Belew Prints: The Acoustic Adrian Belew, Vol. 2

by Tim SheridanThis 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.