d o m

This is Fripp's first solo album, from 1978. He invites quite a few players to perfom on the tracks, so be prepared for a varied set of tunes. A few of them sound similar to his mid-70s work with King Crimson (especially "Breathless"). However, guest singers such as Darryl Hall (of Hall & Oates fame), Terre Roche (of Roches fame), and Peter Gabriel insure that this will not be just a run through the motions. Interestingly, Fripp would later produce albums by all of the above singers. Anyways, he claims to be flirting with pop on this album, but I doubt any of the songs would tear up the charts. There are some pretty ones, like the Terre Roche song, and Gabriel's "Here Comes the Flood". There's a chance you may be disappointed by this album if you love King Crimson a lot, but then that may be why Fripp wanted to go solo. Points off for the "new wave" homage. review by Dominique Leone — undated —

j o e

After several years out of the music industry, The Crimson King returned and soon released his solo debut. After all these years, I'm still not entirely positive what this all-over-the-map effort is about. A clear attempt to embrace the new era of 'mobile intelligence units,' as its proponents might claim? An album that doesn't know what it's supposed to be, as its critics might hold? Or simply the J.G. Bennett Memorial Barbecue for the more confused like me? Anyway, amidst the filler (and make no mistake, there is a heck of a lot), there are nods to the past ("Breathless") as well as to the then-present ("You Burn Me Up I'm a Cigarette"; awful lyrics). The graceful emergence of 'Frippertronics' ("Water Music") tossed in with grating rubbish ("I May Have Had blah blah blah"). Introspective folk ("Mary") with cold, urban grit ("Chicago"). And also the occasional work of stunning brilliance, like the chilling, full-throttled "NY3" or the best damn version of Peter Gabriel's "Here Comes the Flood" one is ever likely to hear. Fripp's supporting cast? As one might suspect considering the above, one of the more impressively bizarre line-ups one could conjure up: everyone from Genesis' Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins to Terry Roche and the late lyricist Joanna Walton to a pre-MTV Daryl Hall and Barry Andrews of XTC. No wonder Exposure sounds as unremittingly eclectic as it does! review by Joe McGlinchey — 7-10-00 —