The League of Gentleman was around for a short period of time. I have a Canadian pressing of this release. Parts of this record were released elsewhere. I am a big fan of Fripp's guitar work and also of his Frippertronics, so this album sits well with me.
This record has both a Side A and a Side One. I've seen other records take a similar tactic, I guess suggesting that each side is of equal importance. This is a good record, but I find that I enjoy Discotronics more than the rest.
Back in the late 1990s, I attended a Fripp concert in Toronto where is he improvised an evening of Frippertronics. By the way, I have a whole raft of Frippertronics CDs (Let the Power Fall, A Blessing of Tears, Radiophonics, That Which Passes, November Suite, 1999 Soundscapes Live in Argentina, A Temple in the Clouds, etc.). Before the concert, a bunch of local subscribers to the Elephant Talk liserv met up for pre-concert beverages and food. That was the first and the last time I ever saw those people.
The concert was weird, in some ways. Once Fripp got some sounds flowing through the loops, he stood up and walked around. He encouraged people to talk. At some level, it seemed a bit like something out of the 60s, without people smoking joints, not that I have any experience with smoking pot in the 60s (I am way too young to have done that).
Robert Fripp is the guitarist for one of my favourite bands, King Crimson, though I think I should point out that it is really the post-1980 King Crimson that I like best. I don't mind some of the earlier stuff (parts of the debut--parts of Red, and some other pieces--but it's the era that commenced with Adrian Belew that I like better).
Fripp's solo work has been varied and I have enjoyed some pieces more than others. I regard this as his first true solo record, because the previous two records were collaborations with Brian Eno. Most fans will know that Fripp intended Exposure to be part of a trilogy, the other two records being Peter Gabriel's first record and Daryl Hall's Sacred Songs. There's lots of information on the web about how this all turned out. If you want to spend some time investigating, go ahead.
In any case, there are a number of styles on this record, ranging from tracks that sound like Crimson to some moody experimental stuff, including some Frippertronics. The record has vocals from Peter Hammil, Daryl Hall, Terre Roche, etc. Peter Gabriel provides some backing vocals. Musicians include Brian Eno, Jerry Morotta, Tony Levin, Barry Andrews, etc.
It's a curious record but it took me some time before I was convinced that I liked it. I have this on CD as well.
