[Review] Robert Fripp: The League of Gentlemen (1981)

Alternately indecent and disciplined modern rock that could be heard as a dry run for the reconstituted King Crimson.

Kronomyth 5: Spinal tape.

In the interim between King Crimson marks I and II, Robert Fripp revived the name of his old 60s band and teamed up with ex-XTC member Barry Andrews, Sara Lee and Johnny Too-Bad for a series of shows and subsequent album. Similar to the music found on Exposure and the second half of God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners, The League of Gentleman could be seen as a larval stage of the discplined/indisciplined form that the reconstituted Crimson would take. The tightly constructed guitar patterns from Fripp will be instantly familiar, but Fripp’s work on Scary Monsters (Dislocated), the electronic music of Yellow Magic Orchestra (Pareto Optimum I and II) and the frenzied keyboards of early XTC also factor into the final sound. Only one song, the deliciously strange Minor Man, features actual vocals; the rest of the tracks use recorded voices, either to augment the music (Trap) or replace it (Indiscreet I, II and III). I used to listen to this album a lot as a teenager and enjoyed it more than any of the other Fripp solo albums from this period. The musicianship on Discipline is on a whole other level, but the music of The League of Gentlemen is an enjoyable blueprint for what followed. It has a raw, punk energy that you won’t find in the meticulous music of King Crimson Mk. II. At the same time, The League of Gentlemen would serve as a kind of template for Adrian Belew when the time came to make his own album, Lone Rhino. Inductive Resonance and Cognitive Dissonance remain two of my favorite examples from Fripp’s long and illustrious career. Unfortunately, rather than reissue this album, Fripp remixed it, edited it (removing “Minor Man” among others) and renamed it God Save the King, which has sown some confusion. And, yes, those are The Roches you hear in some of the recorded dialogue. On a strange note that Spinal Tap fans can appreciate, both original drummer Johnny Too-Bad and his replacement, Kevin Wilkinson, suffered untimely deaths; Wilkinson by suicide (at 44) and Too-Bad (Johnny Elichaoff) by falling off a building (at 55).

Original elpee version

A1. Indiscreet I (1:47)
A2. Inductive Resonance (4:35)
A3. Minor Man (3:45)
A4. Heptaparaparshinokh (2:03)
A5. Dislocated (4:35)
A6. Pareto Optimum I (2:07)
A7. Eye Needles (3:12)
A8. Indiscreet II (2:35)
B1. Pareto Optimum II (1:27)
B2. Cognitive Dissonance (3:38)
B3. H.G. Wells (3:25)
B4. Trap (4:45)
B5. Ochre (3:07)
B6. Indiscreet III (1:26)

All songs written by The League of Gentlemen and Robert Fripp.

The Players

Robert Fripp (guitar), Barry Andrews (organ), Sara Lee (bass guitar), Kevin Wilkinson (drums) with Danielle Dax (hamsprachtmuzik on A3), Johnny Too-Bad (drums on A4/A5). Produced by Robert Fripp; engineered by Tony Arnold; strategic interaction by Paddy Spinks; indiscretions compiled by Robert Fripp.

The Pictures

Photography by Marjori. Front cover by Danielle Dax. Cover glue by Rob O’Connor.

The Plastic

Released on elpee in February 1981 in the UK (Editions EG, EGED 9), the US (Polydor, PD-1-6317) and Japan (EG Records, 28MM 0023).