Adrian’s an icon- Zappa, Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson, the Bears, and his own fabulous work. He truly reinvented electric guitar as Zappa is widely noted to have said.
Dude, Adrian shares something about NIN that he NEVER shared before, and right after he finishes, the interviewer moves on to something else. What a robot!
I feel awful that he experienced that. You could tell he had a bad time being in the band/rehearsals, looks as if it's still hard to talk about it. NIN is my favourite band and I remember being really excited that Adrian was going to tour with them...
Ok, it's not just me then, huh? haha.. WOW, man, that was painfully awkward, to say the least. I thought maybe they edited it that way i.e. edited out the guy's responses to each of Adrian's answers, though that would make absolutely no sense. hmm.. But yeah, extremely robotic.
Respectfully disagree--yes, the NIN details were revealing but if an interviewer is going to cover that much ground (talking about Talking Heads, The Bears, King Crimson, custom guitars, Bowie, Zappa...) there isn't time to linger.
Adrian have been on and off part of Nine Inch Nails albums since 94, personally I think his contributions have been the most innovative parts on the songs he's been part of. I was also sad when I heard he wasn't gonna be on the band at the time.
The whole 2013 thing is weird. Why would anyone ask Adrian Belew to not be Adrien Belew and instead expect him to just play by-the-book (particularly if you had worked with him before)? He had more free reign in King Crimson and with Bowie, Talking Heads, etc. and obviously flourished to everyone's benefit as a result. Was Reznor put in a situation where he had to pick b/w Belew and Finck's vision for the band, and chose the latter? That scenario even seems weird. Who knows?
My main thought is that Adrian is too good for NIN, which was probably what Trent ran into, although I'm sure it wasn't contextualized that way. Put another way, it wasn't a fit. The stage presence for example was probably pretty divergent. Trent doing his angsty thing, being in costume on stage for it like it's still 1988 in all black, while Adrian likes to play gigs looking like he rolled out of bed.. and not that it's not there, but when I think NIN I don't think guitar. I'm sure Adrian thought that ended up being BS, but it never struck me as making much sense anyway.
@@colinburroughs9871 Yes... Adrian is a massive talent, one with his own musical vision. I'm guessing his vision and personality collided with NIN band members. Maybe he was pulling the band too strongly in his direction.
@@colinburroughs9871 agreed on Adrian been too good for NIN, Trent will always want to be the center of attention and it's his vision so I think that's fair too. Trent has also a lot of history discarding other people's work because he is a perfeccionist, so it has to fit with his vision, I guess Adrian didn't fit too well. And by the way I don't agree with NIN not been guitar driven, the most weird and eery guitar sounds I've heard have come from NIN songs, in fact on the songs Adrian has been part of.
I've never seen a guitarist make a guitar sound the way Adrian can he can make unimaginable almost limitless sounds and has fun doing it and he makes it look easy. He's a true master of the craft. I've never seen him interviewed and seems very humble and friendly. He's one of the greatest guitar players I've ever seen, a true master.
Damn... I'm surprised Trent wouldnt have told the band to screw off since Adrian already worked with Trent in the studio. Sad. I had no idea that happened.
Check out "City of Tiny Lights, Frank Zappa, Palladium 1977 " o see Belew in all his jumpsuit sportin glory. Also, "Waiting Man, King Crimson Live in Frejus 1983". Adrian Belew is brilliant.
This interview… Is exactly like talking to Adrian after his show❤ he is so nice I have seen him more than anybody starting with Frank’s 77… The Bears… King Crimson… And every solo or power trio show since then… He’s actually autograph my bootlegs from those Frank Zappa shows I saw, and I brought him a picture of all my guitars, and he signed it, saying “ he was jealous of my collection” lol😅 My favorite memory of me and Adrian was at the 2010 NAMM show him, and I both holding Parker stats and smiling at each other… I’m 73 years old… I’ve seen a lot of concerts… Adrian is my favorite person
Crosseyed and Painless from Talking Heads Live in Rome 1980 is one of the greatest things on TH-cam. The whole show is phenomenal. Belew's resume for the win.
I agree… this version of Darkness is just sublime. Adrian providing atmosphere to the song. th-cam.com/video/UcNWlA11Llk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=yMZ1LPdrKbs-cykM
This was the single best interview Adrian’s given that I’ve ever seen. More open & vulnerable than ever before. Makes me puke about Reznor (what a WEAK phony), and no love lost for Fripp, either. God, he took an ungodly unfair beating, more talented than all them combined. 🤟
Adrian brings so much joy when he performs. He always connects with the audience. All the greatest musicians of our day recognize Adrian’s gifts. Adrian brings talent and creativity to every project, but not the self absorbing ego that is part of so many bands. I have to say Fripp firing Belew is a bit of a black mark on his career. I am guessing Adrian tries to stay on good terms with everyone.
