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RE: Robert Fripp's Radiophonics and A Blessing of Tears



This thread is starting to get fun...now I see lots of detours and
tangents....

---
Eric Williamson wrote:

> btw, i'd like to know what "stereotypical synth ambient" music is,
because i ain't heard NOTHIN' like those Fripp albums.  Ciani, Rich, 
Roach, Vir Unis ... none of those people sound like Bob.

By stereotypical ambient music I mean the predominance of textures,
chords, layers of strung out tones, etc.  I'm not saying Fripp's CDs
fall into the ambient genre per se, because I admire anyone who
improvises in real time and I think this aspect of his works set them
aside from most ambient music, but there are common sonic elements in
those two CDs and the majority of ambient sound clips I hear.   I mean,
how many thousands of songs out there start with an upwelling string
like pad or synth patch and start to layer similar tones and textures.
One has to admit that this is not an entirely innovative technique,
regardless of who is doing it. I'm not going to bow down to a set of CDs
just because it is live Fripp.  I'm going to compare his music with the
rest of the music out there, and in that respect I don't hear anything
original or inspiring (to me).  Like Ted said, each to his own...I
simply find most of the songs on those soundscapes CD boring, mainly
because I've heard that style of playing used so much. It seems overused
to me.  Good grief, am I the only only here that notices this?  What if
some unknown guy came out and did this? What he get as much attention as
Fripp?  

> yes, i have seen a soundscapes show. Chicago in 1998 i think. it was a

great evening. an hour or 90 minutes of music, and an hour of Q&A.

Q&A is cool.  I would like to have been there for that.

> btw, you seem to be echoing alot of comments in reviews of G3 shows 
this summer:
http://www.satriani.com/perl/2004/review-show-all?by=gig&key=236

Interesting. I see them, such as ""First Robbert Fripp performed. I must
say, I wasen't impressed at all. Sorry, but to me it seemed as he was
playing a keyboard". But of course, I seeing a lot of "shreaders" listed
like Malmsteem, John Pattucci, Malcalpine, Vai...good grief, from
texured soundscapes to this...that seems like night and day. When I was
19, I would have loved the shreaders....now Fripp would have been my
favorite hands down.  That seems like an unfair lineup for Fripp.  

Moreover, playing scales and arpeggios at mind numbing speeds is no more
interesting to me than playing chords and textures for 10 minutes
straight.  But I guess it is all about the intention of the artist.  If
an artist intends X, and plays X, but I happen to not like the sound of
X, the artist has still accomplished his goal successfully. And not
liking X does not entail not appreciating X, for I certainly appreciate
and understand what Fripp is trying to get across. 

********************************* 
Krispen Hartung 
http://www.krispenhartung.com 
info@krispenhartung.com




---
Eric Williamson
www.suitandtieguy.com