Fred Frith: Cheap At Half The Price
 

Anybody heard this album? I picked it up, being a fan of Frith. I was expecting his usual stuff, and this took me by a huge surprise. At first I didn't like it, but now it's grown on me and I listen to it ALL the time.

I'll come out of lurker mode to say that this is one of my favourite albums by Fred, maybe second only to Gravity. If you dig Cheap at Half the Price I suggest you check out Prints, which is also a compilation of pop songs and improvisations written over the years and it has a sound remarkably like the former album. I love his other stuff but I wish he'd make more music like this too.

Thanks, I'll check that one out too...

so what it's like?

Yeah, I only have gravity and guitar solos as far as his solo albums go, so...

It's hard to explain, cause it's just a bunch of pop songs, kind of. But pop songs done Frith's way, so they aren't really pop songs. I don't know, maybe I'll just upload a few tracks when I get home so you can hear it.

you know what? i love fred frith, i love his guitar playing; last year, i went to see him play with otomo yoshihide both on guitars and it was seriously fucking awesome.

but, i really can't listen to him on record, i might start listening to him and go "yes, he's awesome" but then my mind wanders off and every time i try to tune it on to what's playing, it seems like he is playing the same thing he did when the record started. i'm not a big fan of "almost silent" improv music.

i did like that death ambient album he did last year with ikue mori and others.

I can see that, some of it does get a little tedious at times. Watching his live stuff is really great though. He reminds me a lot of myself when I play (not that I am as good, mind you) in that he is just totally focused on what he is doing, and yet the look on his face sometimes conveys a thought of "I hope people are enjoying this..." :)

Beautiful song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPb--BzlEc0