King Crimson

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The Slider
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Re: King Crimson

Postby The Slider » 18 Nov 2021, 19:15

Do Uriah Heep!
Complete Ramones Mp3 set on its way

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Re: King Crimson

Postby naughty boy » 18 Nov 2021, 19:39

Yeah, do Uriah Heep Batty Matty!
Matt 'interesting' Wilson wrote:So I went from looking at the "I'm a Man" riff, to showing how the rave up was popular for awhile.

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Re: King Crimson

Postby Matt Wilson » 18 Nov 2021, 19:42

Taking notes, John?

It's always interesting when Coan makes a BCB appearance. Kind've like when Satan leaves hell.
You wonder what demon is running the place in his absence.

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Re: King Crimson

Postby naughty boy » 18 Nov 2021, 20:03

:lol:
Matt 'interesting' Wilson wrote:So I went from looking at the "I'm a Man" riff, to showing how the rave up was popular for awhile.

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Re: King Crimson

Postby mudshark » 18 Nov 2021, 22:53

It's not fair to do Uriah Heep. Most of the band members of the 60s and 70s are no longer around to defend themselves, which in itself is proof they're weren't very proggy. Besides, the only things remotely prog about them is 2 (I think) Roger Dean covers for 2 horrendous albums. I know. A schoolfriend of mine bought all their albums and played them ad infinitum. That was yet another reason for an early departure from the Lowlands (what's in a word...). Sometimes though, I reminisce and think back to those torturous summer evenings, and there I was, on a July morning, looking for love.
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Re: King Crimson

Postby Matt Wilson » 23 Nov 2021, 17:58

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Robert Fripp Exposure 1979
Fripp basically retired after Red, and worked with various artists while he went to school for a bit as well. Albums such as Peter Gabriel's first three (Robert produced the second one), David Bowie's "Heroes," and Daryl Hall's Sacred Songs all have Fripp contributions. His style began to change too. A lot of the overtly prog elements (which are difficult to articulate anyway) took a backseat to more concise explorations of an almost post punk/new wave nature. One could still pick his playing out from others, but the forward-thinking, or progressive nature of the man was in full effect. Even though he has always maintained that King Crimson isn't 'his' band, that they are more of a group who will exist when the need for them arises, it's still Robert Fripp who decides when that need is there.

Well, the need for a solo album came about at the end of the decade. If you'd been following his playing on the above-mentioned LPs, the sound of Exposure came as no surprise, but if you hadn't been paying attention since the Crimso days, you would have been gobsmacked. I quite like it. A series of short cuts, some lasting merely seconds, others rarely going beyond the four-minute mark, combining to give you a taste of where his music would go in the next few years with the erstwhile Crimsons. But first, let's examine Exposure:

Robert Fripp - guitars, Frippertronics; vocal on "Exposure"
Daryl Hall - vocals on "Preface," "You Burn Me Up." "North Star," "Disengage II," "Chicago"
Terre Roach - vocals on "Mary," "Exposure," "Ive Had Enough of You," "Chicago"
Peter Hammill - vocals on "Disengage," "Chicago," "I've Had Enough of You"
Peter Gabriel - vocals and piano on "Here Comes the Flood;" voice on "Preface"
Brian Eno - synthesizer on "North Star," "Here Comes the Flood," voice on "Preface,""Hååden Two," and "Postscript"
Barry Andrews - organ on "Disengage," "NY3," "I've Had Enough of You"
Sid McGinnis - rhythm guitar on "Exposure," pedal steel guitar on "North Star"
Tony Levin - bass
Jerry Marotta - drums on "You Burn Me Up," "Chicago," "Exposure," "Hååden Two"
Narada Michael Walden - drums on "Breathless," "NY3," "I've Had Enough of You"
Phil Collins - drums on "Disengage," "North Star"

1. "Preface" (Robert Fripp) 1:16
"Could I play you some of the new things I've been doing, which I think could be commercial?" asks our artist, and off we go. A chorus of voices announces the LP's start, a telephone rings, then...

2. "You Burn Me Up I'm a Cigarette" (Robert Frip ) 2:24
Post punk guitars come banging out in a most un-Crimsonlike manner. Too bad Hall never rocked like this on his records with Oates. Cool shit though. Robert's been listening to modern music, that's for sure.

Wiki - "Exposure is the debut solo album by guitarist and composer Robert Fripp. Unique among Fripp solo projects for its focus on the pop song format, it grew out of his previous collaborations with David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, and Daryl Hall, and the latter two singers appear on the album. Released in 1979, it peaked at No. 79 on the Billboard Album Chart. Most of the lyrics were provided by the poet and lyricist Joanna Walton, who was later killed on Pan Am Flight 103."

3. "Breathless" (Robert Fripp) 4:43
Now this one does sound like KC, "Red," to be exact. So all is not going to be fresh here. Still sounds great though! Fans of Crimso should have no issue with this number. A perfect update of the Crimson sound. The progressive version of power chords.

