Adrian Belew - The Lone Rhino

In case anyone didn't get enough of Adrian Belew from the Jerry Harrison post or the live Heads, here's his first solo outing. I always thought he was a better side man than a solo artist. He seems to fill holes more effectively than providing a foundation. That said, this has its moments.

The whole thing is big and overdone and slick. It doesn't hold up well, either. But interestingly, where the big numbers feel like an attempt to cram a square peg in a round hole, the softer more introspective numbers really shine, in particular the instrumental Naive Guitar, and the lovely duet with his four year old daughter, The Final Rhino. While recording the album she sat noodling at the piano in a surprisingly mature way during a break. Belew rolled tape and then overdubbed his part. It's short, and you wish he had done more like it.

Belew was fundamental to alt music of the time from his hiring by Zappa and then Bowie (both of whom seemed to revel in discovering phenomenal guitarists back then) and subsequent work with Talking Heads and King Crimson. His work was unique and added a dimension to the alt scene in the late 70's and early 80's that was sorely lacking - the guitar god, the twang bar king (amusingly that term was the title of his second solo effort). He continued to be the choice of the "alt" boys, putting in his time with Trent Reznor on Downward Spiral and The Fragile and a host of others.

It's worth the listen for perspective and who knows, you might really like it, if only for the couplet, "sports-awareness t-shirt, forced to wear this t-shirt".

allmusic:

The first solo album from monster alternative guitarist Belew comes in the middle of Robert Fripp's early-'80s reformulation of King Crimson, so it's no surprise that many a Crimson-esque herky-jerky guitar run and melody line pops up among Belew's other trademark sound, that of the animal-turned-guitar wail. Songs similarly explore Belew's fascination with raw animal nature: "Big Electric Cat" (the album's obvious single) is exactly that, howling five-stringed felines over a propulsive Afro-funk beat, and "Animal Grace" is its less frazzled companion. But Belew can also be gentle, exploring guitar synth ambience on "Naive Guitar" and even performing a duet with his four-year-old daughter Audie Belew on "The Final Rhino."

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