Here’s a clutch of F&E reviews. Firstly, from the hallowed pages of Mojo, who give the album a three star review under its working title.
Unreleased Works Of Startling Genius
Selection from the duo’s recent sonic sketchbooks compiled by Brian Eno.
Fripp & Eno seemed a decidedly odd pairing when they
first recorded together 34 years ago. But the guitar virtuoso and the avowed
non-musician discovered a peculiar chemistry, which has worked throughout their
collaborations on each other’s albums, and their work as an occasional duo.
This compilation is a different prospect to the deep space explorations of 2004’s
The Equatorial Stars. Instead, as its jokey title suggests, it has more in
common with Eno’s own Curiosities sets. These similarly tasty off-cuts include
itchy electronic grooves, guitar vignettes and ambient still-life studies. Track 13 (none are titled) finds Fripp’s
lines buzzing and slithering over whomping beats, and is reckoned by both
musicians to be one of his best performances: they have a point. Unreleased
Works is available as a double CD limited edition with the tracks running either
individually or segued together. Another
of their jokes, one assumes.
Mike Barnes
Meanwhile, three stars over in The Guardian and four in The Sunday Times…