ADRIAN BELEW {Avant-prog}

Было бы гораздо занимательнее за всем этим наблюдать, если Эдриен Белью сделал нечто принципиально отличное от музыки своего основного коллектива King Crimson. Но нет — основа альбома, открывающего обещанную трилогию, суть напряженные дерганые гитарные конструкции, похожие на бешено бегущие колеса редуктора, готового разорвать любого — сунь только, детка, пальчик. В числе помощников на первых трех вещах, требовавших, по мнению маэстро, игры в формате трио — ударник Дэнни Кэри из Tool и басист Лес Клейпул из Primus — люди способные, охотно ныряющие в выверенную имитацию беспорядка, плюс ко всему — давние фанаты KC. Далее Эдриен справляется в одиночку, а выходит даже лучше прежнего — тут именно больше закрученных визгливых гитар, рычащего клавишного баса. Композиции альбома так и подмывает назвать структурами: это если не родные, то, по крайней мере, двоюродные братья песням KC. В итоге от записи остается ощущение легкой невнятности, но это объясняется просто: впереди нас ожидает выход еще двух частей и оценивать весь этот трехступенчатый проект будет правильнее целиком.

Как говорится, с кем поведешься, от того и наберешься. В данном случае, правда, неизвестно еще, кто от кого набрался, но факт остается фактом: этот сольник Эдриэна Белью гораздо ближе к King Crimson, чем всё, что он делал в собственном творчестве до сих пор. Мрачный «наступательный» драйв, сумасшедшие «гружёные» гитары, апокалипсические гармонии, «interlocking guitar playing» а-ля Crimson 80-х — роль фронтмена «Малинового короля» ни на минуту не отпускает Белью. Даже столь любимые Эдриэном битловские интонации, всегда придававшие его сольникам легкий поп-оттенок, теперь звучат, как ядовитая издевка. С грацией слона (кстати, на диске даже есть композиция «Elephants», в которой Белью, разумеется, не преминул поупражняться в гитарном звукоподражании) Эдриэн крушит все вокруг, а помогают ему в этом (в трех вещах) не менее мощные товарищи: ударник Tool Дэнни Кэри и культовый басист Лес Клэйпул (Primus). Диск короткий — всего 33 минуты, но, учитывая, что это только первая часть запланированной трилогии, поклонникам King Crimson будет чем заняться в ожидании нового творения прогрессив-монстров.

в записи принимали участие такие монстры, как Danny Carey из TOOL и Les Claypool из Primus.
Из интересных моментов отмечу, что трек Beat Box Guitar был номинирован на Грэмми в категории "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" в 2005 году.

Spoiler:

На своем новом альбоме гитарист легендарных King Crimson, уходя от доступных мелодий нескольких своих предыдущих работ, вновь обращается к экспериментальному року, умудряясь вкладывать в трех-, четырехминутные композиции столько идей, сколько иные музыканты не могут набрать и на целый альбом.

Интересен прежде всего тем кто слышал Sides One и Two. C Белью опять работают Дени Кери - ударник из Tool, и басист Лес Клейпул.

Это уже третий альбом в концептуальной цепи. Основные инструментальные партии Адриан делает сам с небольшой помощью друзей. Так, Мэл Коллинс (Camel, King Crimson) играет соло на саксе -- Beat Box Car, равно как и на других вещах тоже дует ноты. Роберт Фрипп играет на странном инструменте, который он называет flute guitar. Белью собирает все, что под рукой, -- электронику, лупы, акустическую гитару, и у него получаются полотна типа Water Turns To Wine, где Фрипп как раз и встревает со своей флейтовой гитарой. Cinemusic -- это уже готовый авангард: странные звуковые эффекты, музыкальные шкатулки и электронная бредятина. Но зато можно в кино использовать.

