ROBERT FRIPP & ANDY SUMMERS: BEWITCHED

Fripp and Summers have similarities, although they have noticeable differences: On this record, Summers is more spacy and atmospheric, while Fripp often plays bizarre & experimental patterns, as always. Fripp alone often leaves me indifferent, but paired with Summers, it becomes a winning formula, especially on side 2!

This instrumental record has one quite good side and one mediocre. The mediocre side (1) contains in a long funky track full of rhythmic guitars and repetitive beat, "What Kind of Man Reads Playboy?": the 2 guitarists seem to have pretty much fun to play this, but the listener may find it too repetitive and ridiculous: the irritating artificial beat avoid any progressive character to the tedious "What Kind of Man Reads Playboy?" track: there is a good part where one can listen to the more subtle guitar effects. The previous rhythmic "Parade" sounds a bit like a Synergy track. The ear candy keyboards on "Begin the Day", combined with Summers' metallic rhythmic guitar a la Police and Fripp's insisting solos, makes this track better than the previous epic one.

The other side is made of quite better short songs, full of smooth & enigmatic guitar patterns and dark & mysterious keyboards arrangements; there is something special and unique that is very attractive and addictive on each track of that side. The resemblance with the King Crimson of the 80's is real; some Police atmospheres (Synchronicity), due to Summers' subtle guitar, are added and it produces some refined and delicate textures that the listener should appreciate without any effort, due to a certain amount of hypnotic effect that occurs. The ethereal atmosphere reaches its peak with "Forgotten steps", a VERY addictive and hypnotic track full of delicate echoed sounds with a continuous stream of thick and viscous soundscape in the foreground. I give 3 stars to side 1 and 4 stars to side 2.

Rating: 3.5 stars