ADRIAN BELEW

'Side Three' - Adrian Belew (5/10)

Now this is eclectic if an album ever deserved the title. The talented guitarist and singer Adrian Belew seems to pack about as many different sounds and styles into a half hour as could be considered healthy... Bringing some of the best musicians around in for this project (virtuoso bassist Les Claypool, King Crimson's Robert Fripp and drummer Daney Carey of Tool fame, to name a few) and covering everything from industrial to ambient, funk, and baroque pop, it goes without saying that this was an ambitious project to undertake. Despite the obvious effort that went into this undertaking and some superb musical moments however, 'Side Three' doesn't really feel like a cohesive piece of work, much less a masterpiece.

'Side Three's state of being very scattered may have been unavoidable. Trying to go in too many directions always runs the risk of going in no particular direction at all. As a result, 'Side Three' feels more like a collection of unfinished musical ideas. With most songs around or under the three minute mark, few of the tracks get much, if any of a chance to really flourish and reach their potential. Only a handful of tracks feel like they have been properly crafted into songs; mainly the first two tracks (the playful numbers 'Troubles' and 'Incompetence Indifference') and the beautifully arranged 'Men In Helicopters,' which wears a 'Sgt. Peppers' influence on it's sleeve.

Despite the criticism of structure, much of the actual music itself on 'Side Three' is very good, if short lived. Belew presents some very tastefully done ambient ideas, and seems to give a sample of just about everything else he was into at the time of recording. Things even seem to take a dive into the realms of noise and industrial, which may turn some people off of this record but not to worry; even the less enjoyable tracks are over before you know it.

Adrian Belew is certainly a talented individual. The ability to coordinate such a wide variety of musicians and styles and release it all under a single title is no small feat. However, it may have suited the man better had he decided to hold back on throwing so much different material onboard, and took the time to develop a few of the ideas more fully. Had this happened, I have no doubt that 'Side Three' would have become a much more enjoyable, and satisfying release.

It's been a while since we had another King Crimson album. During this time Adrian Belew has managed to release quite a few albums and this completely instrumental 2009-offering came right after the completion of the Side-series.

Unlike the previous albums e features a steady lineup of Adrian Belew on guitar, Julie Slick on bass while her brother Eric Slick handles the drums. According to Julie Slick's myspace website the band formed in March of 2006 when they took the stage at the Knitting Factory in New York City for a performance of Frank Zappa's City Of Tiny Lites. After that performance the Adrian Belew Power Trio went on a long tour which they then followed by recording this album.

e or Planet e, as it was originally titled, is roughly divided into five different sections where each one, except for c, is split into one or more sub-sections. According to Adrian Belew the compositions can be listened to as individual pieces of music, but they do interact through the overall theme that binds them together. Musically this is as close as Belew has ever managed to capture the sound of the two latest King Crimson releases on his solo album. Although unlike the cold and mechanical-sounding King Crimson compositions this release actually manages to maintain the human element which most likely has to do with the excellent rhythmic section!

The whole album is packed with some of the most elaborate playing that I've heard from Belew and I'm quite surprised to be the only one reviewing this album since it has been out since July 2009! Granted that there are a few sections that make me think that Belew is just sliding around in different scales there are always other elements of the sound that capture my attention besides the guitar work.

I recommend e to everyone who is looking to a worthy follow-up to The Power To Believe since it might be awhile until we get a better substitute for a King Crimson album.

***** star songs: a2 (3:37) b2 (3:36)

**** star songs: a3 (3:07) b (6:12) b3 (1:21) c (6:19) d (6:00) d2 (2:50) e (0:55) e2 (7:57)

*** star songs: a (0:30)

Mr. Music Head has Adrian Belew playing all of the instruments, except bass on a couple of tunes. The songs are mostly pop, and therefore, not terribly exciting to me. However, Belew manages to blend in some of those weird guitar tones that he has become known for here and there.

