Robert Fripp

[7/4]

I've been exploring boots on easytree and it inspired me to order these:

King Crimson - Cap D' Agde, France. August 26, 1982

King Crimson - Live in Philadelphia, PA , July 30, 1982

King Crimson - Live at Moles Club, Bath 1981

King Crimson - The Champaign-Urbana Sessions, 1983

I only own one CC, #20, Live at the Zoom Club, 10/13/1972.

[7/4]

I still remember an excellent Frippertronics concert I saw.  (Probably in 1981.  2nd floor of Houston Hall at Penn?)

←

1981/02/20 or 1981/02/21? check here

I was at this show: 1983/03/12 - McCarter Theatre, PRINCETON, NJ, USA (except it was across campus at Alexander Hall)

An amazing experience.

Edited May 28, 2005 by 7/4

[7/4]

Robert Fripp

— Solo Soundscapes: Words and Music

— World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia

June 17 (Fri) — 10:30 pm — $33 advance / $38 door

←

I might consider going to this.

[alankin]

I still remember an excellent Frippertronics concert I saw.  (Probably in 1981.  2nd floor of Houston Hall at Penn?)

←

1981/02/20 or 1981/02/21? check here

I was at this show: 1983/03/12 - McCarter Theatre, PRINCETON, NJ, USA (except it was across campus at Alexander Hall)

An amazing experience.

←

Definitely amazing.

Probably the 2/21/1981 show. (By coincidence, a couple weeks ago, I ran across a copy of some short-lived Philly music fanzine that had a review of the show. By me. Completely forgot.)

Edited May 29, 2005 by alankin

[7/4]

[Aggie87]

I won an autographed KC promotional poster on Ebay yesterday. It's actually two images, with two sets of autographs for some reason. So I've ended up with two more Fripp autographs, and it cost me less than $10! I'm usually dubious of autographed items on Ebay, but these look to be legit, and the seller got them directly from Sanctuary Records, or so he claims. At any rate, they appear to be very close to the autographs I got in person for Belew, Mastelotto, & Gunn. And Fripp's looks legit as well.

Think I'm going to cut this in two, and frame each half separately, and then display them together.

Edited June 17, 2005 by Aggie87

[7/4]

Good for you!

I'm not going to see Fripp Soundscapes in Philly tonight or NYC next Thursday. Too busy with other stuff.

[Aggie87]

Man, that's too bad. I've read some reviews of the Porcupine Tree/Fripp shows that just recently finsihed up, and they sound like they've been great! I'd love to have seen that combination!

I'd love to see a Fripp solo show - I enjoyed the opening soundscapes when I saw Crimson, and would have liked for that to last alot longer.

[7/4]

Man, that's too bad.  I've read some reviews of the Porcupine Tree/Fripp shows that just recently finsihed up, and they sound like they've been great!  I'd love to have seen that combination! 

I'd love to see a Fripp solo show - I enjoyed the opening soundscapes when I saw Crimson, and would have liked for that to last alot longer.

←

That's part of the situation, I've heard his soundscapes many times over the years. He seems like a pretty healthy guy, there should be another tour someday.

I went to a lot of the soundscape shows at the World Financial Center.

[Quincy]

I went to a lot of the soundscape shows at the World Financial Center.

←

Yeah! I was just listening to the radio show package that I plucked off of the Dime last night. Lucky you!

[7/4]

New Soundscapes out - review from Downtown Music Gallery:

ROBERT FRIPP - Love Cannot Bear (DGM 0552) "Soundscape performances, typically, visit several moods, areas of reflection, consideration & personal interest, such as: queer space (ambiguous environments); threnody & lamentation; paradise, paradise lost & paradise regained; foreboding; mourning; quietude; sonic pleroma; affirmation.

Affirmations, statements & declarations of faith that the creation is benevolent (despite all evidence to the contrary) are, in these Soundscape settings, mainly diatonic. As such, they are often easier listening than the atonal, polytonal & chromatic music of other Soundscape areas." - Robert Fripp.

This disc, originally announced as being a single performance from this year, has instead become a program of various times/places, mostly between 1995-2005, but also including the masterful "Easter Sunday" recorded in 1983 and only previously released as a low-fi flexi-disc (remember those?) in the special Robert Fripp issue of Guitar Player Jan. '86

"I was fortunate to attend Robert's solo performance at the NY Ethical Cultural Society in June 2005, as well as the World Financial Center concerts in 2000, parts of which are to be found on this disc. Words fail me in explaining how extremely fantastic the musical journey Robert takes us on! Still, I met those who remarked afterwards such expressions of disappointment as, "Does he also play regular guitar?" If you're looking for solos in the traditional 'up-front' sense, perhaps you will also be disappointed. But if you're one of our regular DMG denizens, whose aim is to travel in search of the wondrous unknowns of musics yet to be made, this will fulfill your every yearning.

