Who the hell does Robert Fripp think he is?

He’s the serious leader of King Crimson, a hugely influential guitarist and one half of the playful Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch series, but who is the real Robert Fripp? In an often candid interview, the guitar hero sits down with Prog for the very first time to muse over his lengthy career so far, the collaborations that helped make him the master of Frippertronics and his plans for the future, which include several books and even a spoken-word tour.

Words: Sid Smith

Robert Fripp is addressing a room of around 25 or so attendees at a Guitar Craft course in the summer of 1998. Held in an old educational establishment in Alfeld, Germany, the windows are open, allowing a breeze carrying birdsong to accompany his gentle tones. He’s talking about the importance of understanding what your aim is when undertaking something; if you can state what it is that you want to do, clearly and simply, then you’re halfway to achieving it. Later in the course, aspirant guitarists of various degrees of ability ranging from the fluent to the fumbling meet with Fripp in smaller groups where, among other things, he takes time to look at how each individual is holding their pick. Finding that all hands are far too tense and thus…

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Prog (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 132

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