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From: barth@tellab1.UUCP (Barth Richards)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Fred Frith and Robert Fripp
Message-ID: <647@tellab1.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Oct-85 13:42:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: tellab1.647
Posted: Thu Oct 17 13:42:12 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Oct-85 05:59:13 EDT
References: <1126@ritvp.UUCP> <277@weitek.UUCP> <1749@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Reply-To: barth@tellab1.UUCP (Barth Richards)
Followup-To: net.music
Distribution: net.music
Organization: Tellabs, Inc., Lisle, IL
Lines: 48
Keywords: Fripp, Frith

In article <73@mit-eddie.UUCP> nessus@mit-eddie.UUCP (Doug Alan) writes:

>> From: Barth Richards
>
>>>  [Me:] Clearly because they are all wrong!  The best guitarists are
>>>  Fred Frith and Robert Frip, and there can be *no* argument.
>
>> Don't let either one of them find out the other is ranked among the top
>> two guitarists in the world. Neither one is overly fond of the other.
>
>What are their gripes with one another?  One would think they'd each
>respect each other, in that they are both such innovators....

I'm not exactly sure what their gripes are. You're right though; one would
think that they would have mutual respect.

I think Fred's (Frith) gripe has to do with the fact that Robert (Fripp) seems
to take himself a bit too seriously. Despite the fact that Fripp is a
phenominal and inventive guitarist, you really can't deny that he does
sometimes seem to have gone over the edge. (e.g.<no pun intended> the back
cover of LET THE POWER FALL, where he defines the laws by which "systems"
operate. Whether you agree with the theories he expresses on this subject or
not, you would have to say that this seems a little out of place, i.e.
pretentious) on an album cover.

I think Fripp's gripe might have to do with not liking ANYONE who says that
he takes himself too seriously.

I think that Fred is a bit irritated with the British music press. When Robert
came out with THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN album the BMP thought it was less than
expected, and thought that Fred's album was fantastic. (I don't remember,
off-hand, which Frith came out at about the same time as THE L.O.G.) When it
came to publicity, however, the BMP lavished it on Fripp, with virtually none
going to Frith. So, I think that that might have added to the tension between
them.

Hope this helps to clear things up.  (Then again, it may not.)


				   Barth Richards
				   Tellabs, Inc.
				   Lisle, IL

				   "Our time has come, age of the hammerheads
				    This is our mission, to be the DALEKS
				    of God"
                                   -Shriekback, "Hammerheads"
				    from the album OIL AND GOLD