Robert Fripp

Exposure

I have waited for this one since I heard it was being re-released. As usual, a great body of work from Robert Fripp, an artist that I have the utmost respect for.

Let me begin with the packaging. We get a few notes from Robert Fripp himself. Not as many as his previous releases that I have had the pleasure of giving reviews on over the past several months, but enough to get the skinny on what this project was/is about. We get lyrics and the full roster of ‘who does what’ plus some classic photos. I did spend a bit of time trying to figure out who wears more eye liner between Fripp, Bowie, and Debbie Harry, but I guess it doesn’t really matter as they all wear it well.

As for the music -YES, I am going to praise it once again. As I have said in the past, Robert Fripp is a true artist, in every sense of the word, when it comes to his musical vision. He knows how to get his expression across. No matter how weird or bizarre a song may be, it always has an uncanny appeal when Fripp is behind the wheel.

With this release of Exposure, we get 2 discs- the First Edition 1979 release and the Third Edition 1985 re-release which includes 3 formerly unreleased Daryl Hall vocal tracks and some bonus alternative takes. Whoever coined the cliche` ‘white men have no soul,’ has never heard Daryl Hall sing. The cut North Star features some top notch vocal work by Mr. Hall and he does well on several others. Although, I must remind you that this is a Robert Fripp disc. So don’t be expecting any cheezy 80’s Hall and Oats lyrical content.

Peter Hammill and Terre Roche take the vocal duties on a few tracks and we also get a special treat from Peter Gabriel with his song Here Comes the Flood. This is the highlight of Exposure as we have two beautiful pieces, Water Music I and Water Music II, made up of Frippertonics and Brian Eno on synth on either side of Gabriel’s masterpiece. This makes a very nice trilogy. It’s really too bad no one was paying attention to this song back then. It sounds like a warning about global warming and the polar ice caps melting. Keep in mind this was originally released in 1979. Visionary? Perhaps.

Other players on Exposure include – Phil Collins, Tony Levin, Sid McGinnis, Barry Andrews, Jerry Marotta and Narada Michael Walden.

Love Cannot Bear

Ok- I have now experienced both the most amazing rock band in the world and it’s fearless leader, Robert Fripp, on one of his solo ventures. It’s much like apples and oranges – which isn’t a bad thing. It’s all about flavor and what mood one might be in.

Love Cannot Bear was recorded during a series of live performances. As for me these are the things that I would normally experiment with when I am alone or perhaps with another player as a type of emoting session, so to speak. There’s a definite value in this type of thing. One must be prepared for it though. Robert Fripp began creating his soundscapes, I believe, in the ’70’s when Fripp and Brian Eno connected two tape machines together to create an endless loop. I never knew what Frippertonics was. Now I do.

This CD is full of lush sounds that engulf the room. I enjoy this sort of thing. Even though there are some moments of atonal madness within these highly experimental and avante-garde performances, I found nothing offensive. In fact, it is quite reflective music and it is very relaxing. Considering the busy life I have been leading for the past few weeks this CD may have been a bit too relaxing. This was actually a very good thing for me though.

I had hoped to get in a bit of meditation with this CD but every time I started to slip into the astral plain – I literally passed out and slept better than I have slept for many moons. This is by no means an insult to Mr. Fripp. His artistic superiority shines, as it seems to on everything he does. This is very beautiful music and I have been rather attached to this

Cd. In that respect it has had a similar effect as the King Crimson box set that I reviewed last month.

I have been sleeping better than I have slept for years and have been having the most vivid dreams. I regret though, that I can’t tell you how this CD ends. I am sure it is embedded in my subconscious somewhere and I am sure I will recognize it when things slow down and I am able to listen to this CD at a time other than the end of the day.

Mr. Fripp has once again shared some of his journal with us and given us the rundown on these soundscape performances. Yet, more importantly, he shares himself with us. I would highly recommend this cd for relaxation. It’s definitely a stress reliever and I believe it would make a nice background for an intimate setting as well.