Adrian Belew

Adrian Belew (source:nin.com)

Adrian Belew (born December 23, 1949, in Covington, Kentucky) is a guitarist and vocalist (and sometimes drummer, pianist and bass player), perhaps best known for his work as a member of the progressive rock group King Crimson, which he joined in 1981. He was discovered by Frank Zappa playing Rolling Stones covers in a Holiday Inn lounge band. He is known for expeimenting with various guitar effect pedals and the guitar synthesizer. A trademark of his style is using the tremolo arm (whammy bar), garnering him the nickname "The Twangbar King."

Belew has contributed to two Nine Inch Nails albums: The Downward Spiral and The Fragile. On November 15, 2007, he reported on his blog that he has been invited to do some work on the forthcoming Nine Inch Nails album, rumored for release in 2008:

when I received a call from Trent Reznor

asking me to work with him on new music

in L.A. for the first week of december.

trent has always championed my playing.

he once said in Guitar Player Magazine

"adrian is the most awesome musician in the world."

I've always joked that it was a typo

and that he really said the most awful musician.

but it is seriously a mutual admiration.

in my opinion, no one makes better sounding records than trent.

I love what he does and I'm happy he feels the same.

yes!

Body Of Work

King Crimson

• King Crimson, Discipline (1981)
• King Crimson, Beat (1982)
• King Crimson, Three Of A Perfect Pair (1984)
• King Crimson, Vrroom!" (1994)
• King Crimson, Thrak (1995)
• King Crimson, B'Boom (1995)
• King Crimson, Construktion Of Light (2000)

Solo Albums

• Lone Rhino (1983)
• Twang Bar King (1984)
• Desire Caught By The Tail (1986)
• Mr. Music Head (1989)
• Young Lions (1990)
• Desire of the Rhino King (1991)
• Inner Revolution (1992)
• Here (1994)
• The Guitar As Orchestra: Experimental Guitar Series, Vol. 1 (1995)
• Acoustic Adrian Belew (1995)
• Op Zop Too Wah (1997)
• Belew Prints: The Acoustic Adrian Belew, Vol. 2 (1998)
• Salad Days (1998)
• Coming Attractions (2000)
• Raven Songs 101 (2004)
• Side One (2005)
• Side Two (2005)
• Side Three (2006)

Other Albums

• David Bowie, Stage (1978)
• David Bowie, Lodger (1979)
• Frank Zappa, Sheik Yerbouti (1979)
• Talking Heads, Remain In Light (1980)
• Tom Tom Club, Tom Tom Club (1981)
• Talking Heads, The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads (1982)
• Laurie Anderson, Mister Heartbreak (1984)
• Paul Simon, Graceland ("You Can Call Me Al;" 1986)
• Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral ("Mr. Self Destruct," "The Becoming;" 1994)
• Nine Inch Nails, The Fragile ("Just Like You Imagined," "The Great Below;" 1999)
• Tori Amos, Strange Little Girls (2001)

External Links

• Official website
• Adrian Belew's blog
• Belew in the studio