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French Frith Kaiser Thompson

 
Artist: French Frith Kaiser Thompson
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French Frith Kaiser Thompson

Group Members:

Henry Kaiser, Richard Thompson, Fred Frith, John French

Similar Artists:

John French, Richard Thompson, Henry Kaiser, Fred Frith, Everett Shock, Brand X

Influenced By:

Captain Beefheart, Henry Cow, Jimi Hendrix
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Songs: "Killing Jar", "March of the Cosmetic Surgeons", "Killerman Gold Posse

Biography

This all-star quartet came together for two albums -- Live, Love, Larf & Loaf (1987) and Invisible Means (1990) -- that cover a variety of genres, from folk and R&B to avant-garde and comic opera. Guitarist Henry Kaiser and drummer John French (of Captain Beefheart's band) were collaborating, then brought aboard two renowned British guitarists, Fred Frith, who plays bass in this group, and Richard Thompson. The first album by French Frith Kaiser Thompson is Live, Love, Larf & Loaf, recorded in March 1987 in San Francisco. This acclaimed record includes not only originals by each of the members, but also covers of songs by Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, and Kina Shoukichi. The four musicians reconvened in San Francisco a few years later to record the 1990 album Invisible Means, which included all originals but for one traditional tune, "Loch Lamond." Originally issued on Windham Hill, the follow-up was reissued in the mid-'90s by Demon Fiend. To celebrate its initial release, French Frith Kaiser Thompson performed a 1990 concert in Berkeley. ~ Joslyn Layne, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: French Frith Kaiser Thompson
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
French Frith Kaiser Thompson
Origin San Francisco,
United States
Genres Folk rock,
Experimental rock
Years active 1987, 1990
Labels Rhino, Windham Hill
Former members
John French
Fred Frith
Henry Kaiser
Richard Thompson

French Frith Kaiser Thompson was a United States experimental rock quartet comprising John French, Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser and Richard Thompson. The band was formed in 1987 to create an album, Live, Love, Larf & Loaf. In 1990 they recorded their second album, Invisible Means, and performed live in Berkeley, California to promote this album.

Contents

History

Experimental United States musicians, guitarist Henry Kaiser and drummer John French ("Drumbo" from Captain Beefheart's Magic Band), began collaborating in 1987. They invited English musicians Fred Frith (experimental guitarist from Henry Cow) and Richard Thompson (folk-rock guitarist from Fairport Convention) to join them to make an album.

They recorded Live, Love, Larf & Loaf in San Francisco in March 1987, an eclectic collection of songs drawn from a variety of music genres, including folk, R&B and avant-garde rock. Most of the album comprised compositions from each of the members of the group, plus a few covers, including The Beach Boys' "Surfin' USA".

While the group experimented with folk and rock music, it is generally felt that Thompson's presence did "tone down" the "avant-garde" leanings of the other three musicians. Mark Deming states in Allmusic that "... the slightly bent wit and angular guitar figures of Richard Thompson's signature brand of folk-rock certainly added a spoonful of sugar that helped the avant-leaning art rock of Henry Kaiser, Fred Frith, and John French go down more easily." [1]

The group re-assembled in San Francisco in March 1990 to record Invisible Means, another collection of "skewed" songs from each of the members, plus one cover ("Loch Lomond").

Members

Discography

References

  1. ^ Deming, Mark. "Live, Love, Larf & Loaf". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:6zdqoayabijd. Retrieved 2007-06-13. 

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
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Copyrights:

Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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