First off, don't buy this album if you're hoping to hear King Crimson. You won't.
This is basically a pop album that's very Beatle-esque (on one of the songs
Adrian imitates John Lennon's vocal intonations almost perfectly) and has some
of the best work Belew has layed his name to. Buy it if you want good Beatle-esque
pop, but you are warned if you are expecting King Crimson.
------
The reference to The Beatles' Revolver is no accident. Inner Revolution, like
Revolver, stands as Belew's most consistent, mature and powerful musical
statement as a solo artist. Given Belew's work with King Crimson, The Bears and
his own solo work, that's quite an achievement. Belew's songs focus on the
tragic consequences of his divorce (The War in The Gulf Between Us), personal
philosphy of life (Inner Revolution)and occasionally takes a detour into the
lilting melodic avenue Lennon and McCartney traveled on (Everything).

There's not one song that isn't a gem. The mastering on the original CD was so-so;
many of the songs sounded compressed and one-dimensional so it's nice to have
another opportunity to visit with this classic album with improved sound.
Although it didn't sell as well as Mr. Music Head or capture the imagination the
way his work did with King Crimson during the early 80's, Inner Revolution still
stands out like a brilliant gem in a discography filled with treasure.

It's Adrian Belew's best album to date (although many other albums would come
close to matching its beauty, bizarre sounding guitar parts and musical composition).

Adrian Belew's wrap-up album for Atlantic Records, following upon the more
experimental Young Lions. Among the solo albums of the King Crimson frontman
that I've heard, this one remains my favorite. Wouldn't pick this one up
expecting prog (aside from the obvious Three of a Perfect Pair guitar licks of "This
Is What I Believe In," nods to Crimson are nowhere in sight). This is a pop
album with Belew's greatest influences (namely, The Beatles and, to a lesser
extent, Roy Orbison) unabashedly displayed. Nonetheless, he is in the peak of
his power-pop songwriting form here. The tunes are for the most part well-crafted,
catchy as hell, and a good three or four of them I'd say stand among the best of
his solo output. Some songs also benefit from Belew's penchant for including
experimental guitar sounds and erratic solos, to keep them from sounding too
pedestrian.

First, there are the tunes with a distinct Beatles stylization. Belew's
songwriting and extroverted vocals generally tend towards the cheerful and
upbeat mood of McCartney, though when more subdued and performing introverted
material, his vocal intonations become purely Lennon. "Big Blue Sun" is what you
might have found The Beatles doing around Magical Mystery Tour. It features a
string quartet and has those famously wobbily cello lines (like "I Am the Walrus"
or "Blue Jay Way"), Belew pounding out rhythm piano and shifting into Macca
overdrive: "Let me take your worries from you, let me build the world around you,
let me love you like nobody every tried." Despite its unfortunately corny title,
"War in the Gulf Between Us" is actually quite a good song. Although gleeful
harmonies ring out in that vintage Lennon-McCartney '64 style and its opening
guitar lines jangle out "And Your Bird Can Sing," the lyrics about Belew's then-recent
divorce head out in exactly the emotionally opposite direction, part dark comedy
and part exasperated resignation. Here's another: compare the bittersweet lilt
found on "Everything" ("That is why/I'll always give you...") with "In My Life"
("All my life/though some have changed...").

Outside the Fab Four, the Roy Orbison-influenced "I Walk Alone" is an
outstanding song, one of the best on the album, to the point that I actually
wish Orbison himself could have recorded a version of it. Other tunes I like
include "Heaven's Bed" (best chorus on the album), "I'd Rather Be Right Here,"
and "Birds" (which has more than a morsel of Electric Light Orchestra in its
beak). "Standing in the Shadow" evokes Belew's work with his other band The
Bears, and Bears drummer Chris Arduser can be found on a number of tracks,
including this one.

Excepting the abrasive "Member of the Tribe," there's something to be found in
each of the songs here. If you want to hear Adrian Belew prove himself a
talented pop songwriter and don't mind the obviousness of sources, go here. And
if you enjoy what you hear and are not satiated, you would do well to consider
his next album, Here.

