Stripped of its vocals and drum track, the glittering harmonics of the acoustic guitar really shine like polished gems emerging from the glowering bass and massed ranks of cello and double bass. In this version, we also get to focus on Robin Miller’s beautiful harmony line on oboe, written by Fripp during the studio session. With the added piquancy and heat from Mark Charig’s strident cornet, heard in full here, in this context it’s possible to imagine Fallen Angel as a kind of alternative baroque pop ballad.
