In between splitting King Crimson in 1974 and forming a new line-up seven years later, Robert Fripp enjoyed New York’s postpunk underground, played with David Bowie and Blondie, aired live Frippatronics and released his first solo album, Exposure.
In 1981 he brought in drummer Bill Bruford, flamboyant singer-guitarist Adrian Belew and bassist Tony Levin, and that lineup recorded Discipline, Beat and Three Of A Perfect Pair.
Sheltering Skies marks the first 80s Crimson gig on vinyl, capturing the quartet’s tightly convoluted blend of NY postpunk, art-rock and fusion credited with inventing post-prog.
Only a magnificently malevolent Red and Larks’ Tongues In Aspic – Part Two are from earlier, and the new material straddles hyperactive torrents (Indiscipline), Talking Heads-style art-funk (Elephant Talk), sequenced loop mantras (Waiting Man) and pastoral slowies (Matte Kudasai). Another fascinating Fripp manoeuvre.
