King Crimson

Live 1974 Penn State University King Crimson RSD 2026 edition

Live King Crimson multi-track recording of a live set from June 29th, 1974, at Penn State University.

Available on vinyl for the first time, exclusively for Record Store Day 2026.

2LP set cut by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering and pressed on 200-gram audiophile vinyl.

Gatefold sleeve with new sleeve notes from King Crimson biographer Sid Smith.

Personnel

Robert Fripp: Guitar, Mellotron & Devices

David Cross: Violin, Viola, Mellotron, Electric Piano

John Wetton: Bass, Lead Vocals

Bill Bruford: Drums & Percussion

To coincide with the release of Starless & Bible Black in March 1974, King Crimson set out on a run of shows that many fans consider to be this line-up’s peak. Late music critic John Kelman (All About Jazz) described them as being at their “heaviest and most guitar-centric version of Crimson to date,” noting that “even 24 hours represented a significant difference in how this group approached form-based material.”

With the rapid growth of CD in the 1980s came an equally rapid growth in bootlegging, and by 1992 there were over 120 different King Crimson bootlegs. Many focused on poor-quality recordings of the 1973/74 touring band, whose reputation among fans — and influence on a generation of musicians — continued to grow.

This ultimately prompted the band to release their own multi-track live performances.

Long requested by fans for a vinyl release, 1974 Penn State University is being made available on 200-gram double vinyl for the first time, exclusively for Record Store Day in April 2026. The release also includes a recording of 21st Century Schizoid Man from the band’s Central Park gig two days later — the final performance of this line-up before the group became a trio and began recording the Red album.