Inner Revolution is the 3rd in a series of more pop-rock oriented albums Adrian
Belew did for Atlantic Records in the late 80s and early 90s. Inner Revolution
is different from most of Belew's catalogue in several ways. For starters, this
is the least experimental and more song-oriented album of his career up to this
point. This is also the most introspective album of Belew's career; it is seen
as a transition, both in Adrian's professional career, and personal life. Inner
Revolution came on the heels of a divorce between himself and his first wife,
Marsha. For a musician whose music is usually bright and energetic, the liner
notes show a rather subdued and somber musician. Keep in mind, you won't find
the tone of music or lyrics here that you might find on a Radiohead album, or
even a Pete Townshend solo album, but here Belew shows that right now, he is
going through a tough time. But even in the face of adversity, Belew keeps an
optimistic outlook. This is the theme of Inner Revolution.

Whether it's because of turmoil from within ourselves or craziness in the world
around us, getting our heads right requires an Inner Revolution. That's the
premise (and title) of this excellent offering from Adrian Belew. But as with
all albums that claim any sort of concept, success still depends on the quality
of the songs, and here, the quality is just fine. "This Is What I Believe In"
has musical references to Belew's somewhat amelodic work in King Crimson, but
gone from this album are the jangled corners of that band's sound. What remains
is an assured, passionate, and introspective collection of songs, brimming with
frothy melodies and great lyrics, all well framed with wideband production
values. The best song on the album, "Only a Dream," is an unabashed tirade on
the environmental insanity that seems to be an inexplicable part of how the
world is being run. But most of the album runs more towards explorations of
relationships. "War in the Gulf Between Us" is a clever play on words that uses
the first Iraq war to explore the minefield of Belew's failed marriage. "Inner
Revolution" moves him from heartache to healing, with lyrics general enough that
all of us, no matter what our troubles, can find inspiration in them. Some of
the best songs on the album find Belew referencing the works of top pop
craftsmen: "Big Blue Sun" caroms off the hyper-melodic Jeff Lynne sounds of mid-period
ELO. "Birds" and "Everything" both have a sort of a John Lennonish feel to them?the
first is about our fine feathered friends; the second is about a fine female
friend. And on "I'd Rather Be Right Here," Belew gets a little more upbeat and
finds himself at the Split Enz of his musical universe. In all cases, Belew's
effort adds to the sounds developed by the others rather than simply ripping
them off. Overall, Inner Revolution is a strong album?one of Adrian Belew's best.

This is Adrian Belew's definitive, yet most overlooked album. Almost every style
and experiment he's known for crops up on this 21-track journey of an album, it's
as though he had taken elements of his own style, influences, instrumental skill
and psyche and splattered it onto this disc in an ejaculated spray of musical
jism. And with 21 tracks, you get a lot of contrast: experimental guitar
textures in 'CONVERSATION PIECE' and 'HIGH WIRE GUITAR', Beatles styles in 'SIX
STRING' and 'TIME WAITS', beat poetry with 'WORD PLAY DRUM BEAT', alt-pop in 'SOMETHING
TO DO' and modern blues with 'MODERN MAN HURRICANE BLUES' and 'ALL HER LOVE IS
MINE'. There's even a rejected King Crimson track('I REMEMBER HOW TO FORGET')and
isn't that psychedelic-ish last track('ON') like a strange Thrak/Sgt. Pepper
hybrid?

Perhaps this album sounds a bit schizophrenic, but it's pretty cohesive as well-
it sounds like a complete album rather than a mass of styles thrown together.
Most of the tracks are short, and some tracks sound undeveloped yet done that
way on purpose('A PLATE OF WORDS' for example sounds like a regular song which
got turned off halfway through). This is some of Adrian's best songwriting, a
shame this release got lost in the shuffle amid the Crimson double-trio era and
didn't get the recognition it should have. Buy this and take the journey.
---------

It's an uneven album, self-indulgent at times, but the last song makes up for
any defects. 'On' is one of the greatest post-Beatles pop songs yet.
--------

