Three of a Perfect Pair
| Three of a Perfect Pair | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by King Crimson | ||||
| Released | 27 March 1984 | |||
| Recorded | Mid-to-late 1983 | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 40:59 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | King Crimson | |||
| King Crimson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Three of a Perfect Pair | ||||
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Three of a Perfect Pair is the tenth studio album by English band King Crimson, released in March 1984 by record label E.G.
Content
The album balances traditional song structures on the "left side" with more free-form improvisation on the "right side", fitting somewhere between the experimental Discipline and the more commercially accessible Beat. Tony Levin had more input than on any other King Crimson album. The "other side" on the 2001 remaster consists of bonus tracks including an a cappella in which all four members supposedly sing in a barbershop quartet but is really Levin's voice overdubbed to create harmonization.
The name of the album is based on the idea of perfect opposites and "three sides to every story", or his, hers and an objective truth.
The Peter Willis designed artwork illustrates the sacred–profane dichotomy while being a simplified version of the Larks' Tongues in Aspic cover; a rising phallic object represents a male solar deity about to penetrate the crescent figure, a female lunar deity. However, one can also make out a Christian cross if staring at the empty spaces between the figures. The back cover illustration is the same but adds a third element, a curved line stretching to reconcile the opposing sides.[1][2]
Tracks 10-15 were added for the 2001 30th Anniversary remaster. Two of the three "Sleepless" mixes were previously available on the UK 12" single. The Bob Clearmountain mix appeared (incorrectly credited and against the band's wishes) on the U.S. Warner Bros. LP pressing.
The hip hop duo Gang Starr would later sample the intro to "Dig Me" in their song "Words I Manifest (Remix)" from their 1989 debut album No More Mr. Nice Guy.
Release and reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Robert Christgau | B−[4] |
| Rolling Stone | [5] |
| Kerrang! | mixed[6] |
| Trouser Press | mixed[7] |
Released on 27 March 1984, Three of a Perfect Pair reached number 30 in the UK Albums Chart[8]
Trouser Press described it as "a most disjunct album from a band that prided itself on carefully matched contradictions. The Left Side sports four of Adrian Belew's poorer songs and a self-derivative instrumental; the flip is nearly all-instrumental, nearly free-form, nearly brilliant. [...] Apparently the Frippressive "discipline" that forged the critically acclaimed pop/art synthesis of the first two latter-day Crimson albums is not a permanent condition."[7]
A new 5.1 surround sound mix by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp was released in October 2016 for the 40th Anniversary Series as a standalone CD/DVD package and as part of the On (and off) The Road 1981 - 1984 boxed set.
Track listing
All songs written by Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, Robert Fripp and Tony Levin, except where noted.
| Side one (The Left Side) | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Three of a Perfect Pair" | 4:13 |
| 2. | "Model Man" | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Sleepless" | 5:24 |
| 4. | "Man with an Open Heart" | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Nuages (That Which Passes, Passes Like Clouds)" (Instrumental) | 4:47 |
| Side two (The Right Side) | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 6. | "Industry" (Instrumental) | 7:04 |
| 7. | "Dig Me" | 3:16 |
| 8. | "No Warning" (Instrumental) | 3:29 |
| 9. | "Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Part III)" (Instrumental) | 6:05 |
| 2001 remaster bonus tracks (The Other Side) | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 10. | "The King Crimson Barber Shop" (music: Levin) | 1:37 |
| 11. | "Industrial Zone A" | 1:44 |
| 12. | "Industrial Zone B" | 4:33 |
| 13. | "Sleepless" (Tony Levin mix) | 7:26 |
| 14. | "Sleepless" (Bob Clearmountain mix) | 5:24 |
| 15. | "Sleepless" (François Kevorkian dance mix) | 6:17 |
| 2016 40th anniversary edition - bonus tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 10. | "The King Crimson Barber Shop" | 1:38 |
| 11. | "Robert's Ballad" | 3:23 |
| 12. | "Shidare Zakura" | 2:40 |
| 13. | "Industrial Zone A" | 3:15 |
| 14. | "Industrial Zone B" | 5:34 |
| 15. | "Industrial Zone C" | 15:50 |
| 2016 40th anniversary edition - video content | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Sleepless" (promotional video) | |
Personnel
- King Crimson
- Adrian Belew – fretted and fretless guitars, lead vocals
- Robert Fripp – guitar, frippertronics
- Tony Levin – bass, backing vocals, stick, synth
- Bill Bruford – acoustic and electric drumming
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | U.S. Billboard 200 | 58[9] |
| UK Albums Chart | 30[8] |
References
- ↑ http://www.elephant-talk.com/wiki/FAQ_-_What_Does_It_All_Mean%3F#Where_did_the_title_.27Three_Of_A_Perfect_Pair.27_come_from.3F
- ↑ http://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/29897/31/musical-guide-to-larks-tongues-in-aspic-by-king-crimson
- ↑ Prato, Greg. "King Crimson Three of a Perfect Pair review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide Reviews: Three of a Perfect Pair". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
- ↑ Puterbaugh, Parke (10 May 1984). "Album Reviews: King Crimson – Three of a Perfect Pair". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
- ↑ Sinclair, David (3 May 1984). "King Crimson 'Three of a Perfect Pair'". Kerrang!. 67. London, UK: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 10.
- 1 2 Grant, Steven; Fleischmann, Mark; Robbins, Ira. "TrouserPress.com :: King Crimson". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- 1 2 "King Crimson | Full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ↑ "allmusic ((( Three of a Perfect Pair > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
External links
- Three of a Perfect Pair at Discogs (list of releases)
