“Is the bar strong enough to sit on?” Asks an unidentified woman at the start of the tape seconds before an initially slightly distant-sounding Fripp makes his usual announcement regarding dancing. In the announcement after Heptaparaparshinokh, it’s not clear if Fripp’s on-mic reference to Talking Heads’ Life During Wartime gets anybody up onto the dance floor. Regardless, the band delivers another pacy set. As an aside, during the gentle Prelude (here listed as Untitled) conversations between the woman at the start of the tape and others drift in and out of focus thanks to their proximity to the mixing desk, adding their own ‘indiscretions’ to the music in much the same way as voices would be layered into the eventual studio album that was still yet to be recorded. During the second Thrang Fripp breaks a guitar string which he then has to change, saying afterward, “This is a quiet moment for you to talk among yourselves.” Sadly the moment is lost and when the tape cuts back in we are a few bars along during Ooh Mr.Fripp.
“Is the bar strong enough to sit on?” Asks an unidentified woman at the start of the tape seconds before an initially slightly distant-sounding Fripp makes his usual announcement regarding dancing. In the announcement after Heptaparaparshinokh, it’s not clear if Fripp’s on-mic reference to Talking Heads’ Life During Wartime gets anybody up onto the...
An interesting historical artifact it is. The Mudd Club was briefly for a time one of the hip underground NYC bars where the artist elite began to make regular appearances. Closed in 1983 it is now a footnote in history. A very small room with a distinct sound also immortalized on the recently released Frank Zappa Mudd Club recording. The sound hits the wall and comes right back! Everything is clearly audible on this recording placing you in the center of the room. What perked up my ears was hea...
An interesting historical artifact it is. The Mudd Club was briefly for a time one of the hip underground NYC bars where the artist elite began to make regular appearances. Closed in 1983 it is now a footnote in history. A very small room with a distinct sound also immortalized on the recently released Frank Zappa Mudd Club recording. The sound hits the wall and comes right back! Everything is clearly audible on this recording placing you in the center of the room. What perked up my ears was hearing this sonic assault that lies somewhere between early XTC and Discipline! No coincident since this also features former XTC Keyboardist Barry Andrews! The interweaving angular attack of Andrews and Fripp on top of the driving pulsating rhythms is a dirty delight! An absolute treasure and great piece of history captured. King Crimson for the dancing social set!
