Exposure

For most fans of music, pop music or rock'n'roll I take no pleasure in informing you that Robert Fripp's album Exposure is absolute crap, a virtually unlistenable collage of unfocussed pop songs of no particular merit, banal lyrics (?), portentous prog-rock flirtations...and, overall, a complete waste of money. Avoid it at all costs.

For the others, those who are willing to take a substantial risk, Exposure is an album that's I find brave and remarkable! I warn you, though, this isn't so much a review...as a slab of my personal history, which may well help you understand what Fripp was trying to achieve:

The story starts in 1974 when, as a teenager, I was immersed in the English pop music weeklies, The New Musical Express and Melody Maker. Robert Fripp, then known as King Crimson's leader, a band whose music I was only marginally interested in, disbanded King Crimson and started giving peculiar interviews as to why.

It was from Fripp that I first heard about the philosopher John Bennett and from there, much more importantly, I encountered the ideas of Gurdjieff...which, through several co-incidences, led me towards a lifetime's flirtation with (and in some ways, immersion in) his ideas.

One of those is what's known in Gurdjieff followers' jargon as "self remembering", the capacity, which many of us know through:

shock e.g. near-death experiences or an action that led to a broken heart or what were you doing when you heard Kennedy/Lennon/Your mother died? etc. or
the moments of clarity after extreme effort

...to stand outside oneself...and view events in one's life as if you were a stranger observing the situation impartially. That is the "exposure" that Fripp is talking about or more importantly, the individual's emotional reaction to such an "exposure".

I'm unsure whether Fripp worked with lyricist (and then-lover), the late Joanna Walton, to create the "songs" together...or whether the lyrics were done before/after...but Walton's words are the most unusual...and in this setting...some of the most powerful lyrics that I've ever heard! It's not meant to be a cop-out...but I'm not going to quote them, simply because that would be doing them a terrible disservice. These lyrics work, incredibly so, within the contexts of an "exposure".

Perhaps the nearest frame of reference would be Joni Mitchell's Blue...for their painful honesty...but Mitchell's are colored by the flim-flam of The Troubador and the starry eyes of Romance, while Walton's, on the other hand...are just as-it-is. Exposure.

Like a camera. Click.

An argument overheard. Click.

A moment in time. Click:

told through the eyes of an obtuse "poet", yes...
often commenting on the inevitable friction between two lovers, yes...

...but still untainted, impartial, true.

The second component of the album that unlocks the album is that Fripp had come to the concept of "exposure" via the writings and subsequently, the teachings, of philosopher John G. Bennett, an erratic, though well-meaning...and possibly successful Englishman, who:

for two short periods was a student of Gurdjieff
and in between, Ouspensky
then, embarrassingly introduced Subud to the West, (through my uneducated eyes, a kind of Islamic Pentecostal frenzy, originating from Indonesia)
...and in the twilight of his years, returned to Gurdjieff's teachings (he had seldom strayed far)...and set up a 10-month live-in school with the goal of annually providing about 100 adults with a new perspective on Life*. Fripp joined the second batch of students in 1975**

Bennett died in 1974...but had predicted (incorrectly) massive societal and planetary changes (e.g. global warming, flooding of major cities***) by the 1990s. Fripp, then, in his clipped, English way...was advertising Bennett's world view. This apocalypse, of course, didn't occur...though Bennett may not so much be wrong...as inaccurate with his timescale, since, I'm sure you're aware, we're presently experiencing many strange climate changes.

Bennett's voice weaves in and out of the mix, and occasionally one also hears the Shivapuri Baba, an Indian guru who, Bennett had been visiting during the early 1960s and, who, apparently, lived to the age of 137. During the mid 1800s he is documented as having walked from India to England and met with Queen Victoria.

When Fripp "graduated" in 1976, he kept a very low profile, restricting himself in the pop music business to just a cameo on Peter Gabriel's first SOLO album. Indeed, even a year later, he claimed to be still shell-shocked from the experience at the school (see also: David Bowie Heroes).

