Expiremental Side

ALBUM OF THE DAY
Adrian Belew - Side One, released 2005 (Sanctuary)

Adrian Belew is one of the most influential guitarists of all time, but certainly doesn't get that sort of recognition. Belew has played his signature guitar sound on albums by Frank Zappa, The Talking Heads, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Paul Simon, The Bears, and of course, King Crimson.



"Like all great guitarists, Belew has his own recognizable style/sound (one that admittedly tends to be quirky and off-the-wall at times), and is an incredibly versatile player, as he's always found a way to make his signature style fit into a wide variety of musical genres: hard rock, funk, new wave, experimental, Beatlesque pop, and more."

"By 2005, it had been nearly eight years since Adrian Belew had unleashed an all-new solo studio effort. That's not to say he wasn't busy, though, as he toured/recorded with both King Crimson and the Bears during this time. And in the process, he became quite friendly with two of rock's top players — Primus' Les Claypool and Tool's Danny Carey — who happened to be major Belew fans. As a result, Belew invited the duo to play on several tracks on Side One. But be forewarned: they do not appear on the entire album, which is a shame, because the two best tracks — "Ampersand" and "Writing on the Wall" (the latter of which is a fierce funk-rocker, quite reminiscent of early-'80s-era King Crimson) — are the ones that contain this stellar lineup. But that's not to say the other tracks aren't worthwhile; other standouts include the noisy, repetitive epic "Madness" (which could have fit snugly on Crimson's 2003 effort, The Power to Believe) and a tribute to pachyderms everywhere, the appropriately titled "Elephants." At barely over 30 minutes in length, some fans who have patiently waited this long for a new Belew release may be disappointed initially, before finding out the good news — the guitarist will be releasing two additional solo releases in 2005 (Side Two and Side Three)." - Greg Prato