In honor of the recent release of an episode of Live From Darryl’s House featuring guitarist Robert Fripp, I thought I would offer this piece on Fripp’s years between versions of his King Crimson band, 1974-1980.
You know, I could probably sing or squawk (at anyone who asked me to) the entire solo of « Baby’s on Fire ». But of course like the twit that I can be, it wasn’t until now, reading this, that it ever occurred to me that it was Robert Fripp. Why is that? Maybe if asked, I’d have taken an educated guess, but I was never asked. The song is just so trance inducing that I never even pondered it.
LOL, Britta! I feel like Fripp was this weird prog guy from the weird prog band--because Crimson didn't have so much in common with popular prog bands like Yes or Genesis, and so people didn't really notice him even though they noticed his playing. I think he made an effort, for a while, to remain in the background. But I have to hand it to anyone who can squawk out his guitar solo vocally--I can, and do, frequently air guitar it, sitting quietly in a chair as Robert probably did during the recording session.
As far as the song goes, it's one of Eno's masterpieces of 'idiot energy.' All of the lyrics on Here Come the Warm Jets are just really fantastic. A great way to trance out!
This is fantastic, Marshall. If you had only said that Fripp was on a new episode of Daryl's House, that would have been enough to applaud, but to see the range of his artistic talents from that six-year period all in one place really puts exclamation points on what a fruitful, creatively boundless musician Fripp was then, and really, always.
I knew of all the projects but had never seen most of the video clips before (and still haven't - wanted to write this before I forgot; will watch the rest this weekend).
I guess it's just the two live clips, but what great ones they are! And I hadn't listened to "Under Heavy Manners" in decades, so fun to revisit that oddball track! Maybe Byrne's most unhinged vocal ever?
Thanks, Steve. I think sometimes it's easy to see the monolithic Crimson presence and forget about RG's contributions to modern pop&rock during this period.
Great! Fripp deserves to be recognised as one of the most original musician in rock and beyond
You know, I could probably sing or squawk (at anyone who asked me to) the entire solo of « Baby’s on Fire ». But of course like the twit that I can be, it wasn’t until now, reading this, that it ever occurred to me that it was Robert Fripp. Why is that? Maybe if asked, I’d have taken an educated guess, but I was never asked. The song is just so trance inducing that I never even pondered it.
LOL, Britta! I feel like Fripp was this weird prog guy from the weird prog band--because Crimson didn't have so much in common with popular prog bands like Yes or Genesis, and so people didn't really notice him even though they noticed his playing. I think he made an effort, for a while, to remain in the background. But I have to hand it to anyone who can squawk out his guitar solo vocally--I can, and do, frequently air guitar it, sitting quietly in a chair as Robert probably did during the recording session.
As far as the song goes, it's one of Eno's masterpieces of 'idiot energy.' All of the lyrics on Here Come the Warm Jets are just really fantastic. A great way to trance out!
This is fantastic, Marshall. If you had only said that Fripp was on a new episode of Daryl's House, that would have been enough to applaud, but to see the range of his artistic talents from that six-year period all in one place really puts exclamation points on what a fruitful, creatively boundless musician Fripp was then, and really, always.
I knew of all the projects but had never seen most of the video clips before (and still haven't - wanted to write this before I forgot; will watch the rest this weekend).
I guess it's just the two live clips, but what great ones they are! And I hadn't listened to "Under Heavy Manners" in decades, so fun to revisit that oddball track! Maybe Byrne's most unhinged vocal ever?
Yeah, David really lets it fly, there.
Thanks, Steve. I think sometimes it's easy to see the monolithic Crimson presence and forget about RG's contributions to modern pop&rock during this period.
Great look at what for most people would be a whole career!