Description
21st Century Schizoid Band – Live In Japan – Compact Disc
Live in Japan, 6 November 2002
21st Century Schizoid Band – Live in Japan, released in 2002, is a powerful live document by a group of former King Crimson members revisiting and revitalizing the early material from Crimson’s groundbreaking catalog. Recorded during their tour in Japan in 2002, this album captures the band’s intense, intricate, and highly skilled performances of King Crimson’s 1969–1972 repertoire, with a mix of reverence, reinvention, and fresh energy.
The 21st Century Schizoid Band was essentially a Crimson alumni project, featuring:
Mel Collins – saxophones and flute (played with Crimson from 1970–1972),
Ian McDonald – multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of Crimson, playing sax, flute, and keyboards,
Michael Giles – original drummer of In the Court of the Crimson King (on earlier recordings; by the Japan tour, his son Gavin Harrison had taken over on drums),
Peter Giles – on bass,
Jakko Jakszyk – on guitar and vocals (later to become a full-time member of the modern King Crimson lineup),
Ian Wallace – drums on this particular live recording (a Crimson drummer from the Islands era).
The setlist is a Crimson fan’s dream, featuring faithful yet dynamic versions of early-era classics like:
“21st Century Schizoid Man” – explosive and ferocious, with sax-driven firepower and updated instrumental solos,
“The Court of the Crimson King” – majestic and haunting, with Mellotron textures and choral drama,
“Ladies of the Road,” “Cat Food,” “Formentera Lady,” and “Epitaph” – performed with precision and emotional weight,
plus “Let There Be Light” – a beautiful original by Jakko Jakszyk that fits seamlessly with the Crimson material.
What makes Live in Japan so compelling is how these seasoned musicians—many of whom were part of Crimson’s earliest and most experimental years—reclaim this music with maturity and deeper perspective, while maintaining the raw spirit of the originals. The inclusion of Jakszyk, who wasn’t in the original lineup but handles vocals and guitar duties superbly, adds a sense of continuity and forward motion. His voice is rich, expressive, and respectful of the material without sounding like imitation.
The sound quality is excellent—clear, punchy, and mixed to highlight both the complex interplay and melodic beauty in the music. The jazz influences, classical underpinnings, and rock power that defined early King Crimson are all on full display, but with added warmth and nuance that comes from musicians revisiting the work with decades of experience.
For fans of early King Crimson, Live in Japan is more than a nostalgic trip—it’s a reimagining of seminal progressive rock music, performed by the artists who helped create it, with both fidelity and newfound emotional depth. It’s also a testament to the enduring power of this material and its influence on progressive music, jazz-rock, and beyond.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Schizoid Intro
A Man A City
Catfood
Let There Be Light
Progress
In The Court Of The Crimson King
Formentara Lady
Ladies Of The Road
I Talk To The Wind
Epitaph
Birdman
21st Century Schizoid Man