Yes the Bears deserved better! I agree Adrian! Thank you so much for ALL your numerous contributions to music! You have played with my heroes and you ARE one of my heroes too!!! Remain In Light resuscitation a fantastic and needed idea for us lovers of that record! I always loved your particular Crimson era the best with my 3 favorite solid color records red yellow and blue not necessarily in that order! They are played frequently here! One thing I always wondered about was in the Disney Animated 2016 gem Jungle Book ( Disney owning Pixar ) apparently the Bear animated animal lead played brilliantly by Bill Murray, who’s name is ‘Baloo’, made an apparent inside joke to ‘the bears’ at one point I recall! Inquiring minds want to know lol! Amazing story about your first Zappa audition-out of 50 who chopped it up in front of Frank, he picked you. Then, when playing with Frank on stage Bowie picks you again. That speaks volumes to your obvious talent! You are also a fantastic vocalist to boot! Great to hear about your beautiful custom strat and how you use Axe Fx straight into board w/o any amp initially. This does make sense in this age. Good to know use of midi controller to move the songs through their rotation. Then play your super clean sound out monitors on stage and directly into ear. Loved Tina’s talk with Julie info, ‘It’s yours now…’ I did not know about your reference in Guardians of Galaxy film, I’ll watch for it!😊 Thank you Adrian!
Interesting that NIN and Fripp “no longer wanted him part of band”. Working with other human beings is the hardest part of any endeavor, lords knows I can’t do it
Adrian’s always been a class act, but he’s correct about LA/NY professional musicians. They can PLAY anything, but they FEEL nothing. AB, please add a Bears reunion to that list of things to do.
I think that’s a fascinating perspective, and I have heard it expressed by others. I love Byrne and Belew both and have always thought they sing very differently. Odd how so many agree with you!
Imagine kicking this guy out of a band .... also the scene in guardians of the galaxy was PERFECT , when the guy says it my draw dropped , then the next thing he said made me laugh out loud because it was just such a perfect fit for the movie , the character . best scene in a movie in a long time and it didnt break the 4th wall , it fit . adrian has been my favorite professional musician for a long time , that felt like a validation , but it made sense .
Zappa, Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson, Nine Inch Nails. This man is A LEGEND. People like John Frusciante and Adam Jones consider him a huge influence on them.
I saw Adrianne play with Bowie in Montreal - awesome show. I probably saw him also with Zappa the previous year but wasn't aware of who he was at the time. Then again quite a few years after that at the Ottawa Bluesfeast with the brother/sister combo (forgot their names) which was very impressive. Great guitarist and a wonderful person.
Great conversation! Of all the shows I attended over the past few years, the Adrian Belew Power Trio was the most fun. The music was fabulous and Adrian's sweetheart of a wife ran the merch table and sold me a couple of great CDs.
Adrian is so cool and he produced my former band, The Irresponsibles, right after I left! I wish I had an opportunity to work with him. He did some great stuff with the band. Unfortunately, they went the way of The Bears.
A super nice guy and a guitar genius. Oh can't have that! Shame on Fripp and Reznor. And Don't forget the Hosing he got from Weymouth and Franz on the TomTom Club stuff.
Paul Canz in the comment thread below hit the nail on the head, as to Trent Reznor's LA musicians resenting Adrian's presence, fearing that he would overshadow them with his unique talent. Reznor should have put his foot down & told them, "Adrian is in the band, that's it, so you had better change your attitude & realize how terrific & brilliant this is going to be for all of us." Reznor doesn't sound like much of a bandleader for allowing his musicians to overrule him, after Adrian had cleared his calendar for the next 18 months. It still pisses me off that Adrian was so devastated by Trent Reznor not having enough of a spine. I can usually figure out what guitarists are doing by watching their hands on the fretboard, but I have never been able to figure out what Adrian is doing, & how he does what he does. The man is a rare bird. When I think of the great 20th century electric guitar innovators, I think of Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix, & Adrian Belew.