Of note, House Of Cards is grace by an eerie sustained guitar background throughout the song. Hot Zoo with animal noises, could have been a track on Lone Rhino. Motoer Bungalow has a cool rhythm track, and a nice Belew elephant solo. But all of the songs, while slightly inventive, are juat too mundane to capture my interest for any sustained period of time. Unfortunately, that hold true for too much of Belew's solo material.

Listening to this album gives me more of an idea of what he adds to King Crimson. His guitar wizardry is just amazing.

Big Electric Cat opens the album. The composition is similar to some of Eno's better simple rhythmic tunes. And Belew's otherworldly guitar carries it away. The Momur could be a Talking Heads song, but with better guitaring (yes, Ade played with the Heads, but his work is more out front here). Stop It is a slightly funky romp. Upbeat, but forgattable. The Man In The Moon is another straightforward tune, but features that soaring sustained guitar heard in many a Crimson tune, and a very cool weird break. I imagine Naive Guitar, a brroding guitar solo, is the type of piece that endear him to Fripp, and helped get his gig in the great band.

Hot Sun sounds like a companion piece to Big Electric Cat, with a more subtle rhythm, and Belew making low roars from his axe. The Lone Rhinoceros has Belew making deep. moaning rhino sounds now. And he works in a way to rhyme "species" and "feces". Swingline starts out sounding like ROI, before it settles into a more traditional rock groove (Belew style). Adidas In Heat is funky and energetic. Animal Grace is helped by more guitar animal sounds. The Final Rhino has Belew plaing airy sounds over a light piano improvisation.

While this may not be prog in the traditional sense, it's inventive and interesting enough to command attention from the adventurous prog fan.

So what can we expect from an Adrian Belew solo album after his highly prolific career with King Crimson, The Bears, Frank Zappa David Bowie and Talking Heads to name a few? What's that? ...an album of pop tunes with some Crimsonesque sounds here and there?

This is a nice little album which indeed sounds nothing like any of the Belew-collaborations which is probably because here he decided to do it all himself. By that I mean literally everything! The compositions are your straight forward rock songs but they have just the right hooks to keep me going from start to finish. The album even manages to deliver a few nice surprises like the atmospheric Fly or the Paul McCartney-sounding vocals on I See You which makes me smile every time I hear it!

The songs might have a straight forward structure but there is a definite Adrian Belew twist to it all that makes me want to revisit this album from time to time. My favorite track is Burned By The Fire We Make which is a cliché environmental song about people harming the planet but it just hits the right nerve with me and the chorus is just great.

After all the great things I had to say about this album I'll still have to settle for a non-essential rating since there is definitely no prog here.

***** star songs: May 1, 1990 (4:02) Burned By The Fire We Make (3:10)

**** star songs: I See You (2:42) Survival In The Wild (4:09) Fly (4:45) Never Enough (3:43) Peace On Earth (2:55) Dreamlife (2:29) Brave New World (3:44) Futurevision (4:15)

*** star songs: Here (4:28) Postcard From Holland (2:49) Hidden Track (1:46)

We all have our ways of coping with different issues. But when Adrian Belew goes through personal problems he prefers to do an album session instead!

I really love these kind of personal albums because they bring out the artistic personalty and put the music in a whole new different perspective! This is one of the two Adrian Belew albums I own and originally I was very confused about his Eclectic Prog-categorization because both Inner Revolution and Here are straight forward contemporary pop/rock albums without any progressive rock in them. Having said that I still love them dearly because there are just so many great songs here!

The album begins with a weird fade in effect sound but as soon as the vocals of the album-titled composition come in it's obvious that Adrian is not trying to disguise his basic songwriting and is instead just having great fun with it.

My personal favorite composition here is Birds because it has such a care-free feel to it. The pre-chorus lyrics gives me goosebumps every time I hear the words: "Dear god, I know sometime I'm gonna die and when I do I hope you'll give me one more try up in the sky with those birds". Do I even have talk about the great guitar solo? All that in less than 2,5 minutes of pure bliss!

