Exposure (Robert Fripp album)

Last updated

Exposure
Robert Fripp-Exposure (album cover).jpg
Studio album by
Robert Fripp
ReleasedJune 1979 (1979-06)
RecordedJune 1977 – January 1979
Studio
Genre
Length45:28
Label Polydor, E.G.
Producer Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp chronology
Evening Star
(1975)		Exposure
(1979)		 God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners
(1980)

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 also coined the term "Frippertronics" to describe Fripp's tape looping techniques. [1]

Contents

Background

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 moved 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 became part of 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. [2] At Eno's invitation, Fripp performed on David Bowie's "Heroes" single and album in 1977.

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". [3] The album was to be originally titled The Last Great New York Heartthrob, feature a track list configuration different from that of the final release, and use Daryl Hall as the main vocalist. Fripp instead used only two Hall vocals on his album, substituting Peter Hammill and Terre Roche in various places.

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.

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".

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 .

Fripp's tour to support Exposure was strictly a solo tour, utilizing only his own electric guitar and Frippertronics, and included then unorthodox rock music venues such as restaurants and retail outlets. [2]

Release

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 version of the song on disc two is mostly identical to the definitive edition version with minor variants. [4] [5] [ better source needed ] 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 as 6:24 on the track list actually contain the edited 3:52 version. The 6:24 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).

In 2022, DGM released Exposures, a massive 32-disc box set (25 compact discs, 3 DVD discs and 4 Blu-ray discs) featuring all four versions of Exposure, including a fourth new mix done by Steven Wilson (in stereo, surround sound, and Dolby Atmos variants) as well as related Fripp albums (Let the Power Fall, The League of Gentlemen , God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners , all presented in remastered original mixes as well as new Steven Wilson mixes), live recordings, studio outtakes, the complete Frippertronics tape loops from the period between the start of the Exposure/Scratch/Sacred Songs sessions and the reformation of King Crimson for the Discipline album.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [7]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Paul Stump, in his 1997 History of Progressive Rock, called the album "formidably eloquent" and "breathlessly diverse", adding that while it is conventional in style, it has a remarkable coherence that presages the approach used by the 1980s incarnation of King Crimson. [2]

Track listing

Side one

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Preface" Robert Fripp 1:16
2."You Burn Me Up I'm a Cigarette"Fripp2:24
3."Breathless"Fripp4:43
4."Disengage" Peter Hammill, Joanna Walton, Fripp2:46
5."North Star" Daryl Hall, Walton, Fripp3:06
6."Chicago"Hall, Walton, Fripp2:12
7."NY3"Fripp2:16
8."Mary"Hall, Walton, Fripp2:06

Side two

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Exposure" Peter Gabriel, Fripp4:25
2."Hååden Two"Fripp2:53
3."Urban Landscape"Fripp2:35
4."I May Not Have Had Enough of Me but I've Had Enough of You"Walton, Fripp3:50
5."First Inaugural Address to the I.A.C.E. Sherborne House" J. G. Bennett 0:07
6."Water Music I"Fripp, J. G. Bennett1:27
7."Here Comes the Flood"Peter Gabriel4:01
8."Water Music II"Fripp4:16
9."Postscript"Fripp0:40

2006 bonus disc third edition

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Preface"Fripp1:16
2."You Burn Me Up I'm a Cigarette"Fripp2:24
3."Breathless"Fripp4:43
4."Disengage II"Hall, Walton, Fripp2:44
5."North Star"Hall, Walton, Fripp3:12
6."Chicago"Hall, Walton, Fripp2:18
7."New York, New York, New York"Hall, Walton, Fripp2:18
8."Mary"Hall, Walton, Fripp2:09
9."Exposure"Gabriel, Fripp4:26
10."Hååden Two"Fripp1:57
11."Urban Landscape"Fripp2:35
12."I May Not Have Had Enough of Me but I've Had Enough of You"Walton, Fripp3:38
13."First Inaugural Address to the I.A.C.E. Sherborne House"Bennett0:07
14."Water Music I"Fripp, Bennett1:19
15."Here Comes the Flood"Gabriel3:54
16."Water Music II"Fripp3:55
17."Postscript"Fripp0:40

