Robert Fripp or Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix was far more groundbreaking and influential but I prefer Fripp’s playing. Why do we have to compare?!?? It’s pointless. (I’m not a fan of polls as you might imagine)…..

Saperlipopette! wrote: Duddick wrote: Hendrix was far more groundbreaking and influential but I prefer Fripp’s playing. Why do we have to compare?!?? It’s pointless. (I’m not a fan of polls as you might imagine)….. If you think comparing is pointless and you're not a fan of polls in general, why not simply stay away from the poll-lounge?

Without getting into free will and determinism, I'd add that we don't have to compare. Still Duddick did compare the two before asking the why question.

^ I know. Just because we are asked to doesn't mean we have to. I find it kind of bemusing that someone compares the two then writes "Why do we have to compare?!?? It’s pointless."

Edited by Logan - December 23 2024 at 11:13

Head and discipline versus Heart and Intuition I would imagine both would have admiration for each other's different qualities and approach. For that reason i can't 'pick' one over the other.

Edited by Cosmiclawnmower - December 23 2024 at 12:57

Mellotron Storm wrote: It's pretty cool that they did meet once. Hendrix in England watching King Crimson live and sitting next to Fripp's sister's table. The label had asked Fripp to play standing like a normal guitarist which he had been doing, but this was the first show where he reverted back to sitting, and for good. I actually love the contrasting styles between these two legends. Fripp said when he met Hendrix after that show that Hendrix insisted in shaking his hand with his left because it was closer to his heart. Just too cool. I prefer Fripp's angular style and his soundscapes.

Jimi was ambidextrous but favored his left.

Jimi Hendrix was an unorthodox type of player. Several aspects to guitar as to be defined as methods ...evolving into rules...he broke. Certain positions of his fingering hand felt unnatural to guitar players . Certain showmanship standards he displayed on stage were not uncommon in the Southern States..such as playing guitar with your teeth.

His idea to emulate the sound of a police car siren ..perhaps in France..., his high pitched strings played with a fast motion on his whammy bar emulated the sound of a horse winnie....his high unbearable volumes where he produced the sounds of war combat...as such by emulating missles soaring and machine guns firing...and these ideas of experimentation were very unusual and unique for the times and for a few years many fine national guitarists were trying to figure out how he got those sounds. Mainly he depended on volume and a few stomp boxes. It was the way he played that lured most people in...regardless of sound effects ...it was him.

On 1983 ..A MERMAN I SHALL Be...with Chris Wood on flute..he has recorded sections of electric guitars playing backwards..They are not outright distorted but closer to clean. This is played underneath an odd improvisation played clean on a Fender Stratocaster. This style of playing creates a perfect backing for a story about Atlantis.

His improvisation on the Blues song "Bleeding Heart" from the CD CONCERTS ...( released by Alan Douglas)...sets an example of how he could play beautifully unique guitar.

On New Rays Of Rising Sun many of the songs were much darker than before. In a sense..you could compare a few of the songs to House Burning Down from Electric Ladyland..yet something was darker. "Astro Man", "In From The Storm" "Driftin", "Night Bird Flying" and others were different sounding from his other albums obviously because his mind being in a different place...a different mind set than before . It's unfortunate that he didn't live to finish thee album, but the Hendrix estate referenced a track listing order written by Hendrix and the album does in fact have a strange flow. Alan Dougless' Voodoo Soup covers this time period as well. It is decent...but I prefer Rising Sun.


Robert Fripp was more of a skilled player. Prime example would be his guitar playing on The Cheerful Insanity Of Giles, Giles, and Fripp. At that time he was able to play Paganini with the plectrum style. He was fast and clean.

From the very beginning of King Crimson's career he used tri tone intervals in a unique way. He made them sound off in the music of King Crimson. They immediately created a sinister sound. Robert Fripp tried many variations when using them. They sometimes sounded mysterious...other times aggressive.
They produced an eerie sound and that was combined with Pete Sinfield's lyrics which were sometimes bewitching.

Fripp is not a Blues guitarist or at least he wasn't in the early 70s and it was unfair for Collins, Burrell, and Wallace to have those expectations. In the case of Collins, Burrell, and Wallace taking over the band and trying to turn King Crimson into R&B was ridiculous. I've heard several live recordings from 72' where this is evident and obviously Fripp is just along for the ride...or finishing out the tour. His soloing over top of R&B is a shoe that doesn't fit. Fripp was not that KIND of guitarist. He had skill in Jazz, Classical, Folk and Rock...but he shouldn't have been forced to play a style of music that he possibly wasn't interested in and also not sounding as if he understood how to play it fluently.

He was very intricate and a fine writer as well. He kept expanding and eventually worked with Jamie Muir and Bill Bruford. Mostly based on improvisation...the music created atmosphere. Several pieces that he wrote between 72 and 74 were like extensions of each other. The Pieces " Red", Larks Tongues In Aspic, and Fracture are all reminiscent of each other in a loose way.



