As the second installment of the "21st Century Guide to King Crimson", the 4CD "Volume 2" boxed set covers the years from 1981-2003. "Volume 1", released last year, covered 1969-1974. The two boxed sets together are essentially a replacement for the 4CD "Frame By Frame" boxed set released by Virgin in 1991.

"Volume 2" is split into two distinct eras, the "Incline to 1984" era and the Double Trio/Double Duo era. The former (1981-1984) features the reinvented Crim with Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Bill Bruford and Robert Fripp, originally known as Discipline. The three-album experiment consisted of "Discipline", "Beat" and "Three of a Perfect Pair." A diametrically opposite musical experience from both the melodic, Mellotron-laden early 70s material and the heavy, angular mid-70s material, these three albums introduced cross picking, Guitar Craft, and alternate tuning to the fold. While some felt the compositions were cold and unfeeling, the music from this era is technically jaw-dropping and even whimsical at times (see "Neurotica" and "Elephant Talk"). Disc One provides a healthy sampling of studio material from "Discipline", "Beat" and "Three of a Perfect Pair", plus a few bonus tracks spanning 1982-2004. The highlights of the bonus cuts are Tony Levin's humorous "The King Crimson Barbershop" and the foreboding "Form No.1".

Disc Two is a collection of material from live albums and video releases from 1982 to 1984. "Larks' Tongues in Aspic: Part III" (a personal favorite) gets its due with a spirited rendition from the "Absent Lovers" live set. A great way to open the show proper! A stretched out "The Sheltering Sky" is even more haunting than its studio counterpart. Not many songs are as tense as the frantic "Indiscipline", but the live version allows Belew to tease the crowd and stretch the speaking parts out before the band blasts its way into the instrumental choruses. Tony Levin's amazing bass and Stick work is highlighted on excellent versions of "Sleepless" and "Elephant Talk". A nice inclusion is the oft-overlooked "Man with an Open Heart," originally from "Three of a Perfect Pair."

After a nine-year hiatus, Maestro Fripp pulled King Crimson back together, first with the Discipline-era foursome for the "VROOOM" EP in 1994 and then a double trio for the full-length "THRAK" album in 1995, adding Pat Mastelotto (drums) and Trey Gunn (Warr guitar) to the mix. After some extensive touring and a few live albums, Levin turned to other projects and Bruford chose to focus on Earthworks, leaving the Crims once again as a four piece. Fripp, Belew, Mastelotto and Gunn went on to record "The ConstruKction of Light", "Level Five," (EP) and "The Power to Believe." Disc Three of the boxed set covers material from all the studio works from 1994 on except "The ConstruKction of Light." Much of "THRAK" is featured, as well as "The Power to Believe" minus two tracks. It's curious to why no studio material is included from "The ConstruKction of Light." While the music from "The ConstruKction of Light", "Level Five," and "The Power to Believe" returns the band to a bit of their "Red"-era power, the compositions are a tad samey and less passionate than their predecessors.

However, Disc Four includes a healthy dose of songs from "The ConstruKction of Light", possibly due to these renditions having more energy than their studio counterparts. The studio album is a bit on the stale side. The live version of "Larks' Tongues in Aspic: Part IV" is nothing short of bombastic, a truly spirited performance. The material from the Double Trio phase is limited, but does include a driving version of "VROOOM VROOOM". The boxed set closes with live material from a few of the ProjeKcts, displaying some of the "research" that went into the most recent King Crimson studio albums.

This is a very nice boxed set. Any fan of the 80s and 90s Crimson would be keen to pick this up. The entire set is presented in HDCD format for excellent sound quality on standard CD players and includes a detailed diary-type chronology of the band's history over this 12-year span, complete with rare photos, clippings and artwork. Another P.J. Crook painting dons the white-based packaging, which is classy in itself. From top to bottom, this an excellent guide to King Crimson from 1981-2003; showing off the best of the band on record and stage.

Review by Chad Hutchinson
November 18, 2005