Search - Tony Levin :: Resonator

Just an Honest Review

T. D. Smith | Martinsburg, WV | 05/17/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Tony Levin is a talented and interesting musician, don't have to tell you of his extraordinary bass playing and creativity. The guy is and has been involved in such great works. But we are grading a recording here, not a lifetime achievement. Here is what it is; the compositions, while tight, are weak and lack any magic. The vocals are bad, and the lyrics are worse, bordering on cheezy ('what would jimi do' ! and thats not event the worst of it). There are a few musical and lyrical passages here and there that I really like. Even though you have heard the Sabre Dance in million different flavors, this track is really cool, enough not to give up the album entirely. The track 'Break it Down' even stuck a bit in parts. But as a whole, it may never find its way back to the disc player again (I spun it three times). I look forward to seeing Tony and his band at Nearfest in late June, and I'm sure some of these tunes will come alive when played live. Sorry though, the CD is not very good. Best love to Tony and all the fans."

It's really his artistry as a musician that rings true here

o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 05/19/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Sure, this will offend the faithful, but in reality, Levin is much stronger in a supporting roll than as a leader, be it head writer or lead singer - these are not and have never been his strongest points. Back when lennon asked him not to play like McCartney, it must have struck Levin as funny. One can only imagine the number of snappy ripostes that could have been directed at the world's luckiest rhythm guitarist. All these years later, Levin is his own man and in many combinations is the stellar player. He is here as well. You can not help but be awed by his chops. He digs deeper than anyone, save possibly Foley McCready, and God only knows where he is these days.

It's just that Levin is not a great lyricist, nor a great vocalist. He has something to say, that in itself is worth hearing, but he ain't Belew. or McCartney.

I like this CD, but it is a bit like liking Adrian Belew's CDs: they are good, worth a listen, but how much stays with you, I don't know. This will not supplant the work Levin has done with Bruford at any point in any band, YES, KC, BLUE, nor with Gabriel. In some ways, it gives you an angle on what he brings to Crim, but that's a function of the dialectic between the whole and the sum of the parts. It adds up here, just."

Interesting, Innovative, Hard Driving Compositions

kireviewer | Sunnyvale, Ca United States | 11/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD was released in 2006 and is 51 minutes long. I am not sure what Amazon is showing with a 39 minute MP3 download of Break It Down. This track is really just 7 minutes long. The sound quality is excellent, very clear (in a hard, metal kind of way) with great dynamic range.



Levin's back up band includes Larry Fast (from Peter Gabriel back up band days) and Pat Moretta (from King Crimson days). Andrian Belew does a guess stint on one track and you can really pick him out.



I found the compositions to be exciting, entertaining and innovative. There is a hard driving, metallic quality to them. But, it isn't heavy metal.



It is hard music to explain. It reminds me a lot of Jeff Beck's latest stuff, only a little bit more lyrical and melodic and a little less hard. It also reminds me of Ray Manzarek's Love Her Madly and Francis Monkman's Jam.



I would give this between four and five stars, but went for five stars since there is little new great albums. The only downsides a few downsides, including Levin's vocals. They aren't bad, but they have a little bit of an annoying nasal quality to them. They remind me of the Scottish guy who sits next to me at work and drones along to songs on his IPOD. The other downside is the inclusion of the Sabre Dance. It is fun and lively, but out of place with the rest of the material on the CD. It really disrupts the mood."