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Following a personal awakening which left him disgusted
and disillusioned with the music industry, King Crimson guitarist
and guiding light Robert Fripp disbanded Crimson after completing
their classic "RED' album in 1974, going into a sort of reclusion.
Upon returning in 1977, however, times had changed, prog rock
was dead, and the future was presenting itself. That furture
was production, ambient music(with and without Brian Eno)
and collaborations with the current New Wave scene. The new
punk Fripp was now closer in spirit to the likes of Blondie,
Talking Heads and David Bowie rather than ELP, Yes or Genesis.
The late-70's Fripp is full of energy and ideas. During this
period, Fripp put his stamp on the works of others, including
Bowie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel(also going through a similar
make-over), Peter Hammill, the Roches, Blondie, Daryl Hall,
David Byrne, and others. It is in this climate that he produced
his first solo album, EXPOSURE. The 'new wave' era Fripp remains,
to me, one of his most electrifying phases, and EXPOSURE an
album I return to quite often. ***
Though quite lengthy to go into detail about the making
of the album, I can say that this is not a King Crimson album,
though close in spots- as much of Fripp's other solo work
has been of a more ambient 'soundscape' nature. This is a
few years before Crimson returned in 1981 with DISCIPLINE.
But this album runs the gamut, offering short track after
short track of blistering angular fretwork, ambient minimalist
overtones, punk energy, tape loops, and a potpouri of guests
including Daryl Hall, Peter Gabriel, Terre Roche, Tony Levin,
Peter Hammill, Phil Collins(when he would have been caught
dead with people like Fripp), Eno and Jerry Marotta. There
are hints of King Crimson, but this was a contemporary record
which housed a lot of talent and had quite a lot of balls
too. Basically, Fripp planned EXPOSURE to be part of a trilogy
of albums which also included Peter Gabriel's second album
and Daryl Hall's SACRED SONGS album(both of which he produced
and played on). However the record companies delayed both
this and Hall's album because they felt it was commercial
suicide for the Hall & Oates soul-boy to be hob-knobbin' with
an 'underground' musician like Fripp. Special mention however
must go to Hall, who putas in stellar vocal performances on
every turn. And some of his vocal tracks left off the original
and appearing here finally may shock you if you're expecting
'Rich Girl' or 'Sarah Smile'. You get a blistering Hall-as-punk-singer
instead. Absolutely stunning.***
I could write a whole chapter on this album and take
all day doing so, so I won't. Keep in mind that this is remastered
and features TWO discs: the original 1979 release and the
re-mastered 1986 edition which featured some material redone
and remixed, and featured the lost Daryl Hall tracks that
the powers-that-be wouldn't let Fripp include the first time
around. Best yet to pick this one up and try it out for yourself.
There is a spirit of total renewal about EXPOSURE. Total commitment
to look beyond what had come before. This may be one of the
best avant-garde rock albums ever made, filled to the brim
with a wide variety of styles ranging from King Crimson-like
guitar bits to soulful pop material to abrasive punk attitude.
And with such a cast of guests, you can't go wrong when in
1978 record companies were scratching their heads and going
nuts trying to figure out why on Earth their hit star performers
like Blondie and David Bowie all wanted to collaborate with
this cult-artist Robert Fripp guy. It also sounds as if people
had fun, and fun being punky or weird. Fripp may be philosophical
and all, about 'Drive to 1981' and all that, be he must have
been having fun being weird. EXPOSURE is a product of its
era: late 70's NEW YORK in the middle of the punk/new wave
days. But it also sounds frighteningly contemporary today,
and was perhaps a record ahead of its time.. ***
Without wasting too many words, here's a brief description
of the the trax: PREFACE: dialogue 'n stuff.***
YOU BURN ME UP I'M A CIGARETTE: punky song featuring Hall
on vox.***
BREATHLESS: intense Crimson-like instrumental rocker
featuring Tony Levin which bridges the gap between RED and
DISCIPLINE.**
DISENGAGE: another frantic punker, the original Hall
vocal is very Johnny Rotten, while the re-done Peter Hammill
vocal is dramatic and harsh in its own right.***
NORTH STAR: gorgeous ballad-type which forshadows Matte
Kudasai from DISCIPLINE a few years later. Hall's vocals have
never been more soulful.***
CHICAGO: jangly and jazzy with vox by both Hall and Hammill,
and I'm torn between which version is better.***
NY3/NEW YORK NEW YORK NEW YORK: the version with the recorded
voices is intense and unnerving, while the one with Hall and
actual lyrics is scathingly punk. And Fripp's playing some
ridiculously fast stuff. Go Fripp.***
MARY: an acoustic-type folky one which really isn't so
dissimilar to anything from the 1970-71 version of King Crimson,
and the last reflective gentle track like it Fripp probably
did. Hall's version is good, though the naked plain-ness of
Terre Roche's version stands above it. I could still see Gordon
Haskell singing it though.***
EXPOSURE: Fripp's version of the track which appeared
on Peter Gabriel II. Funky and groovy. This edition has a
Hall version, but neither that nor the Gabriel II version
can't touch the version with Terre Roche's ear-shattering
punk-out screaming.***
HAADEN TWO: angular guitar and tape loops. Yum yum.***
URBAN LANDSCAPE: a sort of one-note ambient soundscape
which builds until...***
I MAY HAVE NOT HAD ENOUGH OF ME BUT I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF
YOU: One final punky track thrashes and crashes, with both
Fripp and organist Barry Andrews providing aural raping of
the eardrums. A tag-team of Terre Roche and Peter Hamill on
vocals drive it home.***
THE FIRST INAUGURAL ADRESS OF THE I.A.C.E SHERBORNE HOUSE:
with a title like that, it can only be a three second-long
track, and it is.***
WATER MUSIC I: the rest of the album is ambient and soothing
in nature. This one is recorded voice over a bed of sounscape
guitar Frippertronics.***
HERE COMES THE FLOOD: a gentler version of the Peter
Gabriel anthem from his first solo album(which Fripp also
appeared on) which many believe to be the superior version.
Piano, sounscapes, and Gabriel's voice alone.***
WATER MUSIC II: a soothing wash of minimalist guitar
soundcapes.***
POSTSCRIPT: dialogue & stuff.***
A great debut solo offering which is abrasive, beautiful,
Crimsoid, punk, frantic, soulful, intense, soothing, weird
and cutting edge from a time when Robert Fripp had put King
Crimson behind him and was acting as a sort of hip older brother
to a slightly younger generation of punky upstarts. Not only
did he hold his own, he augmented their careers for a while
and they were all the better for it. A new wave classic which
I can't reccommend enough.***
It wouldn't hurt to hear other albums from that same
period too: FRIPP: Let The Power Fall, PETER GABRIEL: PG II(Scratch),
FRIPP: League Of Gentlemen, FRIPP: Under Heavy Manners/God
Save The King, DARYL HALL: Sacred Songs, DAVID BOWIE: Heroes,
DAVID BOWIE: Scary Monsters, as well a choice cuts from ENO,
Blondie, Talking Heads, The Roches and The Flying Lizards.***
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