USA

I am reviewing the 30th anniversary edition which came out with 3 extra tracks. This album came originally in 1975 well after the demise of King Crimson. this was a good album with good songs and a average sound. For the 30th anniversary,' USA 'has become a great album with great songs and an excellent sound. So actually, we cannot have the same perception of both versions.

After some frippertronics at the beginning , we open with a monster version of LTIA part 2, a vibrant, mightyl one.Everytime i am listening to this version, i am always taken aback bythe sheer power of this tune and i know why i love King Crimson so much, why this band is head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd.

All the classics are here; Wetton is singing better and better (listen to this version of EXILES). The schizoid man is present as well. LAMENT is even better than on SATBB. Raw pure energy, yet that subtle and refined. David Cross has a lot of room to get noticed, even if some of his parts have been replaced in the studio mix later by EDDIE JOBSON.

What makes this album the ultimate testament of this line up is of course the addition of the 2 extra tracks , but not any tracks: the 2 best recorded by this Crimson version: 'FRACTURE' and 'STARLESS'. What a way to close a CD, what a way to close this chapter of the band. These versions are astounding and you just wish this band would have kept going.

This is prog in all its splendor; 3.5 stars for the old version 5 stars for the new one.

Share this KING CRIMSON review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to febus
• Report this review (#119235)
• Buy KING CRIMSON music online with PA partners
• Show all KING CRIMSON MP3/Stream
• Go to KING CRIMSON page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to USA page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for KING CRIMSON related discussions