Fripp & Eno - Live In Paris 28.05.1975

Much bootlegged, though never heard in even reasonable audio quality, this concert – one of a handful undertaken for Fripp & Eno in 1975 – is routinely described as “legendary”. Hearing the tapes in fully restored audio quality, it’s easy to understand why it attracts such reverence now & perhaps, why the shows attracted such hostility then. No Roxy Music hits, No King Crimson riffs, just a duo sitting in near darkness with a reel to reel tape recorder, improvising over the pre-recorded loops with a filmed background projection. Replace the reel to reel machine with a couple of laptops/iPads/sequencers & the core of much current live performance from electronica to hip-hop was there some thirty years in advance. At the time, audiences responded to such a glimpse of the future with booing, walkouts & general confusion.

Thanks to the discovery & restoration of the original backing tapes, it was possible – with much painstaking restoration work by Alex Mundy at DGM – to isolate, de-noise & match the live elements from the performance tapes to the studio loops to produce the final recording.

This historic recording documents an extremely rare and classic performance of a mysterious collaborative tour from two of the most creative and fascinating figures in rock. It is one of the most rewarding live recordings this writer has ever heard. For any fan of ‘No Pussyfooting’ or ‘Evening Star’, this live recording is of epic significance and is now also comparable in audio quality, by synchronizing the most complete and best (by a mile) available live bootleg recording with Eno's recently discovered stage tapes. This tour also represented a turning point for both artists, about to enter new frontiers professionally and personally: Eno as an ambient music pioneer and Fripp’s re-emergence as a “small, mobile, intelligent unit”. This Paris Olympia performance was technically flawless and from a musical standpoint, incredibly inspired. This lucky audience was treated with the entirety of both classic albums as well as enough new material to constitute a third. As a bonus, we are also presented with Eno’s stage tapes in pure format including Test Loops from the sound check. What more could you ask from a live recording? Absolutely essential listening.

CD one
1 Water On Water
2 A Radical Representative Of Pinsnip
3 Swastika Girls
4 Wind On Wind
5 Announcement

CD two
1 Wind On Water
2 A Near Find In Rip Pop
3 A Fearful Proper Din
4 A Darn Psi Inferno
5 Evening Star
6 An Iron Frappe
7 Softy Gun Poison
8 An Index Of Metals

CD three
1 Test Loop I
2 Test Loop II
3 Loop Only: A Radical Representative Of Pinsnip
4 Loop Only: Wind On Water
5 Loop Only: A Darn Psi Inferno
6 Loop Only: Softy Gun Poison
Bonus Tracks
7 Loop Only: Wind On Water Reversed