Robert Fripp – Exposures [25CD Box Set] (2022)

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Panegyric / DGM continue in their tradition of superlatively comprehensive box sets with a new Robert Fripp package called Exposures which contains 25 CDs, three DVDs and four blu-ray audios.

After King Crimson’s dissolution in 1974, Robert Fripp embarked on a lengthy sabbatical away from the public eye. His relocation from Great Britain to New York in February 1978 marked his return as a producer, solo artist, and ‘wild card’ collaborator with an impressive roster of artists including Daryl Hall, Blondie, Peter Gabriel, and David Bowie. Fripp’s first solo album, Exposure, was released in 1979 and a further two solo records, Under Heavy Manners/God Save The Queen and Let The Power Fall followed. In 1980, he formed The League Of Gentlemen. Described as “a New Wave dance band”, this led to King Crimson’s reformation in 1981.

Exposures is the ninth in the series of King Crimson/Robert Fripp material from 1969 to 2008 and it effectively features the complete collection of Fripp’s studio and live solo material from 1977-1983, starting with the first sessions for what would become the Exposure album and ending with The League of Gentlemen and final Frippertronics concerts.

It’s hard to know where to start with so much material, but suffice to say that there are Steven Wilson mixes of Exposure in (in two versions), Under Heavy Manners, The League of Gentlemen studio recordings and numerous unreleased tracks from the albums’ sessions appear, which appear in Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD 5.1 Surround and 24/96 hi-res stereo audio on Blu-Ray discs 1 and 4.

Similarly there are David Singleton mixes of God Save the Queen, Let the Power Fall and the Washington Square Church Frippertronics album which appear in DTS-HD Surround (Quad/4.1) and in hires stereo ranging from 24/48 (WSC), 24/96 GSTQ) to 24/192 (LTPF) on Blu-Ray discs 1 and 4.

Three DVDs feature the main albums in 5.1, quad and hi-res stereo and 25 CDs present material including the earliest existing master loops, all of the albums in new Steven Wilson and David Singleton mixes, plus original mixes newly mastered and a number of studio and live discs featuring previously unreleased and/or music new to disc.

The amount of content is incredible. Two of the four blu-rays feature over 68 hours (!) of Frippertronics concerts and loops archived and audio restored, with the majority of these available for the first time on disc and many heard for the first time since they were first performed and recorded between 1977 and 1983.

The full track listing can, of course, be found below. The discs are presented in a 12-inch box containing extensive notes (by Sid Smith and Al Okada) and photos from throughout this era and lots of memorabilia including tickets, posters, press releases and more.