A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson

A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson
Compilation album by King Crimson
Released	March 1976
Recorded	1969–1974
Genre	Progressive rock
Label	Island (UK) Atlantic Records (Canada) Polydor Records (UK) E.G. Records Virgin Records Discipline Global Mobile
Producer	King Crimson
King Crimson chronology
A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson (1976) The Compact King Crimson (1986)The Compact King Crimson1986

A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson is a compilation (2LP set) by the band King Crimson, released in 1976. At the time the band had split. The track selection was by Robert Fripp.

Its name is most likely derived either from the famous orchestral work The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra from composer Benjamin Britten or the 1960s television series Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, created by conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein.

The gatefold-sleeve featured, as the front and back cover, artwork by Scottish artist Fergus Hall. Included as part of the package was a booklet, replete with photographs, and detailing gig history and notable events: this was compiled by Robert Fripp from his own archive.

To date, its sole CD release has been in Japan, in 1990. This 2CD set, which faithfully duplicated the vinyl running-order, included a reproduction of the booklet, scaled-down. Playing times are approximately 40 minutes long for CD1, and 35 minutes for CD2.

Track listing

LP 1

Side one

1. "Epitaph" (including "March for No Reason" and "Tomorrow and Tomorrow") (Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, Peter Sinfield) – 8:52

   from the album In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)

2. "Cadence and Cascade" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 3:36

   abridged, from the album In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)

3. "Ladies of the Road" (Fripp, Sinfield) – 5:27

   from the album Islands (1971)

4. "I Talk to the Wind" (McDonald, Sinfield) – 3:15

   recorded at 93A Brondesbury Road, London, UK, July 1968

   This version differs from the version released on In the Court of the Crimson King. The most notable difference is in the vocals, which are sung by Judy Dyble (Fairport Convention) rather than Greg Lake. This version is also available on The Brondesbury Tapes (1968) under the name of Giles Giles & Fripp (VP235CD).

Side two

1. "Red" (Fripp) – 6:18

   from the album Red (1974)

2. "Starless" (Bill Bruford, David Cross, Fripp, Richard Palmer-James, John Wetton) – 12:17

   from the album Red

LP 2

Side one

1. "The Night Watch" (Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton) – 4:38

   From the album Starless and Bible Black (1974)

2. "Book of Saturday" (Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton) – 2:52

   From the album Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973)

3. "Peace: A Theme" (Fripp) – 1:14

   from the album In the Wake of Poseidon

4. "Cat Food" (Fripp, McDonald, Sinfield) – 2:43

   Abridged, as released on the single Cat Food/Groon (1970); unedited version available on In the Wake of Poseidon

5. "Groon" (Fripp) – 3:30

   From the single Cat Food/Groon

6. "Coda from Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Part I)" – 2:09

   Abridged, from the album Larks' Tongues in Aspic

Side two

1. "Moonchild" (Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield) – 2:24

   abridged, from the album In the Court of the Crimson King

2. "Trio" (Bruford, Cross, Fripp, Wetton) – 5:36

   From the album Starless and Bible Black

3. "The Court of the Crimson King" (including "The Return of the Fire Witch" and "The Dance of the Puppets") (McDonald, Sinfield) – 9:21

   from the album In the Court of the Crimson King