These types of personal albums deserve a genre of its own and although Inner Revolution may not be the Imperial Bedroom of the genre it's still very enjoyable from star to finish! Unfortunately the rules restrain me from giving the album anything more than a 3-star rating but hopefully this short review gave an indication of my actual rating.

***** star songs: Birds (2:24)

**** star songs: Inner Revolution (3:13) This Is What I Believe In (3:29) Standing In The Shadow (3:45) Big Blue Sun (3:49) Only A Dream (3:33) I'd Rather Be Right Here (3:08) The War In The Gulf Between Us (3:30) I Walk Alone (2:47) Everything (2:57) Heaven's Bed (4:05)

*** star songs: Member Of The Tribe (3:11)

The activity of Adrian Belew in "Discipline" of King Crimson might have perplexed a fan at that time and the listener a little. It might be talked as the case may be opinions of course compared in consideration of all the parts of the music character that King Crimson did and thought. However, Adrian Belew in King Crimson had had the talent very since the 80's and will have been the matter by the proof of the supernatural power of Robert Fripp that stared at the part. It is made remarks that Adrian Belew also always loved music of King Crimson for a long time.

However, the part of King Crimson that American's member had joined in the 80's struck close to home to the listener. And, the unknown music that developed rapidly from the part of the music character that King Crimson exactly had that had not been listened before might have been offered to the listener. Of course these elements are the new front for King Crimson and, the influence of the activity of Belew and Levin might be also large. And, having already been advocated by Fripp is a well-known fact in the flow that the band should reach.

Belew with relations in "Tom Tom Club" that progressed with the shape of another project of Talking Heads the 80's exchanged the promise of the Island label and the contract of the Solo album as it was. And, Solo Album of Adrian Belew is announced with the flow that almost runs side by side with King Crimson in the 80's.

The flow that belongs to music with the part of the greeting of Adrian Belew and his diversity exactly and the root might occupy the ratio overall in this album that works in shape with which musicians put on the situation of the period at that time run side by side as it is. Idea expressed with part completed for playing guitar already. Part of freedom of picking. And, various effects are processed. Or, the vocal sound played by the arming is made. These might be his almost patents.

"Big Electric Cat" impressive sound in which animal's voice is duplicated. Part of unique of "The Momur" and "Stop It". "The Man In The Moon" might be one of the tunes of his representative at that time. The idea of this tune has been made the best use of for the tune of other Solo of him. "Naive Guitar" is a tune of which his good, beautiful melody has gone out strongly while multiusing the effect. It might be a technique that only he can exactly do. And, his individuality has gone out enough "Swingline" and "Adidas In Heat". It might be ..content that can be very enjoyed when the performance of man who takes it is Music with exactly a lot of diversitys even in New Wave and an ambient sound in addition to the element of R&B, doo-wop, and Rock exactly.. finished.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the root and the idea of his music might almost be consolidated in this album. His taste might be consistent though his music always changes little by little by the situation.

Sound exactly. Performance that only oneself manipulates method. The concept to the music of Adrian Belew might have a very original, strong part in a variety of guitar players. The music that man who competes and performed with various musicians expresses might be splendidly absorbed by the element with his originality and be expressed though was also the part where some influences were received by competing. And, his music might have influenced other musicians oppositely by the music character.

His original experimental simple element and idea without ending. And, the part of the music that he cultivated becomes a music character that Adrian Belew exactly thinks about and is expressed in this album. He is challenging the composition of the tune in which this album doesn't have the song. And, all almost musical instruments are manipulated and it is performed. It is an experimental part as the impression of the overall from the element of Rock. And, the composition of the tune including the element of ethnical might be offering the listener the area of the width of his music character. Getting rid of from the form coexists with some King Crimson though his Solo before this album had appointed the form of the band. Or, the idea is revolutionized. Or, the part of what should be of the maintenance of the band of Solo that he thinks about will be able to be guessed.

