Elephant Talk
“It was, for me, like going to the School of Zappa for an intense year crash course on everything to do with being a professional recording artist to a live performer. Of course there was a lot of incredible music to learn, but I think what affected me most was just learning from Frank how to run your business, how to be a recording artist and travel around the world and do those kinds of things.” Belew then added, “It was the only true education I've ever had. Everything else I've done I taught myself.”
After seeing one of Zappa's concerts, a suitably impressed David Bowie contracted Belew to tour with him on his Heroes Tour, which led to Belew staying on, appearing on Bowie's Lodger album and subsequently becoming the musical director, guitarist and singer on Bowie's Sound+Vison Tour. The relationship with Bowie placed Belew's talents in the fore, and made him accessible to such bands as the Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club. It also acted as a key, opening up Belew's career to musical forms and textures that he seemed to have been created for, namely, by his introduction to Robert Fripp, founder of King Crimson.
“It happened one night when I went with David Bowie to a club called The Bottom Line to see an artist named Steve Reich” Belew reflected, “At the end of the show, when the lights came up, David said, 'Oh! There's Robert Fripp over there.'So, I walked over and introduced myself...”
With influences ranging from Béla Bartók to the Beatles, King Crimson's turbulent existence pushed the boundaries of progressive rock and musical experimentation and was a perfect vehicle for Belew's eclectic lyrical vision. The only problem was, no one at that time had any intention of reforming King Crimson.
“What I think got the wheels turning in Robert's mind was, a few months later, I had a band of my own called Gaga and we toured as the opening act for Robert's band, which was called The League of Gentlemen.” Belew explained. “We did five shows as their opener and I think that's when Robert realized, 'Oh! This guy is more than just a stunt guitar player! He's also as singer, a songwriter, a front man and all that stuff.' I think that's when he go the idea for including me in the new lineup of something he was doing...but it wasn't called King Crimson at first.”
The original line up was simply called Discipline. The metamorphoses into the fourth incarnation of King Crimson was one that was organic and seemingly destined. After realizing that they were, in fact, King Crimson, the band did not choose to follow any of the same trails that had been blazed before. The new music was nothing like any of the previous King Crimson catalog.
“Oh absolutely! It was nothing like it, although I was a big fan of all the early Crimson stuff and knew it very well.” We didn't even attempt to go that way.” Belew said. “We completely reinvented ourselves with the idea that here's these four pretty headstrong players and all of us have the latest technology, you know, Bill Bruford with the electronic drums, Tony Levin (Chapman) Stick*, me and Robert playing guitar synthesizers, which no one had done up till then. So, you put four monkeys in a room and long enough...(laughs)”
The influence of King Crimson and Adrian Belew can be felt and heard throughout the music industry, even among the groups that may not immediately leap to mind, such as the progressive rock band Tool and Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, with whom Adrian contributed guitar tracks for The Downward Spiral, The Fragile and Ghost I-IV.
“Well, as it turns out, Trent (Reznor) is a big fan of David Bowie and especially of the time that I was playing with David as his guitarist, so Trent's management contacted my management and just said, 'Trent's a big fan of Adrian's and he'd like to know if he (Adrian) would like to come to L.A. and play on a Nine Inch Nails record.'” Belew went to say that, “Well, it just so happened that I was already in L.A. with all my gear, so it was a no-brainer. Since then, the relationship that I have with Trent has just broadened more and more.”
Never idle, Belew revealed some of the projects he is currently working on. One of the longer running projects is the Adrian Belew Power Trio which features Belew on guitar, Eric Slick on drums and Eric's sister, Julie Slick on bass.
“First of all, we have a new record that will be coming out almost simultaneously with the new tour and the record is called e and it is a forty-three minute piece of music in five sections, so it's quite an endeavor...very complex, demanding, very hard to play. We'll play at least three of those sections, so there'll be at least a half an hour's worth of brand new music from the new record.” Belew added that, “I've tried to write into some of the arrangements places where the band goes away from the initial song and just spreads it's wings and flies off in various directions every night. Yeah, it's just a perfect arrangement of the right players at the right time.”
Before we ended our conversation, Belew added some of his memories of playing Canal Street Tavern, including a cranial contusion caused by a low hanging monitor. Belew reflected that:
“Canal Street has a special place in our hearts because of the fact that our last record was recorded there live. That was the record called Side Four Live, which is the only other record that the Power Trio has made and, since that's a live record, that's all material that's been previously recorded. Now e will be the first record that is all brand new material recorded by the Power Trio.”
The Adrian Belew Power Trio will be performing at Canal Street Tavern, 308 E. First St., July 17th at 9:30pm (doors open at 8:00pm). Tickets for the performance are $22 and can be purchased in advance or at the door. For more information, you can call (937) 461-9343 or visit them online at http://www.canalstreettavern.com/.
Labels: Adrian Belew, Canal Street Tavern, Dayton City Paper, Frank Zappa, J.T. Ryder, King Crimson, Nine Inch Nails





































