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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
LIke no one but themselves, 25 Oct 2007
While 2004's The Equatorial Stars, by the most cerebral duo in rock was a long-awaited epistle after a lengthy hiatus for most fans, few of us knew that Fripp and Eno had been working on and off for more than a decade beforehand. Thus Beyond Even ( Cheekily sub-titled Works Of Startling Genius and available as a double CD with a mix side and errr a normal side ) comes as a very welcome surprise.
Stylistically Beyond Even is difficult to classify. There are the to be expected ambient pieces - probably those that came from the same sessions as the Equatorial Stars material . But there are also startling sonic interludes , moments of queasy dissonance and totally unexpected traipses into new areas. It's especially unsettling on the mix CD, where the music tones often sound at odds with each other. It means both albums are less than coherent but also means it's never dull or predictable.
There are the sombre ambient tones of "Glass Structure , the juddering disordered beats of "Cross Crisis In A Lust Storm" or the spine-chilling insidiousness of the wonderfully titled "Sneering Loop" . There is the more recognisable Fripp/Eno "Timean Sparkles" where the midi-tones of Fripps guitar are sprayed over curricles of dissipating keyboard. Most startlingly there are the almost dub/techno pulsations of Cross Crisis In Lust Storm ". The serene undulations of "Deep Indian Long" , the hollow dubbish "Ringing Beat " or the more King Crimson timbre of "The Idea Of Decline" are more identifiable with what we have heard before from this pair .
It,s never as seminal as " No Pussyfooting" but this album shows two artists -one a hugely talented guitar player , one a bona fide genius ( I am certain you can work out which is which) who are never prepared to rest on any laurels that may be lying around. Beyond Even showcases musicians unafraid to embrace changes in popular music or perhaps even more impressively try to re-invent old ones. And I doing so they sound ,its fair to say I think like no one else but themselves.
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13 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just what you would expect.........BRILLIANCE!, 19 Oct 2007
I always look forwrd to my little packages from Amazon and did this one disappoint.........Not at all.
Writing a review for anything is always subject to critisism from others so I will qualify this one by saying first that music is a very subjective art form...You either like something or you don't.
Now, I like this latest work from Fripp and Eno a great deal. It is everything you would expect.........and then some.
Here we have music ranging from beautifully crafted gentle muses to outright aggressive thrash (or Thrak, depending on your point of view). Yes , here we have music of some considerable depth and scope.
Now, I have to say that you've got to appreciate the work of Fripp and Eno both seperately and collectively for this one because that's exactly what you're getting so anyone not completely in tune with that idea is going to find this work difficult. Having said that, this is a piece of work that I would thoroughly recommend to anyone who would listen to it.
Now, I could go on and on about each track........but what's the point - each one is as distinctive and as original as another and this is where Fripp and Eno shine, in my opinion. They've set a bench-mark which others will find extremely difficult to match. They lead and others follow ( as always). When it comes to originality and style they've got the opposition cornered completely.
So what else can you say about this c.d. apart from stating obvious things like "it's a double" etc etc. Well, there is something - and that's to remind people of the sub-title of this work: "Unreleased Works Of Startling Genius" and although there will be people out there who will say that such a remark is the statement of over inflated ego.......I would say that I happen to agree with it. But there is one complaint; Why is it we have to wait so very long for collaberations from these two worthies. Given the lack of inventiveness, generally, in the world of music at the moment (although there are some exceptions) we could certainly do with more of this. So, perhaps we should be saying (like Oliver), "can we have some more, please?" And then........... who knows?
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Lacking Hair, 8 May 2009
For me, music moves from 'good' to 'wonderful' (and beyond) when I have to really stop to ponder on "what thought process brought THAT along."
Now, don't get me wrong; I don't pretend to understand the whole process but there is often a game to be had in music. Did this sound influence that change? Did that rhythm make them take this route? Did they think of repeating that section just one more time?
This album has little of that. All too often there is a feeling of 'copy, paste, plonk that on top'. Even when this is obvioulsy NOT the case, this is the feel. And, coming from one man for whom I have the utmost respect and one for whom I hold a grudging admiration, this is a disappointment.
Fripp and Eno are often greater than the sum of their parts but, on this work, they partially cancel each other out.
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