After Heroes, Fripp took up a two year residence in New York, mixing with many people he would previously have considered "below" him, such as punk rockers & new wavers. He played LIVE with:

...and guested on albums for:

Talking Heads
Hall & Oates
Blondie and a number of others

The aim was to apply the insights and partially-proven theories gained from the school, such as the need for tolerance, perhaps even to find affection for people you intrinsically disliked...by putting those ideals to test in real-world situations. One such "task" was with Chris Stein, mainman of Blondie, who Fripp befriended and who ended up helping create the Exposure cover...and this minimalist video...

Robert Fripp

Exposure

So, what Exposure gives us is a glimpse of Fripp's life during those couple of years in New York:

"...The album itself was...a kind of autobiography on three levels: One was the day to day life and the stuff that happens - you're dreaming, the phone goes off, you have an argument with the woman you're living with, you rush off to work, your mother phones you up and bends your ear...and finally, at the end of the album, you calm down and go to sleep again and go out in dreams. The other...is an investigation of internalized family archetypes...The third...(level)...is, of course...(the) starting of some level of inner development...and how it's impossible to achieve the aim, Freedom, Conscience and Truth (without Suffering)..." (see Exposure pages, below)

Created under the working title of: The Last Great New York Heart-throb, Exposure is difficult, rewarding and really, really fascinating. The new 2-disc version has:

a remastered version of the astonishing patchwork album as was released &
the complete original album with Daryl Hall singing all the lead vocals (his record company freaked, banned the release...and Fripp had to enlist guest vocalists...)

Firstly, to the music. Fripp created the basic tracks with:

Tony Levin (then a top bass session player, who Fripp had met via the album, Peter Gabriel 1, and who was later was invited to become a member of King Crimson) &
an assortment of session drummers, Phil Collins, Jerry Marotta & Narada Michael Walden

Then a few of the tracks were augmented by:

Brian Eno (see: Fripp's Collaborations with Brian Eno) &
Barry Andrews (fresh out of XTC and later, a member of Fripp's League Of Gentlemen)

Vocals were added by:

Daryl Hall (+ piano)
Peter Gabriel (+ piano)****
Pete Hammill from Prog. Rock band, Van Der Graaf Generator &
Terry Roche from folk band The Roches, whose first album, The Roches, Fripp produced at around the same time
+ taped inserts from J.G. Bennett & The Shivapuri Baba

...Lyrics were from:

Joanna Walton*****. As I wrote previously, it's almost impossible to quote Ms. Walton's lyrics without doing them a terrible disservice, so I've resisted, entirely. Let it be said, though, they stand as one of the most astonishing sets of words I've ever encountered, slabs of unadorned, impartial truth.
Fripp on one track &
Peter Gabriel on two tracks

With that in mind, I'll briefly go through the album:

Preface...a brief audio montage with Brian Eno speaking

You Burn Me Up, I'm A Cigarette...a punkish complaint by Fripp about lover Walton with lots of awkward lyrics and jargon, making the track slightly bizarre...if not ridiculous.

"...You burn me up I'm about to ignite
When you tell me you love me I give up this fight
I'm feeling put down
My feelings shut down
I want rejuvenation from my male emancipation

Strategic interaction
Terminal inaction
A bitter hostile faction
Irreducible fraction
Transactional diseases are the only thing that pleases
We burn, burn, burn..."

You Burn Me Up, I'm A Cigarette

As vocalist, Hall sounds er...too cultured to believably punk. Sid Vicious would have been so much better!

