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SIDE THREE ends Adrian Belew's sonic experiment which
started last year with SIDE ONE & TWO, naturally. What you
hear here is similar material to the first installments and
pretty much caps off the series. For Side One, Belew offered
a rocking selection of abrasive avant-pop rock which featured
guests Danny Carey from TOOL and Les Claypool from PRIMUS.
SIDE TWO was more experimental soundscapes which sounded like
small slivers of modern art. There were many instrumentals
and those tracks with vocals had few words at all, with Adrian
opting for a fresher non-song/verse-chorus approach which
was more akin to haiku or beat poetry. SIDE THREE features
aspects from both ONE and TWO, as well as serving as both
more of the same and as a conclusion to the series. Some of
the tracks are brief, and sound almost incomplete, yet constructed
that way on purpose. The abstract artwork on the album covers
for sides reflect the content within. Certainly, Belew's music
bears many aspects of abstract painting, and Belew approaches
his music in the way one may approach painting. Belew is also
responsible for the paintings themselves.***
Those who know of his work as guitarist and vocalist
for KING CRIMSON since 1981 know Belew as the sonic manipulator
and maverik guitarist with many 'Sides' which surface on different
projects: the Beatles-styled popsmith with an Orbison/McCartney
voice , the 'world'-music innovator, the in-demand producer,
and the guitarist who has worked with all of the best including
Zappa, Bowie and Laurie Anderson. On the SIDES, he utilizes
many of these various 'sides'.***
The SIDES are short (just over a half hour each) for
a reason. These are supposed to be seen as 'record sides'
like as in vinyl records with a side one and two, etc. So
basically the concept is that you get side one of ABBEY ROAD
or the like on one disc and side two on a whole other disc.
Or you could call them EP's. Whichever, the shorter format
works, in that you get just enough music to hold the attention
for 34 minutes and then it's on to something else.***
TROUBLES:groovy opening track pits Adrian's trademark
abrasive guitar leads and jazzy rhythm against a voice track
of 'The Prophet Omega' who goes on about various health problems.
The Prophet Omega was a radio evangelist, and this is his
third appearance on a Belew album. Apparently Adrian digs
this guy. INCOMPETENCE & INDIFFERENCE: a humorous track which
chronicals a couple of a hapless Adrian's dealings with clueless
individuals who have no clue that they are clueless(the incompetent
plumber, the clueless woman smoking in a non-smoking area).
The 'low'-voiced blues character from King Crimson's PROZAC
BLUES returns here. This was originally available for download
on his website.***
WATER TURNS TO WINE: gentler slab of modern art with
strange percussion and very little words. Robert Fripp guests
and offers 'flute'-sounding guitar soundscapes.***
CRUNK: Adrian pulls some more elephants out of his box
of guitar tricks for this brief track.***
DRIVE: an expansive sounding track which utilizes car
sounds over a bed of Beat and wide open spaces. The car sound
coming from behind the speaker and passing to the front one
was so realistic on my car stereo that I tensed up while driving,
thinking for a split second that a track was barrelling down
towards me.***
CINEMUSIC: pretty much what the title says- music for
films. Here Adrian paints a sound collage of guitar sound
effects for another short track.***
WHATEVER: a funkier rocker which utilizes the power trio
from SIDE ONE. It's a good thing that the instrument he's
choking the life out of is a guitar and not a real live animal.
He'd be in real trrouble with the society for the prevention
of cruelty to animals. This one rocks.***
MEN IN HELICOPTERS 4.0: I wasn't aware of a version 3.0,
but this track is a throwback from his acoustic period(SALAD
DAYS, BELEWPRINTS, etc.) and doesn't really fit the context
of the SIDES trilogy. Anyway, this reworking from this 1990
track from his YOUNG LION'S album features a string section
and march-like drumming. It really doesn't sound like it belongs
on this record, but it's a decent song and one of the only
'song' based vocal tracks on the entire SIDES trilogy.***
BEAT BOX CAR: a second version of BEAT BOX GUITAR from
Side One which offers continuity between the SIDES and features
former Crimson saxophone god Mel Collins. With strong King
Crimson ties with both Fripp and previous members who were
in King Crimson variations before him, the prospect of some
sort of project featuring members who had never been in the
band at the same time such as Belew, Fripp, Mel Collins and
Ian Wallace, is fascinating.***
TRUTH IS: reflective and yes, short track features Collins
again on flute.***
THE RED BULL RIDES A BOOMERANG ACROSS THE BLUE CONSTELLATION:
similar to 'Cinemusic', this is another sound collage which
hints at previous tracks from the trilogy.***
& (AND): this is an alternate version of AMPERSAND from
SIDE ONE, which brings a sense of conclusion to the album.***
SIDE THREE is another fine addition to the large body
of solo work from Mr. Belew, and well worth adding to that
collection. What now for Belew? As long as there is a canvas
to paint sonic experiments on and ears to listen, there will
always be quality material waiting to be heard. Go Adrian!***
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