Published on Mar 16, 2006
I’ve started to notice that many artists front-load
their releases with their best songs. From the Beatles to Pearl
Jam, rarely is the second side of an album or second half of a disc
as good as the first.
But Adrian Belew, ever the rebel, bucks that theory
with Side Two, the second part of Belew’s Side trilogy,
which commenced earlier in 2005 with Side One. That half
hour was a mix of electronics, rock songs, guest stars,
introspective lyrics and the general experimental weirdness Belew’s
fans have come to expect.
Perhaps it’s that the shock has worn off of having
new Belew material, or maybe it’s the lack of guest stars, but for
whatever reason Side Two initially failed to conjure up the
same excitement for me. It took a few listens to let this one sink
in, and only then were its true rewards found (though I still
wonder why it was released separately instead of combined with
Side One…and later this year, we can look for Side
Three).
Belew is always interesting and eclectic, perhaps the
reason he’s been one of the longest surviving members of King
Crimson. Like his band, he’s not afraid to use silence or
dissonance as parts of a song, and he knows how to keep things
slightly uneasy and unpredictable.
Part of this disc’s charm is it’s erratic, moody
atmosphere. Belew never engages in guitar wizardry because he can
— rather, on “I Wish I Knew” and “Dead Dog On Asphalt,” he employs
meandering but melodic acoustic and electric guitar solos over top
of electronics, atmospherics, whispered voices and slight
percussion. It’s really hard to describe but very good, which is a
sign that Belew is still a vital creative force, some 30 years
after he crashed on the scene as a guitar player for Frank Zappa
and David Bowie.
But unlike them, Belew has little interest in writing
a catchy single or a pop tune. Rather, he is fascinated by sound,
by different tempos, instruments and approaches. “Face To Face” is
sort of a love song but decidedly quirky, with an Arabic stringed
instrument and electronic drums setting the mood while Belew sings
and puts on backward guitar effects. He’s a musician’s musician,
that Adrian.
Side One took little time to get used to
because it was more explicit, but this disc is textured and subtle
and takes time to grow — not difficult, since it’s only half an
hour long. A tune like “Asleep” offers Crimson-flavored guitar but
a Bjork-type beat, before breaking for some whooshes and then
turning into a more standard rock song (albeit with strings, wind
sounds and barely audible guitar picking). “Sex Nerve” is a bit
like a porn song without the cheese factor, a Moby-type piece with
attitude, and “Sunlight” is a New Age-type track with a prominent
single bass note wordlessly carrying the soundscape.
But while Belew may be varied in his songs, the songs
themselves don’t have many variations throughout. In short, Belew
picks his themes — electric drums, strings, backward guitar,
whooshes, etc. — and and repeats it for a few minutes. Most of the
time it works, but not always, as on “Then What” and “Sunlight,”
which does get old after a little while.
For those who thought progressive rock was dead,
Belew offers proof there are still many variations to be found in
music these days. This is a low-key affair but it demands the
listener’s attention, and the half hour just flies by, another good
sign that while Belew may not be popular, he is definitely worth
listening to. It’s a shame the disc is so short.