I think phrase "Op Zop Too Wah" is an modernized synonym for the "Rock-n-Roll")Album
is a cerebral work of sound, color and outlandish/creative lyrics. There are a
lot of instrumental passages, drums and guitars, effects (landmarks of Belew's
inovations). There are some strong ideas, album sounds like a person changing
radio stations, each song a different channel on the dial. So that's the way the
listener is always cought of guard on what to expect. Op Zop is the
retrospective jorney in Belew's career. Song "I Remember How To Forget" closer
to Crimson's material, another song "Modern Man Hurricane Blues" is a step in a
new direction, it was born from Ade's and Robert Fripp talkings about
modernizing of the blues form. It's a song about modern man's city life ("ProzaKc
Blues" is another Crimson blues in this case). Op Zop more muscular, more
radical and it brings Belew into another dimension, another masterpiece within
his works. Adrian Belew world's #1 songwriter and guitar hero of our time... you
know with whom... Op Zop Too Wah is a great listening experience in modern Rock-n-Roll
history. Belew is a man with many talents and his artwork on album is cool too.
Recomended for those who never forget a meaning what Rock-n-Roll is.
----------

In his first two albums Adrian Belew looks for his voice and shows his mentors
influence. There are some excellent songs and playing but Belew doesn't quite
reach his potential. Desire Caught By The Tail, his third album demonstrates his
more experimental side to diehard fans. This pretty much becomes the pattern for
much of Belew's work with a swing to more pop based songs.

Op Zop Too Wah is where he puts it all together, literally. Every phase of
Adrian Belew's ideas fall into place on this album. The guitar work and post
beat poet kick the album off with Of Bow and Drum and Word Play Drum Beat.
Besides being entertaining pieces of music they are also interesting experiments
in the boundries of rock music. The lyrical, pop side of Belew's sound is found
on tracks like All Her Love Is Mine and Time Waits.

This can make for sharp contrasts of which there are plenty in this set of 21
songs. There have been complaints about how disconcerting these contrasts are to
which I disagree. As an album Op Zop Too Wah is cohesive, it's just not typical
of his pop laden prior efforts nor his completely experimental material.

Instead we get a pastiche of the elements that make up Adrian Belew's musical
skills, really the first album in his catalog to do so. The key is taking the
album for what it is and not what you would like it to be. It is refreshing to
hear the various elements of Belew's interests including production skills. The
sequencing and spacing of songs are at times surprising yet tasteful. Production
quality is excellent.

For new listeners you can expect some pop songs in the acoustic and electric
form only they will be a bit twisted from what you may be experienced to. There
will be concise excursions into lightly experimental guitar and song structures.
There will also be some heartfelt playing and singing to well intentioned lyrics
with some occasional humor. Expect some rocking moments as well.

The only negative are a couple of songs that seem underdeveloped or go on a bit
long. Keep in mind most songs are well under four minutes so this critisim is to
be considered within the scope of the album which is fast paced.

Adrian Belew is that rare artist that can play virtually any kind of music and
fit in, he has played with such diverse artists as NiN to Paul Simon to his
stints with David Bowie and Frank Zappa not to mention being co-guitarist/vocalist
in King Crimson and his pop based band, The Bears. Op Zop Too Wah is a sampling
of his interests as an artist and should be listened to as such. There is a lot
of great music on this album.

Not to be missed.
--------

Belew delivers his winning brand of progressive/alternative rock with
electrifying guitars and fascinating vocals. He dazzles us as once again he
proves his genius with the remarkable "Op Zop Too Wah". He wrote, produced,
played all instruments and, sang all vocals on every song. Belew is highly
competent in all areas.
The album ranges from the upbeat "Live In A Tree" to the otherworldly ballad "Beautiful".
On "Beautiful" Belew displays crystal clear and moving vocals. "Someting To Do"
is remarkably arranged with tempo changes and visionary guitar work. Reminiscent
somewhat to what the Beatles were doing in 1967 with their "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely
Hearts Club Band" album. The T-Rexish "Six String" contains an interesting play
on words and again excellent guitars. The album's most interesting song, the
instrumental, "High Wire Guitar", is a guitar's interpretation of a high wire
act you would see at the circus.
"Op Zop Too Wah" is diverse and covers much musical ground. It's more than an
album, it's an experience and a treasure. Belew is a true musical genius who
deserves much more notoriety.

