King Crimson – Red

They're some great sounding records, I can promise you that, but mine have some crackling in the first two or three minutes of side 2 on both records. Anyone else have this problem?

i agree with comments below this blows my 40th annv cut away !!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have 2 early US Atlantic pressings that ive been playing for the better part of 40 years, and this Canadian EG Half Speed is like listening to a different record. there is virtually no surface noise and the depth and clarity is far superior to the US versions. even at low volume, i can discern better detail in subtle nuances in the recording that i always heard, but not nearly as sharp before. this is an excellent sounding, high quality pressing which really hits hard, and comes with my highest recommendation.

Im so glad they continue these 50th Remixes because the upgrade from the 40th on the debut was remarkable.
I havnt compared head to head yet but barely feel I need to with how this one sounds.
One of my main gripes with the 40th remix on Red were some odd choices like recessed vocals and panning the short guitar solo on Fallen Angel from the center all the way to the left, which always felt jarring and off and made me feel like I had to keep the 2010s reissue with the original mix around.
Not take credit, but Im happy Wilson could agree on this, changing it back, centered and present just how I like it while still keeping the good aspects of separation and clarity.
I cant wait for a 50th take on Islands!
The Elemental Mixes on Disc 2 are a novelty but not as fun as on the Debuts bonus disc and in no way compete with the main material here.

Fantastic clarity on this one - rivals any pressing I've ever heard, including the SW remix - and it's pure analog, pure bliss.......!

I’m curious, was there a single lp version with just the SW mix released in 2024? I only ask because Amazon U.K. seem to have an ‘unofficial’ version.
I rarely use Amazon these days because they rarely use catalogue numbers and it is hard to know what they are going to supply.
I have the 2013 version of Red, it sounds good but in my opinion it lacks bass, is the 2024 two disc a vast improvement?

Very good US pressing, sounds real great, I would highly recommend it!

I recall a YouTuber making a remark that the elemental mixes are reminiscent of Lizard in a sense with how busy they are, utilising a lot of sax, violins and the like. It's definitely a lot more busy. Whether that's a good thing or not is entirely up to you, but to me it's pretty awesome being as Lizard is my second favourite KC release in part due to its wild sounding recording.

I can't compare the sound quality of this 2024 mix compared to the most recent original mix reissues as it's the only original mix King Crimson album released prior to Beat that I don't yet own. That being said, it does sound supremely good, packing a hell of a punch. It won't be a night and day difference in regards to mix, but it very well could be in sound quality, if the Larks' release is anything to go by. The only detractor is that the bass on Starless is overblown to the point of harming my enjoyment of the track. This is coming from someone who typically doesn't mind strong bass even on masterings that typically draw criticism for this.

While the new mix is cool and all, it's the elemental mix that makes it really worth the while. While not as interesting as the Larks' elementals (probably because the album itself isn't as interesting, in my opinion), it's still a really cool alternate version of the album, featuring a lot more orchestration than the final. There are some really cools bits on Starless in particular that are totally absent in the final, even if that ultimately was a good thing as it distracts from the main trio of musicians and overall vibe of the song. Fallen Angel's intro is another good example where there's a lot more happening instrumentally, but while interesting and again great as an alternate listen, they definitely made the right choice by removing certain elements. While I wouldn't say this is the way the album should've sounded, especially since it's not intended to sound totally cohesive, I do enjoy certain tracks on here more than normal as it brings out subtelties I appreciate. Providence was omitted for being a live track (I presume), but that's probably my least favourite Crimson track up until this point anyway, aside from The Devil's Triangle.

Two noted regarding packaging:
1. They removed the unique sleeve design they had been using for KC products for years for this one. It's now a generic black. I'm not sure why.
2. This, as with the 2023 Larks' and one of my others has really shoddily glued cardboard that almost immediately detached at the bottom.

Anyway, if you like this album even moderately, I'd say this is a really worthwhile purchase. The vinyl itself arrived clean and quiet and the music, mastering and mixes are brilliant.

This Japanese edition sounds absolutely amazing - the best CD edition I have heard so far ! Beautiful ...