4. "Disengage" (Peter Hammill, Joanna Walton, Robert Fripp) 2:46
More found voices in the beginning with some feedback, then another Red-era riff comes into play with no less than Peter fucking Hammill on vocals! Hot damn, this shit is so up my alley I'm getting sexually excited. As good a marriage of Fripp/Hammill as I could ever hope for. Unfortunately, it fades away right as Fripp begins a solo.

"After terminating the first run of King Crimson in 1974, studying at the International Academy for Continuous Education through 1975-1976 and assisting Peter Gabriel in both studio and stage capacities, Fripp decamped in 1977 to the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of New York City. New York was then a centre of punk rock and what would come to be known as new wave, and Fripp dived into the scene, playing and recording with Blondie and the Roche sisters, absorbing the sounds of the active downtown music scene. He envisioned a new approach, and incorporated elements of these NYC experiences into his current palette, including "Frippertronics", the tape-delay/looping technique he had developed with Brian Eno. At Eno's invitation, Fripp performed on David Bowie's "Heroes" single and album in 1977." - Wikipedia

5. "North Star" (Daryl Hall, Joanna Walton, Robert Fripp) 3:06
Beautiful track with Hall on vocals with Walton's words. I enjoy Daryl's voice with Robert's music. Maybe I should check out Sacred Songs. Imagine if he'd sung with KC and not Belew. Hmm...

6. "Chicago" Hall, (Joanna Walton, Robert Fripp) 2:12
Blues licks, how unFripplike! Must be taking the piss. Anything he chooses to do with Peter H is all right with me. They should have made an entire album together.

Wiki: "Originally, Fripp envisioned Exposure as the third part of a simultaneous trilogy also comprising Daryl Hall's Sacred Songs and Peter Gabriel's second album aka Scratch, both of which Fripp contributed to and produced. Fripp's aim with the trilogy "was to investigate the 'pop song' as a means of expression. I think it's an incredibly good way of putting forward ideas. I think it's a supreme discipline to know that you have three to four minutes to get together all your lost emotions and find words of one syllable or less to put forward all your ideas. It's a discipline of form that I don't think is cheap or shoddy". The album was to be originally titled The Last Great New York Heartthrob and feature a track list configuration different from that of the final release. Hall's management and label resisted the project, fearing the music would damage Hall's commercial appeal, insisting as well that Exposure be equally credited to Hall, initially Fripp's main vocalist. Fripp instead used only two Hall vocals on his album, substituting Peter Hammill and Terre Roche in various places."

7. "NY3" (Robert Fripp) 2:16
The guitar on this one also reminds me of Crimso, but not the voice. Sounds like a studio jam to me. I don't own this album and am listening on youtube, so informative liner notes elude me. I'm really digging it though - I can tell you that.

"The trilogy did not work out as intended although all the albums were released. "Urban Landscape" appears on the Hall album, as does "NYCNY" ("I May Not Have Had Enough of Me but I've Had Enough of You", with different lyrics written by Hall). The Gabriel record also features a version of "Exposure". "Here Comes the Flood" had previously appeared with a prog-rock arrangement on Gabriel's first album, but Gabriel disliked the production, and created a simpler rendition of the song for Exposure." - Wiki

8. "Mary" (Daryl Hall, Joanna Walton, Robert Fripp) 2:06
Is that Roach on vocals? Nice to hear a woman's voice on a Fripp record. The guitar doesn't sound like Fripp, but maybe I don't recognize all of his stylings.

Image Image

9. "Exposure" Peter Gabriel, (Robert Fripp) 4:25
Frippertronics, and found voices, "It is impossible to achieve the aim without suffering." I think that's what is said. We're getting more into what Crimson will sound like in a couple of years. Again, sounds more like a loose jam with overdubs to me. Is that some sort of modified reggae beat? Maybe not... Methinks Rob could've picked a better cut than this for the title track though.

Wikipedia - "Fripp stated in the liner notes that Exposure "is indebted to all those who took part in the hazardous series of events culminating in this record, and several who do not appear but who helped determine the final shape: Tim Cappella, Alirio Lima, Ian McDonald and John Wetton".

10. "Hååden Two" (Robert Fripp) 2:53
He likes those found voices to start his songs here, doesn't he? More Crimson-like riffs, which are most welcome to these ears, shows that even though his approach has changed in the last five years, he's still more-or-less coming from the same place."'Once you know you have an unpleasant nature, and dislike people, this is no obstacle for work."

11. "Urban Landscape" (Robert Fripp) 2:35
Fripp also utilizes many slow builds for these numbers. Apparently, he thinks no better of urban landscapes than Peter Gabriel. What sounds like Eno, isn't, it's merely more Frippertronics. Do you like how I use a word like "Frippertronics" without fully knowing what it means? Just one of my many talents, let me assure you.

