TONY LEVIN - Bass, Stick, Cello
TERRY BOZZIO - Drums, Artwork design
STEVE STEVENS - Guitars, Add. Recording
MARCUS NAND - Add. Flamenco Guitar on [7]
R.CHRIS MURPHY - Co-Producer
TERRY BROWN - Mixing
DAVE THOWNSON - Digital editing
KEN LEE - Mastering
ANETTE CISNEROS - 2nd Engineer
ERICH GOBEL - 2nd Engineer
ROBERT KNIGHT - Photography
DAN HANLEY - Traycard Painting
Phantastic, superb, excellent ... i don't find the correct words to
describe this album!! The influence of different directions: hardrock,
pop, rock, folk, meditation, classics etc. present within the songs and
all this music celebratted only with drums, basses and guitars ... This
is not a computer based mass chewing gum music, but music which have
all the energy of nature and humans - with all they problems,
happyness, meditations, inner life. It is immpossible to describe this
sound, therefore my suggestion and highest recommendation is to by it,
if possible (it is not cheap but ...)! Please play it on the most
highest volume that you can in your flat, and do not hear it on the way
or in the car - you lost a lot.
The hurried nature of this supergroup's first outing, Black Light
Syndrome, gave it an urgency and focus that is somewhat lacking on this
release, replaced by a textural density that rewards repeated
listening. "Dangerous" sets the tone with alternating metal and noir
sections, complete with Led Zeppelin and Perry Mason quotes. Former
Billy Idol sideman Steve Stevens spices up the proceedings with his
signature flamenco influences and electronic textures, tossing in with
some Jeff Beck-like guitar on "Melt." King Crimson bassist Tony Levin
lends the rock-solid bottom that has made him a sought-after session
man, but this is clearly Terry Bozzio's baby. On "Spiral," the former
Zappa percussionist spins out of control, bashing and crashing with
gleeful abandon. Elsewhere, his unique cymbal work and melodic toms add
personality to otherwise straightforward compositions.
Michael Ross, Amazon.com
Bereits mit ihrem Projekt-Debütalbum Black Light Syndrome konnten
die Musikerlegenden Terry Bozzio (Jeff Beck, Dokken, Steve Vai; dr.),
Tony Levin (b.) und Steve Stevens (Billy Idol; g.) gute Kritiken
einfahren, und auch der Nachfolger Situation Dangerous bietet wieder
instrumentalen Hardrock vom Allerfeinsten. Das Trio lebt sich nach
Herzenslust aus, streift alle nur erdenklichen Musikstile und schafft
es glücklicherweise immer wieder, seine vertrackten Arrangements
mit eingängigen, zu Herzen gehenden Passagen aufzulockern.
Insbesondere Stevens' Gitarrenarbeit ist so atmosphärisch und
gefühlvoll wie selten zuvor. Dennoch dürfte Situation
Dangerous in erster Linie Freunde anspruchsvoller, progressiver
Instrumentals vom Hocker hauen, da der Großteil der Tracks
für Otto Normalhörer dann doch etwas zu komplex und frickelig
ausgefallen ist.
Michael Rensen, Amazon.de
Situation Dangerous is the follow-up to 1997's Black Light Syndrome
from this powerful trio of seasoned rock musicians. The incendiary
title track leads off the album with guitarist Steve Stevens
demonstrating that he's capable of much more than testosterone-laden
Billy Idol riffs of which he was most commonly associated prior to the
formation of this band. Here he conjures up comparisons to manic sound
frequently delivered by Robert Fripp particularly on King Crimson
albums like Red and their reformed, early-'80s period. But in
subsequent tracks, Stevens plays jazz, fusion, classic rock,
blues-rock, and flamenco passages with accomplished ease. "Crash"
sounds like an outtake from or a salute to the lone classic recording
by an earlier supergroup, Armageddon. In other instances he combines
the fusion and flamenco leanings of guitarists like Al DiMeola and John
McLaughlin. This is an instrumental album, so it is imperative that the
tracks display a diversity of tempo and style to distinguish themselves
from one another. Historically, instrumental rock trios haven't been
overly successful in that regard. These three, however, pull it off
admirably. Tony Levin has been one of the most creative and "in-demand"
bassists for the past 25 years and his entire repertoire of influences
and skills seems to be encapsulated on this recording. He also tackles
the variety of compositions in his inimitable smooth yet complex
manner. Drummer Terry Bozzio offers his most explosive and perhaps his
most defining work since Danger Money from 1979, but it's Stevens'
versatility that dictates the course of this album and its ultimate
success.
