Robert At Home.

[Arpangel]

Robert in a way kind of reminds me of my 1st and only Piano tutor.
No matter how hopeless I was then as a kid my elderly tutor would always find something genuinely encouraging to say to me in his gentle way.

There is a simple short phrase from Robert's 1979 Frippertronics utube video that was burned into me when I first saw it I think a decade earlier.

I’ve been in Fripp's presence a few times, and he does not tolerate fools gladly, as I was made aware, sometimes I do things that seem right, and he’s one of those people that can instantly point out that what you’re doing is a grave mistake, a mistake that a lot of people wouldn’t even have noticed, at the time.
I was also made aware, in no uncertain terms, that I was in the presence of more than a mere human being, great artists have this, a command, over everything they do, and a certain spirit, that emanates from them.

[tea for two]

I’ve been in Fripp's presence a few times, and he does not tolerate fools gladly ....

I was also made aware, in no uncertain terms, that I was in the presence of more than a mere human being, great artists have this, a command, over everything they do, and a certain spirit, that emanates from them.

Ah then Robert is different to my dear old Piano tutor lol.
My dear old Piano tutor in his gentle light hearted ways was right for me as a kid and still would be.

Although, many could not make music with such a person that "doesn't tolerate fools gladly."
I'd just chortle at Robert for getting so easily "triggered" as kids say nowadays.
I'd still respect his musicianship.

In musical collaborations it's important to be on same similar wavelength as persons : more important than being on same similar wavelength musically.

I agree any person naturaly gifted in any field from looking after animals to carpentry have a certain spirit evident.

[merlyn]

... I do believe he’s quite a religious person, so that may help.

Possibly not in the conventional sense. You may have noticed Fripp disappeared between about 1974 and 1979. During this time he was 'studying' with J.G. Bennett who was a disciple of G.I. Gurdjieff, Gurdjieff being most accurately described as a guru.

Fripp used to write a column for Guitar Player magazine called 'Guitar Craft', and it was completely different from the other columns. It would include advice like "Before we play sitting, we must practice sitting". There were also aphorisms, and one that I still remember is "Honour necessity. Honour sufficiency." That means we have to practice, but we can practice enough.

More than you could possibly want to know about Robert Fripp is online in the form of Fripp's Diary. The format of this, which can be like an uncensored brain dump, is as unconventional as his music. Is it an autobiography? No, but it could be material for a biography. No further interviews required as all the material is already there.

The ideas in Guitar Craft do seem to be influenced by Eastern philosophy, and Gurdjieff in particular.

[Arpangel]

... I do believe he’s quite a religious person, so that may help.

Possibly not in the conventional sense. You may have noticed Fripp disappeared between about 1974 and 1979. During this time he was 'studying' with J.G. Bennett who was a disciple of G.I. Gurdjieff, Gurdjieff being most accurately described as a guru.

Fripp used to write a column for Guitar Player magazine called 'Guitar Craft', and it was completely different from the other columns. It would include advice like "Before we play sitting, we must practice sitting". There were also aphorisms, and one that I still remember is "Honour necessity. Honour sufficiency." That means we have to practice, but we can practice enough.

More than you could possibly want to know about Robert Fripp is online in the form of Fripp's Diary. The format of this, which can be like an uncensored brain dump, is as unconventional as his music. Is it an autobiography? No, but it could be material for a biography. No further interviews required as all the material is already there.

The ideas in Guitar Craft do seem to be influenced by Eastern philosophy, and Gurdjieff in particular.

I was made aware of Gurdgieff after listening to "Hear Comes The Flood" from Fripp's Exposure album, it features the voice of J G Bennett, as you know.
I then explored all I could find about Bennett, which lead me to Gurdjieff.
Just listening to Bennett is therapeutic, I’ve studied Gurdjeiff over the years since then, and have come to absolutely no conclusions about him, apart from the fact that he may have been somewhat of a charlatan, highly unlikely, id like to believe, but you do have to wonder about some people, who tend to surround themselves with a aura of mystery, I understand the fundamentals of a lot of religions, and "cults" but Gurdjieff has always alluded me.

[merlyn]

A quote from Gurdjieff I remember is :

Fairness and decency? How can you expect fairness and decency from a world of sleeping people?

Updating that for the twenty first century, and more in line with what Robert Fripp is trying to get over is :

Fariness and decency? How can you expect fairness and decency from a world of slack jawed consumers?

[Arpangel]

A quote from Gurdjieff I remember is :

Fairness and decency? How can you expect fairness and decency from a world of sleeping people?

Updating that for the twenty first century, and more in line with what Robert Fripp is trying to get over is :

Fariness and decency? How can you expect fairness and decency from a world of slack jawed consumers?

How can you go into battle with a pea shooter, when everyone else is using automatic weapons.

Fairness? as my solicitor once said, doesn’t exist.

[Arpangel]

Pure gear porn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stZj7LyLxVU

Interesting he uses the iPad Mellotron, good choice, no point at all, in owning a hardware digital Mellotron.

[tea for two]

Marvelous thing about Robert is that at his age his fingers hands wrists are still flexible agile.

I'm thinking of investing in an EBow to get somewhere near to Robert's Frippertronics glide sound.

I know you said Guitar is a mystery to you.
Yet I feel if you can get an EBow and a Lap Steel Guitar, you might very well surprise yourself.

[FrankF]

I'm sure you know this already, but I'm pretty sure he uses a Fernandes sustainer on all his custom guitars. Never seen him use an Ebow, and he certainly didn't for Heroes, although, to bore on a bit more, Mick Ronson used an Ebow when HE played Heroes at some live gig or other (see YT).

I coveted one of the Schechter guitars with a Sustainiac pickup for quite a while, but to me, all the YT reviews of the Sustainiac sounded rather unsubtle, whereas with an Ebow you can control and modulate the sound in so many ways. It's an incredible tool...if you persevere.

[sonics]

You might also want to check out Steve Vai's use of the Sustainer. For another perspective, of course.

[Arpangel]

Marvelous thing about Robert is that at his age his fingers hands wrists are still flexible agile.

I'm thinking of investing in an EBow to get somewhere near to Robert's Frippertronics glide sound.

I know you said Guitar is a mystery to you.
Yet I feel if you can get an EBow and a Lap Steel Guitar, you might very well surprise yourself.

I was thinking of re-learning the piano, from scratch, doing the grades, and then going on to organ lessons, just for the sheer hell of it.
Then I looked at my swollen arthritic fingers, and thought no, get real, this is never going to happen, maybe in the next life.
Using an EBow isn’t Fripp’s style, it’s a bit like seeing Vladimir Ashkenazy strap on a Moog Liberation.

[sonics]

Using an EBow isn’t Fripp’s style, it’s a bit like seeing Vladimir Ashkenazy strap on a Moog Liberation.

...but Liberace with a Liberation? That I can imagine!