Tickets on sale now: Former King Crimson members ADRIAN BELEW and TONY LEVIN band together with guitar virtuoso STEVE VAI and explosive Tool drummer DANNY CAREY for the first time to create BEAT, a creative reinterpretation of the three iconic 80s KING CRIMSON albums - Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair. Only the greatest players in the world would take on the challenge of performing this incredibly influential music. Prepare yourself for the experience of a lifetime with BEAT performing the 80s music of KING CRIMSON!
With all the incredible bands Adrian had played and written with. The idea that he "couldn't handle" NIN is LUDICROUS. He's with King Crimson and Talking Heads etc. He plays with Robert Fripp! The guys in NIN thought he didn't have the parts down?? Rediculous. Clearly it was a chemistry thing. He probably works differently, maybe it was personality conflicts. Maybe anger about how he was changing the sound. But to insinuate he couldn't catch on to NIN material? That's insane.
It's such a shame about his experience in NIN. This would have been before Atticus Ross joined. But IMHO, Nine Inch Nails haven't really been themselves since _With Teeth_ (2005). Adrian seems like such an odd fit with _NIN_ anyway.
I have just been listening to the new Peter Gabriel LP. Not the whole thing, but maybe one song a day just looking for something that clicks. Great music but it reminds me too much of Prog. Complex changes and lyrics. It was why I never really got into Genesis. One or two good songs on each LP and that was it. I think it takes a team of a singer and guitarist to pack an album full of good songs. Jagger/Richards, Bowie/Ronson and Benatar/Giraldo. I think that Adrian should team up with Peter Gabriel and put out a great Pop album. With all of the popularity of guitar as an instrument, it is surprising that there are no real guitar heroes outside of Shredders. I don't want to listen to guitar gymnastics. I want great rhythms (Keith Richards) and Composed Solos (Skunk Baxter/Larry Carlton).
Andrian, yes of course "The Great Curve" is an Opus. thank you. BTW, when I saw you in Seattle (Moore Theater), your sound system was not up to par; sorry. BTW, great to hear your history with Zappa.
We need a Sean Evans style host to interview Adrian Belew.. just without the hot wings! It's like this guy is bored and not even listening... not engaging at all, just rattling off pre-written questions and nothing more. Luckily Adrian Belew still kills it. He is such a great speaker on his own and has so many great stories.
Sad to hear about the NIN experience and how hard he took it. In the end that lineup seems like a bit of a misfire though, out of the other new members recruited alongside Belew only Josh Eustis ever made it as far as actually performing with the band and he didn't end up sticking around for very long.
Pino Palladino, Eustis and the two back up singers were the additions that landed up in the touring configuration and it sounded amazing... I wonder if it was Eustis that filled Belew's spot or if he would have been an addition. Eustis had a variety of roles other than guitar. (not that Belew couldnt do the same).
Kind of a surprise for me that some dudes from Nine Inch nails pushed that hard for Adrian to leave... They must be feeling that if he stays any longer the band will sound WAY more different than they could imagine and ultimately they afraid of it)) Thats the my take.
This was quite a tough watch, there was a fair amount of emotion when he was recollecting those dark events, Trent is one thing for wasting Adrian's time, but it seemed a real personal sense of betrayal in how Robert behaved and acted, did seem a cold act towards someone you've shared years of your life with. Adrian comes out of this dignified, very active musically, still creating interesting music, meanwhile Robert is making tacky TH-cam shorts with Toyah, I mean they're quite endearing in their own way, but tacky nontheless.
More like they wanted to bring out the Mellotron and revisit the 70’s as most of their metal formerly hippy audience upper class audience wanted. But I value Theo Travis and especially Bill Rieflin. And Jakko Jazyk is a saint. And if the new formation was good enough for them….
Maybe he can't actually play guitar and doesn't need to get blown by a dude on stage like Robin Finck to make up for his lack of ability to get noticed.
I always wondered WTF happened with he and NIN. Bummed to hear it. In an alternate universe, I'd like to think Adrian and Trent wrote the weirdest NIN record of all time.
I often wonder how Adrian managed to work with Fripp and King Crimson for so many years and to have developed such a strong chemistry. Robert Fripp and Adrian seem to be almost polar opposites, Fripp is very intense, calculating, and stoic at times, his playing is precise, angular and dissonant whereas Adrian seems so laid back and nonchalant and his guitar approach is total mayhem, like releasing The Kraken every time there is a solo! Lol!! Is it BECAUSE they are opposites that tbe chemistry worked, or was it a stuggle or compromise for Adrian?
