“I don't think Jimi Hendrix was a guitarist. Eric Clapton is excessively tedious.” Robert Fripp on the shortcomings of his 1960s contemporaries — and the one guitarist he thought was fun

Guitar Player ^ | 7/10 | Phil Weller

[larrytown]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

[Disambiguator]

I saw KC in concert in June, 1984, right before Bruford left to do other things. Great show.

The opening act was juggler Ray Jason, who was well known on Pier 39 back in the day. I also saw him with Shields and Yarnell at a show at De Anza college, probably in the late 70s.

[Gene Eric]

to me Hendrix was an amazing artist & performer, not unlike Waters being the same. Neither Hendrix’s guitar playing nor Waters’ singing were, in my opinion, virtuosic

[plain talk]

I have followed Fripp since the 60s and respect some of his work but not all of it. Much of it is tedious. But to each his own. But i did really love some of it while ignoring much of it.

Fripp is an odd bird and i am not surprised he had no use for blues rock pioneers like Hendrix and Clapton. He was way outside the box so he never understood them.

[Gene Eric]

in contrast, someone like Guthrie Govan is a virtuoso

[crusty old prospector]

How did he feel about Tiny Tim?

[Dr. Sivana]

Every interview I have ever read with Robert Fripp makes me think he is often being tongue-in-cheek, rather post-modern/deconstructionist. Driven by what? Nihilism? I do not know.

I am not sure how the inventor of Frippertronics can call Eric Clapton (of whom I am NOT a fan) tedious.

Sometimes, I get the feeling he is just putting us on, as in the “Drive to 1983”, where he doesn’t state what the point of it is, and the music doesn’t tell us. And he doesn’t tell us. Perhaps it is a mockery of other drives.

So, he is a talented guitarist, but I think like a lot of the modern art guys he doesn’t take the art (by his own admission, really) or much of anything, seriously. Instead, he seems to mock almost everything in that dry English way.

He sounds fine on Bowie’s “Scary Monsters” LP.

[paulcissa]

in contrast, someone like Guthrie Govan is a virtuoso

Guthrie has developed something many guitarists seem to lack..the guys just a natural with his instrument no matter what genre he’s playing. Been fortunate to see him play with Steve Wilson a few times and never disappointed.

[doorgunner69]

Once I heard Leo Kottke, stopped listening to rock guitars until mark Knopfler came along.

[Gene Eric]

and he’s incredibly modest and grateful

I believe the Aristocrats are still touring

[dljordan]

“I think the guitar is a pretty feeble instrument”

Stevie Ray Vaughan. Bite my Southern ass.

[right way right]

I think Jeff Beck was the best guitar player in the world especially when he played like Jeff Beck.

[dljordan]

“Once I heard Leo Kottke, stopped listening to rock guitars until mark Knopfler came along.”

Heard Kottke in Nashville. Damn that guy could play.

[Hyman Roth]

Damn. Fripp is so good I’ve never heard of him. He comes across as an ass.

[sopo]

I think he could have reached his true expression on the bongos.

[lee martell]

Lol! Well, now, that certainly brought me back down to earth!
From the sublime to....

Tiny Tim might have turned the noble Ukulele into part of his goofy stage act, but Robert Smith gave it dignity once again on his piece “Pictures Of You”.

[Leaning Right]

Everyone has their own opinion. But from what I can recall, the best guitarist of that era was Bugs Bunny.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

I think in a very Fripp-like way, he's actually complimenting Hendrix as being more than a guitar player. Which would be consistent with how often Fripp himself has sometimes disparaged his chosen instrument.

[Yardstick]

His wife Toyah is a total ham and totally owns the stage in this Black Sabbath cover (with Robert on guitar):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxbX0XOEApU&list=RDNE6AgfQfflE&index=2

I wouldn’t have thought a woman her age could do Sabbath justice, but, amazingly, she does.