Islands (King Crimson album)

Islands
Studio album by King Crimson
Released	December, 1971
Recorded	October 1971
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	43:34
Label	Island Atlantic Polydor E.G. Virgin
Producer	Robert Fripp, Peter Sinfield
King Crimson chronology
Lizard (1970) Islands (1971) Earthbound (1972)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	(C)
Piero Scaruffi	(7/10)
Rolling Stone	(mixed)

Islands is the fourth album by the British band King Crimson, released in 1971.

The last King Crimson studio album before the group's trilogy of Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red, it is also the last to feature the lyrics of Peter Sinfield and the last to feature the band's 'traditional' progressive sound.

The album received mixed reviews. There are four tracks with lyrics on this album, and three of them concern women. One of them, "Ladies of the Road", has been criticised for perceived misogyny.

Album cover

The original United Kingdom and European cover depicts the Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius and displays neither the name of the band nor the title. The original United States and Canadian album cover (as released by Atlantic Records) was a Peter Sinfield painting of off-white with coloured "islands". This was used as an internal gatefold sleeve in the UK. When the King Crimson catalogue was re-issued by EG, they standardised on the "Trifid Nebula" cover world-wide.

40th Anniversary Edition

The fifth release in King Crimson's 40th Anniversary series featuring new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes (by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp), Sid Smith sleeve notes and copious extra tracks and alternate versions. The CD presents a complete stereo remix by Steven Wilson & Robert Fripp alongside a group of additional tracks representing a near complete alternate album of studio takes, run-throughs and mixes. The DVD-A presents a complete 5.1 surround sound mix by Steven Wilson, a hi-res stereo version of the 2010 mix, a hi-res stereo version of the original album mix taken from the 30th anniversary master source and almost 90 minutes of additional material, the vast majority of it previously unreleased, including many studio takes mixed from the original recording sessions specifically for this release. The material covers everything from early rehearsals of Pictures of a City (one of the final new songs performed by the 1969 lineup) to the previously unheard A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls (showcasing early ideas & elements that would appear in fully realised form on later KC albums), a fragment of Fripp playing the tune of Islands on a mellotron, a blistering live Sailor's Tale from the Zoom Club & much more.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Formentera Lady" (Robert Fripp, Peter Sinfield) – 10:14
2. "Sailor's Tale" (Fripp) – 7:21
3. "The Letters" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 4:26

Side two

4. "Ladies of the Road" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 5:28
5. "Prelude: Song of the Gulls" (Fripp) – 4:14
6. "Islands" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 11:51

40th Anniversary Edition Track listing

CD (Original Album 2010 Mix)

1. "Formentera Lady"
2. "Sailor's Tale"
3. "The Letters"
4. "Ladies of the Road"
5. "Prelude: Song of the Gulls"
6. "Islands"

Bonus tracks

7. "Islands" (studio run through with oboe prominent)
8. "Formentera Lady" (original recording sessions - take 2)
9. "Sailor's Tale" (original recording sessions - alternate mix/edit)
10. "A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls" (previously unreleased)
11. "The Letters" (rehearsal/outtake)
12. "Ladies of the Road" (Robert Fripp & David Singleton remix)

• Bonus Tracks 8 - 11 mixed by Steven Wilson from the original session reels

DVD-A

MLP Lossless 5.1 Surround / DTS 5.1 Digital Surround:

1. "Formentera Lady"
2. "Sailor's Tale"
3. "The Letters"
4. "Ladies of the Road"
5. "Prelude: Song of the Gulls"
6. "Islands"

• Mixed & produced from the original multi track tapes by Steven Wilson. Executive producer Robert Fripp.