Wow great article total mayhem vs the precise Fripp! I’ve seen Adrian play very very precise too but understand what you are getting at, Adrian a midi and sound pioneer artist for guitar players!
I think of it in terms of visual abstract expressionism. Fripp makes the straight lines and the grid over top of which Belew paints wild colorful and splashy brush strokes. Actually Belew is a painter and his art looks like his guitar sounds.
I saw The Bears play at Alvin's Delicatessen in Detroit around 1988 or so, with maybe 150 people? I can't remember what the capacity was, but we sat at tables. It was incredible. Super tight and great material; the nod to Spinal Tap by sneaking in a quote from the Boccherini minuet was a great tongue-in-cheek gesture. After the gig I the band came out and sat at a table and were happy to chat to people. Adrian was patient and kind. I then saw Belew only a few years later playing at the Enormodorm with David Bowie. The Bears deserved better. I still play the first two albums from The Bears.
I mean if David Sylvian could operate a king crimson kind of situation . But there’s nothing stopping Ade to invite Chris Vrenna , Alessandro Contini and Robin Finck to a new music projeckt with Jerry Harrison to make a new kind of Avant pop art rock
That was a really good interview ; covered a lot of ground, Adrian got to respond to all the questions (no interruptions) and most importantly the questions were well considered! Thank you
Adrian’s an icon- Zappa, Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson, the Bears, and his own fabulous work. He truly reinvented electric guitar as Zappa is widely noted to have said.
#LoneRhinoceros!
Dude, Adrian shares something about NIN that he NEVER shared before, and right after he finishes, the interviewer moves on to something else. What a robot!
Talk about dropping the ball
I feel awful that he experienced that. You could tell he had a bad time being in the band/rehearsals, looks as if it's still hard to talk about it. NIN is my favourite band and I remember being really excited that Adrian was going to tour with them...
Ok, it's not just me then, huh? haha.. WOW, man, that was painfully awkward, to say the least. I thought maybe they edited it that way i.e. edited out the guy's responses to each of Adrian's answers, though that would make absolutely no sense. hmm.. But yeah, extremely robotic.
Respectfully disagree--yes, the NIN details were revealing but if an interviewer is going to cover that much ground (talking about Talking Heads, The Bears, King Crimson, custom guitars, Bowie, Zappa...) there isn't time to linger.
And it I think I can spot that Adrians eyes is wetting just a bit when sharing this; what a painful experience it must have been.
Adrian's two guitar solos in 'The Great Curve' are probably my favorite solos ever recorded.
The 80s crimson with Adrian was incredible
Live especially
The best period of king crimson for me… I love this guy
I like his 80’s solo stuff too..
Tickets on sale now for Adrian’s tour doing songs from 3 1980’s King Crimson albums.
He's touring the three crim albums with Steve Vai Tony Levin and Danny Carey of tool 🤯
Great interview. The NIN story is incredibly sad. I would love to hear Trent's side of it, though. On paper, that should've been a killer collab.
Adrian have been on and off part of Nine Inch Nails albums since 94, personally I think his contributions have been the most innovative parts on the songs he's been part of. I was also sad when I heard he wasn't gonna be on the band at the time.
The whole 2013 thing is weird. Why would anyone ask Adrian Belew to not be Adrien Belew and instead expect him to just play by-the-book (particularly if you had worked with him before)? He had more free reign in King Crimson and with Bowie, Talking Heads, etc. and obviously flourished to everyone's benefit as a result. Was Reznor put in a situation where he had to pick b/w Belew and Finck's vision for the band, and chose the latter? That scenario even seems weird. Who knows?
My main thought is that Adrian is too good for NIN, which was probably what Trent ran into, although I'm sure it wasn't contextualized that way. Put another way, it wasn't a fit. The stage presence for example was probably pretty divergent. Trent doing his angsty thing, being in costume on stage for it like it's still 1988 in all black, while Adrian likes to play gigs looking like he rolled out of bed.. and not that it's not there, but when I think NIN I don't think guitar. I'm sure Adrian thought that ended up being BS, but it never struck me as making much sense anyway.
@@colinburroughs9871 Yes... Adrian is a massive talent, one with his own musical vision. I'm guessing his vision and personality collided with NIN band members. Maybe he was pulling the band too strongly in his direction.
@@colinburroughs9871 agreed on Adrian been too good for NIN, Trent will always want to be the center of attention and it's his vision so I think that's fair too. Trent has also a lot of history discarding other people's work because he is a perfeccionist, so it has to fit with his vision, I guess Adrian didn't fit too well. And by the way I don't agree with NIN not been guitar driven, the most weird and eery guitar sounds I've heard have come from NIN songs, in fact on the songs Adrian has been part of.