"The version of the album that was released, after the changes and compromises that had to be made, was reconceptualized as part of a new trilogy, "The Drive to 1981", marking the beginning of three-year campaigns by Fripp as a professional musician, which would include an album of Frippertronics and one of "Discotronics", to be released between September 1979 and September 1980. Both album concepts were released together as God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners, with each concept getting its own followup-The League of Gentlemen for Discotronics and Let the Power Fall for Frippertronics, making for a five-step trilogy. The end of The Drive to 1981 marked the beginning of "the incline to 1984", Fripp's tenure with a reformed King Crimson, originally intended as Discipline." - Wiki

12. "I May Not Have Had Enough of Me but I've Had Enough of You" (Joanna Walton, Robert Fripp) 3:50
I can instantly recognize his guitar now. Robert has both Peter and Terre singing here. Cool beans, folks. Had the song been even slightly better, it would have been great. I still dig it. "That is the way it is."

13. "First Inaugural Address to the I.A.C.E. Sherborne House" (J. G. Bennett) 0:07
Nothing but sound, leading up to...

14. "Water Music I" (Robert Fripp, J.G. Bennett) 1:27
Sounds like him, without sounding like Crimson. Or maybe it does sound like KC, but I couldn't place what song is the antecedent. He's loving that professor-like guy whose voice is used throughout the album.

"The album was remixed in 1983, and this second "definitive edition" was released in 1985 featuring some alternate takes. In 2006, a 24-bit two-disc remaster appeared on Fripp's Discipline Global Mobile label. One disc contained the original 1979 album, and the second disc contained a third version of Exposure with bonus tracks. The "definitive edition" version of "Chicago" is not included on the 2006 version, however the bonus track of the song on disc two is mostly identical to the definitive edition version with minor variants. A facsimile of that second edition can be created by programming the contents of the second disc as 1-2-3-20-5-21-22-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17. There was also a version of "Water Music II" that ran more than 6 minutes. On the 1985 remix, the vinyl label lists the song at 6:10 while there are CD versions that list the song at 6:24. These are the same. The 6:10 timing on the vinyl remix was in error. Adding further confusion, many CDs that list the song at 6:24 on the track list actually contain the edited 3:52 version. That 6-minute plus version is on some early CD versions, but since the catalogue numbers are the same, finding one remains problematic. It is not on the 2006 remaster, even though it contains the remixed version (it runs 3:55)." - Wiki

15. "Here Comes the Flood" (Peter Gabriel) 4:01
Peter sings his tune from his first LP here, which Fripp helped with a couple of years earlier. Eno is onboard with synth touches. With all the guest stars, it's almost like a reunion for artists Robert had worked with previously. I guess he's substituting Hammill for Bowie. I don't quite enjoy this track as much as the one on the 1977 Peter Gabriel album, but it's close.

16. "Water Music II" (Robert Fripp) 4:16
Tell me that this doesn't sound like something on the Fripp/Eno records. Except according to the notes above, Brian isn't on this track. I wonder if I wrote them down wrong. So anyway, I enjoyed the LP. A bit of a hodgepodge. Some things old, some things new - it's where Robert was in 1979, really.

9. "Postscript" (Robert Fripp) 0:40
"So the whole story is completely untrue, a big hoax."

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Last edited by Matt Wilson on 24 Nov 2021, 03:58, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: King Crimson

Postby Matt Wilson » 23 Nov 2021, 19:04

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Robert Fripp God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners 1980
This one isn't even on CD, I had to purchase the League of Gentlemen God Save the King CD just to get some of the tracks on both this album, and the next one (The League of Gentlemen). It's an LP of mostly Frippertronics, and eschews rock for the most part. I do feel it plays a role in presenting Fripp's music pre-Discipline though, so I'll attempt a run through of the tracks as I listen to both youtube and my CD. It's difficult to write about songs which don't have vocals or recognizable riffs, so if I run out of things to say, I'll cut it short.

All music by Robert Fripp

Side A: God Save the Queen

1. "Red Two Scorer" - 6:54
Sounds like more music he made with Eno to me. If this is Frippertronics, then I guess I can recognize it when I hear it. Only marginally more interesting than what he was doing on Evening Star, and I say that because Robert's at least playing with the synths a bit more here than before. As uncommercial as Exposure was listener-friendly. Wonder why he doesn't want this re-released? Perhaps because it would lose money through lack of public interest.

Wiki - "God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners is the second solo album by Robert Fripp, released on the Polydor Records label in 1980 (US catalogue no. PD-1-6266). The album largely consists of Frippertronics, with much of the work being performed by improvisation. On the Under Heavy Manners side of the album, the effect was modified in what Fripp described as "Discotronics", adding a solid drum beat and bass line to create a dancier sound. The design concept was by Fripp and Chris Stein, with Stein credited for the cover photography."

