Fripp's rules for Bill Bruford, 1981

       
    "Villiam vee have vays of making you a better King Crimson Drummer"

Well at least Bob addressed the situation and look at all  the great stuff Crimson produced with Bruford. I have read some not so nice comments as well as some positive ones Bruford has made regarding his days with Crimson. 

Can any extreme-fan of KIng Crimson (like I am) make a list of the songs or moments of songs that show in some way that Bill is doing his homework?

And what's so great about Fripp's guitar playing?  I'm no guitar player, but I don't hear anything that great.  The solo on 21st Century Schizoid Man sounds truly dreadful and not very difficult to me.
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Edited by pero - April 26 2007 at 05:04

I'm pretty sure that those rules are a joke of some sort, fripp seems like a sophisticated guy, his sense of humour is probably right up that alley.

If it's not a joke then fripp's a douche, even if those things may be true that is not the right way to put it to someone, that's just asking for conflict.

I am no musician, so I can only sort of speak to the group dynamics aspect of these Frippian rules.  I have heard many bands speak of this idea of the music playing the band.  The Grateful Dead used that metaphor all the time when talking about the sort of spontaneous organic jams that evolved.  It is the same in life.  There is will (the enrgy we put into the things we want) and spirit (the willingness to accept where we end up by letting go of control).  Lets say that other members of the band are already involved in a solo and somehow brufords fills mask what the other member is doing, at that point you have one of the children yelling too loud in the midst of the others story...pay attention to me not him!  If this is what is happening, then there is a need to form rules of the sort Fripp offered.  I am not sure of any examples, and it could be that the nuances are so subtle that only someone with Fripps trained ear could notice it.  The band is ultimately bigger than the individuals especially with regards to Crimson.  It could take some training to learn how to handle being with a group where everyone wants their chance to tell their piece of the story.  And then if you have worked with other bands, there may be an almost mechanized motion that was perfectly appropriate in a band that was less likely to take cues from one another, but in this setting fails to connect.  It is a good life lesson, if we can learn it.  Look for the place that your voice fits and then insert your ideas.  We have all been in discussion groups in which someone is speaking and the other guy starts talking over the top of what you are saying.  It may be to emphasize something you do, but it takes your focus away, and disjoits your narrative.  So we kind of need Roberts Rules of Order to run a collective group such as Crimson.

I'm no musician, a king crimson fan for many years and beat is the almost only studio albums I do not have (yet. I'm working on it).

If he's serious I personally don't see the problem with it. If you had the best drummer in the world in your band, and you wanted him to play something simple, would you kick him out and bring in a Nick Mason type?

If he did so he wouldn't be able to utilise Bruford's "dramatic" style when the need arrived.