SIDE TWO

Part two of Adrian Belew's musical trio is something entirely different from the first. While Side One featured predominantly Krimson overtones and manic guitar, this one features a more synthetic approach, with drum loops and synth pads being the dominant rhytmic force. Adrian Belew still adds the manic guitar, though, but not as predominantly as in Side One. His musicianship on this album is top notch, everything sounds great, and everything is played to perfection.

Stand out tracks for me are Asleep, which features Adrian's daughter Leah whisphering into the speakers, but also contains wild guitar and a steady trance beat. Happiness has a circus feel to it, with haunting organ sounds filling the speakers. The lyrics on this album are all haikus according to the liner notes, and they still feature Adrian's wit and quirky flavor while trying to go in new directions. My overall favorite track on the album, though, is the opener Dead Dog on Asphalt. This song features dissonant guitar work that gives the song a more haunting feel. Adrian's solo on this one is among the best on the album, it also features that dissonance and keeps the feel of the song perfectly.

Overall, this is a slight improvement over Side One. While Side One was almost perfect, this one is even closer to perfection. My only gripe is that some of the more electronic pieces sound similar in structure. Regardless, this one is one of the best albums I've heard. Let's hope Side Three is the masterpiece the fans are waiting for. 4.5/5

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