MLP stereo / LPCM stereo - Original album 2010 stereo mix:

1. "Formentera Lady"
2. "Sailor's Tale"
3. "The Letters"
4. "Ladies of the Road"
5. "Prelude: Song of the Gulls"
6. "Islands"

Original album 1971 mix, 30th anniversary remaster:

1. "Formentera Lady"
2. "Sailor's Tale"
3. "The Letters"
4. "Ladies of the Road"
5. "Prelude: Song of the Gulls"
6. "Islands"

Islands: Alternative album:

1. "Formentera Lady" - Original recording sessions - take 2
2. "Sailor's Tale" - Original recording sessions - alternate mix/edit
3. "The Letters" - Rehearsal/outtake
4. "Ladies of the Road" - Rough mix
5. "A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls" - Previously unreleased
6. "Islands" - Studio run through with oboe prominent

• 1-3 & 5 mxed by Steven Wilson from the original session reels.

Routes to Islands:

1. "Pictures of a City" - Early rehearsal by Islands lineup
2. "Sailor's Tale" - Early rehearsal by Islands lineup
3. "Islands (fragment)" - Robert Fripp reference cassette - mellotron on vibes setting
4. "Formentera Lady" - Rough mix from album recording sessions
5. "Sailor's Tale" - Rough mix from album recording sessions
6. "Drop In" - Early rehearsal by Islands lineup
7. "The Letters" - Live at Plymouth, mastered by David Singleton
8. "Sailor's Tale" - Live at the Zoom Club, mastered by David Singleton

Islands: Additional tracks: Assorted Ladies:

1. "Ladies of the Road" - Robert Fripp & David Singleton remix
2. "Ladies of the Road" - Original recording sessions - take 5
3. "Formentera Lady" - Original recording sessions - take 1
4. "Formentera Lady" - Original recording sessions - take 3
5. "Formentera Lady" - Original recording sessions - take 4

• 2 - 5 mixed by Steven Wilson from the original session reels.

Personnel

King Crimson

• Robert Fripp – guitar, mellotron, Peter's pedal harmonium, sundry implements
• Peter Sinfield - words, sounds and visions
• Boz Burrell – bass, lead vocals, choreography
• Mel Collins – saxophones, flutes, mellotron
• Ian Wallace – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Paulina Lucas – soprano (vocals)
• Keith Tippett – piano
• Robin Miller – oboe
• Mark Charig – cornet
• Harry Miller – double bass

Production

• Arranged By King Crimson
• Produced By Robert Fripp & Peter Sinfield
• Recorded & Engineered By Andy Hendrikson
• Mastered By Tony Arnold

40th Anniversary Edition Credits

• Stereo files prepared at Super Audio Mastering, Devon by Simon Heyworth
• 5.1 mastered by Simon Heyworth at Super Audio Mastering, Devon
• DVD Design & Layout by Claire Bidwell at Opus Productions Ltd
• DVD Authoring & Assembly by Neil Wilkes at Opus Productions Ltd
• Tape transfers by Kevin Vanbergen at FX
• DGM tape Archive: Alex Mundy
• Package Art & Design by Hugh O'Donnell
• Compiled & Coordinated by Declan Colgan for DGM, with input & suggestions from Steven Wilson & Sid Smith
• Published by UMG Music Ltd.

Trivia

• Robert Fripp taught Boz Burrell how to play bass so that he could perform the instrument as well as sing on the album. Burrell later became the bassist for the band Bad Company. Although Boz had not played bass before, he had played enough occasional rhythm guitar to make learning the instrument easier.
• "Islands" was covered by Japanese artist Ai Aso on the She's So Heavy split 7". The song was also covered on Alice's Viaggio in Italia.
• The harmonic basis for the tune "The Letters" is derived from the Giles, Giles and Fripp song "Why Don't You Just Drop In," available on The Brondesbury Tapes compilation.
• The original vinyl release of the album features a hidden track. At the end of side two there is a recording of studio chatter followed by a voice, possibly Fripp's, saying, among other things, "...What we're going to do; umm, do it twice more, once with the oboe, once without it...". This was included on the initial CD release but was accidentally left off the first pressings of the 1989 Definitive Edition CD remaster. It was restored on all subsequent reissues.