Ah, the bliss of Crimson. Of course this was never meant to be King Crimson, but a new allegiance, Discipline, which led to the album of that name. As it was, this aggregation was the first Crims line-up to put together three consecutive albums with the same personnel, and that tightness and intimacy is recorded across the, phew, 19 discs of this box set. This was a band that also underwrote much of the Bowie, Talking Heads and Zappa of the era with their industrially tight rhythms and blazing guitar work. So this box reflects not just the band but rock during a very special era. If this band's emphasis on songs and shorter performance is in marked contrast to the extended improvs of previous Crimson line-ups, the attack, the sheer joy of playing is no less evident, while the interplay between Belew and Fripp is unique amid all the Crims releases, forcing Fripp to new heights. His reprinted musical diaries, included here, give a fascinating insight into how a band is born, how the music comes to fruition, and just how much pizza with anchovies one man can eat.