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). ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
Anthony Hawkins (Remastering), Nicky Hopkins (Keyboards), A. Ford (Cello), A. Ford (Celli), Michael Giles (Story), Gered Mankowitz (Cover Photo), Cliff Hardie (Trombone), John Tracy (Coordination), Bill Price (Engineer), The Breakaways (Vocals), Ted Barker (Trombone), Terry Johnston (Engineer), Rebecca Patten (Viola), Mike Hill (Keyboards), John Tracy (Research), John Coulling (Viola), Martin Cruz Smith (Engineer), Peter Giles (Bass), Michael Giles (Drums), Wayne Bickerton (Producer), G. Salisbury (Violin), John Tracy (Compilation), Martin Smith (Engineer), Ivor Raymonde (Arranger), Cliff Hardy (Trombone), Terry Johnson (Engineer), Charles Tunnell (Cello), K. Isaacs (Violin), John Tracy (Liner Notes), R. Cohen (Violin), Robert Fripp (Story), Robert Fripp (Guitar), B. Pecker (Violin), The Breakaways (Vocals (Background)), Phil Smee (Package Design), W. Reid (Violin), Jackie Stansfield (Assistant Coordinator), G. Fields (Violin), Michael Hill (Keyboards)
The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp was the first of only two albums from the 1960's psychedelic rock group Giles, Giles and Fripp.
The album is divided into two parts, "The Saga of Rodney Toady" and "Just George". The names of the parts came from the titles of spoken word pieces recited by members of the band and spread out, so that they link the musical works on the A and B sides. Though two-thirds of the band would later form King Crimson, the album, arguably, does not represent the traditional progressive rock style. Rather, it is a mix of various styles (folk, classical, pop, psychedelic rock and sacred music).
The original ultra-rare U.S. LP version released in 1968 has a completely different cover than the U.K. version. The album has been released on CD at least 4 times. First in Japan with no bonus tracks, then on Deram in the U.S. and U.K. with bonus tracks compiled from singles and previously unreleased recordings. A later Japanese re-issue in a paper sleeve contained the bonus tracks and also a bonus paper sleeve reproduction of the rare U.S. alternate cover. The most recent CD version released by Eclectic Discs has the same bonus tracks as the Deram CD.
According to Robert Fripp the album sold only 500 copies. This information came from his royalty statement, but it is very unlikely that this was the total number of original copies sold. Also during 1968 the group recorded what would become The Brondesbury Tapes at their home demo studio, which would not be released until 2001. Peter Giles was replaced on bass by Greg Lake soon after and the band renamed themselves King Crimson, making The Cheerful Insanity... the only album released by the band during its existence.