My absolute highest recommendation - GOOGLEPLEX THUMBS UP! - goes to this shining example of a musician who is presenting all the genius of both his very deep understanding of mankind's history of musical compositional theory AND his extreme prowess as a practitioner of the art of the guitar - and its technological frontiers - to arrive at a singular sublime result that is NOT a maudlin advertisement for either - Manny 'Lunch' Maris

Edited November 11, 2005 by 7/4

[DTMX]

but also including the masterful "Easter Sunday" recorded in 1983 and only previously released as a low-fi flexi-disc (remember those?) in the special Robert Fripp issue of Guitar Player Jan. '86

←

I had that one - loaned it to a friend who left it on the dashboard of his car and it melted. Also had Steve Vai's The Attitude Song on flexi-disc - loaned it out, never saw it again.

Moral of story - never loan anything out. Either give it away or keep it. Or get a better class of friends.

[7/4]

There's a Exposure re-issue out.

The new 2 CD edition (jewel case version) consists of the original 1979 release on CD1 [1st appearance of the original vinyl version on CD], while CD2 presents a version of the 1983 remix\1985 reissue with the inclusion of the 3 formerly unreleased Daryl Hall vocal tracks & an appendix of bonus tracks – all material re-mastered from the original source tapes by Simon Heyworth & approved by Fripp. The accompanying 24 page booklet features archive photos, the original lyric inserts & sleeve notes along with newly written notes by Robert Fripp.

Track List (CD1) Volume One:

1. Preface

2. You Burn Me Up I'm A Cigarette

3. Breathless

4. Disengage

5. North Star

6. Chicago

7. NY3

8. Mary

9. Exposure

10. Haaden Two

11. Urban Landscape

12. I May Not Have Had Enough Of Me But I've Had Enough of You

13. First Inaugural Address To The I.A.C.E. Sherborne House

14. Water Music I

15. Here Comes The Flood

16. Water Music II

17. Postscript

Disc 2

Volume Two:Exposure (Third Edition)

Volume Three: Bonus Tracks

Here's Manny's scrambled story:

THE [appx] 30TH ANNIVERSARY RE-RELEASE OF

ROBERT FRIPP - Exposure: Expanded Edition [2 CD set] (DGM 0602; USA)

THIS 2 CD SET INCLUDES UNRELEASED 'DARYL HALL' VERSIONS/MATERIAL ORIGINALLY DONE FOR THE ALBUM!

DISC ONE - "First Version": This is - ostensibly - the first released version of the album, as it appeared to the masses in 1979. Of course, the re-production mastering makes it sound different in places from the 1979 LP I personally transferred to CD for my listening pleasure [and I suspect there are other playful tweaks as well]

DISC TWO - "Third Version": This is a NEW COMPOSITE EDITION made up of takes/remixes of the 1979 edition appearing on the remixed/remastered version that first appeared in 1984 [implied as Second Version], AS WELL AS Daryl Hall versions of "Chicago", "Disengaged", and the original Hall lyric/vocal version of "NY3" [which substituted the singing with an audio verite tape of neighbors fighting in Fripp's building] here titled "New York New York New York" - the only lyrics not printed in the booklet, so you'll have to figure them out for yourself! This song IS NOT to be confused with 'NYCNY' [different lyrics and music] which is one of the original tracks for Last Great Heartthrob, and which did appear in another take on Hall's Sacred Song album.

This second disc ALSO HAS FIVE BONUS CUTS after the original running order of the album which include Hall vocal versions of "Mary" and "Exposure" as well as the alternate '84 versions of 'Disengaged" and "NY3", and a previously unknown to me Hammill AND Terre Roche vocals version of "Chicago"!

Which means out of eight Hall songs originally on the unreleased'...Heartthrob...' we get to hear seven of them in total here, five songs of which have never before been released with Hall vocals plus dual versions of the two which were previously released ["You Burn Me Up I'm A Cigarette" and "North Star"] BUT WE DO NOT GET the original '...Heartthrob...' version of "NYCNY', which admittedly is very close to the released version on Hall's 'Sacred Songs', nor do we get the trio version of 'Mary' mentioned in my letter below, though the inclusion of my mention of it in Fripp's liner notes act as a teaser - of things we still cannot have!