2. "God Save the Queen" - 9:50
More synth doodlings begin this number, except nothing changes for the duration, and it drags on for almost ten minutes. I guess Rob himself would have to explain why he thought this merited release as it had zero chance of gaining any kind of airplay or record sales. Of course, one can say that about a lot of LPs, but at least most albums have songs. Wonder if Stephen is going to stick up for this?

"The original planned title for the album was Music for Sports, but Fripp eventually decided to choose a title that would not be associated with colleague Brian Eno's Music for... album series.

The original album has never been released in full on CD, however the track "Under Heavy Manners" and a longer and retitled version of "The Zero of the Signified" (called "God Save the King") with an added guitar solo are on the abridged Robert Fripp and The League of Gentlemen God Save the King CD release." - Wikipedia

3. "1983" - 13:20
Well, if you didn't get enough of this stuff on the last cut, here's over thirteen minutes more. Look at these track times will you? Side one of this record is almost a half an hour long. I had no idea one could put that much music on a vinyl LP side without sound damage. Soundscapes galore.

Image Image

Side One: Under Heavy Manners

1. "Under Heavy Manners" - 5:14
Side two has a different vibe than side one. A more commercial bent is used and the effect is less Eno, more Talking Heads. Byrne is onboard for this enjoyable ride into funk territory. I've never read what David's effect on Fripp was, but it must have been profound because the music on Discipline has a pronounced Heads flavor to the point of imitation (at least to these ears). The best cut on the album.

Wiki: "Fripp conceptually considered the Frippertronics of God Save the Queen and the Discotronics-based Under Heavy Manners as two independent pieces contained within one album, leading to the duality of the album's title, and the album's sides being designated as "Side A" and "Side One."

The guitar loops for the five tracks were recorded live in concert during 1979 (some of the ones on "1983" were performed on The Midnight Special,) with drum and bass parts added later that year by Michael Busta "Cherry" Jones (bass) and Paul Duskin (drums). All of the tracks are instrumental, bar "Under Heavy Manners", which features words half recited, half sung by David Byrne (credited using the pseudonym "Absalm el Habib").

2. "The Zero of the Signified" - 12:38
Another funk rhythm starts after the word "continue." Just by its danceable nature, I like this more than anything on side one. An exploration into sound through repetition. I probably would buy this album on CD if it had a release. It's not something I could love, but rather enjoy the aural snapshot of Robert immediately before the idea of reforming a new Crimson began. Also, perhaps hearing this blasting out of my home speakers rather than the tinny computer speakers I'm listening through now would help. LOL. This music is so experimental in nature, I'm surprised he found a label sympathetic enough to put money into releasing it. I can tell he was probably itching to get back into making music for public consumption again, and probably figured the King Crimson name would guarantee a certain level of success necessary for the endeavor.

I actually like the version of this song on the CD better because it has Fripp guitar overdubs.

"The track "God Save the Queen" bears little resemblance to the British national anthem, although it is based on the opening notes of that tune. It was inspired by a comment from an audience member, who suggested that, as the performance was taking place on the tenth anniversary of the Woodstock Festival in August 1979, Fripp should reprise Jimi Hendrix's performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner". - Wikipedia

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Re: King Crimson

Postby ConnyOlivetti » 24 Nov 2021, 06:43

Two great albums.
”Exposure” is a masterpiece. Bought it upon release and loved all of it. And then we have an album of Frippertronics.
Pure bliss for my ears.
Lets hope we get all these albums and more when they release the upcoming box set from this era.
Never cared for his digital version of F-tronics.
There are some live album from around this era with Frippertronics. If you like F-tronics, I strongly recommend them.
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Re: King Crimson

Postby C » 24 Nov 2021, 12:18

The Slider wrote:Do Uriah Heep!


Yes, that would be interesting.

I think they get a lot of unjust stick.

The vocals are not everybody’s cup of Darjeeling (odd - some struggle with Lee Jackson too), but the music in many many cases is seminally robust.

The first few albums are excellent- Matt, try Salisbury or Look at Yourself.

Many consider Demons & Wizards or Magician’s Birthday to be their best two

I am not a massive fan and only saw them live once (19th June 1971) - they were good and made some good stuff

Not to be written off




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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

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Re: King Crimson

Postby The Slider » 24 Nov 2021, 18:13

I'd never have David Byron as the weak link in The Heep.