I've never seen a guitarist make a guitar sound the way Adrian can he can make unimaginable almost limitless sounds and has fun doing it and he makes it look easy. He's a true master of the craft. I've never seen him interviewed and seems very humble and friendly. He's one of the greatest guitar players I've ever seen, a true master.
Damn... I'm surprised Trent wouldnt have told the band to screw off since Adrian already worked with Trent in the studio. Sad. I had no idea that happened.
Check out "City of Tiny Lights, Frank Zappa, Palladium 1977 " o see Belew in all his jumpsuit sportin glory. Also, "Waiting Man, King Crimson Live in Frejus 1983". Adrian Belew is brilliant.
What a frigging legend! And yes, The Bears are the most underappreciated band in history.
This interview… Is exactly like talking to Adrian after his show❤ he is so nice I have seen him more than anybody starting with Frank’s 77… The Bears… King Crimson… And every solo or power trio show since then… He’s actually autograph my bootlegs from those Frank Zappa shows I saw, and I brought him a picture of all my guitars, and he signed it, saying “ he was jealous of my collection” lol😅
My favorite memory of me and Adrian was at the 2010 NAMM show him, and I both holding Parker stats and smiling at each other… I’m 73 years old… I’ve seen a lot of concerts… Adrian is my favorite person
My absolute idol. The one musician I would love to have a cup of coffee and a slice of time with. Thanks for this!
Crosseyed and Painless from Talking Heads Live in Rome 1980 is one of the greatest things on TH-cam. The whole show is phenomenal. Belew's resume for the win.
Indeed, that show is a masterpiece, my fav TH and fav Belew.
It makes my brain itch in a good way
@@crysstoll1191Born Under Punches really stole that night, IMO ❤
Every time i saw them do CaP live, blew my head gasket.
The Great Curve is mind-blowing
Mind blowing, the first time I heard it I literally had an orgazam!
Great to hear Adrian, but I d love to hear him about his work with Stewart Copeland and Mark King, and Laurie Anderson.
I agree… this version of Darkness is just sublime. Adrian providing atmosphere to the song.
th-cam.com/video/UcNWlA11Llk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=yMZ1LPdrKbs-cykM
Yep, Gizmodrome was fantastic and fun!
Absolute legend. One of the most underrated pioneers of rock and fusion music in history.
That time from Zappa to Heads to Crimson that Belew became pure music and added stardust to everything… reminds me how great humans can be
That Talking Heads Live in Rome video mentioned by Adrian is in fact fantastic!
I have seen this show 3 times! Go see this show or ANY SHOW WITH ADRIAN BELEW
This was the single best interview Adrian’s given that I’ve ever seen. More open & vulnerable than ever before. Makes me puke about Reznor (what a WEAK phony), and no love lost for Fripp, either. God, he took an ungodly unfair beating, more talented than all them combined. 🤟
Adrian brings so much joy when he performs. He always connects with the audience. All the greatest musicians of our day recognize Adrian’s gifts. Adrian brings talent and creativity to every project, but not the self absorbing ego that is part of so many bands. I have to say Fripp firing Belew is a bit of a black mark on his career. I am guessing Adrian tries to stay on good terms with everyone.
How about Fripp firing the '74 version with Wetton? the LP USA is amazing, as are the bootlegs from that year (Cental Park NYC is crazy).
This interview Belew me away!
Yes the Bears deserved better! I agree Adrian! Thank you so much for ALL your numerous contributions to music! You have played with my heroes and you ARE one of my heroes too!!! Remain In Light resuscitation a fantastic and needed idea for us lovers of that record! I always loved your particular Crimson era the best with my 3 favorite solid color records red yellow and blue not necessarily in that order! They are played frequently here!
One thing I always wondered about was in the Disney Animated 2016 gem Jungle Book ( Disney owning Pixar ) apparently the Bear animated animal lead played brilliantly by Bill Murray, who’s name is ‘Baloo’, made an apparent inside joke to ‘the bears’ at one point I recall! Inquiring minds want to know lol!
Amazing story about your first Zappa audition-out of 50 who chopped it up in front of Frank, he picked you. Then, when playing with Frank on stage Bowie picks you again. That speaks volumes to your obvious talent! You are also a fantastic vocalist to boot!
