Fred Frith - Profile

  by David McNamee

published: 11 / 5 / 2002

intro

One of the leading avant garde composers, Fred Frith has recently re-released two CDs, 'Gravity' and "Accidental'. David McNamee profiles them both.

I’ve read the sleeve notes over and over again trying to decipher some hidden clue I’m convinced must be there to unlock the meaning of this, well, fucking weird music. 'Gravity' was recorded in the late 70s, and 'Accidental' twenty years later. 'Accidental' was apparently a specially commissioned piece for an Israeli dance company, although frankly, to dance to this you’re going to first have to be completely insane and secondly have more limbs than brain cells. 'Gravity' sounds a bit like your grandparents collection of 78’s smashed up and glued back together in the wrong order, then performed note for note by transsexual Mexican Monkees impersonators. This is probably what Nurse With Wound thinks he’s been doing throughout his entire career BUT HE’D BE WRONG. I’ve just listened to it again and I’m pretty sure Fred didn’t mean for the music to sound like this. He probably thinks he’s like Bert Weedon or something.

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