Fripp began playing guitar at the age of eleven. He says he was tone-deaf with no sense of rhythm when he started. His comment on dealing with the obstacle is "Music so wishes to be heard that it sometimes calls on unlikely characters to give it voice".
Being taught guitar basics by his teacher Don Strike, it was the time when he developed the technique of crosspicking, which would later become a significant technique taught in Guitar Craft.
In 1984, Fripp began using the New Standard Tuning, which would also become the official tuning of Guitar Craft.
Fripp is left-handed, but plays a right-handed guitar.
Fripp's earliest professional work began in 1967, when he responded to an ad looking for a singing organist for a band being formed by bassist Peter Giles and drummer Michael Giles, despite being neither a singer nor an organist. Though unsuccessful as a live act, Giles, Giles and Fripp did manage to release two singles, as well as an album, The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp.
Following the band's breakup, Fripp, along with drummer Michael Giles, made plans for the formation of King Crimson in 1968, with Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield and Ian McDonald. Their first album, In the Court of the Crimson King, was released in late 1969, to mixed critical reviews. Due to musical differences with Giles and McDonald, King Crimson broke up shortly after the release of the first album, to be re-formed again several times over the years. Initially, Fripp had offered to leave the group; however Giles and McDonald felt that King Crimson was his. To date, Robert Fripp has remained the only consistent member of the band. Crimson went through a number of line-ups before Fripp disbanded the group for the first time in 1974.
During King Crimson's less active periods, Fripp has pursued a number of side-projects. He worked with Keith Tippett (and others who appeared on King Crimson records) on projects far from rock music, producing Septober Energy in 1971 and Ovary Lodge in 1973. During this period he also worked with Van der Graaf Generator, playing on the 1970 album H to He, Who Am the Only One, and in 1971, on Pawn Hearts. Collaborating with Brian Eno, he recorded No Pussyfooting in 1972 and Evening Star in 1974. These two albums featured experimentation with several novel musical techniques, including a tape delay system utilizing dual reel to reel Revox tape machines that would come to play a central role in Fripp's later work. This system came to be known as "Frippertronics". Fripp and Eno also played several live shows in Europe in 1975.
Fripp spent some time away from the music industry in the later 1970s, during which he cultivated an interest in the teachings of Gurdjieff via J.G. Bennett (studies which would later be influential in his work with Guitar Craft). He returned to musical work as a studio guitarist on Peter Gabriel's first self-titled album in 1976, released the following year. Fripp toured with Gabriel to support the album, but remained in the wings and used the pseudonym "Dusty Rhodes". [1]
In 1977, Fripp received a phone call from Eno, who was working on David Bowie's album "Heroes". Fripp agreed to play guitar for the album, a move which initiated a series of collaborations with other musicians. Fripp soon contributed his musical and production talents to Peter Gabriel's second album, and collaborated with Daryl Hall on Sacred Songs. During this period, Fripp began working on solo material, with contributions from poet/lyricist Joanna Walton and several other musicians, including Eno, Gabriel, and Hall, as well as Peter Hammill, Jerry Marotta, Phil Collins, Tony Levin and Terre Roche. This material eventually became his first solo album, Exposure, released in 1979, followed by the Frippertronics tour in the same year. While living in New York, Fripp contributed to albums and live performances by Blondie and Talking Heads (Fear of Music), and produced The Roches' first album, which featured several of Fripp's characteristic guitar solos. A second set of creative sessions with David Bowie produced distinctive guitar parts on Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980).
Fripp's collaboration with bassist Busta Jones, drummer Paul Duskin, and vocals by David Byrne (Byrne credited as Absalm el Habib) produced God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners in the following year. He simultaneously assembled what he called a "second-division touring new wave instrumental dance band" under the name League of Gentlemen, with bassist Sara Lee, keyboardist Barry Andrews and drummer Johnny Toobad (later replaced by Kevin Wilkinson) . The LOG toured for the duration of 1980.
