Prompted by a recent query on the guestbook about which soundscapes might be the one to go for, I thought I’d ask a soundscapes connoisseur, Michael Flaherty if he’d care to share his personal pick of the crop and make some recommendations for those folks wondering which soundscape to plump for.
Michael has been listening to the odd noises emanating from the old goat’s guitar since the late 70s. “I was listening to a 10 watt radio station in Minneapolis. I heard something that completely grabbed my attention. The moment it ended, I called the station to ask the DJ about it. It was Fripp and Eno’s Evening Star. I bought it right away, and then began adding their solo albums to my music library. It was only after those collections were complete that I began listening to Crimson (I was already a Roxy Music fan)."
Not every fan of King Crimson is a fan of Frippertronics or soundscapes but for Michael KC and solo Fripp represents the best of both worlds. The best KC gig Michael saw was in Minneapolis, 1984. “Fripp opened with a short Frippertronics set, and, when Adrian’s equipment broke down, Robert played some more solo improvisations, which was fine by me. The intensity of the band was something I hadn’t really heard before that night. I learned something we all now know: Crimson, regardless of the version, is best when it plays live. This concert and the first time I saw Miles Davis were probably the two that had the greatest effect on my tastes and on the growth of my appreciation for more spontaneous, improvised music.”
He’s seen Fripp ‘scaping several times whenever the RF roadshow has rolled into Chicago and Wisconsin but he has no hesitation in singling out RF’s gig at Park West on 12th January, 1998 as being the best of the bunch. “I sat so close that I could hear Robert hit his guitar strings. By then I had been listening to the CDs for years, but watching his method, the contemplation, the action, the listening, was amazing. At times Robert would just stand at the back of the stage and listen. Everyone around us listened in silence, which really helps, and which has not always been my experience.”
In addition to being a professor of English at an Illinois college, Michael is one of DGMLive’s loyal customers who has shelled out his hard-earned pay from the chalkface of academia on (amongst other things) several bleeping and droning items available on the DGMLive catalogue.
If push came to shove Michael admits that he's an old dyed-in-the-wool Frippertronics fan. "There is a rawness there that appeals to me. However, the debate between Frippertronics vs Soundscapes doesn’t really interest me in that each are Robert Fripp playing what he needed to play at that point in time. Had he dusted off the tape players in the 1990s and tried to create more Frippertronics, I doubt that he would have come up with anything as moving as A Blessing of Tears."
Bearing in mind the original query - which are the best Soundscapes to go for - I asked Michael to nominate his choices.
November Suite
In the mid-90s, Robert Fripp released his first series of soundscape CDs, including the beautiful A Blessing of Tears. November Suite carries the project forward with two suites recorded in Green Park Station in 1996. This is a gentler work, but the wordless voices, the drones, and notes again create a soundscape that is both inviting and daunting.
World Financial Centre, New York, New York, November 30, 2000
For the remainder of the 90s, Robert toured frequently, and the soundscapes continued to evolve, but the late 90s are, at the time of this writing, woefully unrepresented by official recordings, with performances such as the 1998 show I attended at Chicago’s Park West known only by reputation. Fortunately, this New York concert, one of the first made available by DGM, captures the era well. It is mournful in tone, but also has a meditative feel in the open spaces Fripp leaves in music.
Despite some distortion here and there, if you were to buy just one soundscape, this is the one I would recommend.
Somerville Theatre, Boston, MA, June 24, 2005
While full soundscape concerts became, understandably, more rare during the time of the Double Duo, in 2005 they came back strong. The wordless voices and drones are now accompanied by bell sounds and more structure. This is advertised as a particularly dark soundscape, and I suppose it is, but the acceptance that Fripp brings in at the end is all the more effective as a result.
St. Peter’s Church, Newlyn, Cornwall, UK, December 3, 2005
It has been acknowledged that Robert Fripp plays well in churches, and while all of the many recordings of the UK tour of December 2005 are worthwhile, for me, the longer soundscapes, in which he has more time to develop ideas, tend to be more rewarding. This two disc set is dark and reflective, but at times almost ambient, particularly in the captivating “Time Stands Still” suite, which runs nearly 50 minutes. Again, some technical problems, but the music more than makes up for them.
Blueberry Hill, St. Louis, MO, USA, March 4, 2006
As sublime as some of the church recordings are, this night, in the American Midwest, is equally impressive. This show is most famous for the collection that was taken to pay Fripp to play “Starless”, but if you’re expecting a straight run-through, you’ll be disappointed. That said, hearing Robert begin with the famous theme and then move into less familiar territory is striking.
Jaani kirik, Tartu, Estonia, August 26, 2006
By mid-2006, the structure had become even more settled and titles were now more uniform night after night for the different movements. This recording, like that at St. Peter’s, was performed in a church, but also like many on this list it is arguably the longer time allowed and the receptive audience that leads to a standout performance. The gorgeous “Evensong”, with it’s organ-like hum and soft voices, makes this one particularly worthwhile.
