A most fascinating man. What hes done musically is secondary to his spiritual growth hes done for himself, often an the expense of his temporal rewards this existence has given to him
Robert came into a joint where I was playing once. It was '76, and we were holding forth with a trio on Wednesday nights. He wanted to talk to me, so we chatted for a little while. He said that he was 'envious' because our little scene in Houston was very casual and stress-free. It was, I imagine, totally unlike the King Crimson gig where he was expected to come up with new material constantly. He saw that we sort of mutually elected to play the next tune (or not) and proceed from there. There was a complete lack of pressure or anxiety, and he appreciated that.
Same, I kinda come from the school of 'just do it' too, bust strings, shit gear, no audience, weather, spilt drinks, not knowing the song, not having a set list etc etc, blues is good for getting away with stuff lol switching up instruments is good too, sometimes I want the band to be more organised sometimes less, just on a vibe people can improvise a piece that sounds finished and planned, if they are at the right level, that also means it can be different each night, you need that band telepathy but when you do it's great..the band living colour are a great example of that sort of creative openness they switch styles all the time and change songs completely live..
Bas: Thank you. And thank you, again. For this great interview of Uncle Bob; and then, for sharing it. This is an invaluable document. Sometimes, god (really) smiles.
This is marvelous. Bravo Mr. Andriessen !!..........fave Fripp quote was on Hendrix: "He was a poor guitarist but an excellent musician. I am just the opposite." Thank You Again..
26:08-26-21 Such an eloquent expression of the loss of innocence and the loss of idealism. I'm not sure if that long pause before is Fripp collecting his thoughts, or Fripp unexpectedly shedding a tear in his mind.
Interesting that this interview has attracted only 38 comments with 232 likes after over 30,000 views over a period spanning 8 years... I don’t know the nationality of the commentators, but I get the feeling that less generous ones may not be Brits. I don’t say that with any malice, but Robert is very English and it may be that works is to his disadvantage when conversing with other nationalities. He’s honest, thoughtful, intelligent and deeply spiritual, and I think that can throw up a barrier to those that don’t know him on a personal level. Just my thoughts.
This confirms to me that he could once play 'regular' guitar lol, I am a blues player mostly so I find him utterly bizarre, truly unique in fact, that don't mean I like it though, or that I don't.. It's just like a car crash, sometimes I feel he is trolling us even but you have to admire their skill and oddness, I am just not sure if it speaks to me, I am also blown away but their level of commitment, truly the mad professors of music..noise and everything between.
Well, well, well, hear old Bobby omitting the influence in the early days, which was coming from the jazzier environment with multiple drummers from Septober Energy and from Maholo and before in 1968 from Lytton. Ok, he was not specifically asked about that.
Robert Fripp; one of the greatest guitarists of the last fifty years. Ian McDonald; unsure about Fripp's "feel" as a guitarist, leaves King crimson. Fripp is revered by his peers and by his fans. Ian McDonald formed Foreigner. I'll leave it there.
Bob had indeed not the conventional feel of rock or blues in his pinky. McDonald's solo album, and Sinfield's one demonstrate rather docile guitars. But, sorry Ian, that was the fascination, which still carries.
really fascinating,i'm sure,for the fans of bob fripp-i guess i am-heck yes-just on acct of his work with andy summers,if nuthin else...actually i really haven't heard much else-so he really did a lot of other stuff both before,and after andy summers,huh? that's great! no,but seriously,i know bob's got a style all his own,a world-view all his own,and just a whole thing all-his-own--splendid! good stuff! thanks so much for this great document'ry!
KC material used to be hard to find on TH-cam or anywhere else, due to Fripps strict control. But the third part of 2019 he uploaded most of KC early records. th-cam.com/channels/BxEf1UWDjbIEoh2MAQR7zQ.html
I am one of those who find his playing sort of, dare I say, souless? Sometimes I like the. Abstract craziness, but often I find he has one dynamic of picking and it's usually very fast sixteenth notes, alternate picked, they are too quick to contain the nuances of sound that I like..but I am just a guy on the internet lol.also he is the master mind of the whole thing which is mind blowing in its self.. Definitely an interesting musical rebel who still retains the demeanour of an estate agent, how great is that, he is a punk in its truest sense lol.
I imagine that Fripp as the rebel schoolboy and the strict headmaster all in one. A man of, if not contradictions, then profoundly wide ranging interests.
Actually I would pay money to be stuck in a lift with Fripp & his missus Toyah Wilcox. I would hit the panic button just to get more time to hear their amazing analysis of their careers & stories from Fripp's swingin' 60s 70s, 80s, 90s etc... & Toyah's career during the punk age. Love the way he thinks before setting mouth in motion.
i would like to advise you to listen to the early KC stuff, which is amazing, and then proceed to the Fripp's solo album Exposure which is just mindblowing. And of KC i do like the most albums Red, Larks' tongues in aspic and Discipline-Beat-Three of a perfect pair. P.S. Just wanted to share :) P.P.S. Also, there's a huge collaboration of Fripp with Brian Eno, which is amazing and quite interesting and important in terms of development of ambient music.