In the early 1990s Fripp contributed guitar/soundscapes to Lifeforms (1994) by The Future Sound of London and Cydonia (released 2001) by The Orb, as well as FFWD, a collaborative effort with the latter's members. In addition, Fripp worked with Brian Eno co-writing and supplying guitar to two tracks for a CD-ROM project released in 1994 entitled Headcandy created by Chris Juul and Doug Jipson. Eno thought the visual aspects of the disc (video feedback effects) were very disappointing upon completion, and regretted participation. During this period, Fripp also contributed to albums by No-Man (a band featuring Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson) and The Beloved (1994's Flowermouth and 1996's X, respectively).
1981 saw the formation of King Crimson's fourth incarnation, along with Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, and Tony Levin. The group was conceptualized under the name "Discipline," but it came to Fripp's attention that the members thought the name King Crimson was more appropriate. For Fripp, King Crimson had always been a way of doing things, rather than a particular group of musicians, and the group felt that their music captured that methodology. After releasing three albums, this new King Crimson broke up in 1984.
During this period Fripp made two records with his old friend Andy Summers of the Police. On I Advance Masked, Fripp and Summers played all the instruments. Bewitched was more dominated by Summers, who produced the record and collaborated with other musicians in addition to Fripp.
In 1982 Fripp produced and played guitar on the Keep On Doing album by The Roches. Similar to his previous guesting on David Bowie's Scary Monsters (which also boasted Pete Townshend and Chuck Hammer on infinite sustain guitar), the "skysaw" guitar style which characterized this period of Fripp's pedagogy is featured alongside the sisters' songs and harmony.
Fripp was offered a teaching position at the American Society for Continuous Education (ASCE) in Claymont Court, West Virginia in 1984. He had been involved with the ASCE since 1978, eventually serving on its board of directors, and had long been considering the idea of teaching guitar. His course, Guitar Craft, was begun in 1985, one of the results of which was a performance group, "The League of Crafty Guitarists," which has released several albums. In 1986, he released the first of two collaborations with his wife, Toyah Willcox. The members of the California Guitar Trio are former members of The League of Crafty Guitarists, and Gitbox Rebellion includes several former Guitar Craft students. The California Guitar Trio has also toured with King Crimson.
Fripp returned to recording solo in 1994, using an updated version of the Frippertronics technique that employed digital technology instead of tapes to create loops. Fripp released a number of records that he called "Soundscapes," including 1999, Radiophonics, A Blessing of Tears, That Which Passes, November Suite, and The Gates of Paradise. (Pie Jesu consists of material compiled from A Blessing of Tears and The Gates of Paradise.) On the Soundscapes recordings, the inner workings of the music are not as clearly laid bare as they are on Let the Power Fall, perhaps due to the greater possibilities offered by the new technology.
Fripp's collaborations with David Sylvian feature some of his most exuberant guitar playing. Fripp contributed to Sylvian's twenty minute track "Steel Cathedrals" from his Alchemy - An Index Of Possibilities album of 1985. Then Fripp performed on several tracks from Sylvian's 1986 release, Gone To Earth.
At some point in late 1991, Fripp had asked Sylvian to become the vocalist for the reforming King Crimson. Sylvian declined the invitation, but proposed a possible collaboration between the two that would eventually become a tour of Japan and Italy in the spring of 1992. In July of 1993, Sylvian and Fripp released the collaborative effort The First Day. Other contributors were soon-to-be King Crimson member Trey Gunn on stick and nearly-was King Crimson member Jerry Marotta on drums. When the group toured to promote the CD, future King Crimson member Pat Mastelotto took over the drumming spot. The live document Damage was released in 1994, as was the joint venture, Redemption - Approaching Silence, which featured Sylvian's ambient sound sculptures (Approaching Silence) accompanying Fripp reading his own text (Redemption).
In late 1994, Fripp re-formed the 1981 lineup of King Crimson for its fifth incarnation, adding Trey Gunn and drummer Pat Mastelotto in a configuration known as the "double trio". This lineup released Thrak in 1995.
From 1997 to 1999, and again in 2006, the band King Crimson "fraKctalised" into five sub-groups known as ProjeKcts.
2000 saw the release of a studio album, The ConstruKction of Light, from a sixth lineup of King Crimson (Fripp, Adrian Belew, Trey Gunn, Pat Mastelotto) with The Power to Believe following in 2003.
