THREE OF A PERFECT PAIR

King Crimson shows here that even through the 80s that they're willing to create something fresh, innovative, and progressive, though not even near close in comparison to their previous periods. If you're expecting In the Court., then don't buy this.

1. Three of a Perfect Pair- Very solid and enjoyable song with fantastic vocals by Belew. The man is an incredibly overlooked vocalist, frontman, and guitarist, and that still shows on this album. This song continues the disciplined sound of the previous two albums and it compares quite well in that regard. Solid instrumental work all around, great song! It gets more experimental towards the end and definitely isn't a typical 80s song, despite what some people may think. 9/10

2. Model Man- Again an incredibly enjoyable song that is more than a typical composition. Having the Neal and Jack and Me DVD (which I highly recommend) also helps an appreciation of these type of Crimson 80s songs. The guitar work again on here is experimental and very good, and the other instruments are also up to par. Belew's vocals shine once again. Still maintains that straightforward, disciplined song structure, however. "Take me as I am!!" 8/10

3. Sleepless- Atypical Crimson intro! Beware, but keep listening because this is another good song. Instrumentalists again are fantastic here (what else could you expect?), but a 1970s Symphonic fan might be turned off by this. Perhaps the most 80s-tinged song on here, but still pretty good. My least favorite on here. 6/10

4. Man with an Open Heart- Oddly designed song here that continues the same type of art-rock compositions. It has a demented feel to it almost. Neat song, but still in poppier vein. 7/10

5. Nuages- Oooooh, now here comes the real interesting music! This is a haunting 80s Crimson instrumental with great structure and instrumentation. Really awesome song and a very excellent mood. 9/10

6. Industry- Fantastic! This is truly a groundbreaking piece of music that manages to take progressive elements even much further than the previous song. If you have your doubts that 80s Crimson ever accomplished anything progressive, give this a listen. The song majestically builds perfectly over the span of 7 minutes, fitting its title quite well. Mechanical, yet incredibly beautiful in its structure. every instrument shines extremely here. Bruford's drums are especially powerful for my tastes. This is definitely the best song on here. 10/10

7. Dig Me- This is probably Crimson's most experimental song from the 80s. It is incredibly enjoyable and twisted, with fantastic instrumentation and great vocals from Belew once again. I like how the song switches between madness and stability all throughout its short length. Fabulous. 9/10

8. No Warning- Further in the realms of more experimental art-rock with this song, similar in mood to Industry and Nuages in that it is quite haunting. The instrumentation and mood again are stellar, perfectly crafting a song of unique form. 9/10

9. Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part 3- Don't compare to this Parts 1 or 2, or you will inevitably be disappointed. I made that mistake at first, but this really is a decent composition on its own. It isn't really the best closer, however. There's nothing wrong with the instrumentation; the composition just does not hit the bar that was raised so well by the previous 4 songs. Still decent Crimsonian work. 7/10

An overlooked and underrated album in the Crimson catalogue because it is from the 1980s and gets branded with a label of "pop" or not really King Crimson. Don't judge it based on that, but listen to the album for the music, and you should not be disappointed.

An extremely excellent addition to any prog collection. Just be warned that this is King Crimson and that King Crimson never sounds the same for any period longer than 3 albums, so do not have any preconceptions.