Robert Fripp

Robert Fripp's Diary

Monday 12 April 1999

Global tectonic shifts continue What

14.57 Global tectonic shifts continue. What might the terrain be when they have settled? My attention is closely engaged with the changes underway. I have hesitated in presenting reports to Diary readers of daily currents, but one hot update:

John Paul Jones has decided to become a DGM artist and release his first solo album through Discipline.

This is a big excitement for us at World Central. JPJ & Richard Chadwick (his manager, manager of David Sylvian, Bill Nelson & KC) came to visit 11 days ago to have a sense of DGM at its core. And decided shortly afterwards that we are for him. Hooray!

Other significant developments to be reported when possible...

21.28 A major, life-shifting development occurred around 16.05 this afternoon. Details will follow at an appropriate moment, probably when the harmonics from this resounding "Boingggg" have carried forward & upwards. "Excelsior" as Tony Geballe might say.

I have re-read some of my rebuttal of the "What's eating Vencill?" post. Visitors to the Diary may perhaps wonder why I have bothered presenting a detailed deconstruction of DV's transparently dippy effort.

1. Mr. Vencill's views accurately represent an alarmingly large proportion of my encounters with the public. Truly, terrifyingly alarming. I could fill the Diary with never-ending stories of brain-death in motion, connected to a larynx, pen & camera.

2. I play fair. Little of what I do is arbitrary. Those who are unable to figure our for themselves my manoeuvres, strategies & responses may agree, disagree or remain radically neutral, but better to hold a view on the basis of hard information & a reasoned viewpoint.

Few of those who live their life out loud bother to present their own encounter stories. This is because engaging with the public in debate is a thankless effort: each seven years a new wave of basement dwellers emerge with exactly the same raft of concerns as those who came in the wave before.

But, I play fair.

3. Guitar Craft students are better able to read between the lines than most "fans". Some of the Diary is directed towards those of the Team that I am currently not able to be with physically (geographical distance is no barrier to real contact but does carry its own charge) to continue our joint investigations into the how, why, whats of basement living.

Our fall from grace has a long history, with many reports posted from investigators over hundreds of years. But now we discover & rediscover the same place for ourselves, using words & metaphors which carrying a resonance for us. "The fall from grace" - what's that about? But "I only wanted to say thank you with a 35mm in my hand" is close enough (to my daily working life) to have meaning.

Our reports of work together is a contribution to, & reinforcement of, the efforts of others in the same field of endeavour. When life is overwhelmingly hard to the point of hopelessness, sometimes it's just enough to know there are people out there in the same boat, who we may not even know, giving this their best shot. Then, we draw a deep breath, look upwards & shout: "Thank you for this gift of life!". And then, life begins again. And then, life does begin again.

DISCOVER THE DGM HISTORY
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1940s
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