If you are interested in Adrian Belew, Young Lions is a good place to start.
What you should REALLY begin with is Inner Revolution from 1992. It's been out
of print for some time, but you might get lucky. Otherwise, Young Lions and Mr.
Musichead are places to start. Young Lions is Belew at his most commercial. 10
solid tracks of guitar genius. Adrian is an experimental guitar player so if you
are looking for Eddie Van Halen or Steve Vai or Johnny Lang or Stevie Ray Vaughn,
you will have to look elsewhere. I became a fan of Adrian when I saw his video
for Oh Daddy on MTV back in 1989. Since then I have collected everything that's
in print (though I wish Island records would re-release his first two albums).
However, if you want an early overview you can pick up Desire of the Rhino King
which compiles key tracks from his first three Island albums. If you really LOVE
Belew then try King Crimson's Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair and
Thrak cds. He's also done much session work on Talking Heads, Paul Simon, David
Bowie and Nine Inch Nails albums. Young Lions won't disappoint, unless you like
more non-commerical fare, in which case you could try Mr. Musichead or Op Zop
Too Wah.
--------

This is a great album. Though I was familiar with Adrian Belew for his work with
King Crimson and David Bowie, Young Lions surpassed my expectations.

The album resonates with its own verve. The songs are all good, the lyrics are
full of images and the guitar work is as belew as it gets. It's a very
listenable album, and representative of an idiosyncratic pop stylist. Belew
carves his own niche with his manic guitar style and vocal wail (reminiscent of
Bowie in some ways yet distinctive in itself).

The killer track here for Bowie fans is "Pretty Pink Rose". (As a sidenote,
Bowie seemed to fare better in one-off outings with other artists in this era
including Pat Methany and Mick Ronson.) PPR is easily one of Bowie's best songs
from this period, and Belew makes it click all the way.

Certainly underrated by pop and rock pundits, you'll find this often in bargain
bins or not at all. Worth getting.
----------
The standout in his catalog, Adrian Belew's "Young Lions" successfully finds
common ground between Belew's pop and progressive leanings. It is also I feel
the record where Belew began to establish his identity unique of his past
collaborators-- the overt King Crimson and Talking Heads influences on his sound
had finally been assimulated without shining as brightly as they had in the past.

The album is all over the place, the common thread being Belew's monster guitar
playing and fantastic songwriting-- from tribal churning ("Young Lions") to
delicate pop "Looking For a U.F.O."), eco-conscious rock ("Men in Helicopters"),
ballads ("Phone Call to the Moon") and duets with David Bowie (the explosive "Pretty
Pink Rose") and some crazy radio guy ("I Am What I Am"), the album covers a lot
of ground. The important thing is that, quite frankly, everything is really,
REALLY good. Witty lyrics, clever arrangements, and phenomenal guitar.

This is the place to begin investigating Belew's catalog. If you're already
listening and you don't have it, get ahold of this-- its essential material.
Highly recommended.

It's a heartening story. Adrian Belew has rasped and wailed, sometimes weirdly,
as a guitarist for David Bowie, Talking Heads, and King Crimson, not to mention
his own cult band, the Bears. But he also has made four solo albums ? and now
with his fifth he has found his own secure voice.

It's not necessarily a distinctive singing voice. Belew can sound like both
Bowie and David Byrne. Nor is he always a distinctive songwriter; his music
jumps from style to style. The title cut sounds vaguely like latter-day Talking
Heads (complete with busy, quasi-African beat); a song called ''Looking for a U.F.O.''
sounds like a '60s pop pastiche, the Beach Boys crossed with the Supremes.

But against all odds, Young Lions sounds refreshing, even sweet. It sounds that
way even when Belew's virtuosity reigns unchecked: Thanks to the miracle of
overdubbing, he plays not just guitar, but also bass, drums, and nearly every
other instrument heard on the album. He sounds centered; his characteristic
wackiness has been transmuted into uncomplicated yearning. Even his UFO song is
really about his hope that someday ? though we may need aliens to teach us ? we'll
learn to run our world better.

Belew also sings love songs that, in some world slightly more twisted than ours,
conceivably might be called pop. Then, just when you think you've heard
everything, he soars like Roy Orbison, arching with no strain at all, through
the refrain that Orbison sang in the Traveling Wilburys' ''Not Alone Anymore.''

