimson's most perplexing songs I can imagine. "Prelude: Song Of The Gulls" would seem out of place, if it were not King Crimson. This beautifully created instrumental chamber piece is actually a highlight and emphasizes the near schizophrenic collection of songs on the album. But it's the ten-minute title track that brings the album to a beautiful close. Slowly building from a calm, patient beginning, the song glides along with an amazing cornet solo. Pete Sinfield's lyrics are some of his best on this song. It's a fitting ending to an inventive, if uneven album.

Sid Smith sleeve notes reveal a great deal about the mood of the group at this time. There are also extra tracks and alternate versions. The CD presents a complete stereo remix by Steven Wilson & Robert Fripp alongside a group of additional tracks representing an almost complete alternate album of studio takes, run-throughs and mixes. The DVD-A presents a complete 5.1 surround sound mix by Steven Wilson, in which he sometimes isolates instruments to one channel bringing out the clarity and resonance. Also here is a hi-res stereo version of the 2010 mix, a hi-res stereo version of the original album mix taken from the 30th anniversary master source and almost 90 minutes of additional material. Most of this material has never been previously released, including many studio takes mixed from the original recording sessions specifically for this release. Once again, Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp have reproduced a remarkable series of sessions and brought "Islands" back to life.