• Limited Edition
• Reissue
• 200 Gram
• 200 gram vinyl
• Stereo mixes by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp
• 4-page inner sleeve with lyrics and information
• Rim text on labels
   

King Crimson's Islands arrived in 1971 as a deliberate shift toward accessibility without sacrificing the band's progressive complexity. Following the commercial success of *In the Court of the Crimson King*, this album marked a moment where the group's technical mastery could accommodate structured songwriting and vocal performances—a balance that defined the band's most enduring work. Within their catalog, Islands stands as a bridge between their exploratory early years and the more composed material that would follow, capturing the ensemble at a point where control and spontaneity coexist.

The record unfolds with remarkable clarity: "Prelude: Song Of The Gulls" establishes an intimate, almost chamber-music atmosphere before the album proper begins, while "Formentera Lady" showcases Adrian Belew's crystalline guitar work alongside Greg Lake's vocal precision. "Sailor's Tale" and "The Letters" burrow deeper into narrative territory, their arrangements intricate yet purposeful, avoiding the excesses that could have derailed lesser progressive acts. The instrumental title track "Islands" and "Ladies Of The Road" demonstrate the band's ability to sustain tension across extended compositions, with each musician operating as both soloist and orchestral voice within the larger texture. The album's emotional palette—melancholic, searching, occasionally luminous—emerges through disciplined arrangement rather than bombast.

This 2021 reissue presents the record as a 200-gram stereo pressing featuring the 40th anniversary mixes supervised by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp—a pairing that ensures both historical reverence and sonic clarity. The four-page inner sleeve provides lyrics and contextual information, while the label printing includes rim text distinguishing this edition. For vinyl collectors, this pressing delivers the enhanced weight and fidelity that justify the format choice, making it a substantive upgrade over previous iterations.

Title: Islands
Artist: King Crimson
Label: Discipline Global Mobile
Style: Rock, Prog Rock
Product Type: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo, 200 Gram
Country: Europe
Release Year: 2021
Barcode: 6 33367 79191 7

Tracklist:

A1. Formentera Lady (9:55)
A2. Sailor's Tale (7:20)
A3. The Letters (4:25)
B1. Ladies Of The Road (5:29)
B2. Prelude: Song Of The Gulls (4:14)
B3. Islands (9:14)