1969-1972

Packaging: Very nice indeed, with spine copy removed, and picture labels (again without copy). 'Poseidon' even has lovely texture, as with the original. Pressings are 200g and excellent - very quiet and actually I'm wondering where these were done. Pallas maybe? Another nice touch is the pressings are box only: matrix numbers run A through L across the 12 sides. Instead of 'Young Person's Guide' we get the same outer cover and booklet, but a different track listing including a complete and fascinating alternative ITCOCK, plus various other alt versions on the 3rd and 4th sides.

Steven Wilson remixes: it seems to be pretty much inevitable now that Steven 'I'm Remixing All Of Prog' Wilson will have done or be about to do a remaster of any given prog classic you care to mention - and with reason. He does a brilliant job! The records all sound superb with better bass, better separation and a better high end: almost as if the music had been allowed to relax and expand. I actually prefer these mixes to the originals. Which is saying a lot as I rarely if ever feel a remix is an improvement.

So Yes, if you get this box you are in a sense buying it all again - but it's been buffed up beautifully and newly presented in a highly satisfying way. Crimmos' first four represent a subtle body of work but it is uniformly excellent and surprisingly durable. This box is a very good way to re-investigate.