So that I can have some structure to my listening of the many versions of Exposure, I'm trying to group the albums. I think the first group is: NY Heartthrobs - the original album which couldn't be released, and Breathless - SW remix inspired by this version. The second group is: 1st Ed - the first release of Exposure, 4th Ed - SW remix based on this, and 2nd Ed - the 1985 remix of 1st Ed The third group is: 3rd Ed - based on 2nd Ed , Hall on vocals main sequence, and 5th Ed - SW mix featuring Hall in 3rd Ed sequence Does this make sense to you? Or can you think of a better grouping?
Someone posted earlier on content on CD but not on a blu ray: Disc 4, tracks 4--8 Bush Of Ghosts is unique to CD, no? I've just found out that this is on a blu ray - disc 27 -December 20, 1979 And, someone posted earlier: SWAPPED ALBUMS: On Disc25 (Bluray), it seems that there is an inversion. What is mentioned as the "Second Edition" in 24/96 is actually the First Edition (1979 mix). And what is mentioned as the "First Edition" in 24/48 is actually the "Second Edition" (1983 mix). Has anyone else found this to be the case, or thinks this is wrong? (I've not looked into how to quickly tell which version is which.)
And I've just noticed that the four tracks Healthy Colours, released on The Essential Fripp & Eno (1984), was also recorded on 20 Dec, 1979. So perhaps Healthy Colours is on the blu ray for that date as well? Or perhaps Healthy Colours has had something done to it since that recoding session. I'll find out when I eventually get up to 20 Dec 1979 in my Frippertronics listening.
Throwing this question out here, perhaps lazily as it may be elsewhere, but I'm currently listening to the Washington Square Church CD from Robert Fripp. Interesting liner notes, about how the Frippertronics loops from era performances still exist on tape, because the recording of the loops is part of the Frippertronics process itself - but that the guitar solos he would then play over those loops after they were constructed/taped, were generally not recorded and do not normally exist on tape. And that (for reasons explained in the liner notes), the Washington Square Church performances are an exception, where tapes of the guitar solos laid on top exist separately, thus allowing the full original performances to be released. But my further question is, does this mean that the pieces making up the Let The Power Fall record, were also just made for him to eventually improvise on top of in those performances, but we've only heard what was recorded, which was the original loops? Doesn't really matter I suppose, but this is interesting to me, because I've always heard the pieces on Let The Power Fall as pieces he created to be heard exactly as they are presented there, as things-in-themselves. The idea that maybe he actually then restarted the loop after creating it, and soloed on top, changes their meaning and context somewhat. No worse or better, but curious.
I've been going through the Frippertronics Archives BluRays, taking notes on differences between the downloads available from DGM and the discs. To be sure: I'm not complaining -- this is to compile a summary rather, so I know what is where. The wealth of unpublished gigs and the sound quality are astounding! For 1979, I've come up with the following: All versions on the BluRays sound noticeably better than the flac downloads. Many gigs appear to have been noticeably pitch-corrected. According to Al Okada, "all of the live Frippertronics pieces have been pitch corrected to A440 standard tuning including those on Let The Power Fall. This was approved by RF according to Alex as it would be as performed." Examples for this are: 1979-07-30 - Bear's Lair, Berkeley - compare tracks with Robert Fripp, 22nd of May 1979 at D.G.G. Offices labelled "Munich") 1979-12-20 - Blue Rock Studio, New York = Lost in the Bush of Ghosts (Music for Blue Rocks) - compare with Robert Fripp, 20th of December 1979 at Blue Rock Studios 1981-02-21 - Houston Hall, Philadelphia - Evening - compare with Robert Fripp, 21st of February 1981 at Houston Hall Evening 1981-07-27 - Washington Square Church, New York - compare with Robert Fripp, 27th of July 1981 at Washington Square Church I haven't (yet) been able to find the gig labeled as 1979-05-29 - Zurich Kammertheater on the BluRay - see Robert Fripp, 29th of May 1979 at Kammertheater In some cases, the BluRays omit some of the loops with solos as presented on the downloads: 1979-06-14 - Loops and Solos for Cleveland Record Revolution - see Robert Fripp, 14th of June 1979 at Record Revolution - only the loops are on the BluRay, but sound noticeably better 1979-06-18 - The Sound Warehouse, Chicago - see Robert Fripp, 18th of June 1979 at The Sound Warehouse - only the loops are on the BluRay but in excellent quality!! The download's "Improv I" and "II" appear actually as one single loop 1979-06-22 - Walkers Arts Centre, Minneapolis - see Robert Fripp, 22nd of June 1979 at Walker Arts Center - only 3 loops are there, but sounds noticeably better As was noted on the DGM site, the gig available as 1979-05-22 Munich (Robert Fripp, 22nd of May 1979 at D.G.G. Offices ) appears to have be the source loops for God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners. As this was mis-labelled, naturally, it isn't on the BluRay. For 1981, I have found the following, so far: 1981-02-20 - Houston Hall, Philadelphia - see Robert Fripp, 20th of February 1981 at Houston Hall - only the three loops are there 1981-02-21 - Houston Hall, Philadelphia - Afternoon - see Robert Fripp, 21st of February 1981 at Houston Hall Afternoon - only three of the four loops are on the BluRay Cheers!