"Prior to this release, I had assigned a numbering system to establish versions of Exposure. The 1st would be the unreleased '78 version [variously titled 'The Last Great New York Heartthrob'] with Daryl Hall handling all vocal chores save on "Here Comes The Flood" (which Peter Gabriel performs). However, Tommy Mottola, Hall and Oates mgr, wouldn't let this come out unless it was a 'Hall And Fripp' record - AND released on RCA, not Fripp's label EG.

(By the way, the original running order on the Polydor test pressing - the hallowed artifact is in my collection and IS NOT a bootleg - for '...Heartthrob...' [originally cat # 5013] was:

SIDE ONE: Preface; You Burn Me Up I'm A Cigarette; North Star; Disengage; I Smile Like Chicago; Exposure; New York New York New York, Haaden Two

SIDE TWO: Mary; Breathless; NYCNY; 1st Inaugural Address; Water Music I; Here Comes The Flood: Water Music II; Postcript )

So Fripp paid a lot of money to keep two of the Hall takes ("You Burn Me Up, I'm A Cigarette" and "North Star") on what was, two years later ['79], ultimately released as 'Exposure', [which I counted as 2nd version] his 1st solo album, finally publicly released in a radical revamping-resequencing which found Fripp inviting all the musicians who had played live in the studio behind Hall to come back and replay their parts with vocalists Peter Hammill and Terri Roche. Unfortunately John Wetton, Tim Cappella, Alirio Lima, and Ian McDonald could not come back for this - they were, however, thanked in the liner notes. The album nonetheless involved a stellar amalgam of great talents: Brian Eno, Phil Collins, Tony Levin, Sid McGinniss (who all play together on "North Star"!) Narada Michael Walden (the latter-day Mahavishnu Orchestra drummer and later producer of Whitney Houston turns in a ferocious performance on the metal-cruncher instrumental "Breathless"), Barry Andrews (XTC, Shriekback), and Jerry Marotta (Gabriel's drummer for the 1st 15 years).

In 1984, Fripp digitally remixed the album in anticipation of the coming CD format [which I counted as 3rd version]. Among other tweaks he used a different vocal takes of Peter Hammill on "Chicago" and "Disengaged".

In 1989, Fripp and Tony Arnold did the Definite Edition 1989 remastering series [which I counted as 4th version], which included all the King Crimson studio albums, and Fripp's previously released three solo CDs. Further remixing/tweaking was apparent, including editing down the expanded 1984 length of "Water Music II" from 6'24" to 3'55".

This is version 5 [actually I've given up counting as this release so severely muddies the waters!], the 30th Anniversary Edition [in celebration of Fripp's 60th birthday 5/15/06] which on its 2 discs includes material from the unreleased 1st version!

"I remember when and where I first got this record - Soho Music Gallery in May 1979, possibly sold to me by either clerk John Zorn or Tim Berne whilst also picking up tickets to all eight Fripp Kitchen shows for the negligible price of $5 [for which you also got a free J G Bennett tape]

Well, I performed the unforgivable sin, though increasingly harder to avoid in contemporary life: listening to it the first time as background to other intrusions. But then, late that night.....!!! and hundreds of times since!

And at the Kitchen, I remember one crass individual going up to Fripp and telling him the only good thing about his Exposure album was Phil Collins' drumming on "Breathless". When Fripp told him that the drummer for that cut was Narada Michael Walden, said individual told him that then there was NOTHING good about his album [!]

But never mind the reminisce...

Looking back now, I'd say it became even stronger an album for it's having been reworked from the [then unknown] album version before it, which also served - including in a positive way - to distance it from what would have been a perceived trilogy with Sacred Songs and PG II.

Oh, by the way, did I forget to say that this album is still a stunner, nearly 30 years after the fact? From ballads to heavy metal crunchers, it shows the breadth and depth of Fripp's evolving interests as a then still young man of 31 years. And given its totally anomalous approach REMAINS AS UNIQUELY FRESH TODAY AS IT SOUNDED WAY BACK THEN!!

It's not a King Crimson album and it shouldn't be (many other group's 'stars' sorta miss that point when doing their 'solo' albums) but rather a personal diary of sorts - and a compelling program from start to finish! ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GOOGLEPLEX THUMBS-UP!!!" - MannyLunch

"It's the Sergeant Pepper of avant punk." - The Wire

LTD 2 CD 'MINI-LP COVER' ED $18

Also available as a Regular Jewel Case 2 CD edition $16

POSTSCRIPT -

By the way, in addition to the booklet containing the original liner notes and credits from alternate releases of the album, a segment of Fripp's online diary from last year is also printed, in which is contained an edited version of the following letter that MannyLunch sent to Sid Smith [author of 'In The Court Of King Crimson] as a submission for his 'Audience Diaries' site [which has not yet gone live]

"Hi Sid,

...I think there's very good chance you'll find great enjoyment in all the discs I sent you...

