The Compact King Crimson is a compilation of songs by the British progressive rock band King Crimson, selected by Robert Fripp from the then-two different eras of the band.
| The Compact King Crimson | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 8 December 1986[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1969–1984 | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 79:13 (Vinyl) 70:10 (CD) | |||
| Label | EG | |||
| Producer | King Crimson | |||
| King Crimson chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Kerrang! | (3.7/5)[3] |
The cover art features the Fergus Hall painting Il Divino. Paintings by Hall emblazoned the previous King Crimson compilation, A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson.[4]
Track listing
editLP/cassette version
editSide one
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Discipline" | Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin | Discipline, 1981 | 5:01 |
| 2. | "Thela Hun Ginjeet" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Discipline | 6:27 |
| 3. | "Matte Kudasai" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Discipline | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Three of a Perfect Pair" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Three of a Perfect Pair, 1984 | 4:13 |
Side two
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Frame by Frame" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Discipline | 5:08 |
| 2. | "Sleepless" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Sleepless" 12" single A-side, 1984 (mixed by Bob Clearmountain) | 5:24 |
| 3. | "Heartbeat" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Beat, 1982 | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Elephant Talk" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Discipline | 4:36 |
Side three
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "21st Century Schizoid Man" (including "Mirrors") | Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, Peter Sinfield | In the Court of the Crimson King, 1969 | 7:20 |
| 2. | "I Talk to the Wind" | Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield | In the Court of the Crimson King | 6:06 |
| 3. | "Epitaph" (including "March for No Reason" and "Tomorrow and Tomorrow") | Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield | In the Court of the Crimson King | 8:49 |
Side four
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Red" | Fripp | Red, 1974 | 6:17 |
| 2. | "Cat Food" (Single version) | Fripp, Sinfield, McDonald | "Cat Food/Groon" 7" single A-side, 1970 | 2:46 |
| 3. | "The Court of the Crimson King" (including "The Return of the Fire Witch" and "The Dance of the Puppets") | McDonald, Sinfield | In the Court of the Crimson King | 9:22 |
CD version
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Discipline" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Discipline, 1981 | 5:01 |
| 2. | "Thela Hun Ginjeet" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Discipline | 6:27 |
| 3. | "Matte Kudasai" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Discipline | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Three of a Perfect Pair" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Three of a Perfect Pair, 1984 | 4:13 |
| 5. | "Frame by Frame" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Discipline | 5:08 |
| 6. | "Sleepless" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Three of a Perfect Pair | 5:24 |
| 7. | "Heartbeat" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Beat, 1982 | 3:56 |
| 8. | "Elephant Talk" | Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin | Discipline | 4:36 |
| 9. | "21st Century Schizoid Man" (including "Mirrors") | Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield | In the Court of the Crimson King, 1969 | 7:20 |
| 10. | "I Talk to the Wind" | Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield | In the Court of the Crimson King | 6:06 |
| 11. | "Epitaph" (including "March for No Reason" and "Tomorrow and Tomorrow") | Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield | In the Court of the Crimson King | 8:49 |
| 12. | "The Court of the Crimson King" (including "The Return of the Fire Witch" and "The Dance of the Puppets") | McDonald, Sinfield | In the Court of the Crimson King | 9:22 |
Personnel
edit- Robert Fripp – guitars, devices (all tracks)
- Adrian Belew – guitar, lead vocals (on "Discipline", "Thela Hun Ginjeet", "Matte Kudasai", "Three of a Perfect Pair", "Frame by Frame", "Sleepless", Heartbeat", "Elephant Talk")
- Bill Bruford – drums, percussion (on "Discipline", "Thela Hun Ginjeet", "Matte Kudasai", "Three of a Perfect Pair", "Frame by Frame", "Sleepless", Heartbeat", "Elephant Talk", "Red")
- Tony Levin – Chapman Stick, basses, backing vocals (on "Discipline", "Thela Hun Ginjeet", "Matte Kudasai", "Three of a Perfect Pair", "Frame by Frame", "Sleepless", Heartbeat", "Elephant Talk")
- Michael Giles – drums, percussion, vocals (on "21st Century Schizoid Man", "I Talk to the Wind", "Epitaph", "Cat Food", "The Court of the Crimson King")
- Greg Lake – lead vocals, basses (on "21st Century Schizoid Man", "I Talk to the Wind", "Epitaph", "Cat Food", "The Court of the Crimson King")
- Ian McDonald – woodwinds, reeds, keyboards, Mellotron, vocals (on "21st Century Schizoid Man", "I Talk to the Wind", "Epitaph", "The Court of the Crimson King")
- John Wetton – bass (on "Red")
- Peter Giles – bass (on "Cat Food")
- Keith Tippett – piano (on "Cat Food")
References
edit- ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 42.
- ^ Mills, T. (2011). "The Compact King Crimson – King Crimson". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- ^ Henderson, Paul (8 January 1987). "King Krimson 'The Compact King Crimson". Kerrang!. Vol. 137. London, UK: United Magazines ltd. p. 11.
- ^ "Focus on Fergus Hall". Dgmlive.com. Retrieved 21 May 2023.