Yes, the 24/96 version is definitely the First edition (substantially the same remastering as presented on the 2005 CD and 200gram vinyl reissues) — and the 24/48 program is for sure the Second edition; it's presented on the Blu-ray at lower resolution because it was mixed to standard-definition digital tape in 1983, and it also contains the 6:24 extended "Water Music II"
Is there going to be a single LP vinyl release mixed by Steven Wilson? Was it released in March or still pending?
The second edition mislabeled as first edition is actually 16 bit even if encoded as 24 for Blu-ray authoring.
A bit off-topic but I must warn you that it's time to start saving money for the First Day/Damage boxset. I follow David Sylvian on Twitter and a few days ago he said that following some kind of financial dispute Robert Fripp has acquired the rights to the First Day and Damage (including the Sylvian remix). This was done without letting Sylvian know at all and he calls the thing "unethical" in a tweet... Is there a musician who has played with Fripp who hasn't fallen out with him?
In every completist's life there comes a time to draw the line... I'm so happy to be just a KC-completist, not a Fripp-completist.
Speaking as a big Sylvian fan, I'm glad that Fripp has acquired the rights because they should be in the hands of someone who is likely to do something with them.
I see your point but that doesn't make Robert Fripp less of a hypocrite about the pretence that his fight with the music industry is about "ethics". Seriously how can anyone create a peer to peer partnership with another musician and then not involve them in these decisions? It's not going to happen because he doesn't have the means to pursue the thing but it would be fun to see David Sylvian sue Fripp to re-acquire his 50% of the rights.
Nothing was stopping him from taking the loop tapes and playing solos on top of them in the studio if that's the kind of album he wanted to make so releasing only the loops on Let The Power Fall (and various other albums) was clearly an artistic choice and the way he wanted people to listen to them in the context of an album, rather than a live performance. Personally I am glad he chose to use the loops this way because I like Let The Power Fall much more than the Washington Square release.
I don't know the details of how Fripp acquired the rights, but on paper it's better that one of the performers owns the rights than that none of them do. Also, I assume that there are checks that prevent Fripp from exploiting those rights without involving Sylvian (and of course paying royalties). Even had he checked with Sylvian before acquiring them, could David afford to stump up for his 50% of the rights? I wouldn't think that he'd have anything like Fripp's financial clout.
The point is doing it without even consulting David Sylvian. Maybe David Sylvian would have agreed and that was the end of the matter. But he wasn't told at all and he rightly called it unethical. Also, from the tweets it seems that, for whatever reason, Robert Fripp didn't actually pay to get ownership of the rights. Anyway, this is getting completely off-topic. I am copying the twitter exchange below just to clarify the context and that's the end of this diversion. Winston Huang @WinstonHuang9 · Jun 21 Replying to @davidsylvian58 Thank you David for the good news. Could you please have The First Day reissued on vinyl too? I’ve been a fan of you since the mid 80s. david sylvian @davidsylvian58 · Jun 22 that's an interesting question. based on a resolution over a legal dispute with virgin regarding financial issues (unrelated to me), robert was given the rights to the recording (also to my live remix of damage). something I believe to be against his basic principles of ownership david sylvian @davidsylvian58 · Jun 22 of work by other artists. i love and respect rf but this matter/resolution is clearly unethical, something i wasn’t consulted on and have no control over.
So this download from DGM is all at the wrong speed? And is the original Let The Power Fall release the correct speed or is the version of on the Exposures box now at the correct speed? Thanks!
A box set of Sylvian/Fripp might be overkill and would seriously have a limited market. However, if it could lead to a Blu Ray of the concert that used to be on VHS, this might all be worth the effort.
