ADRIAN BELEW Lone Rhino / Twang Bar King
Gott GOTTCD012 (2005)
Another talented guitarist with more influence and influences than to know what to do with. After stints with David Bowie and Talking Heads, and moving onto the early 80s reformation of Robert Fripp's King Crimson, Belew recorded his first solo album. With a touch of ambient, Lone Rhino mixes the styles Belew was playing at the time or until then had recently been playing. New wave, prog, punk, there's some good work here, you can't deny Adrian's talent, but it's all a bit of a mish-mash. Talent lost with lack of direction.
A couple of years later, inbetween Crimson albums, Twang Bar King appeared as Belew's second solo album. Featuring a Beatles' cover (I'm Down), it's a more rounded affair and less disjointed.
Both albums are enjoyable, but they do make you realise how much smoother things run with a bit of direction in a set band situation. The 90s incarnation of King Crimson featuring Belew is infinitely better, but that doesn't make these bad. Just not great.
**½
Review by Joe Geesin
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