I love the live 73 album, though side four is to be avoided at all costs.
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Re: King Crimson

Postby mudshark » 24 Nov 2021, 20:17

Rock 'n Roll Medley right? The thorn in everybody's eye when it comes to that album. But there's a 5-minute organ inro to one of the other songs that make me cringe. David Byron was on par with the band: mediocre.
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Re: King Crimson

Postby mudshark » 24 Nov 2021, 20:45

But to get back to Fripp: for me, Exposure is his masterpiece and League of Gentlemen is not far behind. I kinda like the Frippertonics on GSTQ (but not as much as on Let The Power Fall) and really like Under Heavy Manners.
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Re: King Crimson

Postby Matt Wilson » 29 Nov 2021, 19:47

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Robert Fripp - League of Gentlemen 1981
Another step on the road to Discipline was taken with this quirky little LP also not released in its entirety on CD. When Mudshark mentioned this some weeks ago, I'd never heard it, so I ordered the God Save the King CD which contains most of this and some of the previous album I reviewed last week. Anyway, this one is better to these ears, as I have little time for Frippertronics. Basically, a post punk record of instrumentals where Robert largely eschews the Crimson chord structures he'd relied on previously. It's another LP with little chance of radio exposure or sales, but you're glad he released it anyway. One can't imagine the Steves Howe or Hackett taking on a project like this, or David Gilmour for that matter. Fripp is the guitarist least likely to get stuck in a rut/groove, preferring instead to challenge himself with forward-thinking notions which, while maybe not always successful, at least have some integrity and ambition. There was also another album released from Rob this year: Let the Power Fall: An Album of Frippertronics, but the title alone scares me, so I'll not be attempting to acquire it in physical media for the purposes of this thread.

All songs above are credited as being by Robert Fripp except those marked † which are credited as being by 'The League of Gentlemen'.

The primary performances on the album are credited to;

Barry Andrews - organ
Robert Fripp - guitar
Sara Lee - bass guitar
Jonny Toobad (Johnny Elichaoff) - drums (on HEPTAPARAPARSHINOKH and DISLOCATED)
Kevin Wilkinson - drums (all other tracks)

Also credited are:

Danielle Dax (courtesy of the Lemon Kittens) – for vocals and lyrics ("Hamsprachtmuzic") on the track 'MINOR MAN' and for the album sleeve front cover.
J.G.Bennett (courtesy of Elizabeth Bennett) – for "Extracts from the Sherbourne House talks" – vocal samples used at various points on the album.
Marjori – for the Photo of the League taken at Gramercy Park, New York, during July 1980 which appears on the reverse of the album sleeve.
Rob O'Connor – for "Cover Glue".
Paddy Spinks – for "Strategic Interaction".

In addition Robert Christgau claims to recognize uncredited 'spoken overlays' (or samples as we would now call them) by Karen Durbin, Chip Stern, Terre Roche, Richard Goldstein and Ellen Willis but does not state who he thinks is responsible for any specific instance.

Side I (EGED 9A)

1. INDISCREET I (1.47)
More found voices just like on Exposure, with other voices layed in discussing documents and equating rock with fucking, etc.

Wiki - "The various uncredited spoken overlays on the album occur mainly on the tracks "INDISCREET I, II" and "III." The compilation of these 'indiscretions' is credited to Robert Fripp.

They may be classified by their location in the running order of the album, the distinct voices heard and the following opening phrases or sounds;

INDISCREET I (1:47)

"This is addressed to people who have the intention to work" – Voice 1
"Rock and roll is about fucking" – Voice 2 and Voice 3
"That is the possibility that we should explore" – Voice 1
"Can you tell me about your first experience of a nuclear explosion" – Voice 4
- Sound of female groaning (evoking orgasmic ecstasy) –
- Sound of air-raid siren followed by applause –
"There are people who want to know more" – Voice 1
"This is not a record which is out to showcase a guitar player" – Voice 5
"How do I dance to this music?" – Voice 2 and Voice 3
"Then what am I to do about it?" – Voice 1
"Don't dance with your feet" – Voice 2 and Voice 6

2. INDUCTIVE RESONANCE (4.35)†
And then we have this great little almost B-52slike vocal-less dance number. Love this one, actually. Cheesy organ sounds abound, right up this Doors fan's alley.

"The League of Gentlemen" is a recorded music album by Robert Fripp. The music on the album was performed by members of a band which toured Europe and North America throughout 1980 under the name of 'The League of Gentlemen'. The album was released in the UK in 1981 in vinyl format on the Editions EG label. The original album has never been reissued in full on CD, however some tracks are on the abridged Robert Fripp and The League of Gentlemen God Save the King CD release.

3. MINOR MAN (3.45)†
OK, I do hear a Crimson vibe to this number, with Terre (?) singing. Not quite as effective as the last cut, but still enervating. Wikipedia: "So the 'League of Gentlemen' was released at a cultural cusp. The band had been positioned by Fripp himself as a "new wave instrumental dance band" which would suggest that he considered the music produced by the band to be 'New wave' in character. Commentators have pointed to the rawness of the production as significant in so far as this approach had been popular among producers of post-punk/New wave recordings of the time."

4. HEPTAPARAPARSHINOKH (2.03)†
This is where the Talking Heads approach can't be ignored. This rhythm could be a Heads one, easily. That band would have made more of this tune though, let's be honest. Can't lie though, I still like it. Fripp didn't lose that Byrne Jones either as we'll soon see on the next Crimso album.

