Robert Fripp - Please make him amazing for me - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Triceratopsoil View Drop Down

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Posted: May 09 2010 at 22:51

Listen all the way through the song Fracture with the volume loud enough to pick up the quiet guitar in the middle

then listen to Starless

then listen to the guitar solo work on The Night Watch

then listen to his noodly guitar bits on Brian Eno's album Another Green World, especially the song Saint Elmo's Fire

then pick up the minimalist space jam album The Equatorial Stars by Fripp and Eno

That might be a good start

PS Rushfan4 told me to necropost here

tamijo

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Posted: July 24 2009 at 08:19

Sadly the original League of gentlemen is very hard to get,for those that havent got it allready., but its again proves his great sence of humour, musicaly and otherwise.

I think if you go trough his hole production without finding a great sence of humour, something must be wrong with your sence of houmour.

The David Byrne vocals on Under Heavy Manners, For Fripp Sake - its fun.

Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours

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Posted: July 23 2009 at 11:42

harmonium.ro wrote:

BTW this goes for all those who say Fripp is grumpy and has no humour.

Check out his blog for July 13 here http://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?entry=15134 and see his photo-collage with the adventures of Willifred, his rabbit LOL

The Cheerful Insanity Of Giles Giles and Fripp also makes the case. Big smile

It couldn't possibly be gust the Gileses that were cheerfully insane.

Edited by Slartibartfast - July 23 2009 at 11:44

Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

harmonium.ro View Drop Down

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Posted: July 23 2009 at 10:48

BTW this goes for all those who say Fripp is grumpy and has no humour.

Check out his blog for July 13 here http://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?entry=15134 and see his photo-collage with the adventures of Willifred, his rabbit LOL

JLocke

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Posted: July 21 2009 at 15:05

Here's the thing: I wholeheartedly believe that Fripp could easily out-play many of the 'shredders' out there if he wanted to. He has proved his capability and skill on the Guitar many times. However, he chooses not to go in that direction much because he is more concerned with whether or not his instrument compliments the music itself or not. Most of the time Guitar solos are there simply to impress the ear and not enhance the song.

I think Fripp's impressiveness comes from what Robert mentioned earlier; his incredibly fresh take on the instrument itself. Wink

It's how he approaches Guitar playing that is so amazing, not soecifically how fast or technically he plays, if that makes any sense . . .

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Posted: July 21 2009 at 06:38

Robert Fripp is highly-acclaimed for his creativity and innovation. About his playing-style, he is one of the most uniquest guitarist ever.

His contributions on two VDGG albums are also a highlight.

rushfan4

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Posted: July 01 2009 at 13:44

As a strange aside to this thread, I do have 4 albums from the California Guitar Trio and I think that these guys are phenomenal guitarists. If my reading ability and memory serve me right, they all learned their trade under Mr. Fripp.

Edited by rushfan4 - July 01 2009 at 13:44

Drummerboy View Drop Down

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Posted: June 29 2009 at 09:24

Sorry, I have to say when Belew joined forces Fripp really lost me, although I tried several times over a period of years to get back to what was one of the original greats: listen to Lark's Tongue or Red.

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Posted: June 29 2009 at 09:22

Epignosis wrote:

Robert Fripp is not one of my favorite guitarists, but he is damned creative when it comes to what comes up with. Part of that is due to his "New Standard Tuning" he began using in 1983, which makes cliche riffs and voicings all but useless.

I think Fripp's best work comes alongside Belew. They compliment each other well. Check out The Power to Believe if you have not already. It is an excellent record (heavy prog, really).

Dominic

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Posted: June 20 2009 at 15:10

Progosopher wrote:

As others have said, there are many layers to Fripp's playing. He can work within the context of the song exclusively, be subtle, full of delicacy and nuance, or he can be so blatant his playing is like stabbing hot pokers into your eardrums. He is very precise, even when playing fast, and brother, he is fast. Where it gets difficult for me to appreciate him is in the very early Crimson work where so many of his solos were atonal with really harsh tones. I even got to the point where I wondered if he even understood what a key was. His song construction is fabulous, and he makes really weird chords and changes that somehow work. Any version of Larks' Toungues shows him off well. Some of his best work came from the 80s version of Crimson IMO, and that's where he concentrated more on serving the song rather than wailing.

These are pretty much my feelings exactly. Clap

Stooge

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Posted: June 20 2009 at 15:07

Nobody can appreciate Robert Fripp more than this guy does:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCAQAlw6cAU&feature=related

http:///www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2iTo63Fl48

American Khatru View Drop Down

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Posted: June 18 2009 at 10:13

rushfan4 wrote:

... It was during these re-listens and reviews that I began wondering about what made Robert Fripp so popular as a guitarist, as to my ears, there wasn't all that much that stood out in the guitar category...

You might be interested to know: Last night I watched, on YouTube, a 3-part interview that BBC2 did with him back in 1985 (search "robert fripp wimborne" and you'll find them; it's a half-hour total). It's a great piece for a number of reasons, but your wrap-up caused me to remember something that might explain Fripp's not being so front-and-center in his band (as opposed to, say, Eddie in Van Halen or whatever). At one point he talks about how playing with Bowie was great because Bowie gave him "freedom" as a guitarist. He goes on to explain that, with Crimson, his role tended to be more "organizational" and that his guitar work was really secondary. This is how he saw the band and how he best felt it would succeed (and it did). Again, the Fripp is a different animal than most. Anyway check out the interview.

