Search - Bill Rieflin, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn :: The Repercussions of Angelic Behavior

My Favorite Fripp "Solo" Album

Snow Leopard | Urbana, IL | 07/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Another reviewer remarks that this album is Rieflin's (who apparently has an impressive drum pedigree of his own; personally, I find him more interesting and talented than Mastoletto as found on various recent Crimson releases, but not as interesting or exciting as Bruford from the classic Crimson releases), but as with nearly everything Robert Fripp has ever done, and in spite all of his seemingly modest protests to the contrary, it is once again his personality and presence that most dominates this album. (In the context of Fripp's entire output to date, this album most resembles ProjeKcts 1 and 4; if you liked those, you should like this.)



The album consists of 10 unnamed tracks; the implication is that they are all of a piece but, except for some self-evident and deliberate contrasts between tracks, there seems to be no reason to consider this some kind of avante-garde, 10-movement symphony. The longer pieces, tracks 1, 3 and 7 (all at 7+ minutes), are all particularly satisfying--beginning as disjointed and free improvisations that gradually and patiently settle into cohesive and compelling jams. Amongst the shorter pieces, some of which showcase the immense talent of the three players involved at warp speed, track 4 is especially memorable, with Fripp screaming to town on a (synthesized) organ solo, while Gunn and Rieflin burn down their own respective walls along the way. Track 2 features some of those distinctive, hypertonal chord progressions Fripp loves to saw out of his guitar, along with many very well-chosen notes and manoeuvres by Gunn and Rieflin, such that the piece is in form an indescribable morass of noise that is surprisingly satisfying. Track 8 features a mid-tempo heavier-than-usual bass and drum line while Fripp solos, switching between a distorted cello-like noise and a cleaner violin-ranged noise backed by a reverbed and polyphonic guitar chorus (that appears to be automatically electronically generated).



For those who don't know (though how those who don't know could have wound up looking at this album I can't imagine), Fripp is probably the most cerebral, even mathematical, guitarist to ever come down the pike. Usually, this would either annoy me or bore me (e.g., Alan Holdsworth), but Fripp wisely surrounds himself with soulful and interesting players and, more importantly, chooses voices, timbres and noises for his guitar that are the very soul of nasty, jagged, and involving viscerality--for my tastes (which prefer the grotesque and sublime over the delicate and beautiful), it is the gnarliness of Fripp's guitar tones that redeem the bulk of his more experimental music. He seems to create (in his slow solos at least) riffs that are not only anti-melodic, but even anti-tonal, so that each individual note can seem disconnected from the next; individual notes are therefore highlighted, and so the tweakiness of the note's tone becomes its most enduring and interesting feature. Meanwhile, Gunn and Rieflin are providing ample and interesting rhythmic mayhem of their own--which is good, because Fripp's method is not always sufficiently interesting in and of itself to maintain attention."

Great Free Metal Space Jazz

Chet Fakir | DC | 09/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Crazy man, crazy... If you liked the KCrimson Projects, especially 1 and 4 you'll love this collection of freely improvised ambient metallic and electric skronk/jazz/rock. One moment they're chewing into your brain like robotic earwigs on a mission, the next blissfully floating away on clouds of halucinogenic pepper spray. Not for those who don't enjoy musicians stepping out and communicating with one another in unprescribed ways. These boys can shred and chill. Fripp's use of electric guitar and electronics is astounding. Rieflin is an incredible drummer and Trey Gunn on touch guitar (has the range of both bass and guitar) is both subtle and thunderous. Great stuff."

The real ProjeKCt one

William Wood | Sydney, New South Wales Australia | 10/29/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let's not beat around the bush ,if you are a fan of the King Crimson ProjeKCts then you will want to own this disc.Recorded shortly before the double trio's aborted Nashville Sessions and the resulting fractalisation of KC this disc is a splendid signpost to the future and also provides us with the opportunity to hear Trey Gunn and Robert Fripp open up and go for it for the first time.
Clearly Fripp relishes working with Gunn in particular and plays with such obvious enthusiasm on this disc that it is an absolute joy to hear.This is some of his most passionate playing for years.
More akin to ProjeKCt 4 than the quirky ( but fabulous) ProjeKCt 2 this is highly recommended"