5. DISLOCATED (4.35)†
Cool, frantic number halfway between KC and the New Wave approach. Crank this one loud if you can. Almost something to bang your head to, though it's not metal of course.

6. PARETO OPTIMUM I (2.07)
Rinky dink keys (I think) are the foundation for this track, largely experimental in nature. Methinks they could have used it as the foundation for a better song than this though.

7. EYE NEEDLES (3.12)†
More studio experimentalism but this time with a more pronounced and rapid tempo. I have no issue with any of these numbers, really. More of a group effort than the last track.

"It may be that Robert Fripp was seeking to make his music fit to the prevailing 'alternative' style of the time or it may simply be a reflection of the speed with which the record was recorded and released at the end of an exhausting tour. Whatever the motivation or the underlying reasons the music seems to fit well with the Post-punk scene, a feeling which is only re-inforced by the socio-political messaging laid over the tracks in the form of vocal samples. The musical backbone of the album is the spiky and complex interaction between guitar and keyboards and the repetitive and gradually developing nature of the melodic themes to which the bass and drums provide an easy to dance to 4/4 beat (Fripp stated repeatedly that the League of Gentlemen was a dance band, and at gigs a section of empty floor space was sometimes reserved so that audience members had an area in which to dance)." - Wiki

8. INDISCREET II (2.35)
A return to the found voices on the first cut. More from wiki:

"INDISCREET II

Features more of the above with emphasis on Voices 2 and 3 extemporizing on the subject of rock music. Also included is the complete non-sequitur "I'd like to spend about 100m a year on sewers" and the observation "This country's going down the well" probably sampled from TV or radio. Voice 5 also gets an airing on the subject of Charlie Christian's guitar sound."

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Side II (EGED 9B)

9. PARETO OPTIMUM II (1.27)
What did I say about rinky dink keys on the first installment? Well, here's more.

10. COGNITIVE DISSONANCE (3.38)†
More effort was put into this track than the norm. I hear vocals too. There's something unmemorable about it though. A B-side at best, but everyone is giving it their all. Wiki - "Features extended excerpts about change from J.G. Bennett's 1972 lecture entitled "Concern for the Future".

11. HG WELLS (3.25)†
About as good, quality-wise, as the previous cut. These tunes aren't quite as cool as some of the better ones on side one, but nothing is unlistenable. Actually, when they get to riffing at the end, I rather like it.

12. TRAP (4.45)†
Again, the cheesy organ attracts me, but that's just my particular peccadillo. So who's that talking anyway? More Heads' influence. Also, a more jazzy aspect to the soloing.

13. OCHRE (3.07)
Not much to say about this last track of music. You certainly couldn't dance to it. Neither here nor there in terms of adding to the quality of the record.

14. INDISCREET III (1.26)
Third time at bat for the voices.

Wiki: "INDISCREET III

Features a number of clips of Voice 5 criticizing the League of Gentlemen's music and making unfavorable comparisons with a Talking Heads record and a live performance by Television. These comments are interspersed with samples from TV and radio presumably chosen to signify that the opinions of Voice 5 are held to be of questionable value, e.g. "Why should we put up with this nonsense" and "I think it stinks".
Key to voices:

Voice 1: J.G.Bennett
Voice 2: Terre Roche
Voice 3: Maggie Roche
Voice 4: Sue Lawley (taken from the programme Nationwide)
Voice 5: Unknown Male
Voice 6: Unknown Female

The run-out groove on this side bears the message "THE NEXT STEP IS DISCIPLINE" – this was a reference to Fripp's next project which was a new band called Discipline. The band was announced in the British music press and they played some gigs and started recording before Robert Fripp, as he later reported to journalists, was driving home, listening to a tape of the new band, and found "..the presence of King Crimson sitting next to me..." So Discipline became the new incarnation of King Crimson, while Discipline remained as the album title only."

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Last edited by Matt Wilson on 29 Nov 2021, 23:49, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: King Crimson

Postby Sneelock » 29 Nov 2021, 23:10

I love that "League of Gentleman" record as originally released. I wonder if there was a problem with the found vocals because a lot of them got trimmed when it was released as "god save the king". I think this band SMOKES. I far prefer that "interlocky" style of playing Fripp seemed to favor here than anywhere else (save possibly 'Discipline')

I've never liked Barry Andrews playing better. I think having his keyboards just drenching through everything else is very exciting. this LP is one of my very favorites.
uggy poopy doody.

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Re: King Crimson

Postby Jimbly » 30 Nov 2021, 00:21

I was at the Edinburgh gig in May. Sitting outside afterwards with my mates, Fripp was walking to the tour van stopped and asked if we'd enjoyed the gig.
So Long Kid, Take A Bow.

