{"id":39678,"date":"2006-03-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-03-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/side-two\/"},"modified":"2006-03-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-03-16T00:00:00","slug":"side-two","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/side-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Side Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

I’ve started to notice that many artists front-load
\ntheir releases with their best songs. From the Beatles to Pearl
\nJam, rarely is the second side of an album or second half of a disc
\nas good as the first.<\/p>\n

But Adrian Belew, ever the rebel, bucks that theory
\nwith Side Two<\/i>, the second part of Belew’s Side trilogy,
\nwhich commenced earlier in 2005 with Side One<\/i>. That half
\nhour was a mix of electronics, rock songs, guest stars,
\nintrospective lyrics and the general experimental weirdness Belew’s
\nfans have come to expect.<\/p>\n

Perhaps it’s that the shock has worn off of having
\nnew Belew material, or maybe it’s the lack of guest stars, but for
\nwhatever reason Side Two<\/i> initially failed to conjure up the
\nsame excitement for me. It took a few listens to let this one sink
\nin, and only then were its true rewards found (though I still
\nwonder why it was released separately instead of combined with
\nSide One<\/i>…and later this year, we can look for Side
\nThree<\/i>).<\/p>\n

Belew is always interesting and eclectic, perhaps the
\nreason he’s been one of the longest surviving members of King
\nCrimson. Like his band, he’s not afraid to use silence or
\ndissonance as parts of a song, and he knows how to keep things
\nslightly uneasy and unpredictable.<\/p>\n

Part of this disc’s charm is it’s erratic, moody
\natmosphere. Belew never engages in guitar wizardry because he can
\n— rather, on “I Wish I Knew” and “Dead Dog On Asphalt,” he employs
\nmeandering but melodic acoustic and electric guitar solos over top
\nof electronics, atmospherics, whispered voices and slight
\npercussion. It’s really hard to describe but very good, which is a
\nsign that Belew is still a vital creative force, some 30 years
\nafter he crashed on the scene as a guitar player for Frank Zappa
\nand David Bowie.<\/p>\n

But unlike them, Belew has little interest in writing
\na catchy single or a pop tune. Rather, he is fascinated by sound,
\nby different tempos, instruments and approaches. “Face To Face” is
\nsort of a love song but decidedly quirky, with an Arabic stringed
\ninstrument and electronic drums setting the mood while Belew sings
\nand puts on backward guitar effects. He’s a musician’s musician,
\nthat Adrian.<\/p>\n

Side One<\/i> took little time to get used to
\nbecause it was more explicit, but this disc is textured and subtle
\nand takes time to grow — not difficult, since it’s only half an
\nhour long. A tune like “Asleep” offers Crimson-flavored guitar but
\na Bjork-type beat, before breaking for some whooshes and then
\nturning into a more standard rock song (albeit with strings, wind
\nsounds and barely audible guitar picking). “Sex Nerve” is a bit
\nlike a porn song without the cheese factor, a Moby-type piece with
\nattitude, and “Sunlight” is a New Age-type track with a prominent
\nsingle bass note wordlessly carrying the soundscape.<\/p>\n

But while Belew may be varied in his songs, the songs
\nthemselves don’t have many variations throughout. In short, Belew
\npicks his themes — electric drums, strings, backward guitar,
\nwhooshes, etc. — and and repeats it for a few minutes. Most of the
\ntime it works, but not always, as on “Then What” and “Sunlight,”
\nwhich does get old after a little while.<\/p>\n

For those who thought progressive rock was dead,
\nBelew offers proof there are still many variations to be found in
\nmusic these days. This is a low-key affair but it demands the
\nlistener’s attention, and the half hour just flies by, another good
\nsign that while Belew may not be popular, he is definitely worth
\nlistening to. It’s a shame the disc is so short.<\/p>\n

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