Perhaps you will be the pressure necessary to create a desire in Robert to finally put out a limited issue of the pre-Exposure recording. I know there are a lot of legal issues still to be resolved, but at this late date it may be possible to more easily arrive at an agreement with the parties involved [Daryl Hall and management], given the items that are falling out of the sky for so many artists as bonus tracks on CDs nowadays.

Hopefully it will include both Hall versions of "Mary". The CD I sent you is taken directly from an authentic white-label test pressing I purchased for the absolutely negligible sum of ÿ12 in Portobello Road November 1982 [2 days before I cut my trip short to fly back to NY to see Fripp's unannounced guest appearance with The Roches at Carnegie Hall, for which I had "inside" confirmation - an upcoming story] and contains the chosen version which only involves Hall & Fripp.

However, a tape that was given to me by an American exec at Polydor in 1983 has virtually the same version of this test pressing. The difference is that "Mary" is a trio with Tim Cappella [i think, not Ian McDonald] adding saxophone. [This is not on the CD I sent you because the tape was irreparably damaged in a fire in my building 13 years ago]

[This is extended assumption, but it seems to be borne out by careful listening] All the players who were thanked on the original commercial release of Exposure, but are not actually listed as players, actually played on the test pressing and/or uncommitted sessions for the album: Wetton, Cappella, Lima, MacDonald

When Fripp was essentially forced to replace Hall as vocalist on several numbers due to Tommy Mottola's untenable demand that the album be credited to "Daryl Hall & Robert Fripp" AND that it be released by RCA, he didn't just strip in new vocal takes over the existing takes - he re-assembled as many of the original players to play behind the new vocalists so that spontaneous interplay would be preserved.

Story # 6

A Funny story: The night before I attended Guitarcraft in late January '88, I went back to my record store, Lunch For Your Ears, at 2 AM [my train was leaving at 6 AM] to make last-minute preparations for the gentleman who'd be looking after it the week I'd be gone.

When I arrived, this very tall gentleman and his lady companion were closely scrutinizing the many obscure imported CDs on display through the gate over the window: Daryl Hall and lady friend. I just said a warm 'Hello"[without disclosing cognition of his identity] and as I started to open the padlocks they apologized for being there, which I waved off and said they were certainly welcome to step inside for the few minutes that I would be there.

[it turned out they were there looking at covers to get an idea of direction for graphics for his upcoming solo recording - the commercial disaster "Three Hearts In The Happy Ending Machine"]

AS they wandered around inside, I slipped in the tape copy I kept on premises of the test pressing on one side and the cassette version on the other. By amazing coincidence, where "Mary" ended on the middle of side one, the tape could be flipped and the other version of "Mary" would be cued up exactly. It was less a coincidence that I kept "Mary" cued up to begin with, as I used to amaze diehard fans with it [No copies were ever made for anyone, much to many a collector's ire, some who even went so far as to tell me that they wished I never played it for them if I wouldn't subsequently bless them with a copy. I guess they didn't understand the notion "Experience is nine tenths of possession"!]

Hall immediately started humming to the opening strains of the song, and at the moment the vocal came in started singing to the tape, instantaneously registering extreme amazement on his face to find he was dueting with himself!

Nonetheless, he performed the whole song in this fashion, with the tape, for his audience of two. You can imagine what an amazing moment that was!!!

When the song ended, he asked me where I had gotten this, and I told him that all things Fripp somehow seemed to find their way to me, being a super avid fan of said musician.

I returned to the area behind my counter, flipped the tape, and began the 2nd version. Hall looked at me with a mixture of askance and "put-upon-ness" for the few seconds it took to get to Capella's sax joining in with Fripp's guitar. At that point he exclaimed, "I've never heard this!" and listened in amazement to this trio version.

When it was finished, he said he had to have a copy of this. Tongue firmly in cheek, I told him that there were likely all sorts of legal reasons that I couldn't make him [and certainly not sell, not that I would've charged him anything] a copy. He responded that perhaps he could make a trade; what would I want? Before I could even respond, he said he had the perfect thing. He had tapes of Fripp SINGING [likely warbling] old English ribald folk songs, captured by chance when in the studio for the "Sacred Songs" sessions!

He gave me his managers # [oh no! Mottola] and told me to contact him through there.

Alas, it was never to be. All calls made to management mentioning that Daryl asked me to contact him through there were stonewalled.

