The sizable price tag might deter some, but this eight-disc anthology is an excellent way to house a hefty helping from the 1971-1972 incarnation of King Crimson. The contents are little more than the repackaging of the D.G.M. Collectors' Club titles Live at Jacksonville, 1972, Live at Summit Studios: Denver, 03/12/1972, Live at Plymouth, 1971, Live in Detroit, MI 1971, and Live in Orlando, FL 1972 -- although the compilers did throw in a nifty foldout poster that is otherwise unavailable. The band circa these recordings featured King Crimson mainstay Robert Fripp (guitar/Mellotron), who is joined by Mel Collins (sax/flute/Mellotron), Boz Burrell (bass/lead vocal), and Ian Wallace (drums/backing vocal). The short-lived confab lasted only a year -- April of 1971 through April of 1972 -- and much of the focus was on the Islands (1972) era material. The audio quality vacillates from the raw yet listenable entry from the May 11, 1971, performance at Guild Hall in Plymouth, England, to the full fidelity of the March 12, 1972, studio show that was simulcast on KFML from Summit Studios in the Mile-High City of Denver, CO. The standard set list was typically repeated, although occasionally augmented. Core entries include "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "In the Court of the Crimson King" from the 1969 debut LP of the same name; "Pictures of a City," "Cadence and Cascade," and the single-only side "Groon" circa In the Wake of Poseidon (1970); and "Cirkus" from the transitional Lizard lineup. With the sole exception of the Fripp-orchestrated "Prelude: Song of the Gulls" and the rarely played title track to "Islands," the rest of the album gets a workout, with "Formentera Lady," "Sailor's Tale," and "Ladies of the Road" receiving the most spin time.
There are a few specific performances scattered through Collector's Box, Vol. 2 that are worthy of mention. The Plymouth gig boasts one of the few opportunities that audiences had to hear the beguiling ballad "Lady of the Dancing Water." Plus, they dig out a pair of covers that the original 1969 combo played to great effect -- Donovan's "Get Thy Bearings" and an edgy adaptation of Holst's "Mars." The second evening of a two-night run at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, MI, on November 11, 1971, was the final for co-founder Peter Sinfield. His work was punctuated by significant lyrical contributions in the studio, as well as being the band's sound and light man on the road. The high-powered (albeit slightly edited) "Groon" is an undeniable pinnacle. Those familiar with the version of "Sailor's Tale" issued on the Earthbound (1972) live album are treated to unedited offerings of the same from February 26, 1972, in Jacksonville, FL. The following evening in Orlando yielded the project's over the top focal point, "Earthbound," which is likewise served up here in its unedited form. Even as backstage tensions would ultimately do in the quartet, Fripp and company are at no loss for inspiration during the March 12, 1972, KFML show. The heart and soul of the unit are still able to unleash improvisational masterpieces such as "Summit Going On" and the update of Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has a Master Plan" -- which will undoubtedly garner repeated spins from all who hear it.