Frame by Frame: The Essential King Crimson is a 4-CD by the band , released in 1991. Disc 1: 1969-1971[] "" (, , , , ) - 7:20 "I Talk to the Wind" (McDonald, Sinfield) - 6:05 "" (Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield) - 8:44 "" (Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield) - 2:26 version, omitting the improv section of the song "" (McDonald, Sinfield) - 9:25 "Peace: A Theme" (Fripp) - 1:16 "" (Fripp, McDonald, Sinfield) - 2:45 "Groon" (Fripp) - 3:31 Previously unreleased on CD; also featured on the 2-LP compilation (1976) "Cadence and Cascade" (Fripp, Sinfield) - 4:10 New , replacing 's original with vocals performed by , July 1991 "The Sailor's Tale" (Fripp) - 7:27 Abridged version, removing approximately 3.5 seconds' worth of the cymbal introduction "Ladies of the Road" (Fripp, Sinfield) - 5:31 "Bolero" (Fripp, Sinfield) - 6:45 New mix, replacing Gordon Haskell's original with bass guitar performed by , June 1991 Tracks 1-5 from (1969) Tracks 6-7 & 9 from (1970) Tracks 7-8 released as the "Cat Food/Groon" in 1970 Track 12 from (1970) Tracks 10-11 from (1971)

Total Running Time - 67:47

Disc 2: 1972-1974[] "" (, , Fripp, , ) - 10:53 Abridged version "Book of Saturday" (Fripp, , Wetton) - 2:53 "Easy Money" (Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton) - 7:55 "" (Fripp) - 7:09 "The Night Watch" (Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton) - 4:40 "The Great Deceiver" (Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton) - 4:03 "Fracture" (Fripp) - 6:57 Abridged version "" (Bruford, Cross, Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton) - 4:38 Abridged version "Red" (Fripp) - 6:17 "" (Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton) - 5:59 "" (Fripp, Wetton) - 7:09 Tracks 1-4 from the album (1973) Tracks 5-7 from the album (1974) Tracks 8-11 from the album (1974)

Total Running Time - 69:08

Disc 3: 1981-1984[]

All tracks on disc 3 written by , Bruford, Fripp and , unless otherwise indicated.

"" - 4:42 "Frame by Frame" - 5:08 "" - 3:48 "" - 6:26 "" - 3:54 "Waiting Man" - 4:22 "Neurotica" - 4:48 "Requiem" - 6:36 "" - 4:11 "" - 5:22 "" - 5:05 "" - 8:16 "The King Crimson Barber Shop" (Levin) - 1:31 Also featured on the compilation (1991), subsequently featured on the reissued version of the album (1984) Tracks 1-4 & 11-12 from the album (1981) Tracks 5-8 from the album (1982) Tracks 9-10 from the album Three of a Perfect Pair (1984)

Total Running Time - 64:08

Disc 4: Live 1969-1984[] "" () - 9:21 Recorded at Plumpton Racetrack (at the Ninth National Jazz and Blues Festival), , , August 9, 1969 subsequently featured on the live album (4-CD set) "Travel Weary Capricorn" (Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield) - 4:23 Recorded at Plumpton Racetrack (at the Ninth National Jazz and Blues Festival), Streat, UK, August 9, 1969 Subsequently featured on the live 4-CD set (1997) "" () - 8:09 Recorded at the , , , , December 14, 1969* subsequently featured on the live 4-CD set Epitaph "The Talking Drum" (Bruford, Cross, Fripp, Muir, Wetton) - 8:30 Recorded at the , , the , November 23, 1973; subsequently featured on the live 2-CD set (1997) "21st Century Schizoid Man" (Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield) - 9:15 Recorded at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, November 23, 1973 subsequently featured on the live 2-CD set The Night Watch "Asbury Park" (Bill Bruford, Cross, Fripp, Wetton) - 6:52 Recorded at the Casino, , June 28, 1974; previously featured on the live album (1975) "" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin) - 2:35 recorded at , , , July 11, 1984; excerpt version, with the full version subsequently featured on the live 2-CD set (1998) "Sartori in Tangier" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin) - 4:08 recorded at Le Spectrum, , , , July 11, 1984 subsequently featured on the live album (2-CD set) Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal "" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin) - 5:26 Recorded at the Arena, , , August 27, 1982; subsequently featured on the live album (King Crimson Collectors' Club release) (April 1999)

Total Running Time - 61:20

(*) The Frame by Frame booklet incorrectly lists the date as December 10, 1969.