(2022) Robert Fripp - Washington Square Church    


Review:
Robert Fripp is perhaps the easiest guitarist in the world to detest, few others generate so many different reactions and Washington Square Church is likely to be the love-it-or-hate-it release of 2022. That fact that the music is 41 years old only adds to the controversy. As David Byrne would say, “How did we get here?” King Crimson had ground to a halt in 1974, never to be resurrected (funny how things change). At that point, Fripp had to reexamine who he was as an artist and guitar player. Initial recordings with Brian Eno, first in 1973’s (No Pussyfooting) and Evening Star in 1975, used techniques that later became labeled as “Frippertronics.” What became known as “The Drive to 1981,” initially started with Fripp producing Peter Gabriel’s III, Daryl Hall’s Sacred Songs, along with his 1979 solo release, Exposure. However, Hall’s album wasn’t released for years, having scared the record company flacks so much that they were sure if it ever came out Hall would have no career to which he could ever return. Instead, the “Drive” became a trilogy of Fripp releases, the aforementioned Exposure, “Frippertronics,” released as God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners and Let the Power Fall, followed by The League of Gentlemen by a band comprised of Fripp, Barry Andrews, Sara Lee and Jonny Toobad, who was replaced by Kevin Wilkinson. Finally, there was Discipline, a new band, featuring Fripp, Tony Levin, Adrian Belew and Bill Bruford. Eventually they became King Crimson Mk IV. Following the initial run of dates with the new Crimson, Fripp returned to New York City for a week’s worth of Frippertronic’s shows at the historic Washington Square Methodist Church. The church had housed many congregations but had recently been known for being a home to the Black Panthers, Gay Men’s Health Crisis and various arts organizations. Making these recordings unique is the fact that 40 years on from the original recordings, while backgrounds had been prepared, Fripp’s solos (when available) had only been recorded in bootleg formats. Washington Square Church represents the first time that Fripp’s solos had been recorded, yet there was no guide to determine which solo went with which track. Matching finally became possible when DGM’s engineer, Alex R. Mundy realized the loops had been picked up through the pickups of Fripp’s guitar that played the solos, which finally led to being able to match solos and loops with absolute certainty. Putting all those issues to the side, the question that remains is what do the recording sound like, especially 41 years down the road from their performance? For those who are not fans of Fripp’s work, wading through 79 minutes of Frippertronics is going to be the aural equivalent of having to listen to Ted Nugent’s Cat Scratch Fever until all the blood has drained from your ears. At best, it will be painful, at worst it will be unbearable. Yet for discerning audiences, these recordings are nothing less than the Holy Grail. “Washington Square II” has solos that sound like swarms of bees swirling through the air, while reined in by the backgrounds there are levels of gentleness one associates more with band recordings like “Islands.” While there’s often a gnarled power to Fripp’s guitar work, the sense of gentility that’s on display is often eye-popping. Throughout his career, Fripp has often illustrated how savagery and calmness are both sides of the same coin. Swirling backgrounds serve as the canvas for brushstrokes that often end up going in two are three different directions. His creativity and ability to find ways to live in that moment make this set of music so memorable. It’s not music you hum along to, rather these are moments designed to be explored, entering the cracks and crannies that cleave under the weight of Fripp’s plectrum. The sands shift and the moments meld, yet what’s confirmed is that Robert Fripp creates magic that masquerades, splitting the marrow from the bone. Yet there are those who will claim despite its hallowed location, Washington Square Church is an aberration, with no alchemy. Part of Fripp’s genius lies in his ability to gently and lovingly upset the apple cart. Love him or hate him, there is no middle ground. For the daring, there is plenty of love to be found. — spectrumculture.com


   


Track List:
01. Washington Square Church I
02. Washington Square Church II
03. Washington Square Church III
04. Washington Square Church IV
05. Washington Square Church V
06. Washington Square Church VI
07. Washington Square Church VII
08. Washington Square Church VIII
09. Washington Square Church IX
10. Washington Square Church X
11. Washington Square Church XI


Media Report:
Genre: ambient
Country: UK
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)


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