Thanks for this. Started listening but God this man is hard work. If his vocation is so wretched perhaps he could have stuck with being an estate agent (though obviously lacking the people skills even for that).
I wouldn't deny that he is good at what he has done in Music - I just wouldn't want to be stuck in a lift with him, or otherwise be at his mercy (shudder) eg as an employee or merely reading his gas-meter. The fawning testimonies of thousands of Prog techies with stupid facial hair won't convince me to not run a mile from his ilk.
@@reimerbard1552 Fripp was a "student" of J. G. Bennett, himself a student of one of the most fascinating spiritual teachers of the 20th century; George J Gurdjieff. Fripp studied at Bennett's Sherbourne House, a place that was very intense in regards to one's "awakening". To say this was a "serious" undertaking is the "tip of the iceberg"; hence what comes across as boring, dense or otherwise is a reflection of this intense lifestyle Fripp was involved with. Life is a very serious matter when one is bent on having an experience of "enlightenment".
dude,i never heard of king crimson-i'll have to look for them out there --but yeah,like definitely the stuff with andy summers was cool-cool as hell-i don't know why they ever diverged from that strange space they'd carved out n such a strange manner-haha
Two people have scared the Hell out of me , whenever I've imagined meeting them on the street: My long-dead anal-compulsive-Germanic paternal Grandmother & Robert Fripp. After this, I'm only terrified of ever meeting Nanna Hallie again. Now I would love to spend an afternoon talking with Robert Fripp (Sure...like that's ever gonna happen)..
A most fascinating man. What hes done musically is secondary to his spiritual growth hes done for himself, often an the expense of his temporal rewards this existence has given to him
Robert came into a joint where I was playing once. It was '76, and we were holding forth with a trio on Wednesday nights. He wanted to talk to me, so we chatted for a little while. He said that he was 'envious' because our little scene in Houston was very casual and stress-free. It
was, I imagine, totally unlike the King Crimson gig where he was expected to come up with new material constantly. He saw that we sort of mutually elected to play the next tune (or not) and proceed from there. There was a complete lack of pressure or anxiety, and he appreciated that.
In at least one interview he's mentioned the audience knowing the band's material just as well as the band, hence more pressure!
Same, I kinda come from the school of 'just do it' too, bust strings, shit gear, no audience, weather, spilt drinks, not knowing the song, not having a set list etc etc, blues is good for getting away with stuff lol switching up instruments is good too, sometimes I want the band to be more organised sometimes less, just on a vibe people can improvise a piece that sounds finished and planned, if they are at the right level, that also means it can be different each night, you need that band telepathy but when you do it's great..the band living colour are a great example of that sort of creative openness they switch styles all the time and change songs completely live..
What a joy to hear such an intelligent and articulate conversation. Thank you for sharing this.
What a great interview! Thanks for making the internet a better place.
I think this is one of the best RF interviews
This is the best.
Bas: Thank you. And thank you, again. For this great interview of Uncle Bob; and then, for sharing it.
This is an invaluable document.
Sometimes, god (really) smiles.
This is marvelous. Bravo Mr. Andriessen !!..........fave Fripp quote was on Hendrix: "He was a poor guitarist but an excellent musician. I am just the opposite." Thank You Again..
I would ask him what he meant by that.
Thank you Bas for this interview, and thank you for sharing it.
Aah that Dorset accent, miss it, miss my Blandford Forum.
thank you . ( 2022 / June / 12 )
Thank you for this, most precious stuff!!
Really interesting. Thanks Bas.
Fabulous interview
Very informative interview.Many thanks for posting this from a longtime fan of Fripp and Crimson.
Thank you BBCebola, I am glad you like it!
26:08-26-21 Such an eloquent expression of the loss of innocence and the loss of idealism. I'm not sure if that long pause before is Fripp collecting his thoughts, or Fripp unexpectedly shedding a tear in his mind.
Interesting that this interview has attracted only 38 comments with 232 likes after over 30,000 views over a period spanning 8 years...
I don’t know the nationality of the commentators, but I get the feeling that less generous ones may not be Brits. I don’t say that with any malice, but Robert is very English and it may be that works is to his disadvantage when conversing with other nationalities.
He’s honest, thoughtful, intelligent and deeply spiritual, and I think that can throw up a barrier to those that don’t know him on a personal level.
Just my thoughts.
What is there to say?
"The Big Time is not your choice. It's whether an audience likes you sufficiently. " Robert Fripp
"Like and dislike are cheap. " Robert Fripp
The best of distant mentors
Met him once in Boston. He wasn't particularly warm. . . though an excellent composer and artist
This confirms to me that he could once play 'regular' guitar lol, I am a blues player mostly so I find him utterly bizarre, truly unique in fact, that don't mean I like it though, or that I don't.. It's just like a car crash, sometimes I feel he is trolling us even but you have to admire their skill and oddness, I am just not sure if it speaks to me, I am also blown away but their level of commitment, truly the mad professors of music..noise and everything between.
