Adrian Belew (born Robert Steven Belew, December 23, 1949, in Covington, Kentucky) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is perhaps best known for his work as a member of the progressive rock group King Crimson (which he has fronted since 1981) and for his unusual approach to guitar playing, which features bizarre electronic tones, unorthodox playing techniques and a wide variety of sonic effects (including guitar-based impressions of animals, birds, insects, vehicles and mechanical sound).
He has also worked extensively as a session musician, most famously with Talking Heads, David Bowie, Caifanes, Frank Zappa, and Nine Inch Nails.
With Frank Zappa (1977-1978)
With David Bowie (1979)
With Talking Heads (1979-1982)
With King Crimson (1981)
Belew has contributed to three Nine Inch Nails albums : The Downward Spiral, The Fragile, and Ghosts I–IV.
Belew had been tapped by Talking Heads and their producer Brian Eno to add guitar solos to several tracks on their album ''Remain in Light''.
Belew's involvement with Talking Heads extended to playing on a variety of side projects.
Also , he participate on several tracks on David Byrne's soundtrack to the Twyla Tharp dance piece " The Catherine Wheel " and most notably the debut album by Tom Tom Club (the spin-off project by Talking Heads rhythm section Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz), for which Belew performed on most of the tracks
In 1981, having been impressed by Belew's work with Gaga and David Bowie, Robert Fripp (leader of the pioneering progressive rock group King Crimson) asked Belew to join a new four-piece band called Discipline as singer and second guitarist.
Members of Gaga joined Belew in Compass Point, Nassau (where the Tom Tom Club album was being recorded) and backed him on a set of parallel sessions which would result in Belew's first solo album, 1982's " Lone Rhino " .
In 1990, Belew produced a similar follow-up with " Young Lions " , which featured a number of cover versions plus two guest appearances by his past and current employer David Bowie, who'd hired Belew as musical director for his then-current Sound+Vision Tour. The album generated another US Modern rock chart hit (number 2) with the Belew-and-Bowie duet "Pretty Pink Rose" and a minor hit on the same chart with the subsequent single "Men In Helicopters"
( This album will be soon on this blog )
Belew's subsequent releases were two more acoustic albums (1998's Belew Prints: The Acoustic Adrian Belew, Vol. 2 and the 1999 Salad Days compilation) and the Coming Attractions album of work-in-progress. In 2004, he collaborated on a spoken-word-and-instrumentation album with Kevin Max - Raven Songs 101. Between 2005 and 2007, Belew released the "Side" series of albums - Side One (2005), Side Two (2005), Side Three (2006) and Side Four (2007) - with a variety of guest performers including Tool's Danny Carey and Primus' Les Claypool.
Belew is fond of heavily synthesized and electronically altered guitar sounds. Over the years he has become known for playing a variety of guitars processed through an immense array of electronic effects devices .
there ain't one hell of a lots of us
left in this world
I stand alone in my concrete cell
where people stare and toss me Coke cans
I guess it's better than being poached
but I'd give my horn just to see my homeland
I'm a lone rhinoceros
there ain't one hell of a lots of us
left in this world
They say I am ugly,
call me a beast
I hear them snicker
when I'm half asleep
Is beauty such a big commodity
I always heard it was only so deep
I'm a lone rhinoceros
there ain't one hell of a lots of us
left in this world
I know the zoos protect my species
they give me food, collect my feces
but I can't help it, I miss the past
I'll never again see my good old mudbath
1. Big Electric Cat
2. The Momur ( This is a great song )
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 Rhino
Adrian Belew - guitars, effects, drums, percussives, and lead vocals
Christy Bley - acoustic piano and vocals
William Janssen - alto/baritone sax and vocals
J. Clifton Mayhugh - bass/fretless bass guitar and vocals
THE MOMUR
Late last night
I was speaking with my wife
When she turned into a momur
Tried to put me uptight
I said "you don't scare me"
Then she let out a scream
That's when my heart started jumpin'
Like a broken t.v.
A broken TV baby .
She was a momur and it was just like i told ya'
She said "you better watch out, i might bite a big hole in ya'"
The very next morning
I was watching cartoons
When i thought i saw a momur
It was you know who
Well, she backed me in a corner
Tried to kill me with a broom
And shouted personal remarks
From across the living room
She was a momur and it was just like i told ya'
She said "you better watch out silly boy , i might bite a big hole in ya'"
Late last night
I was speaking with my wife again
When she turned into a momur again
Tried to put me uptight again
She took me favorite guitar
And she smashed it on the floor
When she danced around on top of it,
I thought i might get sore
She was a momur and it was just like i told ya'
She said "you better watch out silly boy , i might bite a big hole in ya' "