2006 bonus tracks (alternate takes)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
18."Exposure"Gabriel, Fripp4:28
19."Mary"Hall, Walton, Fripp2:07
20."Disengage"Hammill, Walton, Fripp2:53
21."Chicago"Hall, Walton, Fripp2:03
22."NY3"Fripp2:17

Personnel

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Exposure
Chart (1979)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [10] 85
UK Albums (OCC) [11] 71
US Billboard 200 [12] 79
2022 chart performance for Exposure
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [13] 29

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Fripp</span> British guitarist, composer, record producer, and author

Robert Fripp is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session musician and collaborator, notably with David Bowie, Blondie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall, The Roches, Talking Heads, and David Sylvian. He also composed the startup sound of Windows Vista operating system, in collaboration with Tucker Martine and Steve Ball. His discography includes contributions to over 700 official releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daryl Hall</span> American musician and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates (born 1946)

Daryl Franklin Hohl, known professionally as Daryl Hall, is an American rock, R&B, and soul singer and musician. He is best known as the co-founder and principal lead vocalist of Hall & Oates, with guitarist and songwriter John Oates. Outside of his work in Hall & Oates, he has also released five solo albums, including the 1980 progressive rock collaboration with guitarist Robert Fripp titled Sacred Songs and the 1986 album Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, which provided his best selling single, "Dreamtime", that peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. He has also collaborated on numerous works by other artists, such as Fripp's 1979 release Exposure, and Dusty Springfield's 1995 album A Very Fine Love, which produced a UK Top 40 hit with "Wherever Would I Be". Since late 2007, he has hosted the streaming television series Live from Daryl's House, in which he performs alongside other artists, doing a mix of songs from each's catalog. The show has been rebroadcast on a number of cable and satellite channels as well.

<i>In the Court of the Crimson King</i> 1969 studio album by King Crimson

In the Court of the Crimson King is the debut studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 10 October 1969 by Island Records. The album is one of the earliest and most influential of the progressive rock genre, where the band combined the musical influences that rock music was founded upon with elements of jazz, classical, and symphonic music.

<i>In the Wake of Poseidon</i> 1970 studio album by King Crimson

In the Wake of Poseidon is the second studio album by English progressive rock group King Crimson, released in May 1970 by Island Records in Europe, Atlantic Records in the United States, Philips Records in Australia, and Vertigo Records in New Zealand. To date the album is their highest-charting in the UK, reaching number 4.

<i>Islands</i> (King Crimson album) 1971 studio album by King Crimson

Islands is the fourth studio album by English band King Crimson, released in December 1971 on the record label Island. Islands is the only studio album to feature the 1971–1972 touring line-up of Robert Fripp, Mel Collins, Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace. This would be the last album before an entirely new group would record the trilogy of Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red between 1973 and 1974. This is also the last album to feature the lyrics of co-founding member Peter Sinfield.

<i>Three of a Perfect Pair</i> 1984 studio album by King Crimson

Three of a Perfect Pair is the tenth studio album by English band King Crimson, released in March 1984 by record label E.G. It is the final studio album to feature the quartet of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Bill Bruford.

<i>Beat</i> (King Crimson album) 1982 studio album by King Crimson

Beat is the ninth studio album by the British rock band King Crimson, released in June 1982 by record label E.G. This is the second King Crimson album to feature the band's line-up of co-founder Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Bill Bruford. It is the first release in King Crimson’s discography to feature the same lineup as the previous studio album.

<i>Discipline</i> (King Crimson album) 1981 studio album by King Crimson

Discipline is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 22 September 1981 by E.G. Records in the United Kingdom and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States.

<i>The Power to Believe</i> 2003 studio album by King Crimson

The Power to Believe is the thirteenth and final studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson. It was released on 4 March 2003 through Sanctuary Records and met with generally favourable reviews, with several critics appreciating its heightened aggression. The Power to Believe was preceded by the EP Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With (2002), which features alternate and otherwise unreleased tracks.

<i>Red</i> (King Crimson album) 1974 studio album by King Crimson

Red is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson. It was released in October 1974 through Island Records in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in North America and Japan. The album was recorded at Olympic Studios in London in July and August 1974, and produced by the band themselves. The track "Providence" was a free improvisation recorded at their 30 June 1974 concert at the Palace Theater in the city of the same name. Parts of some of the pieces were conceived during previous improvisations performed by the band live. "Starless" was originally considered for their previous album, Starless and Bible Black (1974), but was deemed incomplete at the time. The lengthy version included on this album was refined and performed during concerts throughout 1974.

