j o e

In the first installment of the Police and King Crimson guitarist collaborations, I Advanced Masked, the Fripp influence seemed to dominate. The follow-up, however, shows more of Summers' stamp, as he wrote most of the songs and is the sole producer here. Generally speaking, Fripp plays more of a supportive, 'let me know when to lay down that lead guitar track' role. Seems to me he was probably investing his energy more in King Crimson and Three of a Perfect Pair. The opening track, "Parade," was actually my first exposure (forgive the pun) ever to Robert Fripp. Those who are old enough will recall that there was a video made for this cheerful new wave instrumental that got some play on MTV, with Fripp playing the straight man role (i.e., austere owner of a mansion) and Summer doing a comic turn as Fripp's butler and head of staff. I still listen to this track fondly, in part thinking of the video. The rest of Bewitched, though, unfortunately doesn't stand out very much to me. "What Kind of Man Reads Playboy," despite the great title, is a meandering jam that really isn't worth its 11 minutes. There are some nice pieces in the second half of the album, where it sounds as if the duo are striving to achieve the Brian Eno territory of ambient instrumentals. These include the title track (somewhat reminiscent of a Talking Heads instrumental circa Remain in Light), "Tribe," the ambient "Forgotten Steps," and the clever duet of harmonics "Image and Likeness." Mostly though, this is an average album, one that is not exactly helped by its dated drum machine and keyboard sounds. Not bad, but there are worthier efforts to set your sights on. If you are curious about Summers and Fripp's work together, I'd pursue I Advanced Masked, then get this as an addendum if needed. review by Joe McGlinchey — 3-8-04 —