King Crimson – Red

Bought brand new sealed from an independent seller and mine also have KCLP7A-4 / JASDAFACE LOUD etched on it. My copy is flat and almost dead silent. Very punchy and incisive album. This pressing is presenting well the somewhat dark atmosphere of this album IMO. The vocals are a tiny bit recessed in the mix and kind of smooth-sounding to my ears on some passages, but nitpicking there... The jacket is kind of thin and looks a bit simple (a gatefold would have been appreciated at that price). But overall, I'm very happy with my copy. 4.9 / 5

My copy says KCLP 7 A-4 and not KCLP 7 A-2. What pressing do I have?

No complaints with mine - excellent sounding pressing and a classic album.

For those looking to get the best version of King Crimsons catalog on vinyl I recommend reading my review of the 1972 - 1974 box:
https://www.discogs.com/King-Crimson-1972-1974/release/13011002

I bought mine from jpc.de and it has similar sides. A on A and A on side B!)))
Maybe i could sell it for a million dollars since years!)))
But sounds very good, no cracks, very dynamic and clean. Ordered 1977 reissue to compare.

I haven't heard the first pressing so I can't compare. The only other version I heard of this album is the FLAC version of the 40th anniversary mix which is remastered by Steven Wilson. As far as I'm concerned this is a very good sounding pressing on Vinyl. No Cracks and pops even in the quiet parts of " Providence ". And the album sounds really powerful and brutal as it should. Tho I'm kinda disappointed by the packaging . I mean it's just the cover and that's it . there isn't any gatefold , Lyrics sheet or anything. I guess Robert Fripp doesn't like fun. But if you want Red in your Vinyl collection, This version is good enough.

Really great sound from these reissues. My only gripe might be the recessed drums, but since Ive never heard an original to compare with for all I know the recording or mix is just like that. Very probable since they pick up a bit more after the first 2 tracks. But mostly everything else is just as crisp and clear as Id like it all the way through, without being sibilant mind you. Something which few digital records manage these days. Very pleasant to listen to if you like the "pressure" this album has.
Likely the best sounding version after a mint first press which is too hard to obtain to even consider. Especially if you want a quiet passage of Providence which at least my new copy provided. There is surface noise but it stays rather low. Next to no pops either and the few that jumped out of my speakers I suspect were static discharges. Ill do an update once the record is cleaned. I found Starless especially fantastic sounding and probably the worst sounding part being the clapping on One More Red Nightmare, very 1 dimensional compared to the rest, again probably its just mixed that way, although some extra mastering work could have been done there.
With a sort of flimsy jacket of very thin cardboard albeit with nice aesthetic I still think the package quality is just overall outstanding. Cant recommend it enough to anyone getting into King Crimson.

Equipment used:
Rega RP1 with Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge
Cyrus 2 amplifier
System Fidelity SF5030 tower speakers
Custom made HQ speaker cables

No issues with my copy, especially on Providence. It is a "warm" mix, almost too much correction for 1974 original, like too much dolby...but other than that a very good pressing and super quiet vinyl.

Bit underwhelming listening experience, mastering sounds lifeless and, well, digital, Bruford's cymbals and strange percussions suffer the most. For most part a very quiet pressing but ''Providence'' is just horribly plagued by crackles, pops and weird distortions, too bad.

For me it sounds a little hard. Maybe this music has to breathe and the best to be listened to is on tubed systems. On my system it sounds demanding and a little uneasy. Great album though. My favorite still remains 'Larks Tongues in Aspic' and 'In The Court Of The Crimson King'. In general remastering don't adds something better to the music. Very, very often is a decline. Take that in mind buying such pressings.