Thanks to Michael for taking time out to share his thoughts. Has Michael missed a blinder in your view? Drop us a line on the guest-book with your recommendations and comments.
Michael has been listening to the odd noises emanating from the old goat’s guitar since the late 70s. “I was listening to a 10 watt radio station in Minneapolis. I heard something that completely grabbed my attention. The moment it ended, I called the station to ask the DJ about it. It was Fripp and Eno’s Evening Star. I bought it right away, and then began adding their solo albums to my music library. It was only after those collections were complete that I began listening to Crimson (I was already a Roxy Music fan)."
Not every fan of King Crimson is a fan of Frippertronics or soundscapes but for Michael KC and solo Fripp represents the best of both worlds. The best KC gig Michael saw was in Minneapolis, 1984. “Fripp opened with a short Frippertronics set, and, when Adrian’s equipment broke down, Robert played some more solo improvisations, which was fine by me. The intensity of the band was something I hadn’t really heard before that night. I learned something we all now know: Crimson, regardless of the version, is best when it plays live. This concert and the first time I saw Miles Davis were probably the two that had the greatest effect on my tastes and on the growth of my appreciation for more spontaneous, improvised music.”
He’s seen Fripp ‘scaping several times whenever the RF roadshow has rolled into Chicago and Wisconsin but he has no hesitation in singling out RF’s gig at Park West on 12th January, 1998 as being the best of the bunch. “I sat so close that I could hear Robert hit his guitar strings. By then I had been listening to the CDs for years, but watching his method, the contemplation, the action, the listening, was amazing. At times Robert would just stand at the back of the stage and listen. Everyone around us listened in silence, which really helps, and which has not always been my experience.”
In addition to being a professor of English at an Illinois college, Michael is one of DGMLive’s loyal customers who has shelled out his hard-earned pay from the chalkface of academia on (amongst other things) several bleeping and droning items available on the DGMLive catalogue.
If push came to shove Michael admits that he's an old dyed-in-the-wool Frippertronics fan. "There is a rawness there that appeals to me. However, the debate between Frippertronics vs Soundscapes doesn’t really interest me in that each are Robert Fripp playing what he needed to play at that point in time. Had he dusted off the tape players in the 1990s and tried to create more Frippertronics, I doubt that he would have come up with anything as moving as A Blessing of Tears."
Bearing in mind the original query - which are the best Soundscapes to go for - I asked Michael to nominate his choices.
November Suite
In the mid-90s, Robert Fripp released his first series of soundscape CDs, including the beautiful A Blessing of Tears. November Suite carries the project forward with two suites recorded in Green Park Station in 1996. This is a gentler work, but the wordless voices, the drones, and notes again create a soundscape that is both inviting and daunting.
World Financial Centre, New York, New York, November 30, 2000
For the remainder of the 90s, Robert toured frequently, and the soundscapes continued to evolve, but the late 90s are, at the time of this writing, woefully unrepresented by official recordings, with performances such as the 1998 show I attended at Chicago’s Park West known only by reputation. Fortunately, this New York concert, one of the first made available by DGM, captures the era well. It is mournful in tone, but also has a meditative feel in the open spaces Fripp leaves in music.
Despite some distortion here and there, if you were to buy just one soundscape, this is the one I would recommend.
Somerville Theatre, Boston, MA, June 24, 2005
While full soundscape concerts became, understandably, more rare during the time of the Double Duo, in 2005 they came back strong. The wordless voices and drones are now accompanied by bell sounds and more structure. This is advertised as a particularly dark soundscape, and I suppose it is, but the acceptance that Fripp brings in at the end is all the more effective as a result.
St. Peter’s Church, Newlyn, Cornwall, UK, December 3, 2005
It has been acknowledged that Robert Fripp plays well in churches, and while all of the many recordings of the UK tour of December 2005 are worthwhile, for me, the longer soundscapes, in which he has more time to develop ideas, tend to be more rewarding. This two disc set is dark and reflective, but at times almost ambient, particularly in the captivating “Time Stands Still” suite, which runs nearly 50 minutes. Again, some technical problems, but the music more than makes up for them.
Blueberry Hill, St. Louis, MO, USA, March 4, 2006
As sublime as some of the church recordings are, this night, in the American Midwest, is equally impressive. This show is most famous for the collection that was taken to pay Fripp to play “Starless”, but if you’re expecting a straight run-through, you’ll be disappointed. That said, hearing Robert begin with the famous theme and then move into less familiar territory is striking.
Jaani kirik, Tartu, Estonia, August 26, 2006
By mid-2006, the structure had become even more settled and titles were now more uniform night after night for the different movements. This recording, like that at St. Peter’s, was performed in a church, but also like many on this list it is arguably the longer time allowed and the receptive audience that leads to a standout performance. The gorgeous “Evensong”, with it’s organ-like hum and soft voices, makes this one particularly worthwhile.
Thanks to Michael for taking time out to share his thoughts. Has Michael missed a blinder in your view? Drop us a line on the guest-book with your recommendations and comments.
