Even If you're never heard of this guy, chances are you've heard his guitar playing. Belew played on Bowie's "Lodger", Talking Heads "Remain In Light", Paul Simon's "Graceland", Zappa's "Sheik Yerbouti", Laurie Anderson's "Mister Heartbreak", and NIN's "The Downward Spiral", amongst many others. He's also a longtime member of King Crimson, playing guitar and handling vox."Lone Rhino" was his first solo album. Stylistically, it's kind of all over the place, but what remains consistent (KC fan inside joke) is his guitar playing, which is totally unique. It screeches, howls, weedles and wails - it's like there is a whole zoo locked up in his amp. On the title track, Belew makes these insane rhino calls with his guitar, and on the rest of the record, you'll hear birds, elephants, big cats, and all sorts of insects and furry things. The best songs are "Big Electric Cat", "Animal Grace", "The Man In The Moon", and the title track. This guy was THE left field guitar player during the early 80s. If you're a guitar player, or just want to hear some amazing sounds, check this record out, as well as Belew's work mentioned above (and on the King Crimson album "Discipline", where he and Robert Fripp go OFF.)Here's a linky to a super rare video of "Big Electric Cat" - it's on some Japanese TV show so you have to load the clip and fast forward past this wacky talk show to 5:06 where it starts - lots of hokey early 80's video effects but you'll get the idea
Adam Cottle says
i really like belew's work. i have a vhs tape with live shows of david bowie in the late 70's and the talking heads in the early 80's. belew plays with both bands, and he is incredible. i've always been disappointed in his solo work, but i've never heard this one. i'll check it out.
melmaples says
Great call! ??Lone Rhino?? was my first Belew album (way back when I was 14), and it's still my favourite. The great thing about the stylistic jumps is that there's something for everyone -- for instance, the four songs you mentioned as your favourites are the four I tend to skip. :-)
ebuzzmiller says
yeah, Belew's solo work has been of mixed quality to say the least. The last consistently good record was probably Mr. Music Head, which was released in like 1987. His stuff is always interesting, but that doesn't equate to listenable. His most recent stuff, "Side One/Two/etc" is just godawful noodling. But his first few solo albums have a bunch of great tracks, almost like they could fit on a T Heads or Bowie or Crimson record.
Melma, think I bought my copy when I was about 16. You must have been a very hip 14 year old :-)
Even If you're never heard of this guy, chances are you've heard his guitar playing. Belew played on Bowie's "Lodger", Talking Heads "Remain In Light", Paul Simon's "Graceland", Zappa's "Sheik Yerbouti", Laurie Anderson's "Mister Heartbreak", and NIN's "The Downward Spiral", amongst many others. He's also a longtime member of King Crimson, playing guitar and handling vox."Lone Rhino" was his first solo album. Stylistically, it's kind of all over the place, but what remains consistent (KC fan inside joke) is his guitar playing, which is totally unique. It screeches, howls, weedles and wails - it's like there is a whole zoo locked up in his amp. On the title track, Belew makes these insane rhino calls with his guitar, and on the rest of the record, you'll hear birds, elephants, big cats, and all sorts of insects and furry things. The best songs are "Big Electric Cat", "Animal Grace", "The Man In The Moon", and the title track. This guy was THE left field guitar player during the early 80s. If you're a guitar player, or just want to hear some amazing sounds, check this record out, as well as Belew's work mentioned above (and on the King Crimson album "Discipline", where he and Robert Fripp go OFF.)Here's a linky to a super rare video of "Big Electric Cat" - it's on some Japanese TV show so you have to load the clip and fast forward past this wacky talk show to 5:06 where it starts - lots of hokey early 80's video effects but you'll get the idea
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