Frame By Frame: The Essential King Crimson is a compilation (4CD set) by the band King Crimson, released in 1991.

Track listing

Disc 1: 1969-1971

1. "21st Century Schizoid Man" (Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, Peter Sinfield)

   including:

   • "Mirrors"

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

2. "I Talk to the Wind" (McDonald, Sinfield)

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

3. "Epitaph" (Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield)

   including:

   • "March for No Reason"
   • "Tomorrow and Tomorrow"

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

4. "Moonchild" (Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield)

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

5. "The Court of the Crimson King" (McDonald, Sinfield)

   including:

   • "The Return of the Fire Witch"
   • "The Dance of the Puppets"

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

6. "Peace: A Theme" (Fripp)

   From the album In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)

7. "Cat Food" (Fripp, McDonald, Sinfield)

   From the album In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)

   This version from the single Cat Food/Groon (1970)

8. "Groon" (Fripp)

   From the single Cat Food/Groon (1970)

   Previously featured on the compilation (2LP set) A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson (1976)

9. "Cadence and Cascade" (Fripp, Sinfield)

   From the album In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)

   This version replaces Gordon Haskell 's original vocals with vocals performed by Adrian Belew

10. "Sailor's Tale" (Fripp)

    Abridged, from the album Islands (1971)

11. "Ladies of the Road" (Fripp, Sinfield)

    From the album Islands (1971)

12. "Lizard (Part II: Bolero - The Peacock's Tale)" (Fripp, Sinfield)

    From the album Lizard (1970)

    This version replaces Gordon Haskell 's original bass guitar with bass guitar performed by Tony Levin

Disc 2:1972-1974

1. "Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Part I)" (Bill Bruford, David Cross , Fripp, Jamie Muir , John Wetton)

   Abridged, from the album Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973)

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

   From the album Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973)

3. "Easy Money" (Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton)

   From the album Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973)

4. "Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Part II)" (Fripp)

   From the album Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973)

5. "The Night Watch" (Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton)

   From the album Starless and Bible Black (1974)

6. "The Great Deceiver" (Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton)

   From the album Starless and Bible Black (1974)

7. "Fracture" (Fripp)

   Abridged, from the album Starless and Bible Black (1974)

8. "Starless" (Bruford, Cross, Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton)

   Abridged, from the album Red (1974)

9. "Red" (Fripp)

   From the album Red (1974)

10. "Fallen Angel" (Fripp, Palmer-James, Wetton)

    From the album Red (1974)

11. "One More Red Nightmare" (Fripp, Wetton)

    From the album Red (1974)

Disc 3:1981-1984

1. "Elephant Talk" (Adrian Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Tony Levin)

   From the album Discipline (1981)

2. "Frame by Frame" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   From the album Discipline (1981)

3. "Matte Kudasai" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   From the album Discipline (1981)

4. "Thela Hun Ginjeet" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   From the album Discipline (1981)

5. "Heartbeat" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   From the album Beat (1982)

6. "Waiting Man" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   From the album Beat (1982)

7. "Neurotica" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   From the album Beat (1982)

8. "Requiem" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   From the album Beat (1982)

9. "Three of a Perfect Pair" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   From the album Three of a Perfect Pair (1984)

10. "Sleepless" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

    From the album Three of a Perfect Pair (1984)

11. "Discipline" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

    From the album Discipline (1981)

12. "The Sheltering Sky" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

    From the album Discipline (1981)

13. "The King Crimson Barber Shop" (Levin)

    Also featured on the compilation Heartbeat: The Abbreviated King Crimson (1991)

    Subsequently featured on the reissued version of the album Three of a Perfect Pair (1984)

Disc 4: Live 1969-1984

1. "Get Thy Bearings" (Donovan Leitch)

   Recorded at Plumpton Racetrack (at the Ninth National Jazz and Blues Festival), Streat , UK, August 9, 1969

   Subsequently featured on the live album (4CD set) Epitaph

2. "Travel Weary Capricorn" (Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield)

   Recorded at Plumpton Racetrack (at the Ninth National Jazz and Blues Festival), Streat , UK, August 9, 1969

   Subsequently featured on the live album (4CD set) Epitaph

3. "Mars: The Bringer of War" (Gustav Holst)

   Recorded at Plumpton Racetrack (at the Ninth National Jazz and Blues Festival), Streat , UK, August 9, 1969

   Subsequently featured on the live album (4CD set) Epitaph

4. "The Talking Drum" (Bruford, Cross, Fripp, Muir, Wetton)

   Recorded at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 23, 1973

   Subsequently featured on the live album (2CD set) The Night Watch

5. "21st Century Schizoid Man" (Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield)

   including:

   • "Mirrors"

   Recorded at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 23, 1973

   Subsequently featured on the live album (2CD set) The Night Watch

6. "Asbury Park" (Bill Bruford, Cross, Fripp, Wetton)

   Recorded at the Casino, Asbury Park, June 28, 1974

   Previously featured on the live album USA

7. "Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Part III)" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   Recorded at Le Spectrum, Montreal, Canada, July 11, 1984

   Fuller version subsequently featured on the live album (2CD set) Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal (1998)

8. "Sartori in Tangier" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   Recorded at Le Spectrum, Montreal, Canada, July 11, 1984

   Subsequently featured on the live album (2CD set) Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal (1998)

9. "Indiscipline" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)

   Recorded at the Arena, Frejus, France, August 27, 1982

   Subsequently featured on the live album (King Crimson Collectors' Club release) Live at Cap D'Agde (April 1999)