Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Adrian Belew: Guitar, Animals, Machines
Adrian Belew seemed to be just about everywhere in the late seventies and early eighties. He held his own with Zappa, was a central part of the reconstituted King Crimson, provided some of the coolest guitar solos ever on the Talking Heads Remain in Light and provided counterpoint to Laurie Anderson's trippy visions of the modern age. Then there was the solo albums with lots of songs about animals, Big Electric Cats and Rhinos and all the rest. (I am also reminded that there was that horrendous Oh Daddy song that played for a while on MTV, we'll try not to give too much consideration to that here)
I am very glad I took up a friend's offer to join him at tonight's Adrian Belew Power Trio concert at the Aladdin Theatre. I was struck by the fact that this is an artist with not one but many distinctive voices and many unique ways to control effects that would have been overly gimmmicky in other hands. His sounds on guitar are not only sometimes imitative and expressive of the animal world but also can reflect the mechanical and the angst of the machine. He started one of his lengthy jams with an automobile starting up and by the time he ended he seemed to deconstruct an entire factory.
I remember Los Lobos' Dave Hidalgo once confessed after an especially raucous jam that "making noise is a lot of fun." Belew's body language, broad smile and informal patter ("Looks like Portland likes to celbrate Friday early") revealed he was having a great time on the stage he shares with a brother and sister with the last name of slick who have barely entered their twenties. Barefoot lass Julie Slick and her brother with mutton chops that still look peach fuzzy are no novelty act. They give Belew plenty to work whether it be a rock steady Third Stone from the Sun space, jazz fusion tension or progressive rock backdrop for his various sonic explorations and departures.
One of those departures during his brief solo sequence was an insanely manic version of the Beatles' Within You, Without You where he collapsed the entire end phrase of that tune like a seal would slam dunk a ball. The crowd loved it as well as just about every whammy bar extended note he played throughout the evening.
More Belew Links and so forth...
Where did I hear this guy?
Check out the music player on the Out of the Belew website Did he really play on all these songs? Well most of them for sure, I like being able to check out the solo on Crosseyed and Painless and the outro of Burning Down the House. (I can't hear the latter without visualizing David Byrne's head projected on the pavememt)
The old man and the kids are alright
Here's some footage from a gig at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA from last fall. I think you will agree that the Slicks are significant graduates from the School of Rock. Here's also a blog young Eric started during their 2006 fall Tour.
Animal Noises for a Japanese Commercial
This is very cool stuff. Check out YouTube for a couple more of these commercials.
posted by well-executed buffet at 11:26 AM
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