At first glance their recorded output looks meager – two seminal albums in the 1970s, some guest appearances (mainly Fripp on Eno recordings), and more recently in 2004 album a third album.
However, Fripp and Eno have been more frequent collaborators than the recorded output suggests and those early collaborative albums remain vastly influential. From their first, groundbreaking (and planned for a 2008 reissue in expanded form) ‘No Pussyfooting’ album - through to the 2004 issued ‘Equatorial Stars’, the duo has been one of the most innovative and intriguing contemporary musical partnerships. They have witnessed their approach to electronic music grow from being regarded as so non commercial and potentially career threatening that the release of their first album was delayed by management and record company for almost two years, to a point where they are two of the most frequently heard musicians in the world. Eno wrote the start-up music to Windows 95, Fripp performed the same task for Vista. Perhaps they’ll jointly produce whatever Windows 2012 is called and join the dots in a circle spanning 40 years?
In the interim there’s this album. “Beyond Even (1992 – 2006)” is a series of musical snapshots, ideas, tunes, pieces, covering a period of several years. Selected by Brian Eno, most are issued here for the first time on CD. The musical content is as varied in mood as one might expect from such a lengthy time period. The unifying factor, that which makes this series of recordings so compelling, is the sense that comes across of the duo’s own continued fascination and delight in finding new ways of exploring and presenting their shared musical adventures.
Tracks
Disc 1 (tracks 1 – 12 segued)
1. Ringing Beat
2. Gasp
3. Sneering Loop
4. Tripoli 2020
5. Behold The Child
6. Timean Sparkles
7. Dirt Loop
8. The Idea Of Decline
9. Deep Indian Long
10. Hopeful Timean
11. Glass Structure
12. Voices
13. Cross Crisis In Lust Storm
Disc 2 (Tracks 1 – 13 as above, play individually)