Breathless...A heavy overbearing Crimsonesque instrumental (perhaps the true Fripp feelings about Walton or women in general)

Disengage...A seriously disturbed look at Domesticity. Pete Hammill gives perhaps the most stunningly deranged vocal I've ever heard

"...Hammill flew into New York...came into the studio dressed in a rather svelte and smooth fashion, took off his nice cloths and got into a smelly dressing-gown, poured himself liberal dose from the bottle of cognac he'd brought with him, and went in there and started delivering the goods..." (see Exposure pages, below)

North Star...Metaphorically an Engage in comparison to Disengage. Beautiful, romantic, impenetrable lyrics and waves-lapping-on-the-shoreline (very Fleetwood Mac Albatross) guitar. Sublime

Chicago...Disengage 2. Hammill giving the second most deranged vocal I've ever heard with ominous piano by Andrews and creepy I-don't-know-why-I'm-trusting-you-Robert lyrics by Walton. Hmm, nice! Fripp describes it as: "She thought I smiled like Chicago and I asked 'How is that' and she said '...Very mixed...' (see Exposure pages, below)

NY3...A sped-up heavy Crimsonesque instrumental...while a horrible domestic argument functions as er...ambient music

Mary...Perhaps the most startling non-lyric I've ever heard, sung exquisitely by Terry Roche, about (presumedly) Walton's love for her sister, Mary. Fripp was later to say it was: "...about someone for whom (Joanna's) heart bled..." (see Exposure pages, below)

The voice and words seem to sit perfectly with Fripp's stark, understated guitar, creating something truly memorable

Side 2

Exposure...a reworking of the Gabriel/Fripp track from Peter Gabriel 2, which Fripp had produced in 1978. A twisted funk groove with lyrics that convey the slight dementia which descends when the exposure shows you as you really are, not how you see yourself

Haaden 2...big descending Crimson chords, backwards chatter, other chatter etc.

Urban Landscape...tense Frippertronics, the lull before the storm

I May Not Have Had Enough Of Me But I've Had Enough Of You...Insane, incredibly powerful non-lyric with Hammill & Roche screaming abuse at each other, as crunching guitars orchestrate the domestic apocalypse. Worth the price of the album in itself!

First Inaugural Address to the IACE Sherborne House...a brief snippet of J.G. Bennett

Water Music I...Bennett speaks about the coming global climate changes over Frippertronics

Here Comes The Flood...Peter Gabriel on SOLO piano and vocals, detailing what will happen after The Great Deluge + Frippertronics for atmosphere

Robert Fripp & Peter Gabriel: Here Comes The Flood

Water Music II...Frippertronics

Postscript...the dream ends, with Eno talking, once more...and briefly laughing

Don't expect to enjoy Exposure, it's horrible! I love it.

Robert Fripp: Exposure

"...The 2-disc set contains the original album release and 22 bonus cuts with a booklet which has excerpts from Fripp's personal notes during the remastering process. Exposure is a portrait in sound where every listener will find a biographical sketch in the mix..." Amazon reviewer Mr. Richard D. Coreno

"...This album is said to be the beginning of a whole different genre of music. I say that's true. It's a mix of ambient, hard rock, and experimental. If you want something that is revolutionary for your collection, give it a try..." Amazon reviewer Aaron Hardesty

"...if you're at all curious about various forms of music, you'll find quite a few styles represented here all delivered with Fripp's trademark intensity: powerful, beautiful, hypnotic, chaotic, paranoic, angry music done right!..." Amazon reviewer drefactor

"...Terrific album. Darryl Hall's vocals are terrific. Remastered 24 bit recording sounds great if you listen to it on a decent stereo. The liner notes are so pretentiously idiotic and self-important, though..." Amazon reviewer Michael

*I'm sure you're thinking "cult" or "hide the Kool Aid"...but I joined such a group (week-ends version) in the early 1980s for two years...and nothing could be further from the truth. The aim was to experience "exposure", often through extreme physical, sometimes emotional effort...and to accept its ramifications.

**Fripp was to say, "When I found him (Bennett) in July 1974, the top of my head blew off..."(see Exposure pages, below)

***For this reason, Peter Gabriel's Here Comes The Flood, (the almost final track) makes good dramatic sense.

****Apparently, Here Comes The Flood was actually a rehearsal lifted from Peter Gabriel 1 and Frippertronics were added later

*****Incidentally when I contacted Fripp a few years ago about the whereabouts of Ms. Walton, I received a brief email informing me that she had been killed in the Lockerbie terrorist attack in 1988