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Re: King Crimson

Postby Matt Wilson » 30 Nov 2021, 16:56

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Discipline 1981
Easily their best of the three '80 albums, Discipline represented a radical change of tone from Red seven years earlier - but not so different from some of the material on Fripp's last few LPs. Robert had declared prog bands to be 'dinosaurs,' thinking that they weren't progressive in any sense of that word if all they were going to do was keep making the same music over and over again. I can certainly see his point. Fans wanting Crimso to give us endless retreads of previous records missed the point entirely. You have to keep moving forward to avoid becoming stagnant, and this was Fripp's way of keeping an eye on the future while still remaining current. His residency in New York had given him a different point of view regarding fresh sounds and the post punk/new wave movement had him in thrall.

Wiki - "Discipline is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on September 22, 1981 by E.G. Records in the United Kingdom and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. This album was King Crimson's first album following a seven-year hiatus. Only band co-founder and guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Bill Bruford remained from the previous incarnation. They were joined by two American musicians: guitarist, vocalist and lyricist Adrian Belew and bassist and backing vocalist Tony Levin. The album featured a more streamlined, new wave influenced sound."

Adrian Belew – electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, lead vocals
Robert Fripp – electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, devices (Frippertronics)
Tony Levin – Chapman Stick, bass guitar, backing vocals
Bill Bruford – drums, slit drum, percussion

All music written by Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Bill Bruford. Lyrics by Adrian Belew.

1. "Elephant Talk" 4:43
From the opening guitar notes you know you're in for something different. The African rhythms and vocal stylings are certainly reminiscent of Talking Heads - I'm going to have to learn to not bring that up every time I talk about a song on this album. Sometimes Belew sounds like a David Byrne clone, but the music these guys came up with can also be described in Remain in Light terms too, so it's not just Adrian. It's cool stuff though, so the overall impact of the LP is positive. Many consider this to be a classic and who am I to argue?

Wiki: "Live versions of "Elephant Talk", "Indiscipline", and "Thela Hun Ginjeet" included partial vocal improvisation during spoken-word parts. One such example can be found in the 13 August 1982 performance, which, as of 30 March 2021, was still available for download in both MP3 and FLAC formats from DGM."

2. "Frame by Frame" 5:09
Still with the Heads feel, but also containing more of a Crimson influence, this aural rollercoaster is a highlight of the record to me. Belew sings for one thing, instead of the talking he did in the previous cut. Still sounds like Byrne though. LOL.

"The back cover features the statement, "Discipline is never an end in itself, only a means to an end". The original front cover features a variation on a copyrighted Celtic knot design by George Bain. As it was found to be used without Bain's permission, it was replaced on later releases by a knotwork designed by Steve Ball on commission from Robert Fripp. Ball's design is also used as the logo of Discipline Global Mobile, the music label founded by Fripp, which has become the label for King Crimson, Fripp, and associated artists." - Wikipedia

3. "Matte Kudasai" (待ってください, Please Wait) 3:47
I love the Japanese influence to this, and you wouldn't hear it on a '70s KC record. It also sounds vaguely Hawaiian to me.

Wiki - "Matte Kudasai" is a ballad by the progressive rock band King Crimson. Featuring vocals by Adrian Belew, it was released as the first single from the album Discipline (1981). In the UK, the single just missed the chart. The title means "Wait, Please" in Japanese.

"Matte Kudasai" evolved out of a song that had been played during the League of Gentlemen's 1980 tour rehearsals. It was titled "Northa Kudasai" by Discipline Global Mobile archivist Alex R. "Stormy" Mundy who posted the rehearsal recordings for download. The rehearsal song, in turn, was developed from "North Star," which had appeared on Robert Fripp's 1979 album Exposure.

The 30th and 35th anniversary editions of Discipline contain two versions of "Matte Kudasai", the second presented as a bonus track. The first version on these editions is a new release featuring a guitar overdub by Robert Fripp. The bonus track "Matte Kudasai (alternative version)" is the original version from the 1981 LP.

Adrian Belew applies a slide and echo to his guitar to simulate the sound of seagulls twice in the song; once at the beginning, and again near the end.

In late 2005, Voiceprint released the first Crimson Jazz Trio album, The King Crimson Songbook, Volume One with an instrumental version of the song, featuring fretless bass work by Tim Landers. The Crimson Jazz Trio was a short-lived jazz trio conceived by former King Crimson drummer Ian Wallace and pianist Jody Nardone. The trio folded after Wallace's death in February 2007.

On 7 February 2011, Kurt Elling released the album The Gate, with a version of the song as the opening track.

On 20 April 2011, k.d. lang and her band the Siss Boom Bang covered the song as part of her concert at the BBC Radio Theater. The audio and video of that performance were broadcast on 21 April 2011 on BBC Radio 2. Lang noted in her introduction to the song that it was influential on the sound of her fifth album, Ingenue.

The Levin Brothers (keyboardist/arranger Pete Levin and King Crimson bassist Tony Levin) included an instrumental version of "Matte Kudasai" on their 2014 album Levin Brothers.

