Aug 9, 1993 - Aug 1993
Packaged in a sleeve that (not accidentally) reminds one of the Beatles' White Album, this first released collection of Belew's acoustic renderings is all around a pleasant listen. The classic Adrian Belew songs are great. It is refreshing to hear songs like "The Man in the Moon" and "The Rail Song" with new life breathed into them. Belew's delivery is a little subdued, which at times can have a postured to be included on an acoustic release feel to it at times, but, for the most part, the music sounds fresh and revitalized. He does include a couple treats on this outing. The first of these is a cover of the Beatles "If I Fell," which sounds like a dead-on impersonation of the John and Paul vocal harmonies from the original. Very cool. Also included is a Roy Orbison's "Crying," which is a nice as well. King Crimson's "Matte Kudesai" has some issues here -- the verses are accompanied by a low somewhat seasick two-note guitar riff that at best is not very appropriate for the song. The final number on this collection is a tune called "Martha Adored," which is recording of "Dream Life" played backwards in its entirety. Unexpectedly and astonishingly beautiful. This track alone makes the whole set worthwhile.
This second volume of "unplugged" treatments of earlier Belew work is padded with questionable pieces of musique concrète. These studio experiments can be likened to the Beatles' "Revolution #9," both in their random snippets of sound and almost unlistenable quality. Only one of the three, "Things You Hit With a Stick," blends compositional ingenuity with structural integrity. This is a shame, because the rest of the stuff here is superior, including strong readings of "Young Lions" with charging guitar work and a loving live version of Lennon's "Free as a Bird" from a King Crimson date in New York.