I put these wise words into practice this evening by listening to the founder of Guitar Craft's one and only solo album (not counting soundscapes & stuff) whilst making exceptionally slow progress on the way home from work on a jammed AYE/ECP. Generally I'm distrustful of completism as a principle in buying the work of musicians I admire in that it seems to play directly into the hands of the record companies, but owning the full set of Exposure seems to me to be simply common sense in that the various versions so thoroughly complement each other. Tonight I was playing what Fripp considers Edition 3, and found myself bowled over by the Volume 2 tracks featuring Daryl Hall. This is the material that Mr Hall's record company, in cahoots with his then-manager Tommy Mottola, tried to make sure never saw (should that be heard?) public release, on the grounds that it would reduce his (then massive) commercial viability.
Hall's vocals on Mary and Disengage are some of the best I've heard from him (he's great on all the tracks on which he sings, but on these he gets into really extreme territory) and, yes, probably would have upset the more fragile end of the record buying public had they ever been exposed to Exposure. But, then, I don't think it's likely they would have been tempted to distress themselves by listening to such dangerously creative material.
According to Fripp's liner notes, Hall's management delayed release of Hall's own solo album Sacred Songs, recorded with Fripp as producer, for three years, again wary of the damage it might do to the singer as commodity. Very protective of them.
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