Dave Sleger, All-Music Guide
There is an awe-inspiring yet refreshingly playful chemistry that
transpires when these three complex souls get together. Stevens and
Bozzio share a love for the hot passionate rhythms of flamenco. Levin
and Bozzio can, and do quite often, attack their chosen weapons with a
rapid delicacy that exposes a like-mindedness that is deep, abstract
and rare within recorded music. And completing the trinity of graphic
connections, Levin and Stevens both share a far-flung sense of
exploration when it comes to the technological advancements made beyond
the traditional restraints of stringed instruments.
All this "stuff", be it intellectual, emotional, strategic or instantly
improvised, converge to form "Situation Dangerous", the second and very
different offering from Bozzio Levin Stevens. "Situation Dangerous" may
take a few (dozen!) plays to digest, but thankfully, even for the
novice not used to the shock of exploded boundaries and expanded
possibilities, noted favorites will leap instantly to the hook centers
of the mind. It is an accessibility that has been achieved somewhat
obtusely, the long way around, unintentionally, serendipitously.
Percussion legend Terry Bozzio explains, in response to a question
asking how this album might have differed from the effusively received
"Black Light Syndrome" debut. "That's really simple. We had more time.
Specifically, Steve had more time with which to bring in and build his
ideas, so the whole album has more of a cohesiveness than the first one
which is more about jamming and making something happen on the fly. So
I think there is more structure which might possibly lead one to think
that it is more accessible. There's some beautiful music, there's still
a lot of burning playing and everybody is featured really well. There
is definitely a style that carries through and has been expanded upon,
in the area of some flamenco pieces, as well as the rock-ish and
fusion-y stuff. The biggest difference is that we had a week to
rehearse. It's still very eclectic. There's a wide variety of feels and
styles and influences. But instead of there being long periods of
'everything goes' which we had on the first album, it's more
mapped-out. It's not as extended or jam-oriented."
Such deliberation is definitely discernible within the joyous grooves
of this effortlessly enjoyable collection of exotic flavors, Bozzio,
Levin and Stevens able to codify and unify their vast repertoire of
ideas into sound sculptures which overlay and underscore distinct moods
one by one, while containing an undercurrent of fierce, legendary yet
restrained chops.
Yet, how does one explain the record's recurring flamenco theme. Bozzio
answers, "Well, Steve just has an affinity for that music and so have
I. It's this completely undocumented art form. For me it's a rich,
passionate, rhythmically and emotionally dark expression. There's a
real macho thing to it and a sense of drama and pathos, all the
emotions I relate to in my music. I don't play funny, I don't play
happy, I don't play that way. I relate to the darker emotions and
reflect those. In a sense it's a compensation and I can be a nice guy
in my real life, very approachable (laughs). But in my music it's this
other thing that takes over and all the anger and frustration and
sadness come through."
But the record kicks off on a resoundingly un-flamenco note.
'Dangerous' is a mad scientist dash of schizoid Crimson that might
remind you of another well-known band as well. "Steve had this lick,
similar to Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song'. We went after that kind of
beat and when we went to the bridge, Steve started playing this thing
and I started playing in five across it. Then the half time section is
very dark and dangerous."
The acoustic work on "Situation Dangerous" is positively breathtaking,
culminating in a piece called 'Spiral'. "That's one of my favorite
harmonic pieces on the record. When Steve started playing that rhythmic
thing that he set up on the guitar . . . harmonically, the way he was
working with the finger picking was so amazing to me that I had to sit
him down next to me at the piano and say, 'OK, what is it that you are
doing here?' And I learned how to play it on the piano so I could take
it away with me. It's just a gorgeous piece."
And a favorite drum performance? "There's not a spot on there that I'm
not proud of, but I think the highlight for me is probably a piece
called 'Tziganne', which is French for gypsy, a flamenco-ish piece.
There's a piccolo tom drum solo which is highly melodic and is some of
the best piccolo stuff I'd ever recorded. It lets me do something
almost on the level of a guitar player on the drums. So that's
something I'm very proud of."
Elsewhere a coterie of sounds leaps from undisclosed locales, mostly
from Steve's Midi rig, but often from contraptions brought in by the
ever-resourceful Levin. "Tony brings an entourage of computer and
photographic equipment as well as a great collection of basses. He did
have a new axe, an electric cello. And he also has the big brother of
that which he plays with a bow or he plucks it. On one of the pieces,
'Endless', he does this melody that is just gorgeous, a perfect fit to
the melodic structure. It was just beautiful."
A key unifying factor of the album is its sparkly, crackly live feel, a
choice that allowed each component to breathe and burn for the good of
the collective. "There's sort of a natural compensation that happens
when you play from an orchestrational standpoint. If somebody is
playing a bunch of heavy metal power chords, there is only so much you
can do that fits. If I'm playing more of a bass drum, tom tom-oriented
ostennato kind of thing, then maybe Tony or Steve might play more
sparsely or melodically rather than playing busier, low things that
might conflict with those frequencies.. I have fifteen toms that I play
with and four bass drums and a host of cymbals and stuff. So we went
more with an ambient thing where we miked the drums from overhead with
a stereo pair and a few under the toms to capture some of that low end."