In March of 2004, a seventh lineup had been formulated and practiced with Tony Levin returning to replace Trey Gunn. This permutation of King Crimson has yet to release an album or perform live. A likely "fortieth anniversary lineup" has been discussed as well. Members of this lineup and more precise formation dates have yet to be officially announced.
During 2004, Fripp toured with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai as the guitar trio G3.
Robert Fripp worked at Microsoft's studios to record new sounds and atmospheres for Windows Vista.[2][3]
In late 2005 and early 2006, Fripp joined Bill Rieflin's improvisational Slow Music project, along with guitarist Peter Buck, Fred Chalenor (acoustic bass), Matt Chamberlain (drum kit) and Hector Zazou (electronics). This collective of musicians toured the west coast in May of 2006.
In October 2006, ProjeKct Six (Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew) played at select venues on the east coast of the U.S.[2], opening for Porcupine Tree.
Fripp has contributed soundscapes to two songs for Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet. He is featured on the tracks "Way Out Of Here" and "Nil Recurring", the second of which was released in September 2007 as part of the "Nil Recurring" EP.
Robert Fripp of King Crimson is presently at odds with Last.FM, and has undertaken a prolonged series of actions against the company, and this website. Currently, he has:
- disallowed any of his music from being streamed
- disallowed any images from being posted (especially album art)
- disallowed this page to show up in search.
He has pursued similar restrictions against many other websites and companies violation of copyright, with many new restrictions still pending. These events and how people feel about them (including Fripp himself) are well-documented on this and other sites, and so this summary of recent events is a legitimate, relevant, and current dimension of the history of this musician (and thus a dispassionate, noteworthy portion of Fripp’s bio).
Fripp keeps an online diary at DGMLive
Brightness Falls
Robert Fripp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hate to go
Don`t leave me alone with this sorrow
The body`s heavy
The getting`s slow
Lost in moments
Caught in moments
The night is starless
And I need you by my side
Baby, baby
I love you so
Don`t leave me alone in this hollow
When brightness falls
Who`ll come running?
When brightness falls
Who`ll come running in?
Saved by silence
Save by noise
Save by lightning
Saved by joy
Building on emptiness
And all you broken hearted people
Baby, Baby
The hurt heals slow
And who can believe in tomorrow?
When brightness falls
Who`ll come running?
When brightness falls
Who`ll come running in?
The ticket`s exploded
Only one way out
Live in lightness
Lost in lightness
There`s nothing left to write about
And time`s no longer
The greatest injustice of all
On this new day
The lyrics to Robert Fripp & David Sylvian's song "Brightness Falls" convey a sense of loss, longing, and uncertainty. The singer expresses their feelings of sadness and desperation, pleading with their loved one not to leave them alone with their sorrow. The use of repetition in the first few lines highlights the singer's desperation and fear of being abandoned. They feel lost and caught in moments, unable to move forward or find direction.
As the song continues, the theme of uncertainty becomes more prominent. The singer questions who will be there for them when "brightness falls," or when things get difficult. This line could be a metaphor for any challenging situation, whether it be emotional or physical. The use of the word "running" suggests a hurried and urgent response, adding to the overall sense of panic and fear.
The song ends on a somewhat hopeless note, with the singer acknowledging the futility of trying to escape their pain. The line "there's nothing left to write about" suggests a sense of finality, as if the singer has nothing left to say or do. The final line, "time's no longer the greatest injustice of all," implies that the singer has come to accept their pain as an inherent part of life.
Overall, "Brightness Falls" is a deeply emotional and introspective song that explores themes of loss, love, and uncertainty. The repetition of certain lines and the use of metaphor and imagery add depth and complexity to the lyrics, inviting the listener to contemplate their own experiences of pain and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, baby
Addressing a loved one affectionately
I hate to go
Reluctance to part ways
Don`t leave me alone with this sorrow
Fear of loneliness and sadness
The body`s heavy
Feeling of burden and exhaustion
The getting`s slow
Experiencing a slow and difficult progress in life
Lost in moments
Being caught up in life's experiences
Caught in moments
Being stuck in certain experiences
The night is starless
Feeling of darkness and emptiness
And stands below
Emphasizing the surrounding emptiness
And I need you by my side
Expressing need for companionship
Baby, baby
Addressing a loved one affectionately
I love you so
Expression of love
Don’t leave me alone in this hollow
Fear of loneliness and emptiness
When brightness falls
Reference to experiencing hard times
Who`ll come running?
