The Adrian Belew Appreciation thread.

PopTodd · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2005 3:23 pm

Looks like he has THREE new solo albums coming out this year!!!
I'm gonna have to pick up at least one of them.

Top
5
all
time
guitarist

He actually plays with a SENSE OF HUMOR, which is cool.
It's like Steve Vai (who I also kinda like), but playing COOL stuff!

south pacific · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2005 3:54 pm

Um, I have and like this album:

.

Somebody told me that his albums can be really hit or miss though. Do you recommend I pick up any of his other ones?

PopTodd · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2005 3:58 pm

My favorite:

AllMusic review Wrote:

Diversified and relentlessly creative -- giving space to new artistic and emotional expression -- this second solo album from guitarist Adrian Belew expands upon his already remarkable solo debut, though more than a few will be confused and put off by the opener, the Beatles' classic "I'm Down." Belew's inventiveness, both as a guitarist and as a songwriter, keep this album fresh and exciting at nearly every turn. One remarkable track, "She Is Not Dead" -- with lyrics sung over a backward version of "Hot Sun" from Lone Rhino -- has lyrics that fondly remember a departed loved one, astonishing in their beauty and depth of emotion. "The Rail Song" laments the disappearance of trains, referring to the rail system with the endearing pronoun "she." Psychotic, manic-paced instrumental "Paint the Road," utilizing Belew's signature MIDI guitar sounds, moves with a fury that will leave the listener gasping for breath. Musically still drawing from his experience with Talking Heads and Bowie, Belew is finding his own voice here and moving toward (though not completely capturing) a sound that is uniquely his.

scottycash99 · **Joined:** Fri Dec 10, 2004 1:46 am **Posts:** 1149

arent they out yet?

i've heard the first two....

the first is with les claypool and danny carey of tool....its pretty good. loud and intense

albion · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2005 4:25 pm

PopTodd Wrote:

It's like Steve Vai (who I also kinda like), but playing COOL stuff!

Except Stev Vai is a masturbationist. Adrian's music is more hooky and memorable. I challenge you to hum a few bars of anything from Vai. I find myself regularly humming. singing and whistling (not at the same time) a lot of Adrian's stuff.

I hear a lot of John Lennon in his vocals and arrangements, but he's really like no other guitar player I've seen or heard. Truly innovative and inspired.

Just went to http://www.adrianbelew.net

Attention Atlantans

Sept 25 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse

I say we hire the Martini's Limo and do it. Who's in?

timmyjoe42 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2005 4:39 pm

A buddy I used to work with liked this guy, so I heard a disc every now and then, and he was pretty good.

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2005 4:52 pm

albion Wrote:

PopTodd Wrote:

It's like Steve Vai (who I also kinda like), but playing COOL stuff!

Except Stev Vai is a masturbationist. Adrian's music is more hooky and memorable. I challenge you to hum a few bars of anything from Vai. I find myself regularly humming. singing and whistling (not at the same time) a lot of Adrian's stuff.

I hear a lot of John Lennon in his vocals and arrangements, but he's really like no other guitar player I've seen or heard. Truly innovative and inspired.

Just went to http://www.adrianbelew.net

Attention Atlantans

Sept 25 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse

I say we hire the Martini's Limo and do it. Who's in?

hmmmm, a lttle bit of an unfair assesment of Mr. Vai IMHO; his work with Frank Zappa and even DLR et al is aces. He is easily the best of the Satriani disciples (Larry LeLonde, Kirk Hammet etc.) because he was able to extrapolate what he learned from both Zappa and Satriani and mesh it into a style all his own.

I mean its mainly garbage but whatever, Vai can rip.

Belew gets a lot of props from me for his work with King Krimson, Zappa, Talking Heads and the (very limited) solo stuff that I have heard; he is an incredibly adaptable player.

Top 5 all time? hmph. that is a thread all to its own PopTodd (though since you actually play, id like to hear your choises)

Spade Kitty · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:49 am **Posts:** 4401

Adrian Belew is not even the best guitarist in King Crimson, how could he be top 5 all time?

PopTodd · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2005 5:18 pm

Spade Kitty Wrote:

Adrian Belew is not even the best guitarist in King Crimson, how could he be top 5 all time?

[Timmy]Stop thinking with your head so much.[/Timmy]

Radcliffe · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:06 pm

I've got Twang Bar King and there's some good stuff on there, but nothing comes close to the minute and a half of that title track. It's like Ike Turner with a turbocharger, tasty and rockin' and hilarious all at the same time.

The Mayor of Simpleton · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:27 pm

scottycash99 Wrote:

arent they out yet?

i've heard the first two....

the first is with les claypool and danny carey of tool....its pretty good. loud and intense

The first two are indeed out. One (which has Danny Carey and Les Claypool on three tracks) came out in January, Two came out a couple weeks ago, and Three comes out in, I believe, November (and will have Danny Carey and Les Claypool back for a few tracks.) The two so far released are probably his best solo works ever.

tehobner · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 8:48 pm **Posts:** 4479

Adrian Beltre sucks

Finch Platte · **Posted:** Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:24 am

Todd, have you seen the live vid AB does with The Bears? It's taped at a small club, and some of the stuff the band does is really cool- especially the interplay between Belew and the second guitarist (can't remember his name). AB has found his twin in this guy- they are both a real treat to watch. The drummer and bass player aren't too shabby, neither.

A friend sent it to me (along w/ a couple of King Crimson vids), and I had another friend dupe it for me. If you'd like to check it out, I'll let you borrow it.

As far as a fave, it's a throw-up between Lone Rhino and Twang Bar King for me. His later stuff doesn't thrill me much.

fp

Kit · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 2:47 pm **Posts:** 3052

It's worth noting that he worked on NIN's Downward Spiral and then moved on to Jars of Clay's debut. Quite a stretch there.

Dusty Chalk · **Posted:** Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:19 am

Yeah, he's done a lot of session work (played with Tori in a barn while she danced around, while she was working on one of her more recent albums is a memorable story).

I have pretty much everything he did solo up to Young Lions.

And, as mentioned in the other thread, I have the first three on Japanese imports.

Favourite song: "Ideal Woman" -- mostly for that Thela Hun Ginjeet groove it's got going on. "Rail Song" stands out, as well, it just has that epic/boyhood StandByMe quality to it.
Favourite album...toss up between the first and second albums.

PopTodd · **Posted:** Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:48 am

Finch Platte Wrote:

Todd, have you seen the live vid AB does with The Bears? It's taped at a small club, and some of the stuff the band does is really cool- especially the interplay between Belew and the second guitarist (can't remember his name). AB has found his twin in this guy- they are both a real treat to watch. The drummer and bass player aren't too shabby, neither.

A friend sent it to me (along w/ a couple of King Crimson vids), and I had another friend dupe it for me. If you'd like to check it out, I'll let you borrow it.

As far as a fave, it's a throw-up between Lone Rhino and Twang Bar King for me. His later stuff doesn't thrill me much.

fp

Damn hell! Thanks for the offer.
Unfortunately I no longer have a working VHS player (and as of yesterday no more working DVD player, either). So I will, sadly, have to pass on that video. Damn.

The Adrian Belew Appreciation thread.

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