Great to hear about your beautiful custom strat and how you use Axe Fx straight into board w/o any amp initially. This does make sense in this age. Good to know use of midi controller to move the songs through their rotation. Then play your super clean sound out monitors on stage and directly into ear.
Loved Tina’s talk with Julie info, ‘It’s yours now…’
I did not know about your reference in Guardians of Galaxy film, I’ll watch for it!😊
Thank you Adrian!
Interesting that NIN and Fripp “no longer wanted him part of band”. Working with other human beings is the hardest part of any endeavor, lords knows I can’t do it
I love Adrian. He is a total sweetheart.
Adrian’s always been a class act, but he’s correct about LA/NY professional musicians. They can PLAY anything, but they FEEL nothing. AB, please add a Bears reunion to that list of things to do.
Frank Zappa,David Bowie,Talking Heads,King Crimson et al
..AB been a part of all those super bands
#LoneRhino
15:17 Tragic. This man is one of the most creative and talented musicians in the last 50 years.
He took on David Byrne’s voice while touring with them. King Crimson with Byrne sing.
I think that’s a fascinating perspective, and I have heard it expressed by others. I love Byrne and Belew both and have always thought they sing very differently. Odd how so many agree with you!
Adrian’s collaborations with Bowie (Lodger album), King Crimson, Paul Simon (Graceland album) and Porcupine Tree (Deadwing solo) are brilliant.
Adrian's solo in Born under punches, is still amazing today..
He is the most amazing guitarist of our time..
Imagine kicking this guy out of a band .... also the scene in guardians of the galaxy was PERFECT , when the guy says it my draw dropped , then the next thing he said made me laugh out loud because it was just such a perfect fit for the movie , the character . best scene in a movie in a long time and it didnt break the 4th wall , it fit . adrian has been my favorite professional musician for a long time , that felt like a validation , but it made sense .
don't forget Adrian playe guitar for Laurie Anderson
Zappa, Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson, Nine Inch Nails. This man is A LEGEND. People like John Frusciante and Adam Jones consider him a huge influence on them.
I saw Adrianne play with Bowie in Montreal - awesome show. I probably saw him also with Zappa the previous year but wasn't aware of who he was at the time.
Then again quite a few years after that at the Ottawa Bluesfeast with the brother/sister combo (forgot their names) which was very impressive.
Great guitarist and a wonderful person.
Who throws Adrian Belew out of their band? Morons, he’s a genius and legend.
Robert Fripp, too, sacked him.
Great conversation! Of all the shows I attended over the past few years, the Adrian Belew Power Trio was the most fun. The music was fabulous and Adrian's sweetheart of a wife ran the merch table and sold me a couple of great CDs.
Adrian is so cool and he produced my former band, The Irresponsibles, right after I left! I wish I had an opportunity to work with him. He did some great stuff with the band. Unfortunately, they went the way of The Bears.
I saw the Bears at Club Soda in 1988 -- maybe thirty feet from the band. They were fantastic, and their encore was Purple Haze! So underrated.
Great interview. Adrian was probably the best thing that ever happened to King Crimson.
After Fripp right?
An excellent and very enjoyable interview. Thank you.
A super nice guy and a guitar genius. Oh can't have that! Shame on Fripp and Reznor. And Don't forget the Hosing he got from Weymouth and Franz on the TomTom Club stuff.
What? No questions about Mr Heartbreak by Laurie Anderson?
Oh well
Tina's comment to Julia is well done! Julie is a BadASS!
Incredible guitar player, Adrian Belew is always on my favorite list when asked about guitar players.
Paul Canz in the comment thread below hit the nail on the head, as to Trent Reznor's LA musicians resenting Adrian's presence, fearing that he would overshadow them with his unique talent. Reznor should have put his foot down & told them, "Adrian is in the band, that's it, so you had better change your attitude & realize how terrific & brilliant this is going to be for all of us." Reznor doesn't sound like much of a bandleader for allowing his musicians to overrule him, after Adrian had cleared his calendar for the next 18 months. It still pisses me off that Adrian was so devastated by Trent Reznor not having enough of a spine.
I can usually figure out what guitarists are doing by watching their hands on the fretboard, but I have never been able to figure out what Adrian is doing, & how he does what he does. The man is a rare bird. When I think of the great 20th century electric guitar innovators, I think of Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix, & Adrian Belew.
The Great Curve
Crosseyed and Painless from 1980 w him is electric.
An absolutely beautiful musician!!!
Hes probably the most down to earth musician ive ever met, treats all his fans with equality and respect. Such a nice guy.
