THE GATES OF PARADISE

Robert Fripp presents a range of musical styles that can easily make you dizzy. This album in particular holds the key to Fripp's world-famous Soundscapes. Each of Soundscape albums shows a different mood, and this one seems to be concerned with the theme of good and evil. This is, nonetheless, ambient-like music, so nothing is explicit, and you'd better not touch this album if you have problems with "feeling" music that does not have a distinct rhythm, melody, etc. Just four pieces of music here, two to be precise, cut into smaller parts and split in a rhyming fashion. As for the mood, there is a clear-cut boundary between them. 'The Gates of Paradise' is a blissful theme, almost angelic, sheer pleasure to listen. 'The Outer Darkness' is like the sounds of your worst nightmare, the kind of music that gives you the creeps. So, this is a two-faced album, with great musicianship (what else could you expect from such a disciplined guitarist?), that could be an excellent introduction to the world of Soundscapes.