Questioning who will provide support
Saved by silence
Finding solace in being quiet
Save by noise
Finding solace in being loud
Save by lightning
Finding solace in sudden occurrences
Saved by joy
Finding solace in happiness
Building on emptiness
Attempting to find purpose after feeling lost
And all you broken hearted people
Addressing people who are struggling in life
Baby, Baby
Addressing a loved one affectionately
The hurt heals slow
Realizing that emotional pain takes time to heal
And who can believe in tomorrow?
Feeling uncertain about the future
When brightness falls
Reference to experiencing hard times
Who`ll come running?
Questioning who will provide support
When brightness falls
Reference to experiencing hard times
Who`ll come running in?
Questioning who will provide support during hard times
The ticket`s exploded
Loss of direction or hope
Only one way out
Feeling trapped with limited options
Live in lightness
Encouragement to find happiness in life
Lost in lightness
Feeling of being completely immersed in happiness
There`s nothing left to write about
Feeling like there's nothing more to share
And time`s no longer
Feeling like time has lost its value
The greatest injustice of all
Feeling like time is unfair
On this new day
Starting anew with hope
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
gelu batir
David Sylvian / The First Day TRACKS - 00:00 God's Monkey 5:01
05:01 Jean The Birdman 4:10
09:11 Firepower 10:27
19:39 Brightness Falls 6:06
25:46 20th Century Dreaming (A Shaman's Song) 11:53
37:39 Darshan (The Road To Graceland) 17:18
54:58 Bringing Down The Light 8:31 Personnel and production -
David Sylvian – vocals, guitars, keyboard instruments, tapes
Robert Fripp – guitar, Frippertronics
Trey Gunn – chapman stick, vocals
Jerry Marotta – drums, percussion instruments
Marc Anderson – percussion
David Bottrill – treatments, sampled percussion, computer programming, engineer
Ingrid Chavez – vocals FROM GELU BATIR, Romania, Ramnicu Valcea Town, march, 2022
Trevor Sanders
I was privileged enough to see this album performed live at the royal Albert hall. It is a concert I will never forget.
TheAnjunabeast
Bringing Down the Light. Masterpiece.
Nelson Fundamento
that landscape...so Sylvian or Eno
Maurice Kiely
@Nelson Fundamento ah, no. Pure Frippertronics.
rod rosco
FirePower is the best song on this album...and 20th century dreaming a close 2nd...imo
Tim Robinson-Ayer
There are more tracks from these sessions that didn't make the album. Some were b-sides to singles and some were done in concert only.
Valentine Silvansky
Just discovered this album today. Damn, it's really great! King Crimson from parallel universe where David accepted Fripp's offer would be fantastic!
David Lazarus
Love this album! Thanks for posting! I've got it on CD, but it's currently sitting in one of many boxes with most of my other CDs. I like the Hendrix feel to some of these songs.
Hawaiian Eye
I have various Sylvian/Japan albums...but I've never even heard this one. Superb as ever. The Tool reference was intriguing...
gelu batir
David Sylvian / The First Day TRACKS - 00:00 God's Monkey 5:01
05:01 Jean The Birdman 4:10
09:11 Firepower 10:27
19:39 Brightness Falls 6:06
25:46 20th Century Dreaming (A Shaman's Song) 11:53
37:39 Darshan (The Road To Graceland) 17:18
54:58 Bringing Down The Light 8:31 Personnel and production -
David Sylvian – vocals, guitars, keyboard instruments, tapes
Robert Fripp – guitar, Frippertronics
Trey Gunn – chapman stick, vocals
Jerry Marotta – drums, percussion instruments
Marc Anderson – percussion
David Bottrill – treatments, sampled percussion, computer programming, engineer
Ingrid Chavez – vocals FROM GELU BATIR, Romania, Ramnicu Valcea Town, march, 2022