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Giles, Giles and Fripp - 1968 - The Cheerful Insanity Of Giles, Giles and Fripp
This pre-King Crimson aggregate involves the talents of Michael Giles (drums/vocals), Peter Giles (bass/vocals), and Robert Fripp (guitar/vocals) accompanied by a plethora of studio musicians -- most notably keyboardist Nicky Hopkins and backing vocalists the Breakaways. By any standards The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles & Fripp is one of the more eclectic albums to have been issued during the psychedelic rock movement of the late '60s. The album was initially issued in September of 1968 on the Decca Records subsidiary Deram -- whose releases were aimed specifically at the alternative or progressive rock market. That said, this disc is a far cry from the type of material that other artists on the label such as the Moody Blues, Caravan, or Pacific Drift were concurrently issuing. The original record album was divided into two sections: "The Saga of Rodney Toady" and "Just George," which were named after the respective spoken word pieces that link the musical works on the A- and B-sides. Musically, Giles, Giles & Fripp are wholly unlike anything before or since. Drawing upon folk, classical, pop, and even sacred music, each track brings a fresh listening experience. Among the highlights is the leadoff track, "North Meadow," which features some stunning fretwork from Fripp. Likewise, "Call Tomorrow" is a trippy noir tale involving an ambiguous practical joke. The classically influenced instrumental "Suite No. 1," as well as another one of Fripp's more esoteric compositions, "Erudite Eyes," likewise bear some semblance of sounds to come from the trio. While not everyone's cup of tea, there is a tremendous amount to enjoy on The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles & Fripp for those whose expectations are not of King Crimson, but rather of lighthearted and decidedly folksy English tales. Parties interested in this disc should likewise be advised of The Brondesbury Tapes, which is a collection of semiprofessional demos made by this trio and original Fairport Convention vocalist Judy Dyble (vocals) and soon-to-be King Crimson member Ian McDonald (flute/sax).
Saga of Rodney Toady
01 - North Meadow.mp3 02 - Newly-Weds.mp3 03 - One In A Million.mp3 04 - Call Tomorrow.mp3 05 - Digging My Lawn.mp3 06 - Little Children.mp3 07 - The Crukster.mp3 08 - Thursday Morning.mp3
Just George
09 - How Do They Know.mp3 10 - Elephant Song.mp3 11 - The Sun Is Shining.mp3 12 - Suite No. 1.mp3 13 - Erudite Eyes.mp3
Bonus
14 - She Is Loaded (Previously Unreleased).mp3 15 - Under The Sky (Previously Unreleased).mp3 16 - One In A Million (Mono Single Version).mp3 17 - Newly-Weds (Mono Single Version).mp3 18 - Thursday Morning (Mono Single Version).mp3 19 - Thursday Morning (Stereo Single Version).mp3
