WORLD DIARY

This first solo album from Tony Levin has a well chosen title: World Diary. A gathering of top-class musicians from all around the world playing world music. The songs here are very eclectic, ranging from technical rythmic songs to beautiful emotional pieces. The overall feeling I got from this album is mixed though...

The opener "Chasm" is a beautiful bass/violin duo - a great song. "The Train" and "Nyatiti" give a very annoying - even irritating - feeling (the same feeling I get when listening to techno music though those songs aren't techno), clearly the worst part of the album. "We Stand In Sapphire Silence" and "The Sound Of Goodbye" give a great japanese feeling with Brian Yamakoshi playing the koto. "Smoke" is a little bridge to the more technical "Etude In The Key Of Guildford" and "Espresso & The Bed Of Nails" where Tony Levin shows his skills with the bass (not my favorite tracks though - a bit too technical). "Mingled Roots" and "La Tristesse Amoureuse De La Nuit" are beautiful pieces with Levon Minassian playing the doudouk (sounds like a mix of a pan flute and a violin - very beautiful instrument). "Jewels" is a classic Bruford-Levin duo with the rythmic section in front (see "Upper Extremities" for similar songs). The highlight of the album is surely "I Cry To The Dolphined Sea": the saxophone here really helps to create a very emotional atmosphere. Rating: 66/100

Tony Levin is one of the most wanted bassists and the list of albums on which he played is so long that you may be sure you'll find at least five albums that you really love but had no idea that Levin was one of those who created it. Now he goes solo and it sounds... well, I should say "listen for yourself", but that's not really the ponint ;).

The predomonant instrument is of course bass, or rather chapman stick; using it Levin had the chance to be both in a bassist and a soloist, so you'll find (not surprisingly) many complex bass structures here.

This album was created when Levin was travelling and he got help from various local musicians, so it sometimes sounds exotic. It has an ethnic touch and there's a bit of world music here. It's sometimes oriental, sometimes pensive, but always clever and clean - I got the feeling that no sounds were unnecessary.

"World Diary" is a good example of what is Levin's grasp of music. He's at his best here.

Don't be angry with me...I fully recognize TONY LEVIN as a great artist,as a master of Chapman stick and bass but this album is very boring...This is just not a prog rock album,this is rather an ethnic album with some rock and jazz tendecies but that's not real problem of the album...The main problem is that the few good music ideas are lost in their own duration...The songs start,flow and finish with the same music theme and that is one thing that I cannot stand,that ain't prog...Sorry guys but...

World Diary is quite distinct in style from Levin's later solo projects, but no less aesthetically pleasing. At first blush the work seems to fluctuate back and forth between laid-back modern arrangements and more "world-music" constructions. However, what unifies this work is Levin's own personal style in creating a cohesive mixture of modern jazz themes & instruments with simple acoustic world-music sounds. There is a common jazz flavor throughout almost the entire work. Levin makes use of acoustic instruments from numerous cultures giving a "world music" quality to most compositions. This "album" also leaves much in Levin's range of talents unrealized; however, the potential for further development is evident in each piece. Experimentation is the main dish, served fresh as if it were written yesterday. It deserves five stars for the broadminded that can see the wealth of possibilities that comes from mixing progressive, jazz, and world music themes and instruments. It can't be called a masterpiece, yet four stars seem appropriate. Besides, for some younger really curious ones, here's a chance to see how the big boys do it.

"Chasms" evokes tension and apprehension based on a simple repeating base line that really works. Voices and stringed instruments wale in the background. "Train" is a cheery calypso-sounding piece. Wordless baritone & tenor voices enrich the aural environment. It is a pleasure to be introduced to the Kenyan instrument called the Nyatiti. "We Stand in Sapphire Silence" is probably one of best tracks on "World Diary". The pace could be described as meditative in mood and the Japanese koto playing is superb. "Smoke" is a brief transition melody for the tracks before and after, which succeeds nicely. The music leaves you with the impression of sitting in a basement jazz bar with a smoky haze filling the room; all confirmed later by the liner notes. "Etude in the key of Guilford" is much more urgent in tone and makes use of electronic drums that remind one of marimbas. "Espresso & the Bed of Nails" is by-far the most exciting interesting track. It has both an industrial and natural feeling, with numerous odd beautiful sounds. The controlled chaos commences about halfway through; it's simply marvelous. "Mingled Roots" evokes memories of passages from Peter Gabriel's sound track for "Last Temptation of Christ". The doudouk-double base duet is really fine. "Nyatiti" is interesting through Levin's use of simple resonant instruments; the overall effect is to give it the simplicity of casually orchestrated tribal music. The whole track is quite joyous and celebratory. "Jewels" initially centers around a theme played on a stick with a volume pedal muting the attack of each tap on the strings. Bill Brufords electronic drums lend a real sweetness to the whole piece. The unaltered stick only visits the piece briefly, before the volume pedal treatment returns. This track was apply named as it does evoke a remote feeling one gets starring at jewels in a fine shop or museum. "La Tristesse Amoureuse de la" has a mellow jazz character to it. At first the doudouk leads the electric bass and drums on a journey. This is full of jazz improvisations that really work together. "Heat" lingers like humidity in a jungle setting. The percussion precession here is amazing and worth listening to over and over. The whole idea of having so many musical toys to play with is enough to make any self-respecting rhythm person jealous. "I Cry to the Dolphined Sea" is a jazz tune lead by an enthusiastic saxophone performance. The stick and drums provide a perfect complement to the saxes. "The Sound of Goodbye" is a duet between the koto and a stick. Simlpy put, this work is transporting. Just close your eyes and listen.

This album is really a masterpiece. The bass here is really great. The sounds in the album takes you through the differente ambients in the world. The music is very subtle and very difficult to follow. But it is great, after you have listen to it more than one or two hundred times. A this moment you are about to discover what that the music is really good or that you have been loossing a lot of hours in your life. So, In such a case you prefer to choose the former than the latter. Therefore, one must give five stars.

I only own Tony Levin's first two solo albums (his second made me fear laying out money for any of his others), and this one, by far, is the better of the two. The songwriting is very good, but don't expect any blazing bass solos, just tasteful, and sometimes complex, bottom notes.

The guy had played with Yes (as ABWH), Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Peter Gabriel and more. But he chose to play a combination of lightish fusion (don't confuse it with the easy listening of his second album) and world music. And mostly it works.

Standout tracks are Etude In The Key Of Guildford, a song made even better on the Bruford Levin Upper Extremities CD, and Espresso and the Bed of Nails, a song that builds to a frantic pace by the end.

The album does loes some steam by the last two tracks, but that shouldn't make you pass it by.