Ultimately though, each track, no matter what hue, colour, speed,
volume or anxiety level, is the product of three legendary music minds
converging and imparting the vast musical knowledge this particular and
deliberate collective owns. "I look at these things as three distinct
personalities and the chemistry of putting these three people in a
collaborative situation," reflects Bozzio. "It just turns out that you
can't do certain things with Steve or you can't do certain things with
Tony that I might do with David Torn or Mick Karn or somebody else.
It's like the flavor of a certain spice in a soup, it's going to give
you a certain taste. That's how you work and complement each other to
make the whole thing happen. But I can tell you my own influences in
fusion come from Miles Davis and Weather Report, Mahavishnu, Chick
Corea, those were the cream of the crop and I don't think much has gone
beyond what those people have done since then. And in rock 'n' roll, I
don't think anybody has ever gone past what Jimi Hendrix did, or Zappa
had done in his way, blending classical, jazz and rock. And then there
are the obvious comparisons to King Crimson and Peter Gabriel when you
hear Tony."
"His spectrum of sound is incredible," continues Bozzio. "He's a
thoroughly schooled musician from Eastman School Of Music. He's played
classical music, string bass, orchestra, he can read, he can write,
he's played under Stravinsky and he's done all the big, highest paid
session gigs in America. He's probably America's premiere highest paid
bass player (laughs). And he's really easy to get along with,
incredibly flexible, very professional in his attitude. He's incredibly
creative with his scope of sounds and his approach to the instrument.
When he plays normal fretted bass he has a very unique style. Maybe
he'll use Funk Fingers (an invention of Tony's which are drum sticks
which he wears on the fingers of his right hand) and get something
different out of it. When he plays fretless, in two notes you know it's
him, and he plays a completely unique Stick. There's this contrapuntal
polyrhythmic event on one piece where he's got three or four things
going on at once. It's this Stick bass part where you can distinctly
hear four different parts. There's a low bass part and then there is a
high guitar part and then there is some other things in the middle and
it's just really amazing that it's all coming out of one guy at one
time. It sounds like four things going on at once. One guy playing the
whole rhythm track (laughs)."
"Same with Steve and his guitar playing," offers Bozzio on the
ever-versatile Stevens. "There is a very distinctive style about the
guy in his sounds and his arrangement capabilities, and his way of
approaching music. You see the thread from something as simple as the
Billy Idol pop stuff to the sophistication of what we're doing now. It
has a similar stylistic thread that runs through it all. And his
influences, you can hear the Robert Fripp, Pink Floyd, a lot of these
interesting English progressive rock bands, Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant.
Steve really knows a lot about progressive rock, English pop music, and
music in general. He knows a lot of styles and he may chose to or not
chose to go in those directions at any given time."
An intimidating display of firepower indeed. Yet "Situation Dangerous"
is the product of three minds who are musicmakers first. Despite the
volumes of study buried within for the aspiring music theorist,
mathematician and/or practitioner, a refreshing level of pure joy leaps
from these compositions that is exuberantly Crimson-ian at times,
occasionally Dregs-ish, and above all, as Bozzio underscores,
inescapably the product of these three prog disciples at this point in
time with exactly these things on their minds. If instrumental music
has often intimidated you, look and listen no further than "Situation
Dangerous", a record of soaring songful sound accessible and useful to
all denomination of discerning, music-loving humanity.
www.magnacarta.net
Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin, Steve Stevens. Think about it. At best, a
supergroup. At the very least, a brave step towards preserving
creativity and integrity in the current music scene. But whatever tag
you want to hang on this amazing collection of talent, Black Light
Syndrome is undoubtedly the finest recording of its type to have been
produced in many years. Black Light Syndrome is the product of four
intense days in the studio in which the trio of amazing musicians was
able to walk in with no material prepared ahead of time. Improvisation,
jamming and just pure creative musicianship were the blocks on which
these performances were built. Virtuoso playing, changing moods and
brilliant compositions were the results of this unique blending of
talents. Recorded very much like the classic Jazz albums of days gone
by, three musicians played in the same room at the same time and were
able to generate performances dripping with spontaneity and feeling.
Terry Bozzio has been a part of so many wonderful and innovative
musical experiences. From his 12 albums and many tours with Frank Zappa
to his work with UK, the Brecker Brothers, Jeff Beck and, of course,
Terry's innovative pop group Missing Persons, he has set a new standard
for drummers throughout the world . By approaching the drums not as a
traditional rock percussion instrument but as a melodic and
dynamics-related organ of the band which can be shifted into overdrive
for the more powerful sections of music, Terry has become an icon among
drummers. Terry Bozzio is the epitome of integrity and true talent
among drummers. His performances on Black Light Syndrome showcase these
virtues and more.