<i>USA</i> (King Crimson album) 1975 live album by King Crimson

USA is a live album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson, released in 1975. It was recorded at the Casino, Asbury Park, New Jersey, on 28 June 1974, except “21st Century Schizoid Man”, which was recorded at the Palace Theatre, Providence, Rhode Island, United States, on 30 June 1974. Violin and electric piano overdubs by Eddie Jobson were recorded at Olympic Studios, London in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matte Kudasai</span> 1981 single by King Crimson

"Matte Kudasai" literally "Wait, Please" in Japanese, 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.

<i>Peter Gabriel</i> (1978 album) Second solo album by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, released on 2 June 1978 by Charisma Records. Gabriel started recording the album in November 1977, the same month that he had completed touring in support of his debut solo release. He employed former King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, who was part of Gabriel's early touring band, to produce the album and incorporated his use of Frippertronics effects on the co-written "Exposure".

<i>Sacred Songs</i> 1980 studio album by Daryl Hall

Sacred Songs is American singer/songwriter Daryl Hall's first solo album. It was produced by guitarist Robert Fripp, who also played on the album.

<i>Flowermouth</i> 1994 studio album by No-Man

Flowermouth is the second studio album by British duo No-Man, released in 1994 on the One Little Indian Records label, and subsequently reissued on September, 1999 by 3rd. Stone Ltd, and in a deluxe format by Snapper Music in February 2005.

<i>God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners</i> 1980 studio album by Robert Fripp

God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners is the second solo album by Robert Fripp, released on the Polydor Records label in 1980.

<i>The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume Two – 1981–2003</i> 2005 box set by King Crimson

The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume Two – 1981–2003 is a compilation album by the highly influential English progressive rock band King Crimson, containing the best-known songs from the group's 1981–2003 phase. No material from the album the construKction of light (2000) was included in this box set. It was released in 2005.

<i>(No Pussyfooting)</i> 1973 studio album by Fripp & Eno

(No Pussyfooting) is the debut studio album by the British duo Fripp & Eno, released in 1973. (No Pussyfooting) was the first of three major collaborations between the musicians, growing out of Brian Eno's early tape delay looping experiments and Robert Fripp's "Frippertronics" electric guitar technique.

<i>Live in Vienna</i> (King Crimson album) 2017 live album by King Crimson

Live in Vienna, or Live in Vienna, December 1, 2016, is a triple-disc live album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson, originally released in a limited capacity in Japan as Live in Vienna 2016 + Live in Tokyo 2015 on 27 September 2017. The expanded album, just titled Live in Vienna, was released through Discipline Global Mobile on 6 April 2018.

<i>Meltdown: Live in Mexico City</i> 2018 live album by King Crimson

Meltdown: Live in Mexico City is a Blu-ray and triple-disc CD live album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson. Recorded over five nights in July 2017, Meltdown was released on 20 October 2018 and was produced by the band's keyboardist Bill Rieflin from Multitrack recordings. The release was announced in August 2018 and was preceded by streaming of the track "Indiscipline" on 4 October.

References

  1. ↑ Cooper, Neil (18 October 2016). "Gimme some truth". www.productmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Stump, Paul (1997). The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock. Quartet Books Limited. pp. 302–4. ISBN   0-7043-8036-6.
  3. ↑ Jones, Allan (28 April 1979). "Riding on the Dynamic of Disaster". Melody Maker .
  4. ↑ dlokazip (22 June 2006). "Robert Fripp – Exposure. 2-disc remaster, 2006" (blog). Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  5. ↑ "Exposure: The Differences" (wiki). Elephant Talk. 11 January 1998. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Mills, Ted. "Exposure – Robert Fripp". AllMusic . Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  7. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "F". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN   0-89919-026-X . Retrieved 24 February 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  8. ↑ Fricke, David (7 September 2006). "Robert Fripp: Exposure". Rolling Stone . No. 1008. p. 110.
  9. ↑ Considine, J. D. (1992). "Robert Fripp". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. pp. 265–66. ISBN   0-679-73729-4.
  10. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 119. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  11. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "Robert Fripp Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.