Three of a Perfect Pair

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.

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

Released on 27 March 1984, Three of a Perfect Pair reached number 30 in the UK Albums Chart

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."

A new 5.1 surround sound mix by Steven Wilson will be released as a CD/DVD-A release. It will be reissued in October 2016 remixed by Wilson and Robert Fripp for the 40th Anniversary Series standalone and new On (and off) The Road 1981 - 1984 boxset.

Track listing

All songs written by Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, Robert Fripp and Tony Levin, except where noted.

Personnel

Charts

Album