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Looper's Delight
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While I'm not always 100% happy with everything that's been coming out of KC the past few years (Loved The Construktion of Light while the next one seemed mostly lame... I can't even remember it's name) I have to say that over all, if there's one man who's avoided the Sting/Phil Collins trap, it would be Robert Fripp. Mark --- goddard.duncan@mtvne.com wrote: > here's a bit of an exchange between a "fan" & mr > fripp himself from eleven years ago. I've dug this > up for the benefit of anyone who might imagine that > I just go around making unfounded assertions about > fripp & his career. this will serve to illustrate > the criticisms I alluded to but which I was not > myself directly making. > duncan. > Date: Fri, 4 Mar 94 13:01:36 GMT > > From: Toby Howard <toby at cs dot man dot ac dot uk> > > Subject: An open letter to Robert, and his response > > > > Robert has sent some correspondence he's exchanged > with a number of people, > > for inclusion in the newsletter. Here's an open > letter to him published in > > "Input" magazine, followed by his response. > > > > Toby > > > > ******************** > > > > > > OPEN LETTER TO ROBERT FRIPP > > > > I've been a big fan of King Crimson for many, many > years and like a lot of > > other people, the unpredictability of the music is > why I enjoyed it. > > > > But now I hear you are reforming the band yet once > again (goodl) and you ar > > using Adrian Belew and Tony Levin (bad!) in the > "new" lineup. I'm sorry if > > I step on some toes here, but your collaborations > with these guys have > > already been thoroughly exhausted LONG ago. I > realize the 80s version of > > the band was exploring minimalism but that doesn't > mean you need to get > > REDUNDANT. > > > > "Beat" and "Three Of A Perfect Pair" were > contractual obligations and > > though they had their (few) moments, they just took > the music from > > "Discipline" and beat it to death. So it baffles me > why you would reform > > the group in this format. > > > > Also the new band is to include Trey Gunn who may be > a nice guy but quite > > frankly has little to offer. I saw him play solo > chapman stick and SURPRISE > > he played it EXACTLY like Tony Levin on "Discipline" > (as do most Chapstick > > players) . And as a student of yours, he has shown > himself to be a fine > > CLONE but free of any originality. And Jerry Marotta > does not have a > > reputation as the most creative drummer in town, so > I question your desire > > to work with him. > > > > I understand that you are putting the band together > to make some quick cash > > to pay your bills but the reality is that lf you > toured under the name "Kin > > Crimson" with a group of completely obscure > musicians, you'd still draw a > > huge crowd especially since Crimson has had such a > wide influence on so > > many different genres and music fans. So I do not > comprehend why you are > > playing it VERY safe and going with the > tried-and-true (albeit talented) > > Belew and Levin. > > > > Certainly there are plenty of musicians you can work > with that would make > > for a more compelling lineup. From Fred Frith to > Vinnie Coliatu (?) there > > are lots of creative musicians to choose from in > both the rock and > > avantjazz worlds. Many current rock bands are trying > to cover some of the > > ground you forged, such as The Jesus Lizard, Primus > and so on. Surely you > > could ask around and try out some fresh blood, Or > move back to New York > > City because there is a lot of amazingly inventive > and skilled musicians in > > the Downtown scene who've arrived since you left. > > > > Plus with the conservativeness shown by your lineup > choices, I'm afraid you > > won't tackle anything but that 80s sound you already > produced. I'd like to > > see you subvert the very technical speed metal or > industrial metal that > > arose after the last Crimson disbanded, Everything > from goth music to house > > has learned a bit and could learn a lot more from > Crimson. With some new > > blood, you could subvert hip-hop and techno > structures, or the recent > > reemergence of funk and other very rhythmic musics, > You could really kick > > the crap out of world beat, new age, grunge, or > modern classical stuff. > > You could even get into the "unplugged" sweepstakes. > But nooooooooooooo. > > You just want to rehash? > > > > Wake me up when YOU wake up. CX Brodeur 63 > Pitt St #5f, NYC 10002 > > > > ***************************** > > > > Robert's response: > > > > January 22nd. 1994. > > Input, > > GFTPM, > > PO Box 1490, > > === message truncated ===