I never told Fripp about this when I arrived at Claymont: I was there for serious reasons, not to beleaguer him as a "fan".

But you could send this story along to him if you wish, I'm sure he would get a kick out of it...

Best regards till next time,

Manny Maris"

OF COURSE, THIS VERSION OF "MARY" IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION!

Fripp including my edited email serves as a teaser [of the 60th Anniversary Ed? One may not live that long...] , and to remind us all that we can never live the experiences [no, not even just the recorded performances, 'studio' or otherwise] of another fully.

************************

Edited June 5, 2006 by 7/4

[Aggie87]

For anyone interested, the LPR version of the Exposure reissue is available at Amazon.com for $14.98. My copy is heading towards me as we speak!

I don't know how to direct-link and still get the O Board to get credit for it, but you can just type Fripp into the box at the top corner, and you'll find it.

[Guest Chaney]

Damn. I ordered a copy from DMG at $18.

That's what happens when this board is down.

[HolyStitt]

I have been listening to a lot King Crimson lately.

Can you give me some feedback on these titles?

I've been exploring boots on easytree and it inspired me to order these:

King Crimson - Cap D' Agde, France. August 26, 1982

King Crimson - Live in Philadelphia, PA , July 30, 1982

King Crimson - Live at Moles Club, Bath 1981

King Crimson - The Champaign-Urbana Sessions, 1983

I only own one CC, #20, Live at the Zoom Club, 10/13/1972.

[7/4]

I have been listening to a lot King Crimson lately.

Can you give me some feedback on these titles?

I've been exploring boots on easytree and it inspired me to order these:

King Crimson - Cap D' Agde, France. August 26, 1982

King Crimson - Live in Philadelphia, PA , July 30, 1982

King Crimson - Live at Moles Club, Bath 1981

King Crimson - The Champaign-Urbana Sessions, 1983

I only own one CC, #20, Live at the Zoom Club, 10/13/1972.

I think I listened to them once and filed them. I remember thinking how much more interesting the boots from the net sounded.

[HolyStitt]

Thanks for the heads up.

[GregK]

I have been listening to a lot King Crimson lately.

Can you give me some feedback on these titles?

I've been exploring boots on easytree and it inspired me to order these:

King Crimson - Cap D' Agde, France. August 26, 1982

King Crimson - Live in Philadelphia, PA , July 30, 1982

King Crimson - Live at Moles Club, Bath 1981

King Crimson - The Champaign-Urbana Sessions, 1983

I only own one CC, #20, Live at the Zoom Club, 10/13/1972.

Of the live shows, only the Philly one sounds good. Cap d'Agde is a good performance but the sound quality isnt great. Moles Club sounds like a low-quality bootleg. The Sessions disc is interesting the first time you hear it, but it's not something I go back to often. You want to get the recently released live KCCC from London, 1996. One of the very best live shows by any version of the band.

[HolyStitt]

You want to get the recently released live KCCC from London, 1996. One of the very best live shows by any version of the band.

Is this the one you are talking about: Live at the Wiltern, July 1, 1995?

Friday, I ordred the Wiltern, B'Boom, and Nashville Rehearsals, 1997 from DGM.

I also ordered Absent Lovers: Live In Montreal 1984 from a Half.com seller.

[GregK]

woops!! I meant the download from dgmlive, not a KCCC. Its July 1 1996, London. That '95 Wiltern is good too.

[7/4]

GregK is the man to answer questions on KC. Except for the Exposure reissue (that I really have to listen to again), I'm not listening to them too much these days.

[GregK]

I don't know what to think of Exposure. I think I prefer the material with Daryl Hall ( Never thought I'd say that!) on the reissue, but this reissue is the first I've heard any version of it. I haven't lived with it like others have.

[HolyStitt]

I keep eyeing that Daryl Hall CD, but I am a little nervous about buying it! I ordered the reissue of Exposure from my local mom and pop, I am going to start with that first.

Anyone have any feedback on the Fripp recordings with David Sylvian?

Edited June 25, 2006 by HolyStitt

[7/4]

I keep eyeing that Daryl Hall CD, but I am a little nervous about buying it! I ordered the reissue of Exposure from my local mom and pop, I am going to start with that first.

Anyone have any feedback on the Fripp recordings with David Sylvian?

Gone to Earth is amazing.

I've been googling, but I can't find the quote describing Exposure as the Sgt. Pepper's of prog rock. I'd describe it as the White Album of prog rock. Exposure is diverse. The tune Breathless is Lark Tounges in Aspic v1.5 and the rest of the album is a mix of hard rock, ambient Frippertronics w/ballads and found sounds (spoken words).

Gosh, I love this album.