David Fricke

Whether he is interviewing John Mellencamp for a video broadcast or covering funk-pop band Red Hot Chili Peppers’ secret show in Big Sur, Calif. David Fricke has been writing about music and reviewing records since he was in college.

Now into his 50s Fricke is a senior writer for Rolling Stone Magazine and has a column entitled Fricke’s Picks and a blog called Alternative Take. He covers all shapes and forms of Rock ‘n’ Roll from the collaboration of Metallica and Lou Reed to the reunion of New York City Punk Icons D Generation.

Fricke graduated college with an English degree and spun records for a small radio station at night; music was Fricke’s passion and what a golden era to grow up in since he was around 15 or 16 when the Beatles started producing albums.

He began writing reviews for anyone and everyone who would publish them and said in an interview that his first ever check for writing was for $5 from a local free newspaper.

Fricke’s writing flows nicely without being overly simple. Though I haven’t followed Fricke’s column or blogs in the past, this could change.

Reading about what 1970’s punk band is doing a reunion or what artists are getting together for an off the wall collaboration really peaks my meters and holds my interest.

Though the 1960’s 70’s and 80’s are long behind us, Fricke still writes about great music from the past as if it is still the best thing since sliced bread.

Recently in his column, Fricke’s Picks, he wrote on a Buddy Guy and Junior Wells collaboration album from 1970 called Buddy and the Juniors (Hip-O Select). He seems to enjoy bringing the highlights of his yesteryears back to his readers attention, as they shouldn’t be forgotten. “I recommend Buddy and the Juniors without reservation, because I bought it when it first came out,” Fricke said in his column.

It is also quite refreshing to read something with no political underlining; it’s strictly music as far as I can tell and it feels nice to know that I could probably read through his work for days and be pressed to come across some political agenda.

He may not be refined enough for the Washington Post; in an interview with Road Trip Nation Fricke explains how he jumped through all the hoops for applying to the post only to have them write back saying he didn’t measure up. Fricke also explained in the interview that when people ask him how he got into writing he has one answer.

“I just did it,” Fricke said in the Road Trip Nation Interview. “I just sit down and I do it.”

His column is interesting and his writing flows well; I would suggest anyone with taste for or knowledge of music to give his column a read and maybe go look for some new albums.