King Crimson – Beat (40th Anniversary Edition)

40th anniversary stereo mixes of King Crimson’s 1980s albums ‘Discipline’, ‘Beat’ (this) and ‘Three Of A Perfect Pair’  (this) by  Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp

All three albums available on 200-gram super-heavyweight vinyl for the first time

Mastered by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering from original studio masters

‘Beat’ features the extended version of Requiem

Released on CD as part of King Crimson’s 40th anniversary series, the Steven Wilson & Robert Fripp remixes of the 1980s trilogy of albums ‘Discipline’, ‘Beat’ and ‘Three Of A Perfect Pair’ have long been over-due on vinyl.

Seven years after King Crimson had ‘ceased to exist’, King Crimson’s reinvention as a new quartet consisting of Robert Fripp, Bill Bruford, Adrian Belew and Tony Levin brought about a surprising new era, which delighted fans old and new.

Stylistically very different from the King Crimson of the 1970s, this new line-up incorporated rock with electronica, funk, pure pop, modern avant-garde, and a complex variety of musical textures and influences.

‘Discipline’ (1981) charted on release in many countries - including the UK & USA - and songs written for the album such as ‘Matte Kudasai’ have become established favourites in the band’s repertoire. The album remains one of the key albums of the early 1980s and one of King Crimson’s most popular and best-selling. 

‘Beat’ (1982) was released just eight months after the quartet’s recording of ‘Discipline’ and marked the first occasion where a KC line-up had remained intact for a two album stretch and the first album by the band to employ a separate producer – Rhett Davies. The album also charted upon release in the US and the UK with compositions such a ‘Waiting Man’, ‘Neal and Jack and Me’ and ‘Heartbeat’ becoming firm favourites with fans and concert goers.

‘Three Of A Perfect Pair’ (1984) was the first of the 80s albums to reach Top 30 in the UK album charts, signalling the increasing popularity of the 80s line-up and helping to ensure the group’s status as one of the most interesting and innovative bands of the decade.

King Crimson’s 1980s studio trilogy is now celebrated as a classic period, the intricacies of the playing and details in the compositional style became a key influence on sub-genres such as math rock.