Search - Adrian Belew :: Belewprints: The Acoustic Adrian Belew, Vol. 2 (England)

Great acoustic versions.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 07/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Belewprints" is billed as "The Acoustic Adrian Belew, Volume Two", but its a bit different than the first one. The first record (seemingly impossible to find these days) featured pieces with Belew playing acoustic guitar and vocals only, this record features more arranged pieces, with the constraint that all the instruments had to be acoustic (with one exception). Pianos, acoustic basses, drums, layers of acoustic guitars, and so on, all find their way onto this record



In general ,the material takes well to the rearrangement, Belew's music has a lyrical quality to it that can often get obscured below the usual layers of distortion and guitar noises. He also seems to have a penchant for picking pieces I rather enjoy for these acoustic records. Highlights include the string-quartet-and-vocal arrangement of "Men In Helicopters", the first recording of the "lounge" version of "Cage" (which King Crimson would feature in their 2000 tour), a just breathtaking "Everything") and a brilliant take on King Crimson's "Dinosaur". But really, just about everything on here is pretty good.



It's not quite the delicate masterpiece volume one was, but its an awfully good record, definitely worth checking out."

Vastly better than the average "unplugged" album

Poet Warrior | Central Coast, CA USA | 09/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was quite pleased to listen to Belewprints: The Acoustic Adrian Belew, Vol. 2. While stripped of the usual technical gadgetry of most of Belew's rock and alternative releases, what is not missing is the splendor of these songs in an unvarnished style that is still 100% Belew.



Among the tracks that never tire the ear are "I Remember How To Forget", "Big Blue Sun" and the King Crimson song "Dinosaur." Also effervescent are his sound tableaus, "Things You Hit With A Stick" (his experimental percussion piece), "Return of the Chicken" as well as "Nude Wrestling With A Christmas Tree" which blends the other two experimental tracks.



I would liken this offering to dim sum--a little of pretty much everything that Belew has attempted in his musical career, all of it an adventure in terms of both style and substance. Of course, I could not forget to mention the inclusion of Belew's live version of John Lennon's song, "Free As A Bird." This track shows that Belew can bring such sweet music to life while sounding quite Lennonesque. After all, Belew began his musical career as a member of the Denems, which performed covers of Beatles songs. His appreciation for their musical legacy sparked a most brilliant career.



I cannot consider a music collection complete without this wonderful album. It is worth more than just a casual listen. To me, the best music needs a sense of the eclectic, and Belewprints definitely qualifies as such."