Wow, what a fantastic discussion. From fan…to SUPERFAN. One of the most well spoken ANY classy guys in the budiness.
I'm a hugebfan of this guy! He's absolutely brillant in so many ways! Long live, Adrian!
Adrian is like King Midas, whatever he touches turns to gold.
Just saw them in phoenix last night, BEAT tour is incredible, go see them, mindblowing
ZAPPA....? CRIMSON....?
Bowie....? Talking Heads....?
....quite a guitarist....
Tickets on sale now: Former King Crimson members ADRIAN BELEW and TONY LEVIN band together with guitar virtuoso STEVE VAI and explosive Tool drummer DANNY CAREY for the first time to create BEAT, a creative reinterpretation of the three iconic 80s KING CRIMSON albums - Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair. Only the greatest players in the world would take on the challenge of performing this incredibly influential music. Prepare yourself for the experience of a lifetime with BEAT performing the 80s music of KING CRIMSON!
With all the incredible bands Adrian had played and written with. The idea that he "couldn't handle" NIN is LUDICROUS. He's with King Crimson and Talking Heads etc. He plays with Robert Fripp! The guys in NIN thought he didn't have the parts down?? Rediculous. Clearly it was a chemistry thing. He probably works differently, maybe it was personality conflicts. Maybe anger about how he was changing the sound. But to insinuate he couldn't catch on to NIN material? That's insane.
I have so much love and respect for Adrian as a musician and a human being
It's such a shame about his experience in NIN. This would have been before Atticus Ross joined. But IMHO, Nine Inch Nails haven't really been themselves since _With Teeth_ (2005).
Adrian seems like such an odd fit with _NIN_ anyway.
I opened for the Bears back in 1992 LIVE in LA 😊 Good times. Hello Adrian ! TWTrio.
Such a sweet guy Adrian Belew, one my absolut favourite artists ever.
I saw and heard Adrian Belew With David Bowie/ stage tour in 1978. He was fantastic. His work on Remain in light, to years later, was a revelation.
I'd love to see them play. Come to Burlington, VT! Ps. Bc I saw Adrian play with Earl Slick's kids at a club here and it was a blast.
I also can’t listen to King Crimson without Adrian.
I have just been listening to the new Peter Gabriel LP. Not the whole thing, but maybe one song a day just looking for something that clicks. Great music but it reminds me too much of Prog. Complex changes and lyrics. It was why I never really got into Genesis. One or two good songs on each LP and that was it. I think it takes a team of a singer and guitarist to pack an album full of good songs. Jagger/Richards, Bowie/Ronson and Benatar/Giraldo. I think that Adrian should team up with Peter Gabriel and put out a great Pop album. With all of the popularity of guitar as an instrument, it is surprising that there are no real guitar heroes outside of Shredders. I don't want to listen to guitar gymnastics. I want great rhythms (Keith Richards) and Composed Solos (Skunk Baxter/Larry Carlton).
Andrian, yes of course "The Great Curve" is an Opus. thank you. BTW, when I saw you in Seattle (Moore Theater), your sound system was not up to par; sorry. BTW, great to hear your history with Zappa.
Even before I realized Adrian had played with the Talking Heads, I thought his voice sounded a lot like David! 😂
I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the NIN guys thinking Adrian Belew was not the guy....
And he worked with Eno on the Lodger album. Iggy sang on a Bears song as well.anyway, im relieved the era of this music is adressed & documented.
We need a Sean Evans style host to interview Adrian Belew.. just without the hot wings! It's like this guy is bored and not even listening... not engaging at all, just rattling off pre-written questions and nothing more. Luckily Adrian Belew still kills it. He is such a great speaker on his own and has so many great stories.
It's a bit heartbreaking to hear about being fired from NIN after putting in so much effort. Although Reznor and Belew are both legends for me.
Sad to hear about the NIN experience and how hard he took it. In the end that lineup seems like a bit of a misfire though, out of the other new members recruited alongside Belew only Josh Eustis ever made it as far as actually performing with the band and he didn't end up sticking around for very long.
Pino Palladino, Eustis and the two back up singers were the additions that landed up in the touring configuration and it sounded amazing... I wonder if it was Eustis that filled Belew's spot or if he would have been an addition. Eustis had a variety of roles other than guitar. (not that Belew couldnt do the same).
A true master of guitar! thanks for this, greetings from Argentina.
What a well spoken gentleman. I loved what Adrian created with King Crimson.