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Posted: June 18 2009 at 09:55

Progosopher wrote:

Any version of Larks' Toungues shows him off well. Some of his best work came from the 80s version of Crimson IMO, and that's where he concentrated more on serving the song rather than wailing.

Thank you everybody for your contributions to this thread. I will give a re-listen to some of the songs that have been mentioned. I am in agreement that Larks' Tongue in Aspic is an excellent musical piece, and is quite possibly my favorite piece from King Crimson. But what I love about that song is the percussion and drum work. I will have to give it a re-listen for the guitar work.

What I find interesting are the couple of comments similar to what I have quoted. In case any one is interested, prior to starting this thread, I have actually reviewed all of the King Crimson albums from their debut to Starless and Bible Black. Not some of my better reviews, but they were an exercise to get me to re-listen to King Crimson and see what makes them so popular here at PA. It was during these re-listens and reviews that I began wondering about what made Robert Fripp so popular as a guitarist, as to my ears, there wasn't all that much that stood out in the guitar category. Translated: no Eddie Van Halen or Yngwie Malmsteen moments. It is interesting the number of comments regarding his composition skills as opposed to his "shredding" skills, and like with comments regarding Steve Hackett's contributions to Genesis, how his guitar work is meant to be a part of the music versus being something that stands out above and beyond the music. I am one that does enjoy King Crimson's 80's output, again mostly because of Bill Bruford's involvement and contributions. I will hopefully get around to finishing my review tour of the King Crimson catalogue and I will give special care to listen for Robert Fripp's guitar contributions to these albums.

Cheers and thank you again to everyone for your assistance with this matter.

Scott

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Posted: June 18 2009 at 09:31

jammun wrote:

Two great KC songs where we get to hear Fripp at his best:

Cirkus, from Lizard. The acoustic guitar work on this song...the manner in which it provides texture to the song proper...is amazingly amazingly amazing.

Then check out the guitar solo on LITA Part One, which solo to this day makes no sense to me but is still one of my favorite guitar solos by any guitarist. It addles my already-addled brain.

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent" - Victor Hugo

Progosopher View Drop Down

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Posted: June 17 2009 at 14:59

As others have said, there are many layers to Fripp's playing. He can work within the context of the song exclusively, be subtle, full of delicacy and nuance, or he can be so blatant his playing is like stabbing hot pokers into your eardrums. He is very precise, even when playing fast, and brother, he is fast. Where it gets difficult for me to appreciate him is in the very early Crimson work where so many of his solos were atonal with really harsh tones. I even got to the point where I wondered if he even understood what a key was. His song construction is fabulous, and he makes really weird chords and changes that somehow work. Any version of Larks' Toungues shows him off well. Some of his best work came from the 80s version of Crimson IMO, and that's where he concentrated more on serving the song rather than wailing.

The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"

Tengent

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Posted: June 17 2009 at 12:22

I am surprised nobody has mentioned what he did on Evening Star. The second track of the same name has the most beautiful guitar solo I have ever heard (and tone imo).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J_FvEqY--0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzfVYB4UsQ4&feature=channel_page (me attempting to play like Fripp Tongue

)

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Posted: June 15 2009 at 23:39

Do you have The Power To Believe or The CostruKction Of Light?...no mellotrons, no sax...almost no distraction from the guitar

Michael's Sonic Kaleidoscope Mondays 5:00pm EST(re-runs Thursdays 3:00pm) @ Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio(http://www.deliciousagony.com)

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Posted: June 15 2009 at 23:28

*21rst Century Schizoid Man
*Red
*Tremelo study In A Major (Giles Giles & Fripp-->amaizing solo on spanish guitar, it shows why fripp is the master of speed)
*Lark's...(1,2 and 3)
*Frame by Frame
*Level Five
*FraKctured
*Into the Frying Pan
*Thrack
*Vroom
*Elektrik

Michael's Sonic Kaleidoscope Mondays 5:00pm EST(re-runs Thursdays 3:00pm) @ Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio(http://www.deliciousagony.com)

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Posted: June 15 2009 at 18:38

Atavachron wrote:

Cygnus X-2 wrote:

Fripp said Fracture is the hardest song he's ever played, and that'd be the one I'd say to listen to first.

agreed, especially in this case

I read this then went and listened to Starless and Bible Black.. which I have not heard before. I must say, Fracture was imidiately one of my favorite KC songs I have heard.. I just find that guitar part so addictive, even tho its pretty repetative. I enjoyed the entire album immesly as well, which i can say to some but not all KC albums (especially not most of the early ones)

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Posted: June 15 2009 at 18:28

Slartibartfast wrote:

harmonium.ro wrote:

Fripp has played on a Blondie album? Shocked

I had heard that and then read somewhere he was only considering working with them, but I see two songs named, so I'll buy it.

As I mentioned earlier, he has also played on a Darryl Hall album. Shocked

I can go one better--he played on a Hall & Oates album (Along The Red Ledge).