LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

These two albums originally released on the Island label in 1982 ('Lone Rhino') and 1983 ('Twang Bar King') Over the years Adrian Belew has played with some of Rock's biggest names. He did the guitar work on Talking Heads'classic 1980's album 'Remain In Light'as well as playing on the offshoot group Tom Tom Club's albums. He also played on the King Crimson albums 'Discipline', 'Beat'& 'Three Of A Perfect Pair'as well as David Bowie's 'Lodger'album, and appeared on Paul Simon's 'Graceland'single and Nine Inch Nails''The Downward Spiral'and 'The Fragile'. More recently Belew has put together a solo album with Primus bassist Les Claypool and Tool drummer Danny Carey lending a hand. 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 - he's always found a way to make his signature style fit into a wide variety of musical genres including hard rock, funk, new wave, experimental, Beatlesque pop, and more. Review of 'Lone Rhino'from AMG: "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." Review of 'Twang Bar King'from AMG: "Diversified and relentlessly creative - giving space to new artistic and emotional expression - this second solo album from guitarist Adrian Belew expands upon his already remarkable solo debut, though more than a few will be confused and put off by the opener, the Beatles'classic 'I'm Down'. Belew's inventiveness, both as a guitarist and as a songwriter, keep this album fresh and exciting at nearly every turn. One remarkable track, 'She Is Not Dead'- with lyrics sung over a backward version of 'Hot Sun'from 'Lone Rhino'- has lyrics that fondly remember a departed loved one, astonishing in their beauty and depth of emotion." TracklistLONE RHINO:1. Big Electric Cat 2. The Momur 3. Stop It 4. The Man In The Moon 5. Naive Guitar 6. Hot Sun 7. The Lone Rhinoceros 8. Swingline 9. Adidas In Heat 10. Animal Grace 11. The Final RhinoTWANG BAR KING:12. I'm Down 13. I Wonder 14. Life Without A Cage 15. Sexy Rhino 16. Twang Bar King 17. Another Time 18. The Rail Song 19. Paint The Road 20. She Is Not Dead 21. Fish Head 22. The Ideal Woman 23. Ballet For A Blue Whale