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Tony Levin: Stick Man

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Lazy Bones Recordings
Released: 2007.09.25
Time:
 58:15
Category: Progressive Rock
Producer(s): Scott Schorr & Tony Levin
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.papabear.com
Appears with: King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd
Purchase date: 2014
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Welcome (T.Levin) - 4:12
[2] Gut String Theory (T.Levin) - 3:27
[3] Speedbump (T.Levin) - 2:48
[4] Slow Glide (T.Levin) - 4:00
[5] Shraag (T.Levin) - 4:25
[6] Not Just Another Pretty Bass (T.Levin) - 3:22
[7] El Mercado (T.Levin) - 2:27
[8] Orange Alert (T.Levin) - 2:32
[9] In her Locket (T.Levin) - 3:58
[10] Rising Waters (T.Levin) - 3:16
[11] Metro (T.Levin) - 4:21
[12] Zeros to Disk (T.Levin) - 3:23
[13] Sticky Fingers (T.Levin) - 2:27
[14] Rivers of Light (T.Levin) - 4:24
[15] Chop Shop (T.Levin) - 2:53
[16] The Gorgon Sisters Have a Chat (T.Levin) - 2:31
[17] Dark Blues (T.Levin) - 3:39

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Tony Levin - Lead Vocals on [1,4,14], NS Cello on [1,8,10], Piano on [9,14,17], Synthesizer on [11,14], Funk Finger Guitar on [2,11], Funk Finger Bass on [4,12], Chapman Stick on [1-5,7,8,11,13,15,16], NS Upright Bass on [2,9,12,17], Didgeridoo on [4], Synthbass on [10,12],Drums on [16]

Pat Mastelotto - Drums on [1-5,8,10-14], Percussion on [1-5,10-14], Piano on [12]
Scott Schorr - Drums on [6,7,15], Percussion on [7,15], Keyboards on [2,8,9,17], Synthesizer on [15]
Chris Albers - Acoustic Guitar on [9,17], Guitar on [16]
Tim Dow - Drums on [9]

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


While he's often (and understandably) considered the creative force behind perennial art rockers King Crimson, cofounder/guitarist Robert Fripp is, in fact, a far more democratic leader than he's given credit. Bassist/Stick man Tony Levin—one of the fundamentals behind the 1980-'84 and 1994-'97 incarnations of Crim, recently returning to the fold after a hiatus during the group's 2000-'03 years—makes clear his contributions to the ever-expanding Crim with Stick Man.

Then again, it may well be a case of chicken and egg. Levin has released a small discography over the years, but other than the largely recorded on the road and in hotel rooms World Diary (Papa Bear, 1996), he's never released an album that's so clearly focused on his own playing. Levin performs most of the parts on his multi-stringed and tapped Chapman Stick, bass (electric, upright and Funk Fingered, where he attaches thin sticks to his fingers to strike the bass strings), cello, synth, guitar and piano, with some additional help from Crimson cohort/drummer Pat Mastelotto on eleven of Stick Man's seventeen tracks, co-producer Scott Schorr adding drums, keys and percussion on seven, and guitarist Chris Albers and drummer Tim Dow contributing on a couple more. While Stick Man has its share of off-Crim elements, it's a revelation that will likely have been previously been known only by confirmed Crimheads who've heard King Crimson Collector Club mail order titles including The VROOM Sessions 1994 (DGMLive, 1999), Nashville Rehearsals (2000) and Champaign-Urbana Sessions 1983 (2002).

How much of Crim is Levin and how much of Levin is Crim? Well, when it comes to groove, there's little doubt that Levin has been a driving force, the same way that he's powered Peter Gabriel throughout his career. Many of Stick Man's tracks feel as though they've stemmed from jams, with Levin's use of Chapman Stick allowing him to layer bass lines and either chordal accompaniment or melodies in real time with whoever is playing drums. Additional layers come next, with some clever post-production editing further shaping the material.

Stick Man may rely heavily on groove but Levin, who's been a strong background vocalist for Gabriel and Crimson throughout the years, brings his voice to the fore on the unexpectedly aggro and up-tempo rocker "Welcome," the slower-grooved "Slow Glide" with his growly delivery, and "Rivers of Light," the most lyrical and song-based tune on the album, which leans more towards Gabriel than Crim.

The jagged "The Gorgon Sisters Have a Chat," sonically dense "Rising Waters" and equally visceral "Chop Shop" sound as though they'd have fit comfortably on one of the post-'90s Crimson ProjeKcts, while the closer, "Dark Blues" occupies another space entirely—part Brian Eno, but with sharper edges contrasting with the smoother, more ambient surfaces.

Stick Man is the album Levin fans have been waiting for. Irrespective of the seemingly symbiotic relationship that exists between Levin and Crimson, his voice and influence—inside and out of the greater Crim—have never been clearer.

JOHN KELMAN - August 30, 2008
© 2014 All About Jazz



2007 release from King Crimson bassist and studio maverick Tony Levin. Stick Man , his fifth solo outing, is a breakthrough in numerous ways. It features the Chapman Stick (in addition to his basses) in ways it hasn't been heard before. With 17 tracks, 58 minutes of music, it's a prodigeous release - three tracks have Tony's vocals, the rest are unique sounding Progressive instrumentals. Most of the drumming on the CD is by King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto, and Crimson fans will hear some tracks here that are reminiscent of the group. ''Stick Man is a step in a new direction for me. Or perhaps in an old direction, because, from what listeners are telling me, it's come out quite Crimson-like. That could be because of the great participation by Pat Mastelotto on drums and percussion - also I was aiming at more raw, playing-oriented tracks. Backing off from the composition based writing I'd done recently, I've tried to feature not only both sides of the Stick, but some unusual bass techniques and sounds. There are a lot of tracks, (17) and it's mostly instrumental (especially if you consider my shouting not to be a song!)

Amazon.com



We all had a great time listening to your CD, Stick Man . . . I hear elements of Elephant Talk taken to an even greater intensity. Actually, I liked every song because they fit together to somehow define a new approach to instrumental composition, from fresh sounding effects to seemingly novel recording routines. For Stick enthusiasts, this will definitely be a new game in town - new harmonic progressions, rhythms, sonics and attitude. Of course The Stick dominates the album and is multifaceted in all registers and through all manner of effects. You gave the instrument a real workout and I know it will be of great interest to Stick players, even to the point of influencing some of their future recording efforts.

Emmett Chapman - Inventor of Chapman Stick



Stick Man is a 2007 album by Tony Levin. The album showcases Levin's skills on the Chapman stick, as well as the electric bass and NS Upright bass. Most of the seventeen tracks are instrumental, though there are three songs with vocals by Levin. King Crimson bandmate Pat Mastelotto plays drums on eleven of the tracks.

Wikipedia.org
 

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