The best Bowie imitation on the album is staged by Bowie himself, who shares
vocal and writing credits for two songs. One, ''Pretty Pink Rose,'' lends Belew
some helpful grit. The other, ''Gunman,'' which closes the album, sounds like a
grim outtake from Bowie's own most recent record, the heartless Tin Machine. Up
to then, Young Lions had been anything but heartless. ''Gunman'' drags it
momentarily ? but only momentarily ? down.

Young Lions is as solid an album as Adrian Belew had put out in some time,
including his work with the Bears. Apparently, the relative chart success he had
with his last effort fueled the desire for another single, and no less a
luminary than former employer David Bowie was brought in to write and duet with
Belew on "Pretty Pink Rose" (they even did a video to support it). While that
song and "Gunman" (the pair's second collaboration on the album) are little more
than a reprise of Bowie's work with Tin Machine, they clearly relieve Belew from
having to scrap together all the material himself. Leaning on a not-too-distant
King Crimson standard, "Heartbeat," and the Traveling Wilburys' "Not Alone
Anymore" leaves Belew holding the bag for an even half-dozen originals, which
reduces the filler ratio that plagued some of his earlier efforts. From the
energetic opener, "Young Lions," to the Motown-inspired "Looking for a U.F.O.,"
Belew comes up with some off-center pop/rock songs that hold up under inspection.
His work with the Bears had smoothed out the guitarist's rough edges, but on his
own, Belew is more nimble and quirky, as "Men in Helicopters" and "Small World"
demonstrate. Like Mr. Music Head before it, Young Lions presents Belew's assets
in a very palatable package. Despite the lack of a real standout single, Belew's
one-man performance on Young Lions is worth hearing.

Adrian Belew seems obsessed with the sounds and sensual evocations of the deep
jungle, and bent on translating this primal vocabulary into his own sonic
wildlife. Fortunately for music fans, Belew's avant tribal leanings have led to
some of the more adventurous pop of the '80s and '90s. YOUNG LIONS is another in
this idiosyncratic wizard's fine series of solo recordings, and the title track
is a vintage Belew tramp through underbrush, African drums, and guitar solos in
the shapes of birds and elephants.
What makes Adrian Belew's albums so enjoyable is the element of stylistic
surprise. Singalong pop rears its head in "Looking For a U.F.O". and the fluid
melodies of "Small World", while "Phone Call From the Moon" glosses loopy,
stratospheric lounge jazz. High marks go to the faithful rendering of the King
Crimson original "Heartbeat", and the David Bowie/Belew collaboration "Pretty
Pink Rose", a driving, dramatic rocker that recalls Bowie's heyday and is a fine
late addition to his LOW/HEROES/LODGER-era catalogue. While not Belew's most
essential release, YOUNG LIONS combines the compositional range and technical
excellence that makes his work so rewarding.

Fusion_Brasil wrote:

Here are the links to Adrian Belew - "e"

It's not my rip but files are OK (properly checked).
Quality: FLAC + CUE + Log + Front Cover.

Enjoy!

Willy wrote:

ранние его работы мягкие и совсем не похожи на музыку Кримсона. Мои любимые - Here и Inner Revolution. Например:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDu65_01DB0

А начиная с Side One - avant-prog, fusion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63I_eyFeEPE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPUTJHnePuE

muzifan wrote:Я несколько раз пробовал его разные альбомы - не смог вытерпеть его битломанские склонности, часто доходящие до плагиата.
Уши Битлз торчат в каждой пятой песенке...

Johnik wrote:ух ты. а мне битлоподобное нравится.
Тогда вам и ЭЛО, Америка, Джерри Рафферти тоже не должны нравиться?

muzifan wrote:У Белью это "с особым цинизмом"... Он как будто искал их рецепт создания нетленки...

А Америке я прощаю - там Джорж Мартин погоду делал, а ЭЛО так вообще прямых аналогий у меня не вызывали - они все-таки "сами с усами"...
Но ты прав - мне все это не нравится. У Белью хорош Side One (но ты не даже пробуй - это Кримзоидный диск)...