DISENGAGE

Recorded on December 5th 1977, this session that would later become a track featured on Robert Fripp's first official solo album is a dream team collaboration that might, for some people, answer the what if?-question that they've been anticipating. With Phil Collins on drums, John Wetton on bass and Robert Fripp taking the center stage this is an interesting recording for a number of different reasons. I'm not merely referring to the fact of these individuals were all on the peak of their individual careers. With Phil Collins fresh out of his collaborations with Brand X, which were arguably the high point of his drum virtuosity. While John Wetton has yet to achieve his fame outside of being a member of King Crimson by participating in supergroup collaborations like U.K. and Asia.

For me this recording is also highly significant because it can probably be considered the last time we get to hear Robert Fripp playing an electric guitar without any Frippertronics or other effects added to it. Remember that this was the end of 1977! As for the material itself, the final version of Disengage that would be featured on Exposure is merely 3 minutes and doesn't have that significant effect as it has here. For once, these takes have a definite Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part Two-vibe to them with a great deal of interesting drum fills from Phil Collins that sound vastly different from the style that Bill Bruford would have played.

There isn't really much general difference between these four takes except possibly for the final take that starts off a bit more spontaneously than the other three. It's not an easy task to rate a demo of this sort but have it been a part of a bigger picture then it would definitely have been an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection. The performance should be interesting for both fans of King Crimson and Genesis but I think that this performance should also appeal to a broader audience who just wants to hear good music in its development stages.

**** star songs: Disengage I (3:08) Disengage II (4:04) Disengage III (2:09) Disengage VI (3:45)

When i saw it i couldn't believe it , fripp , wetton and collins?? how did that happen? all three members are in the top of their game that year , and what to come out of this session should be a monster jaming! but actually it isn't that amazing , and does not match the expectations i had . what you get here is an earlier version of 'disengage' out of the 'exposure' album by fripp , as you can see he had the idea for the song earlier and tried to jam with it. it's like a raw loose version , but actually i prefer the one on exposure with the vocals. you get 4 versions of the song , all are pretty much the same. as great as the playing goes after those 13 minutes of an EP are finished you feel like you swallowed enough of 'disengage'.

All members playing is great , i always liked wetton's bass with that slight distortion , collins is fantastic , and fripp is just carrying the line of the song without taking a lead too much. they really have that intricate rhythm under control , and collins is the only one really improvising on it . i wish they would jam some more , i'm sure they did but it was never released. i found a few more minutes on the internet that they are playing something else, also good.

This one should appeal to anyone who likes good jaming but for fans of KC mostly , more because of historic value than the material presented. KC fans don't miss it for the world even though wetton era material is superior to this.

I hate to give it 3 stars but that's what it is!