Fred Frith - Allies

Review by Nesrine Naïmane

Allies by Fred Frith: A Sonic Puzzle You Didn’t Know You Needed If you’re the kind of listener who craves music that feels like wandering through an art gallery where nothing makes sense but everything feels right, then Fred Frith’s 1996 album Allies might just be your new obsession. This record doesn’t sit neatly in one genre—it’s a wild mashup of rock, jazz, and avant-garde madness, with styles ranging from free jazz to experimental ballet scores. Yeah, ballet. Let that sink in for a second. Released across the US, UK, and Switzerland on labels like ReR Megacorp and Fred Records, Allies is less of an album and more of a chaotic yet beautiful conversation between instruments. With credits boasting names like George Cartwright on saxophone, Tom Cora on cello, and Joey Baron hammering away at drums, it’s clear this wasn’t some half-baked jam session. And let’s not forget Fred Frith himself—multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, pulling double duty with guitar wizardry and drum programming. Now, onto the tracks. There are nine songs here, each weirder and more wonderful than the last, but two really stuck with me: “Davor And Dzeneta” and “A Rock And A Hard Place.” “Davor And Dzeneta” feels like overhearing a secret argument between a cello and a saxophone. At first, it’s all tense whispers and sharp glances, but then something magical happens—they start dancing together. Not literally, obviously, but you can picture it, right? The cello groans while the sax wails, and somehow they find this strange harmony amidst the chaos. It’s messy, unpredictable, and oddly comforting, like watching two old friends bicker and then laugh about it five minutes later. Then there’s “A Rock And A Hard Place,” which sounds exactly how its title suggests—a musical tug-of-war. Drums crash unpredictably, as if Joey Baron decided to throw his sticks into the air and see what happened next. Meanwhile, Frith layers in these eerie guitar loops that feel like echoes from another dimension. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, the track shifts again, leaving you slightly disoriented but totally hooked. It’s the kind of song that makes you go, “Wait…what did I just listen to?” And isn’t that the best kind? What strikes me most about Allies is how alive it feels. Every note seems to breathe, squirm, and occasionally scream. Sure, it’s not background music—you can’t just pop this on while folding laundry unless you want to end up staring blankly at your socks wondering what reality even is anymore. But maybe that’s the point. As I sat listening to this album, I couldn’t help but think about how much work went into making something so deliberately unpolished. Like, imagine Benedykt Grodon or Martin Bisi hunched over mixing boards, trying to capture the perfect imperfection. Or Bebe Miller, credited as producer, probably nodding sagely while everyone else argued about whether a saxophone could sound ‘too emotional.’ In the end, Allies reminds me of those people who refuse to fit into boxes—not because they’re rebellious, but because their very existence defies categorization. Listening to this album is like meeting someone like that: confusing at first, but ultimately unforgettable. So yeah, give Allies a spin if you’re ready to have your ears stretched in ways you didn’t know were possible. Just don’t blame me if you start hearing saxophones argue in your dreams.

Artist: Fred Frith
Album: Allies

1996

Rating: 4.75

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Download

Filename: fred-frith-allies.zip

MP3 size: 33.3 mb
FLAC size: 349.2 mb

Download

Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
Small Mercy 1	4:28
Rifka	9:37
Small Mercy II	6:02
Small Mercy I	4:28
Allies, ballet for chamber ensemble	09:37
Small Mercy 2	6:02
A Rock And A Hard Place	6:17
Davor And Dzeneta	6:29
Nenad	7:51

Video

Fred Frith - Rifka (1989, 1995)

Fred Frith- Allies- hgsf5

Images

Catalog Numbers

ReR/FRO 07
ReR/FRO 07, Rer/FRO 07
ReCDec 70

Labels

ReR Megacorp, Fred Records
RecRec Music

Listen online

online anhören
lytte på nettet
ascolta in linea
ouvir online
écouter en ligne
online luisteren
lyssna på nätet
escuchar en línea
kuunnella verkossa

