• Artist: King Crimson
• Flags: Extended Play (EP)
• Type: EP
• Rating:
• Styles: Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Album Rock
• Similar Albums: EPs by Robert Wyatt, Highlights: The Best of Nektar, Living in the Past [Rush], BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert, Yesstory, If 2, Best of Barclay James Harvest, Vol. 3, Peel Sessions [Dutch East India], Complete, Over, How's Tricks, Inner Revolution, Middle Passage

Review

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). ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	iTunes	Composers	Performers	Time
King Crimson Barber Shop	...	Tony Levin	King Crimson	(1:35)
21st Century Schizoid Man	...	Greg Lake, Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Ian McDonald, Peter Sinfield	King Crimson	(4:45)
The Court of the Crimson King		Ian McDonald, Peter Sinfield	King Crimson	(4:56)
Elephant Talk	...	Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin	King Crimson	(3:36)
Matte Kudasai	...	Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin	King Crimson	(3:48)
Heartbeat	...	Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin	King Crimson	(2:59)
Medley	...		King Crimson	(1:22)

Credits

Adrian Belew (Guitar), Adrian Belew (Vocals), Bill Bruford (Percussion), Bill Bruford (Drums), Bill Bruford (Drums (Electric)), King Crimson (Producer), King Crimson (Main Performer), Greg Lake (Bass), Greg Lake (Guitar (Bass)), Greg Lake (Vocals), Robbin Thompson (Engineer), Rhett Davies (Producer), Rhett Davies (Engineer), Brad Davis (Engineer), Robert Fripp (Guitar), Robert Fripp (Producer), Robert Fripp (Executive Producer), Robert Fripp (Mixing), Robert Fripp (Remastering), Michael Giles (Percussion), Michael Giles (Drums), Michael Giles (Vocals), Tony Levin (Bass), Tony Levin (Guitar (Bass)), Tony Levin (Saxophone), Tony Levin (Sax (Baritone)), Tony Levin (Sax (Bass)), Tony Levin (Sax (Tenor)), Tony Levin (Stick), Tony Levin (Vocals), Tony Levin (Chapman Stick), Ian McDonald (Keyboards), Ian McDonald (Vocals), Ian McDonald (Mellotron), Ian McDonald (Woodwind), Peter Sinfield (Songwriter), Peter Sinfield, David Singleton (Engineer), David Singleton (Editing), David Singleton (Mixing), David Singleton (Editing Engineer), Tony Arnold (Mixing), Tony Arnold (Remastering), Bill Smith (Art Direction), Bill Smith (Design), Robin Thompson (Engineer)