The activity after he has already announced two Solo albums at this time is a well-known fact. And, it is partial for the passage to this album. It gets rid of some markets to it. And, the point that became pursuit of the music that he should do alone. And, it is partial tried for the expression of the self based on the music character to which various elements are taken. These become private parts and are reflected in the tune strongly.

The style of the performance is refined further and is a part with the whole volume musical instruments by which he was about to express this album. It might be able to catch this album as existence of his own orchestra.

Element of various music and experimental part. And, the tune might be expressed with own root and the part of unique though the element of ethnical is given. His Solo album might be multiplied from the first stage to middle term and such an element be consistent to some degree. And, his own methodology is always carried out though the situation and music revolutionize.

The sound and the melody of the guitar of "Tango Zebra" and "Laughing Man" might be really unique. And, the processing of the phrase in "Laughing Man" might have processed the idea of the melody of "The Man In The Moon". Part of ethnical of "The Gypsy Zurna" and "Portrait Of Margaret". And, "Beach Creatures Dancing Like Cranes" will be reminiscent of the flow of some King Crimson.

His music character in the 80's and the direction were time when his root and idea were exactly sent without reserve. It changes into the music refined in the 90 further's.

My old records with Belew was all very diffrent in style, Lone Rhino, Desire cought by the Tail, and Young Lions. So i had no idear what to expect from this. Especialy because 15 year have gone by where i havent listened to anything from Belew, besides what he done with King Crimson.

Turns out this album is as diffrent from the other 3, as they were from each other. Side Two is allmost purely an Electronic album. Showing clearly the experimental side of Belew's music, and not to much the Guitarist. The Electronics are offcourse spiced up with Belews guitars, accustic as well as electric, There are vocals here and there, often very well fittet into the consept. But the album comes out mostly as a Progressive Electronic experiment. Pretty far away from the Rhino album and the very tame/lame Young Lions. Some connections to "Desire Cought By The Tail" are evident, but infact closer related to something from Eno's "Nerve Net" or David Byrnes "The Cathrine Wheel".

So do i like this : Yes, infact i do. Its pretty well made.

But there are downsides as well. Strangely what i find most uninspired is the Guitar's, where the hole experiment is interesting, and the album clues together fine, often the guitars seem to be the most uninteresting part of the album. Sometimes i even find myself thinking, that the track would be lot better without the guitar solo.

Still all in all it deserves 3 stars, im sure this is an album i will listen to a lot in the future. I like the fact that its so experimental, without leaving me with this well known feeling of boredom, i often gets from experimental records. I better go look up the other two albums in the triologi.

"Lone Rhino", the set of the former work, and the method of risk and the overall catching might be suitable for this album. The idea that he cultivated with David Bowie and Talking Heads is satisfactorily demonstrated with his initial work. Of course, his creation is not few the fan that feels puzzled in the directionality of KC in the 80's because it was brought in to KC with a few ideas either.

However, the sense of Belew might already have been established by his character, knowledge, and technology. His existence worked to some degree in the band of Zappa. And, those flows are guessed to have expanded the width of the creation in the Solo album because it is digested surely. His personal creativity and the music character appeared remarkably in the work at this time. However, the idea of Talking Heads and the influence in KC might be able to be found a little.

The drum player is put out, and it is accompanied and he has put out the form of the band to belonging exclusively forward further in this album in "Lone Rhino" of the former work though he played the drum. This produced album makes almost the same musician as the former work participate and if directionality and the composition are considered, might be a work that should think as a pair.

As for "I Wonder" and "Another Time", etc. with an active impression his taste is satisfactorily demonstrated. And, the idea from which the melody of "The Man In Moon" of the former work is invented by reversely rotating the tape is adopted and the idea shown in "She Is Not Dead" is finished up in a new tune.

It will be able to know depth and the challenge of his music by listening to an initial work if it knows the root of his character and music in the upcoming album though the work of Inst is adopted.