Kind of a surprise for me that some dudes from Nine Inch nails pushed that hard for Adrian to leave... They must be feeling that if he stays any longer the band will sound WAY more different than they could imagine and ultimately they afraid of it)) Thats the my take.
Adrian Belew wrote all the lyrics and vocal melodies in his tenure with King Crimson and didn't get any credit for it.
This was quite a tough watch, there was a fair amount of emotion when he was recollecting those dark events, Trent is one thing for wasting Adrian's time, but it seemed a real personal sense of betrayal in how Robert behaved and acted, did seem a cold act towards someone you've shared years of your life with.
Adrian comes out of this dignified, very active musically, still creating interesting music, meanwhile Robert is making tacky TH-cam shorts with Toyah, I mean they're quite endearing in their own way, but tacky nontheless.
Looks like Reznor was more like a knife in the back due to Belew being in preparation special drop d swarm guitar and invisible guitar stand et all
More like they wanted to bring out the Mellotron and revisit the 70’s as most of their metal formerly hippy audience upper class audience wanted. But I value Theo Travis and especially Bill Rieflin. And Jakko Jazyk is a saint. And if the new formation was good enough for them….
Saw Adrian Belew a few times and met him once at Sweetwater in 2018. I love his music !
If you don't like Adrian Belew, there is something wrong with you.
Great Curve was the greatest ever!
Love Adrian. I bootlegged the Bears at the Paradise on Boston back in the day. Can't wait to see Beat!
Maybe he can't actually play guitar and doesn't need to get blown by a dude on stage like Robin Finck to make up for his lack of ability to get noticed.
A family friend grew up with Adrian- Jim George. He is very nice signed a ton of posters for me and gave me a guitar lesson
Shame on Trent for not having pushed enough the creativity in his live shows
Adrian Belew is the most accessible everyman rock star in history.
My favourite guitarist. I wish I could get the sounds he does out of my strats
The thrill of victory !
The agony of my feet...
Adidas in Heat...yah, classic tune!!!!
The king crimson records with Adrian are the only ones worth listening to IMO
The Bears were fantastic!
Adrian is an angel.
I always wondered WTF happened with he and NIN. Bummed to hear it. In an alternate universe, I'd like to think Adrian and Trent wrote the weirdest NIN record of all time.
I often wonder how Adrian managed to work with Fripp and King Crimson for so many years and to have developed such a strong chemistry. Robert Fripp and Adrian seem to be almost polar opposites, Fripp is very intense, calculating, and stoic at times, his playing is precise, angular and dissonant whereas Adrian seems so laid back and nonchalant and his guitar approach is total mayhem, like releasing
The Kraken every time there is a solo! Lol!!
Is it BECAUSE they are opposites that tbe chemistry worked, or was it a stuggle or compromise for Adrian?
Wow great article total mayhem vs the precise Fripp! I’ve seen Adrian play very very precise too but understand what you are getting at, Adrian a midi and sound pioneer artist for guitar players!
I think of it in terms of visual abstract expressionism. Fripp makes the straight lines and the grid over top of which Belew paints wild colorful and splashy brush strokes. Actually Belew is a painter and his art looks like his guitar sounds.
Adrian is such a great dude
I saw that Central Park concert when the band went Pow!
What an honest and unpretentious interview.
Man is such a humble genius! Love him!
Belew is a great guitarist.
I saw The Bears play at Alvin's Delicatessen in Detroit around 1988 or so, with maybe 150 people? I can't remember what the capacity was, but we sat at tables. It was incredible. Super tight and great material; the nod to Spinal Tap by sneaking in a quote from the Boccherini minuet was a great tongue-in-cheek gesture. After the gig I the band came out and sat at a table and were happy to chat to people. Adrian was patient and kind. I then saw Belew only a few years later playing at the Enormodorm with David Bowie. The Bears deserved better. I still play the first two albums from The Bears.
I mean if David Sylvian could operate a king crimson kind of situation . But there’s nothing stopping Ade to invite Chris Vrenna , Alessandro Contini and Robin Finck to a new music projeckt with Jerry Harrison to make a new kind of Avant pop art rock
That'd be amazing.
@@gavinbuck8130 and sooooo easy to do
Would Danny Lohner be too much? Maybe Mike Garson ?
Or … Steve Vai
Haven't seen Adrian interviewed in a while. Love it! Thank you for this!
That was a really good interview ; covered a lot of ground, Adrian got to respond to all the questions (no interruptions) and most importantly the questions were well considered! Thank you