Tony Levin is generally hailed as the leading creative bassist in rock.
His work with Peter Gabriel and King Crimson are just some of the
things for which he is noted . But because his body of work is so
extensive it becomes easy to overlook his stints with such greats as
Paul Simon, Lou Reed, James Taylor and John Lennon. Tony's work on
Black Light Syndrome was brought about through his desire to work with
musicians on the scale of Bozzio and Stevens. His use of instruments
such as the Chapman Stick and the NS Electric Upright further enhance
the rhythmic and melodic genius that he so effortlessly provides.
On the surface Steve Stevens may seem an unlikely candidate to be
paired with such musical luminaries as Bozzio and Levin. But Steve's
professional credentials and musical pedigree are every bit as credible
as they should be. Billy Idol's records (Billy Idol, Rebel Yell,
Whiplash Smile) were some of the most galvanic music of the Eighties
and it was Stevens' consummate writing and playing that many credit as
the foundation for their success. Steve's exciting musical and video
appearances with Michael Jackson on "Dirty Diana" brought Steve much
attention. He became involved in a series of motion pictures whose
soundtracks contain songs by Steve Stevens. Big, Ace Ventura, Speed and
Top Gun (for which Steve won a Grammy) are just a few of the films that
feature Steve's work. He has also been involved with such diverse and
high caliber artists such as Joni Mitchell, Robert Palmer, The Thompson
Twins and Ric Ocasek. Steve's performances on Black Light Syndrome are
a guitar tour de force with him running the gamut of styles including
heavy rock, fusion, flamenco, improvisational blues and electronic
soundscapes among others. The musicality that Steve demonstrates in the
playing and compositional aspects of these performances is very deep
indeed. Black Light Syndrome should win a spot for Steve Stevens among
the great guitarists of the Nineties.
Black Light Syndrome is an album which will establish Bozzio, Levin,
Stevens as a force to be reckoned with in instrumental rock. It has
been a long time since an album took the risks and enjoyed the musical
rewards that this album has. Bozzio, Levin, Stevens are the names that
make Black Light Syndrome a reality.
iMusic.com
The Bozzio Levin Stevens project began a few years ago with the release
of Black Light Syndrome (Magna Carta), uniting a trio of seasoned
musicians for an instrumental progressive rock experiment.
The band features guitar virtuoso Steve Stevens, who has maintained a
strong presence in the world of pop rock working with Billy Idol and
appearing in Michael Jackson's band, as well as joining Motley Crue
vocalist Vince Neil for his solo attempt; bassist Tony Levin, who has
worked with everyone from Peter Gabriel to Alice Cooper, while
continuing to record and tour with King Crimson; and drummer Terry
Bozzio, who is best known as a founding member of Missing Persons.
Their second release Situation Dangerous blends their unique talents
and songwriting skills through eight cuts, and though there are no
howling vocals from Robert Plant, the opening track "Dangerous" offers
up the groove of the Zeppelin classic "Immigrant Song," which unlike
most progressive pieces really rocks hard before swapping the guitar
driven groove for a melodic conclusion. From jazz to rock to flamenco,
this album has it covered, highlights being the steam train rocker
called "Crash" and a balled called "Spiral" in the vein of Steve Vai.
For more information about the trio visit their label at
www.magnacarta.com.
TPRS CD Reviews
Remember guitar whiz Steve Stevens when he was in the Atomic Playboys?
High energy rock and massive hair? The kind you could rent out for the
weekend?
Well, this is the other side of Steve. The man still has larger than
average hair, but his flash is now reigned in through this tight
progressive and solely instrumental outfit. Aided by the brilliant
percussionist Terry Bozzio and equally impressive Tony Levin (bass),
Steve takes us on a semi-cosmic, yet mathematically precise journey
into the obsessive realms of the musician.
The lead off track, "Dangerous", is a jagged speedster, very
reminiscent of Zep's "Immigrant Song". You can almost smell the sulfur
coming from the band members' fingers, burning up as they ascend into
the atmosphere (now that's a colorful sentence!). "Endless", which
clocks in at a lengthy 10 minutes plus, isn't nearly as torturous on
the listener as many prog epics can be, when proggers indulging in
their very personal quests. It ebbs and flows between subtle flamenco
and surprising, sporadic guitar crunch. A strange but workable
experiment. On most of the album Stevens and Bozzio allow their
flamenco fanaticism to take over, as in the delicate "Spiral" and
machine-like "Melt." A passionate, pensive yet semi-cosmic adventure is
had in "Tragic." The piece battles between meaty percussion and
atmospheric wanderings, only to smash you in the mouth for forgetting
these guys can still rock. But make no mistakes, this isn't a
flamboyant album. It is dark, low lying and not in the mood to joke
around.
Not for the party rock crowd by any means, but experimental proggers should take note. Interesting and dynamic.