4. "Indiscipline" 4:33
Bruford gets a chance to shine at first before the band come charging in. This sounds more like the Crimson of old and should satisfy the doubters of their new sound. Of course, Belew is back to talking again, so there's that. Wiki: "The lyrics of "Indiscipline" were based on a letter written to Adrian Belew by his then-wife Margaret, concerning a painting that she had made. Discipline has been described as art rock, progressive rock, new wave, post-progressive, and dance-rock."

Got that?

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5. "Thela Hun Ginjeet" 6:26
Another highlight for me. Thunderous rhythms percolate in that African manner while Adrian recounts a mugging he encountered in London. Turn this one up!

"Thela Hun Ginjeet" is a single by the band King Crimson, released in 1981 and on the album Discipline (1981). The song name is an anagram of "heat in the jungle", which is a reference to crime in the city. (The term "heat" is American slang for firearms or for police.)

While most of the instruments are in 4 4 time, Robert Fripp's electric guitar plays in 7 8 time during part of the song, creating an unusual effect. In the middle of the song, voice recordings are heard. Adrian Belew talks about his experiences with London Rastafarians and the police, while he was trying to get voice recordings for the song. During their tour for the Discipline and Beat albums, Belew would tell the story while the song was being performed. During the Beat tour, the story-telling was somewhat improvised. In later live performances, beginning on the Three of a Perfect Pair tour, as evidenced by the performance on Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal, the storytelling was dropped, leaving only the sung lyrics.

The storytelling re-appeared on the Double Trio tours (cf. Vrooom Vrooom) but it was in the form of a backing tape identical to the album version. Groups with Discipline-era King Crimson members (e.g. Adrian Belew Power Trio, Stick Men, The Crimson ProjeKCt) have covered the song live. Les Claypool has covered this song live, along with Primus, his musical project Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade (included on their live album Live Frogs Set 1), and The Claypool Lennon Delirium." - Wikipedia

6. "The Sheltering Sky" (Instrumental) 8:22
I like this instrumental too, and it's the longest number to be found. See, I'd rather listen to this than eight minutes of Frippertronics, as its atmosphere is more pleasing in terms of background sounds. "The Sheltering Sky" is named after (and partially inspired by) the 1949 novel of the same name by Paul Bowles. Bowles is often associated with the Beat generation, which would be an inspiration for King Crimson's subsequent studio album Beat." - Wiki

7. "Discipline" (instrumental) 5:13
This last instrumental sounds more Crimson than Heads, and that's okay with me. Fripp tends to return to riffs more redolent of Red sometimes, and that's certainly the case here. Look, there really isn't a mediocre track on this album and I would recommend it to people who tell you that the band's '80s work was weak.

"Discipline reached number 41 on the UK Albums Chart and received mixed to positive reviews. John Piccarella's review in Rolling Stone praised King Crimson's talent and artistry, particularly Belew and Fripp's "visionary approach to guitar playing", but criticized the "arty content" of the album itself, concluding, "Here's hoping that, unlike every other King Crimson lineup, this band of virtuosos stays together long enough to transform all of their experiments into innovations." Record Mirror's Alan Entwistle was generally enthusiastic, writing that the band "tests new ground and revitalizes older ground"; he highlighted the "more mature" second side of the album, noting its "distinct songs that are danceable as well as disciplined." Robert Christgau of The Village Voice described the album as "not bad—the Heads meet the League of Gentlemen". In The Village Voice's year-end Pazz & Jop poll, Discipline was voted by critics as the 35th best album of 1981.

Greg Prato's retrospective review in AllMusic commended the album's "inspired performances", particularly applauding the unexpectedly successful combinations of Belew and Fripp's disparate playing styles. According to Prato, "the pairing of these two originals worked out magically." Trouser Press characterised the album's songs as "unfolding musical sculptures, played with precision and rare imagination, a mostly successful synthesis of ambition, simplicity and Kraftwerkian clarity." - Wiki

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Re: King Crimson

Postby C » 30 Nov 2021, 17:06

Matt Wilson wrote:Fans wanting Crimso to give us endless retreads of previous records missed the point entirely.


JUDAS!




:lol:
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Re: King Crimson

Postby Hugh » 30 Nov 2021, 19:25

Jimbly wrote:I was at the Edinburgh gig in May. Sitting outside afterwards with my mates, Fripp was walking to the tour van stopped and asked if we'd enjoyed the gig.


I have always been deeply jealous of this.

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Re: King Crimson

Postby Hugh » 30 Nov 2021, 19:26

Enervating doesn’t mean what you think it does, Matt.

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Re: King Crimson

Postby Matt Wilson » 30 Nov 2021, 19:31

LOL That could very well be true.

EDIT: Christ, Hugh, I had to re-read the entire Discipline review twice before I realized I didn't even use that word there! It was in the previous one. I should have said "invigorating."


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