Twist and Shout on guitar before in a hotel lobby is more akin to yacht rock on a cruise ship than dingy blues taverns.
great interview!
Well, well, well, hear old Bobby omitting the influence in the early days, which was coming from the jazzier environment with multiple drummers from Septober Energy and from Maholo and before in 1968 from Lytton. Ok, he was not specifically asked about that.
Thanks for sharing
Robert Fripp; one of the greatest guitarists of the last fifty years. Ian McDonald; unsure about Fripp's "feel" as a guitarist, leaves King crimson. Fripp is revered by his peers and by his fans. Ian McDonald formed Foreigner. I'll leave it there.
Bob had indeed not the conventional feel of rock or blues in his pinky. McDonald's solo album, and Sinfield's one demonstrate rather docile guitars. But, sorry Ian, that was the fascination, which still carries.
Thanks this is tell me more about Fripp.
really fascinating,i'm sure,for the fans of bob fripp-i guess i am-heck yes-just on acct of his work with andy summers,if nuthin else...actually i really haven't heard much else-so he really did a lot of other stuff both before,and after andy summers,huh? that's great! no,but seriously,i know bob's got a style all his own,a world-view all his own,and just a whole thing all-his-own--splendid! good stuff! thanks so much for this great document'ry!
KC material used to be hard to find on TH-cam or anywhere else, due to Fripps strict control.
But the third part of 2019 he uploaded most of KC early records. th-cam.com/channels/BxEf1UWDjbIEoh2MAQR7zQ.html
I am one of those who find his playing sort of, dare I say, souless? Sometimes I like the. Abstract craziness, but often I find he has one dynamic of picking and it's usually very fast sixteenth notes, alternate picked, they are too quick to contain the nuances of sound that I like..but I am just a guy on the internet lol.also he is the master mind of the whole thing which is mind blowing in its self.. Definitely an interesting musical rebel who still retains the demeanour of an estate agent, how great is that, he is a punk in its truest sense lol.
I imagine that Fripp as the rebel schoolboy and the strict headmaster all in one. A man of, if not contradictions, then profoundly wide ranging interests.
Robert appears to be on the outside looking in while being on the inside looking out. a paradox of the most fascinating type.
Actually I would pay money to be stuck in a lift with Fripp & his missus Toyah Wilcox. I would hit the panic button just to get more time to hear their amazing analysis of their careers & stories from Fripp's swingin' 60s 70s, 80s, 90s etc... & Toyah's career during the punk age. Love the way he thinks before setting mouth in motion.
Heel interessant!
i would like to advise you to listen to the early KC stuff, which is amazing, and then proceed to the Fripp's solo album Exposure which is just mindblowing. And of KC i do like the most albums Red, Larks' tongues in aspic and Discipline-Beat-Three of a perfect pair.
P.S. Just wanted to share :)
P.P.S. Also, there's a huge collaboration of Fripp with Brian Eno, which is amazing and quite interesting and important in terms of development of ambient music.
Thanks for this. Started listening but God this man is hard work. If his vocation is so wretched perhaps he could have stuck with being an estate agent (though obviously lacking the people skills even for that).
Reimer Bard On the contrary. This is a fascinating interview and insight into RF and KC.
+Reimer Bard Robert Fripp is a musical genius and has left an unbelievable legacy. 50% of progressive rock bands owe their existence to King Crimson.
I wouldn't deny that he is good at what he has done in Music - I just wouldn't want to be stuck in a lift with him, or otherwise be at his mercy (shudder) eg as an employee or merely reading his gas-meter. The fawning testimonies of thousands of Prog techies with stupid facial hair won't convince me to not run a mile from his ilk.
he's certainly hard work, and he's not a natural musician. He admits to that - he has fairly poor pitch. His wife is ten times more irritating.
@@reimerbard1552 Fripp was a "student" of J. G. Bennett, himself a student of one of the most fascinating spiritual teachers of the 20th century; George J Gurdjieff. Fripp studied at Bennett's Sherbourne House, a place that was very intense in regards to one's "awakening". To say this was a "serious" undertaking is the "tip of the iceberg"; hence what comes across as boring, dense or otherwise is a reflection of this intense lifestyle Fripp was involved with. Life is a very serious matter when one is bent on having an experience of "enlightenment".
5:59, "...a wretched way to earn a living..."
dude,i never heard of king crimson-i'll have to look for them out there --but yeah,like definitely the stuff with andy summers was cool-cool as hell-i don't know why they ever diverged from that strange space they'd carved out n such a strange manner-haha
Never heard of King Crimson? I seriously feel sorry for you.
@@froggy556 haha! i was jokin', it was for robert tripp~ hey bob!
@@froggy556 Subjective
Two people have scared the Hell out of me , whenever I've imagined meeting them on the street: My long-dead anal-compulsive-Germanic paternal Grandmother & Robert Fripp. After this, I'm only terrified of ever meeting Nanna Hallie again. Now I would love to spend an afternoon talking with Robert Fripp (Sure...like that's ever gonna happen)..
Articulate in music and speech.
Fabulous interview