Fricke, David
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David Fricke is an American music journalist who serves as the senior editor at ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' magazine, where he writes predominantly about
rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
. One of the best known names in rock journalism, his career has spanned over 40 years. In the 1990s, he was the magazine's music editor before stepping down.


Early life and education

Fricke graduated from
Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German patriarch of Luthe ...
in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1973.


Career

The first concert that Fricke attended was a show by Pink Floyd. His love of live music inspired him to pursue a career in music journalism. He has recalled meeting George Harrison, at a promotional event in Washington, DC for the former Beatle's ''
Thirty Three & 1/3 ''Thirty Three & ⅓'' (stylised as ''Thirty Three & 1/ॐ'' on the album cover) is the seventh studio album by English musician George Harrison, released in November 1976. It was Harrison's first album release on his Dark Horse record label, t ...
'' album, as a particularly "remarkable moment", saying, "it changed the way I listened to his music ... I had spoken to the man, not the History." Before joining ''Rolling Stone'', where he became senior editor, he wrote for ''
Circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...
'', ''
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
'', '' Synapse'', and ''Good Times''. He has since written for '' Melody Maker'', ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...
'', and ''
JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade of growt ...
''. Fricke has been nominated for a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for his album liner notes and is a three-time winner of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for excellence in music journalism. He has appeared on the ''
Classic Albums ''Classic Albums'' is a British documentary series about pop, rock and heavy metal albums that are considered the best or most distinctive of a well-known band or musician or that exemplify a stage in the history of music. Format The TV ser ...
'' documentaries on the making of Pink Floyd's ''
The Dark Side of the Moon ''The Dark Side of the Moon'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 1 March 1973 by Harvest Records. The album was primarily developed during live performances, and the band premiered an early version of ...
'',
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
's ''
Disraeli Gears ''Disraeli Gears'' is the second studio album by the British rock band Cream. It was released in November 1967 and reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. Search "Cream" in ''Name of Artist'', and No. 1 on the Swedish and Finnish charts. The alb ...
'',
Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), ...
's '' Hysteria'',
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
's ''
Nevermind ''Nevermind'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, '' ...
'', Metallica's '' Black Album'', Peter Gabriel's '' So'', Frank Zappa's '' Apostrophe'' and ''
Over-Nite Sensation ''Over-Nite Sensation'' is the ninth studio album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, released in September 1973. It was followed by Zappa's solo album ''Apostrophe (')'' (1974), which was recorded during the same sessions. Recording ...
'' as well as Rush's '' Moving Pictures'' and '' 2112'' albums. Fricke has also appeared on a number of Lou Reed documentaries and in the
Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently d ...
documentary '' I Am Trying to Break Your Heart''. The
Domino Recording Company Domino Recording Company or simply Domino is a British independent record label based in London. There is also a wing of the label based in Brooklyn, New York that handles releases in the United States, as well as a German division called Dom ...
released the North American version of the 30th anniversary reissue of
Aztec Camera Aztec Camera were a Scottish pop/ new wave band founded by Roddy Frame, the group's singer, songwriter, and only consistent member. Formed in 1980, Aztec Camera released a total of six studio albums: ''High Land, Hard Rain'' (1983), ''Knife'' ( ...
's debut album, ''
High Land, Hard Rain ''High Land, Hard Rain'' is the debut album by jangle pop band Aztec Camera, released in 1983. Three tracks from the album originally appeared on the '' Oblivious'' EP, which reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart when re-released in November ...
'', in 2014 with liner notes written by Fricke. As of 2013, he was creator of the "Fricke's Picks Radio" podcast and the ''Alternate Take'' blog in ''Rolling Stone'', as well as serving as the Host of the Friday Night Affair on “Tom Petty Radio”. He is currently a DJ at
Sirius XM Radio Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
.