Edited by Jacob Schoolcraft - December 23 2024 at 17:35

Jacob Schoolcraft wrote: Jimi Hendrix was an unorthodox type of player. Several aspects to guitar as to be defined as methods ...evolving into rules...he broke. Certain positions of his fingering hand felt unnatural to guitar players . Certain showmanship standards he displayed on stage were not uncommon in the Southern States..such as playing guitar with your teeth. His idea to emulate the sound of a police car siren ..perhaps in France..., his high pitched strings played with a fast motion on his whammy bar emulated the sound of a horse winnie....his high unbearable volumes where he produced the sounds of war combat...as such by emulating missles soaring and machine guns firing...and these ideas of experimentation were very unusual and unique for the times and for a few years many fine national guitarists were trying to figure out how he got those sounds. Mainly he depended on volume and a few stomp boxes. It was the way he played that lured most people in...regardless of sound effects ...it was him. On 1983 ..A MERMAN I SHALL Be...with Chris Wood on flute..he has recorded sections of electric guitars playing backwards..They are not outright distorted but closer to clean. This is played underneath an odd improvisation played clean on a Fender Stratocaster. This style of playing creates a perfect backing for a story about Atlantis. His improvisation on the Blues song "Bleeding Heart" from the CD CONCERTS ...( released by Alan Douglas)...sets an example of how he could play beautifully unique guitar. On New Rays Of Rising Sun many of the songs were much darker than before. In a sense..you could compare a few of the songs to House Burning Down from Electric Ladyland..yet something was darker. "Astro Man", "In From The Storm" "Driftin", "Night Bird Flying" and others were different sounding from his other albums obviously because his mind being in a different place...a different mind set than before . It's unfortunate that he didn't live to finish thee album, but the Hendrix estate referenced a track listing order written by Hendrix and the album does in fact have a strange flow. Alan Dougless' Voodoo Soup covers this time period as well. It is decent...but I prefer Rising Sun. Robert Fripp was more of a skilled player. Prime example would be his guitar playing on The Cheerful Insanity Of Giles, Giles, and Fripp. At that time he was able to play Paganini with the plectrum style. He was fast and clean. From the very beginning of King Crimson's career he used tri tone intervals in a unique way. He made them sound off in the music of King Crimson. They immediately created a sinister sound. Robert Fripp tried many variations when using them. They sometimes sounded mysterious...other times aggressive. They produced an eerie sound and that was combined with Pete Sinfield's lyrics which were sometimes bewitching. Fripp is not a Blues guitarist or at least he wasn't in the early 70s and it was unfair for Collins, Burrell, and Wallace to have those expectations. In the case of Collins, Burrell, and Wallace taking over the band and trying to turn King Crimson into R&B was ridiculous. I've heard several live recordings from 72' where this is evident and obviously Fripp is just along for the ride...or finishing out the tour. His soloing over top of R&B is a shoe that doesn't fit. Fripp was not that KIND of guitarist. He had skill in Jazz, Classical, Folk and Rock...but he shouldn't have been forced to play a style of music that he possibly wasn't interested in and also not sounding as if he understood how to play it fluently. He was very intricate and a fine writer as well. He kept expanding and eventually worked with Jamie Muir and Bill Bruford. Mostly based on improvisation...the music created atmosphere. Several pieces that he wrote between 72 and 74 were like extensions of each other. The Pieces " Red", Larks Tongues In Aspic, and Fracture are all reminiscent of each other in a loose way.

Very different playing styles, but if forced I´ll pick Hendrix.

^indeed !

During the golden age of Rock many fine Rock guitarists became internationally known through radio, television,concerts..and sales. This particular time period seemed to grasp Rock music in the mid 1960s and possibly in 1965 with The Yardbirds and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The Blues Rock style was an important ingredient in the early 70s as well.

BB King and Buddy Guy were both aggressive players in the Blues . Chicago Blues was sometimes loud and grand sounding with a horn section. Mike Bloomfield's Electric Flag traveled that path...the band Chicago, B.S.& T., Chase and others.

Folk Rock was popular at that time and most guitarist in Rock during the golden age of Rock combined Folk, Jazz, Blues ( Delta & Chicago), Rock n' Roll and sometimes Classical...and additionally playing nylon string, steel string, 12 string, either by fingerpicking or strumming alongside playing electric guitar in a Rock style with sustain and or heavy distortion.

A list of guitar players from that time period:

Jimi Hendrix
Mike Bloomfield
Eric Clapton
Jeff Beck
Jimmy Page
Paul Kossoff
Terry Kath
Carlos Santana
Alvin Lee
Rory Gallagher
Albert Lee
Peter Green
Jeremy Spencer
Danny Kirwan
Duane Allman
Johnny Winter
Ritchie Blackmore
Tony McFee
Peter Haycock
Kim Simmonds
April Lawton
Shuggie Otis
Andy Powell
Ted Turner

What made them all sound unique and different from each other? My belief is that the uniqueness can be attributed to how Rock Music was being attached to other styles of music. Again...that alone opened up new ideas. Many Rock bands had ideas for Rock Music and consequently most of these ideas were new and had not been invented before....or revealed in Rock n' Roll of the 1950s for example. The Ventures were influential in inspiring a new generation of kids to want to pick up a guitar..Their covers of Sci-Fi themes inspired many British guitarists to write quirky and unusual Rock songs but with heavy distortion.

In the 1980s the term "shredder" became popular. Van Halen,Randy Rhodes, and Steve Vai ( for example).. had similarities imo. The technique and the gymnastics were a repeat of techniques used on guitar then instead of combining different styles of music with Rock . It seemed less creative to me. When compared to the 60s and early 70s it felt like a redundancy. Even though Stevie Ray Vaughn brought back some of that momentum in the 80s...it wasnt possible for guitar players to be challenged by music like they were from 65' to 73' and mainly because of demands from record executives.







Edited by Jacob Schoolcraft - December 25 2024 at 18:36