Happy birthday THRAK! 1995-2015

**Crystal Plumage** · 03-15-2015

Since the mastering is almost done for the 40th Anniversay series, it's time for a THRAK thread.
It's been nearly 20 years since its original release. Do you still think the same of it?

I discovered the album in 2001 and it always has been one of my favorite Crim albums. It's the one that "clicked" with me and made me check out the rest of the catalog.
I have two versions of this, the Gold CD and the 30th Ann. remaster. Both sound great but the Gold CD is a tad more subtle. Especially with the vocals.
What will be included in the new edition? Any info can be posted in this here thread. I never bought the Vrooom Sessions, so hopefully they'll include that. And on vinyl for the first time? That would be something!

From the latest Fripp diary update:

14.11 First run*-though. Surround sound in stereo. A stunning mix. I have rarely heard stereo as convincing as this. Only one mix reservation, easily addressed by Jakko at Studio Jakko.

15.51 Onto a through-*listening of the 5.1. THRAK immersion.

17.02 Probably most listeners will hear joyful clatterings that escaped them on the original stereo mix, and perhaps may escape them even on the stereo radical*-remix.

17.15 Closing the computer and off.

http://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?entry=28832

**will90** · 03-15-2015

Thrak is an absolutely stonkingly good KC album. One of the better incarnations of KC. Thrakkattak on the other hand ........

**Hobo Chang Ba** · 03-15-2015

I place it near the bottom of my KC List, but still rate it about a 3.5/5.

**mx20** · 03-16-2015

Has 2 or 3 great songs, some cool playing, and a lot of filler. I remember being very disappointed by Thrak after the promise of the Vroom EP. I listened again recently, and my opinion hadn't changed much, other than the production was better than I remembered.

**arturs** · 03-16-2015

yeah, it never really came together for me. I agree. A few good songs. Good production, but somehow less than the sum of the parts. I really like Dinosaur when they do it live.

**MarKco** · 03-16-2015

Being 56 min : 39 s long, I hope they won't release it as a double vinyl with each side 14 min long.

**Kcrimso** · 03-16-2015

Very very good. The most poppy/mainstream Crimson ever got but I don't mind.

**Drake** · 03-16-2015

Has not aged that well. It's an ok album.

**Spiral** · 03-16-2015

I'd say it's a mostly-great album but not a truly exceptional one. The songs are more solid than not, the instrumentals are better than solid and the production sounds great. At the same time it's got a patchwork quality. The short interlude pieces come across as partly-germinated ideas that didn't hold the whole thing together as well as they should, and the "B'Boom / Thrak" centerpiece feels like an attempt to sum up the double-trio concept before they'd gotten enough of a grip on it themselves (although that may just be my familiarity with the later live versions talking). Combine that with some of Ade's weaker lyrics in the back half, and the whole thing never truly becomes the monster it should have.

**Haruspex Carnage** · 03-19-2015

In case anyone, like me, was wondering just what the HELL is the front cover of, here's a reply from Sid Smith from my exact question off the FB King Crimson page:

The front cover of Thrak is a photograph of a filing cabinet that had been broken into following a burglary at the offices of album cover designer Bill Smith. In prizing the cabinet door open the thieves had ruptured the hinge - that's the hole in the top left corner of the pic.

**SteveSly** · 03-19-2015

Love it! It was also the one and only tour where I have seen King Crimson. Incredible show.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 03-19-2015

Not much of a fan of this one. I prefer the two following studio records to this, although I really don't listen to them very often either.

**Mister Triscuits** · 03-19-2015

I think Thrak suffered from having had most of the best material already presented on VROOOM. And much the stuff that was new to Thrak consisted of those fiddly little Radio/Inner Garden tracks, a ballad ("Walking on Air") that was sweet but kind of redundant, given that the superior "One Time" already filled the obligatory "pretty song" slot, and "People," which may be my least favorite Crimson song ever. And that all makes the album sag in the middle and feel overlong. Still, Crimson has yet to put out anything I didn't love...I just love this one a bit less than most of the others.

**Tangram** · 03-19-2015

Originally Posted by will90

Thrak is an absolutely stonkingly good KC album. One of the better incarnations of KC. Thrakkattak on the other hand ........

Gotta agree. Liked this better than the 3 1980's albums. And Thrakattack is one of the worst things I ever heard.

**Dave (in MA)** · 03-19-2015

Originally Posted by Tangram

Gotta agree. Liked this better than the 3 1980's albums.

And Thrakattack is one of the worst things I ever heard.

I love THRaKaTTaK.

**Kcrimso** · 03-20-2015

Originally Posted by Dave (in MA)

I love THRaKaTTaK.

Me too! Crazy and Brilliant stuff!

**Crystal Plumage** · 03-20-2015

As good as any ProjeKct.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 03-20-2015

Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits

and "People," which may be my least favorite Crimson song ever.

Yes. Seriously bad song.

**Kcrimso** · 03-20-2015

The lyrics of "People" are kind of crappy but otherwise I like it.

**Crystal Plumage** · 03-20-2015

Never had a problem with People.
Great song.

**Trane** · 03-20-2015

Originally Posted by will90

Thrak is an absolutely stonkingly good KC album. One of the better incarnations of KC. Thrakkattak on the other hand ........

Well Thrak owes much to LTiA, IMHO.

I didn't get it until a few years ago, because I had the Vroom "EP", and there was too much double stuff between the two releases (although different versions)

Originally Posted by Hobo Chang Ba

I place it near the bottom of my KC List, but still rate it about a 3.5/5.

I"m OK with your numerical rating, but there are a few studio albums tht I rank lower (see below)

Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor

Not much of a fan of this one. I prefer the two following studio records to this, although I really don't listen to them very often either.

CoL is pretty weak, IMHO (maybe their weakest studio album, along with Beat and Perfect Pair) >> let's say 3/5

I rank Thrak on the same echellon as Islands, SaBB, Discipline and Power to Believe > 3.5/5

Originally Posted by MarKco

Being 56 min : 39 s long, I hope they won't release it as a double vinyl with each side 14 min long.

With today's technology, this should be feasible on a single-disc, no?

Originally Posted by Tangram

Liked this better than the 3 1980's albums.

I'd almost agree, but Discipline gets a nod from me, because it somehow broke new grounds, so I stack it with Thak (and the others I mentionned above)

**arturs** · 03-20-2015

Originally Posted by SteveSly

Love it! It was also the one and only tour where I have seen King Crimson. Incredible show.

I agree about the show part. I have seen KC 6/7 times and the six man show was fer sure the best. Those guys could really make quite a racket!

**JAMOOL** · 03-20-2015

Wish this album were a bit shorter - some of the noisier stuff doesn't work so well for me - but I thought Belew was top-notch on this one. "Dinosaur" and "Walking on Air" are both excellent songs.

**Crystal Plumage** · 03-20-2015

Originally Posted by Haruspex Carnage

In case anyone, like me, was wondering just what the HELL is the front cover of, here's a reply from Sid Smith from my exact question off the FB King Crimson page:

The front cover of Thrak is a photograph of a filing cabinet that had been broken into following a burglary at the offices of album cover designer Bill Smith. In prizing the cabinet door open the thieves had ruptured the hinge - that's the hole in the top left corner of the pic.

Strange. That's not what he wrote in his book...