rlr@pyuxn.UUCP (Rich Rosen) (04/10/84)
> The only question that I have is; if Robert Fripp is such a phenomenal > guitarist, why does he play second fiddle to a man (Adrian Belew) that > admittedly knows not how to read or write music. > Now don't get me wrong, I do like Robert Fripp. > But to imply that he is the best is ludicrous. Try listening to Steve > Hackett instead. He is every bit as good as Fripp, but has a much wider > repertoire. Oh, I see, not being able to read/write music is a quantifiable measure of one's musical ability, eh? Belew is one of the best new guitarists to come along in a long time, as his work with David Bowie ("Lodger", "Stage" live album), Talking Heads ("Remain in Light"), and Joan Armatrading (witness the incredible solo on "Call Me Names"--Eddie van Halen, listen and weep!) clearly shows. The interplay between Fripp AND Belew was one of the more interesting elements in the new Crimson configuration. And Belew's apparent inability to "write" music (I'd never heard that until just now, and it certainly hasn't altered my opinion of him) hasn't hurt his compositional ability on his two solo albums, "Lone Rhino" and "Twang Bar King". I won't comment on Steve Hackett's music, per se (it's not my cup of tea), but he has got to be one of the most obnoxious and pretentious people in popular music today. His snobbish attitude towards what he refers to as "so-called new music" (that which is different in style from his "so-called progressive rock") is evident in interviews and commentary from Mr. Hackett. As far as being "every bit as good as Fripp", the man stole his whole style from Fripp in his early Genesis days, down to the point where he emulated his sound and sat down to play in performance. 'Nuff said. -- "Submitted for your approval..." Rich Rosen pyuxn!rlr
leei@tilt.UUCP (Lee Iverson) (04/10/84)
If anyone out there is really interested in Belew's work, I would definitely suggest at least listening to Laurie Anderson's latest album "Mr. Heartbreak". She has a number of 'guest' artists performing with her, including Adrian Belew, Peter Gabriel, William S. Burroughs, and others. After the first ten or twelve times through it still has a great deal of novelty, and seems much stronger than Big Science. I really appreciate her wit and ability to indulge in obvious self-parody. Well worth a listen.