Formats

CD
Album
Reissue
Digipak

Companies

Role	Company
Distributed By	RecRec Music
Published By	RecRec Music
Recorded At	BC Studio
Engineered At	Sound Fabrik
Remixed At	Sound Fabrik
Mastered At	Jankowski Studio
Made By	OMD Switzerland
Designed At	B.ildwerk
Manufactured By	Van de Steeg

Credits

Role	Credit
Cello	Tom Cora
Drums	Joey Baron
Engineer	Benedykt Grodon, Martin Bisi, Myles Boisen, Peter Hardt
Instruments	Fred Frith
Drum Programming	Fred Frith
Producer	Bebe Miller
Saxophone	George Cartwright
Alto Saxophone	George Cartwright
Artwork	Peter Bäder
Other	Bebe Miller
Photography By	Heike Liss

Notes

Recorded at BC Studios, Brooklyn. Revised and remixed August 1995 at the Fabrik, Munich. Mastered November 1995 at Studio Jankowski, Stuttgart.
Composed and recorded in the summer of 1989 and premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's "Next Wave" series in November of the same year.
First released 1996.
Jewel case version.
Manufactured in the USA.
Distributed in USA by ReR USA.
® & © 2004 Fred records All titles Anthill Music (GEMA)
Category on front cover and spine: Rer/FRO 07
Category on CD: ReR/FRO 07
Commissioned by Bebe Miller and Dancers, composed and recorded in the summer of 1989 and premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's "Next Wave" series in November of the same year.
Thanks to Bebe for her insight and for giving me space and time.
Recorded at BC Studios, Brooklyn.
Revised and remixed August 1995 at the Fabrik, Munich.
Mastered November 1995 at Studio Jankowski, Stuttgart.
For Daniel, with love and gratitude
All music published by RecRec Music (SUISA) Switzerland
Cover artwork: B.ildwerk
Digipak® Manufactured by Van de Steeg, Holland, under license from AGI, USA
4 panel, black plastic Digipak

Barcodes

Barcode: 0752725900928
Matrix / Runout: ***1/1DCA17038* MORPHIUSDISC MFG WWW.MORPHIUS.COM MORPH-12824 01
Mastering SID Code: IFPI LL28
Barcode: none
Barcode (Text): 7 619942 007027
Barcode (String): 7619942007027
Rights Society: SUISA
Label Code: LC 7981
Matrix / Runout: OMD Switzerland 41.2360 ReCDeC 70
Mastering SID Code: IFPI LA41
Mould SID Code: IFPI 4C12

About Fred Frith

Born: 17th February 1949, Heathfield, England. British composer, improviser and multi-instrumentalist, who has situated himself for more than thirty years in the area where rock music and new music meet. Played in R & B groups at school and did solo folk club work from 1967-1969. Began exploratory musical activities with early in 1968 which led to the start . Between times since then he has been involved with flautist in the Ritual Theatre, played guitar in Brecht-Weill productions, taught guitar and ran a jazz workshop at Cambridge tech. Co-founder of the British underground band "Henry Cow" (1968-78), Frith moved to New York in the late seventies and came into contact with many of the musicians with whom hes since been associated, for example; John Zorn; Ikue Mori; Tom Cora; Zeena Parkins and Bob Ostertag. Fourteen years in New York gave rise to groups like "Massacre" (with Bill Laswell and Fred Maher), "Skeleton Crew" (with Tom and Zeena), and "Keep the Dog

Real Name

Jeremy Webster Frith

Name Vars

F Frith
F. F.
F. Frith
F.F.
F.Frith
FF
Firth
Fred
Fred Firth
Fred Grith
Fred Smith
Frith
ÕìÃÉÕê¹

Interesting fact about Album

Here’s something cool: The album *Allies* by Fred Frith is like a musical passport. It blends genres like Rock, Jazz, and Avant-Garde, pulling in styles from Free Jazz to Experimental and even Ballet. Released in 1996, it involved talents from the US, UK, and Switzerland. What’s wild is how it feels like a team effort—Fred Frith didn’t just play instruments; he also handled drum programming and production. And get this: the track *Allies* is actually a ballet for a chamber ensemble. You don’t hear that every day!