THE ROBERT FRIPP STRING QUINTET: THE BRIDGE BETWEEN

Robert Fripp

Eclectic Prog

3.90 | 60 ratings

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Chaser

You don't need to be a Robert Fripp fan to enjoy this album.

Anyone who enjoys and appreciates great guitar music played expertly should enjoy this.

Don't be put off if you're not a fan of Fripp's solo work. This album is very different (mostly) and is built around the talents of the California Guitar Trio, along with Fripp and Trey Gunn.

The album is an exhibition of classical guitar combined with often distorted electric guitar or stick.

"Bicycling to Afghanistan" is one of the stand out tracks on the album. The fast paced picking of the classical guitar combined with the heavy rhythm of the base guitar perfectly evokes the sense of bicycling through mountainous terrain towards Afghanistan. You feel that this track should be used as the introductory music to Tour De France coverage or something.

"Passacaglia" is a wonderful piece, with it's intricately winding and interweaving classical guitar pieces building to a climax where all of the guitars sing in unison.

My only issue with this album is the final piece "Threnody for Souls in Torment".

It's not that it's a bad piece in itself, and, on a different album, it would probably work well.

It's just that it seems terribly out of place on this album. It is a very dark and brooding track that has everything to do with Robert Fripp's solo work and little to do with the California Guitar Trio.

The other tracks on the album are much lighter in tone and "Threnody" feels like a Halloween costume at a summer wedding. It just doesn't belong on this album.

But "Threnody" should not put you off from owning this album, and I would recommend anyone who loves the guitar to buy this album and have it as part of your collection.

A little gem in my opinion.

Chaser | 4/5 | 2018-10-28

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