fred frith & camel zekri Luz 2005

[CraftyGtrist]

I performed in a show that Frith was on the bill for as well... his performance wasnt much different than this... just more feedback. I wont say I havent heard him play better (on a few recordings), but he just isnt THAT great... Within Improvisation this technique can be appropriate, but what hes doing has little or no relationship with the other performer (pretty directionless) who sounds interesting... too bad.

[CroissantOrange]

Why spend thousands of hours practicing when you can make random noise on the guitar and get to be called a professional. FUck this shit.

[gadammit69]

It sounds like Fred Frith is trying to sabotage the music Camel Zekri is making throughout the entire song.

[Prattinator999]

this would pretty cool without that FUCKING scraping noise starting at @3:47

[quercusrobur2002]

@TouchingYou I saw the mighty Fred Frith with Henry Cow a few times back in the late 1970s and he is indeed a blinding player, not only the improv stuff where he completely re-invents the instrument, but can also play a pretty blistering 'conventional' solo, check out the solo on 'Beautiful As The Moon...' that sounds remarkably like Robert Fripp circa Starless and Bible Black era.

[Skelidude]

All tension no release..load of Bollox..sounds like 'bring in an instrument day' at the Mental Home..

[gadammit69]

@Skelidude ROFL so agree.

[jazztitch]

Frith shows no technique and precious little musical awareness. Zekri plays well although his vocab over this drone is pretty much in the McLaughlin mode of In A Silent Way. It's ok. The notion of art as suffering that entitles every Tom, Dick and Harry to bore us to death has got a lot answer for.

[TouchingYou]

@jazztitch Frith has more technique (and techniques) than almost any guitarist ever.

did you hear the Beatles "revolution #9" and dismiss that band as ordinary musique concrete?

[mat696999]

Dear XrasenX, i know, the sun is a yellow circle and the earth is a large flat surface with a big hole in it called the sea, and the water is BLUE, the wind is made of a big fan and you have to play a guitar like it was drawn on a paper. oops, the paper is soaked, what i'm doing now????

[mat696999]

fred frith knows the possibilities and extended techniques of the guitar and the sounds and music in general more than the majority of the people on earth. He can compose and play and conduct amazingly melodious stuff, and people who hates him or criticize him knows nothing about music. oh well yes maybe you can play guitar very fast or you know some theory or play in a really cool band.......but fred frith he is pulling his innerself thru his instrument. this is called making MUSIC.

[1PurpleElephant]

@mat696999 I agree and appreciate your appreciation of appreciation deserving music and inner self extraction via instrument....

[XRasenX]

@mat696999 Cmon, music is to be heard, not to be seen, and when you hear some improvisation of this guy, you dont see someone pulling his innerself through his instrument, you hear noise

[BennyGaberMusic]

@XRasenX seriously try to hear this in a different approach! Or maybe try to put yourself in his place! He's just following a an empty road! he has a complete blank mind,

[zthetha]

As guitarists don't we all do this sort of stuff when we are bored and can't think of anything better to do... or am I a genius as well?

[nblBer]

haha he gets all his credit for being the first one to officially release this sort of stuff

[Atttacca]

@nblBer sorry, but no. learn your history.

[nblBer]

don't worry, i know.

it was a joke for a guy who said that everyone does this stuff when bored.

[TouchingYou]

@zthetha Frith can outplay any one like a Hendrix, but he gets bored by the cliches of the instrument. Granted, THIS improv here is pretty weak. (That's the risk of improv.) You need to hear more of his stuff. He's actually one of the greatest guitarists ever and more innovative / creative than most too. See him LIVE if you ever get the chance.

[zthetha]

@TouchingYou Hi - thanks for comment - I will look at more of Fred's work - I would like to hear him play 'properly' as well. This stuff might sound interesting to some but it really is just messing about in the hope that something remarkable happens - and if it does, does it go into the repertoire of 'tricks' or is it discarded/ (as much as anyone can 'unlearn' a trick) I was noodling on an old Les Paul with a Flying V neck (intonation zero) last night - here and there sounded as good as this

[BetterTasteThanU]

yes, i saw a retard do this one day. very much like the retard.

[turtleboy85364]

no offense man... but that retard must have been way more talented than you...

i said no offense...

[mgerakos]

This almost suggests Jimmy Page in spots, like the textural beginning of "In The Evening" (from "In Through The Out Door"). Page also does scraping sounds like this at the very beginning of "Black Dog".

[chapthe]

Great music. 5* Thanks for sharing this video!

[Humpenbob]

wow incedible intense,........don't get it to 100% but seems to be some kind of 12 tone music. you've got to play this kind of music once before you can start loving it... ...

most people don't belive it, but it's greaaaaaaaat fun :)

[ceCRTVTR]

what's the thing near the nut??

[7instantcoffee7]

poo

[skaedis]

Mr Fred had better have his head checked to prevent further problems.

[Hb35Jazz]

Wow, this is weird stuff, man!

[dpwaco]

i have to ask, does anyone know what the heck that thing is on the neck and what it does?

[riniones]

It's a pickup that captures the vibrations of the piece of string between the nut and the fretted note. Sort of a "secondary string" behind the main part vibrating (the main being from the fretted note to the bridge). He has this pickup connected to a volume pedal and he "fades in" this particular sound at will, to a very haunting effect. Best appreciated live. Go see him live if you ever get the chance, regards

[dpwaco]

i will deff have to go see him live, and thanks.

[mytoeismissindarnit]

Trying to install one on my guitar, having trouble though. I hardly know anything about wiring.  I actually thought of a 'nut pickup' before I had heard of this guy. I figured it had already been done though.

[SPLINTERAL]

Wow honestly I hate avante garde and really detest fred firth and otomo yoshide but this actaulyl was good haha.

[TomBandfield]

I love Fred Frith. I've never heard of that other guy, wow, he's amazing! :-D

[Snifforn]

ahh, beauty answering beauty. truth.

[ludo897]

aaahhh demonios... es un fenomeno

[nafzger]

Camel Zekri stole my song

[undomondo]

thanks for sharing this lovely footage!