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God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | January 1980 | |||
Recorded | August–December 1979 | |||
Venue | Calgary Planetarium, Calgary ("Under Heavy Manners" loop) Madame Wong's, Los Angeles ("The Zero of the Signified" Frippertronics) | |||
Studio | The Hit Factory, New York City | |||
Genre | Art rock, ambient, disco | |||
Length | 47:56 | |||
Label | Polydor, E.G. | |||
Producer | Robert Fripp | |||
Robert Fripp chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners is the second solo album by Robert Fripp, released on Polydor Records 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.
Fripp 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 its two sides being designated as "Side A" and "Side One."
The guitar loops for the five tracks were recorded live in concert during 1979 (including an appearance on The Midnight Special ), [2] with overdubs for the Under Heavy Manners side added later that year by Michael "Busta" Jones (bass guitar) and Paul Duskin (drums). All of the tracks on both sides are instrumental except for "Under Heavy Manners", which features vocals by David Byrne of Talking Heads (credited as "Absalm el Habib").
The track "God Save the Queen" bears little resemblance to the British national anthem, although it is based on its opening phrase. 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".
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 Brian Eno's Music for... albums.
The original album was released on CD for the first time in 2021, remastered by David Singleton, and including the previously unreleased "Music on Hold". The track "Under Heavy Manners" and a longer version of "The Zero of the Signified" (retitled "God Save the King") are also included on the League of Gentlemen God Save the King CD release.
All compositions by Robert Fripp.
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 more than 700 official releases.
Frippertronics is a tape looping technique used by English guitarist Robert Fripp. It marked the first real-time tape looping device, evolving from a system developed in the electronic music studios of the early 1960s by composers Terry Riley and Pauline Oliveros and made popular through its use in ambient music by composer Brian Eno, as on his album Discreet Music (1975). The effect is now routinely found in many commercial loop station guitar digital effects boxes such as the Boss RC-3.
Beat is the ninth studio album by the British rock band King Crimson, released on 18 June 1982 by E.G. Records. It was the second King Crimson album to feature the lineup of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Bill Bruford, and the first ever King Crimson album to feature the same lineup as its predecessor.
The VROOOM Sessions is an album of instrumental outtakes recorded by King Crimson as studio improvisations during the rehearsals for the recording sessions of their 1994 comeback EP Vrooom.
"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.
Peter Gabriel is the second studio album by the 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".
Strange Beautiful Music is the ninth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on June 25, 2002, through Epic Records; a Super Audio CD edition was released on September 10. The album reached No. 140 on the United States Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for a week, as well as reaching the top 100 in four other countries.
The First Day is the first of three collaborations between British musicians David Sylvian and Robert Fripp. It was released in August 1993, featuring a driving rock style with elements of funk.
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is the first collaborative studio album by Brian Eno and David Byrne, released in February 1981. It was Byrne's first album without his band Talking Heads. The album integrates sampled vocals and found sounds, African and Middle Eastern rhythms, and electronic music techniques. It was recorded before Eno and Byrne's work on Talking Heads' 1980 album Remain in Light, but problems clearing samples delayed its release by several months.
Damage is a live recording by David Sylvian and Robert Fripp. It was recorded on the "Road to Graceland" tour at London's Royal Albert Hall, December 1993.
Cirkus: The Young Persons' Guide to King Crimson Live is a live album compilation from King Crimson. It was released in 1999 through Virgin Records.
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.
Sacred Songs is the first solo album by American singer/songwriter Daryl Hall. It was produced by guitarist Robert Fripp, who also played on the album.
Peter Gabriel Revisited is a compilation album by Peter Gabriel which includes selections from his first two albums, as Atlantic had retained the US distribution rights to Gabriel's first and second albums. It compiles 7 of 9 tracks from the first album, and 8 of 11 from the second. AllMusic, noting that the compilation ill-served both committed and casual Gabriel fans, labelled this album "good but useless".
"Larks' Tongues in Aspic" is a musical suite by the English progressive rock band King Crimson. Spanning thirty years and four albums, the series comprises five parts, all of which carry unifying musical motifs. Parts I and II were released as the introductory and final tracks on King Crimson's 1973 album of the same name, part III was featured on their 1984 album Three of a Perfect Pair, part IV appeared on 2000's The Construkction of Light, and the final part, "Level Five", was included on the 2003 album The Power to Believe. Despite breaking the naming convention, Robert Fripp, King Crimson founder and only constant contributor to the suite, insists that "Level Five" is part of the pentalogy.
"I Zimbra" is a song by American new wave band Talking Heads, released as the second single from their 1979 album Fear of Music.
The League of Gentlemen is an 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.
Darshan (The Road to Graceland) is the second of three collaborative productions of David Sylvian and Robert Fripp. It is a remix album; the first two tracks are remixes of the original song "Darshan" from their first album The First Day. The original version, written by David Sylvian, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn and David Bottrill, is reissued here as final track. The first track is a remix by the Grid, and the second track—called "Darshana"—is a “reconstruction” by The Future Sound of London. It was released on 6 December 1993 as EP and CD Single on Virgin Records (SYLCD1 and VJCP 20013 in Japan).
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Michael "Busta" Jones was an American musician, songwriter and producer. He is known for his bass work both live and in the studio with Albert King, Talking Heads, Gang of Four, Chris Spedding as well as many others during a decade spanning career that lasted from the late 1960s until his death in 1995.