Customer Reviews

Bridge Between

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Those who know of Robert Fripp only by his reputation as the genius behind King Crimson, the band known for extended song structures and blistering guitar chords, which has resurfaced in different incarnations from the 1970s through the present, may be surprised to hear him playing JS Bach tunes with a group of sidemen who have every bit the passion he has for precision, finesse, and expressiveness. "The Bridge Between" teams Fripp and Stick/Warr Guitarist Trey Gunn (also of King Crimson) with three acoustic guitarists (Bert Lams, Paul Richards, Hideyo Moriya) in a set of ten instrumental pieces, of which each member of the quintet is represented as the composer, in addition to the aforementioned JS Bach. Together, this ensemble plays seamlessly yet without sounding over-rehearsed or overdubbed. Their compositions range from the insistent, odd-metered "Kan-Non Power" to the bluesy ("Yamanishi Blues"), and a brash yet refined treatment of the Bach "Chromatic Fantasy". A mid-disc segue, "Blue" conveys a feeling of lament and latent anger, which leads directly to the compelling, urgent "Blockhead" composition. "Threnody for Souls In Torment", the final piece, finishes the disc with a sense of sublime, pensive finality. END

This unique collection will not necessarily work for everyone and I should immediately confess that I am especially fond of Robert Fripp's guitar work, a prominent feature of this album. I tend to think of this as experimental music and much of it is, but the presence of three pieces by J.S. Bach, played not all that radically far from Bach's intentions, belies that as a general characterization. Most of it was recorded live during 1993 public performances but it does not sound like a live album. Post-performance overdubs have been added, one of the Bach tracks was recorded in its entirety in the studio, and there is no annoying crowd noise. Describing what the material sounds like is challenging because electronics are employed to expand the kinds of sounds electric guitars can make. At times one is convinced of the presence of keyboards, harpsichords even, but they just are not there.

The music is often rhythmically intense and emotionally bright: The quintet sound like they are having fun. But then we have the closing track, "Threnody for Souls in Torment" which is 13 agonizing minutes of arrhythmic, atonal desolation, while "Hope" provides a rhythmically muted and tender passage with a subtle (and I think clever) melodic hook. The subdued "Blue" contains a direct reference to the song "Starless", a King Crimson gem from that band's 1974 album Red. I bought The Bridge Between when it was released in 1993 having never heard a note and have never regretted the purchase. Taken as a whole, it sounds unlike anything else that I own and I hear something new each time I play it.

Frippertronics, as defined by Fripp, is "that musical experience resulting at the interstice of Robert Fripp and a small, mobile and appropriate level of technology, vis. his guitar, Frippelboard and two Revoxes". At least that's how he defined it in January of 1980 in the liner notes to his solo album God Save the Queen. Whatever it was in 1993 seems to make its most obvious (and ominous) appearance on the threnody. Lams, Richards and Moriya perform and record together as the California Guitar Trio. Fripp and Gunn represent one-half of the current line-up of King Crimson. The Quintet material was recorded during the year prior to the re-emergence of King Crimson in 1994, the so-called double trio lineup that also included Gunn.

J.G. Miller
Thursday, November 14, 2002
Demorest, Georgia

"Fortunately, it is not in the nature of music to hide from those who wish to hear it, nor from those who hope to give it voice. The benevolence of the musical impulse is greater than we can know, and sometimes more than we can bear." (Robert Fripp)

As much as I can see this album being a marriage of two rather distinct styles, with pieces delving into two different areas, I don't see it as weak, or laking coherence, as other reviewers find.

One side of the equation is made up of Bach and baroque explorations by Fripp's quintet. Whoever deems Bach's music as ambient or soft, simply needs to go back to the drawing board, specially because we're talking scales which in most cases were meant for keyboards, not for strings, taking the pieces to a totally new level of complexity (something that Fripp has never ran away from).

The other component of the album sounds more like your typical straight-up King Crimson type of haunted material, where there's a healthy dose of "high speed persecution" feel and paranoia built into the music (not the best combination to drive under stress, for example, but an excellent pumper-upper). However, without the rhythm backbone of KC, with strings alone, the music takes on an altogether different spirit: while it retains its darkness, it has a body that you can certainly touch and feel more comfortable with.

My favorite being the third track ("Hope"), which combines a bit of both worlds, with some scales on top of classic Fripp soundscapes, this 'solo' work by one of rock's biggest experimenters is a highly recommended album for prog rock fans and music adventurers at large as well.

I have enjoyed this CD for years now, returning to it on occasion to again appreciate the delight of 5 guitar virtuosos playing complex and compelling music. The Bach pieces are nothing short of amazing, showing a respect for the Master and yet giving his music a bright new sound.

Unfortunately, the 13-minute "Threnody for Souls in Torment" is too long, too atonal, and too indulgent for my taste, but it's at the end of the CD, so it's somewhat easier to skip. The rest of the album is worth the price.

Go for it.

I agree with the review below. This is a quality product from one of the most challenging artists (Fripp) in the music business. The three acoustic guitarists that accompany Fripp and Gunn on The Bridge Between tour and record as the California Guitar Trio. The CGT were students under Fripp in guitar seminars that he occasionally leads. Their releases are also remarkable--look for them. The Bach pieces were originally developed by the CGT, expanded to five guitars here. This is a Fripp experiment that works--this really rocks!

If you can imagine the sound of the 1980's King Crimson - full of minimalist guitar counterpoint and powerful bass lines - played with acoustic guitars, you might have a good idea of what half of this album sounds like. Unfortunately, the other half of the record seems to wander, dipping into Bach transcriptions, "ambient"-style mood pieces, and industrial noise. It's as if Fripp & Co. had plans for two or three seperate albums, but not enough material, so they jammed all of their stuff onto one disc. It might be a little more tolerable if the pieces were arranged better - The minimalist stuff at the start, then all the Bach pieces together, then the ambient stuff, and then (if at all) the Threnody. The Threnody seems to have nothing to do with the rest of the album - it just hangs out at the end, annoyingly. Maybe a little editing was in order.

But the disc does have some really good songs on it - the opener, for instance, is a great showcase for the individual member's talents, and "Hope" is a truly beautiful song, even if it does seem to drag. And where else will you hear a Bach organ work played on the Grand Stick? If you are familiar with Fripp's 90s work and enjoy his soundscape pieces, you will probably like this disc. But for everyone else, I would recommend listening to the record before buying, as it is a little hard to get into.

man oh man!!!

fripp and the california guitat trio accompanied by tony levin!!!! who could ask for a better combination that that??!