King Crimson - 4 EPs (1991-1996)

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King Crimson - 4 EPs (1991-1996)

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The Abbreviated King Crimson: Heartbeat (1991). For an affordable and short (really short - 23 minutes) introduction to the wonders of King Crimson, The Abbreviated King Crimson: Heartbeat will do the trick. The EP was released to coincide with the appearance of the mammoth box set The Essential King Crimson: Frame By Frame back in late 1991. Split almost 50-50 between early Crimson and the later '80s version of the group, many classic tracks are left off (nothing off the fan favorite Red is present), so it's certainly not a definitive King Crimson anthology. Still, the band's attention to detail and perfection are nearly unparalleled, as evidenced by Adrian Belew's Police-sounding guitar gracing the ballad "Matte Kudesai," and Tony Levin's bass showcase "Elephant Talk." And the two above-mentioned tracks show why Crimson was one of the few progressive art-rock bands to be embraced by the late-'70s/early-'80s new wave movement. Nearly all of the songs are either in edited or abbreviated versions, but the early classics "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "In the Court of the Crimson King" shine even as shorter compositions. And of interest to King Crimson completists are the presence of such oddities as "Medley" (a combination of all the tracks on the album) and "The King Crimson Barber Shop" (Tony Levin shows that he's talented as a vocalist as well, handling all the vocals via modern technology).

Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream (1995). King Crimson's Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream is another one of the band's numerous mini-album releases). Included are five Crimson obscurities, aimed primarily at the serious fan. The dreamy live take of "Walking on Air" was recorded from a 1995 concert in Los Angeles, while the other live song, "Heartbeat," is taken from the King Crimson double-live album B'BOOM. You'll also find edited versions of both this EP's title track and "One Time," both of which appeared in their original forms on Crimson's 1995 reunion album Thrak. The most intriguing track from this EP is an ultra-rare cover of the Christmas standard "Silent Night." The song was originally recorded back in 1979 and was included in a little-known Christmas newsletter at the time. Fans of original guitar playing should definitely check out the track (guitarist Robert Fripp uses his unique, textured Frippertronics technique).

Dinosaur (1995). Dinosaur is a five-track EP, which will be of interest only to the most extreme King Crimson fanatics, looking to buy just about anything with the King Crimson name on it. Granted, it did serve a purpose for a short while; it contained three tracks ("Cloudscape," "Elephant Talk," and "Red") that would later appear on the concert disc B'Boom. But with the release of the aforementioned album, there's nothing on the Dinosaur EP that you cannot find elsewhere on Crimson albums still in print. There's no point in shelling out the cash for an edited version of the title track, since the full-length version is available on the Thrak album, and is far superior to the edit. You'll also find the instrumental Vrooom here, but again, it can be found on Thrak. In a nutshell, the Dinosaur EP became worthless with the release of B'Boom.

Schizoid Man (1996). For King Crimson scholars interested in studying the evolution of the group's biggest hit, "21st Century Schizoid Man," over a six-year span (1969-1974), hunt down a copy of the British import CD Schizoid Man. A total of five versions are showcased - two studio takes and three in-concert versions. The first two are the most common - an edited version which the majority of the public still hears on classic rock radio, and the original full-length version from Crimson's 1969 debut, In the Court of the Crimson King. As for the live versions, both the "Live 1969" and "Live 1974" takes are strikingly similar, sticking close to the original arrangement. The big surprise is the almost heavy metal "Live 1972" version, which sounds like Black Sabbath covering the song and stretches to 11½ minutes, due to some highly technical sax/drum improvisation.

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King Crimson - 4 EPs (1991-1996)

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King Crimson - 4 EPs (1991-1996)

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King Crimson - 4 EPs (1991-1996)

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King Crimson - 4 EPs (1991-1996)

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