Bibliography


Essays and reporting

*


Album reviews


Liner notes

Fricke has written
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desc ...
for a number of albums, compilations and box sets, including: *The 1979
Kevin Roth Kevin Roth (born 1957 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a singer-songwriter, pianist, artist, and Mountain Dulcimer player. He is widely known as one of the leading innovators of the dulcimer around the world and has released 48 albums. He sang ...
album ''New Wind'' *The 1993
Moby Grape Moby Grape is an American rock band founded in 1966, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting, and who collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz with rock and psychedelic music. They were ...
compilation '' Vintage: The Very Best of Moby Grape'' *The 1993
John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...
compilation '' Great Days: The John Prine Anthology'' *The 1993
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
compilation '' Led Zeppelin Boxed Set 2'' *The 1994
Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist/vocalist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notabili ...
live album ''
The Living End The Living End are an Australian punk rockabilly band from Melbourne, formed in 1994. Since 2002, the line-up consists of Chris Cheney (vocals, guitar), Scott Owen (double bass, vocals), and Andy Strachan (drums). The band rose to fame in 199 ...
'' *The 1995
Velvet Underground Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
box set ''
Peel Slowly and See ''Peel Slowly and See'' is a five-disc box set of material by the Velvet Underground. It was released in September 1995 by Polydor. Compilation The name of this box set comes from the instruction presented on vinyl copies of the band's debut alb ...
''; the 1997 "Fully Loaded" reissue of '' Loaded'' *
The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...
1996–2000 CD reissue series *The 1997 Simon & Garfunkel compilation '' Old Friends'' *The 1997 Paul Kelly compilation '' Songs from the South'' *The 1998 Metallica covers compilation ''
Garage Inc. ''Garage Inc.'' is a compilation album of cover songs by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on November 24, 1998, through Elektra Records. It includes cover songs, B-side covers, and ''The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited'' ...
'' *The 1998 Long Ryders 2-CD compilation ''Anthology'' *The 1999 Captain Beefheart box set Grow Fins: Rarities 1965-1982 *The 1999 Jimi Hendrix live compilation '' Live at Woodstock'' *The 1999 Ramones compilation '' Hey! Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology'' *The 2002
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
"best-of" compilation ''
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
'' *The 2003 AC/DC Back in Black reissue '' Back in Black (remaster)'' *The 2004 George Harrison box set ''
The Dark Horse Years 1976–1992 ''The Dark Horse Years 1976–1992'' is a box set of albums by English rock musician George Harrison. It was released in 2004 and comprises most of the singer's output on his Dark Horse record label. The set contains Harrison's five studio albums ...
'' *The 2005
Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza (joined 200 ...
"best of" compilation '' Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes'' *The 2006 Def Leppard 20th Anniversary '' Hysteria "Deluxe Edition"'' *The 2006 Frank Zappa box set '' The MOFO Project/Object'' *The 2007 The Church "best of" compilation ''Deep in the Shallows'' *The 2007 Led Zeppelin "best of" compilation ''
Mothership A mother ship, mothership or mother-ship is a large vehicle that leads, serves, or carries other smaller vehicles. A mother ship may be a maritime ship, aircraft, or spacecraft. Examples include bombers converted to carry experimental airc ...
'' *The 2008 Billy Joel box set '' The Stranger 30th Anniversary Edition'' *The 2009 Frank Zappa box set '' Lumpy Money'' *The 2009 Grateful Dead box set '' Winterland June 1977: The Complete Recordings'' *The 2013
The Numbers Band The Numbers Band (a.k.a. 15-60-75) are an American blues rock and experimental rock band formed in Kent, Ohio, United States in 1969. They are part of the "Akron Sound" that sprang forth from their home state. Career The original personnel w ...
(a.k.a. 15-60-75) reissue ''Jimmy Bell's Still In Town (1975)''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fricke, David Living people 20th-century American journalists American male journalists 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American journalists 21st-century American male writers American magazine editors American music critics American music journalists Muhlenberg College alumni Rolling Stone people Year of birth missing (living people)