..:: audio-music dot info ::..


Main Page     The Desert Island     Copyright Notice
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz


Tony Levin: Waters of Eden

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Narada Records
Released: 2000
Time:
 54:10
Category: Pop/Rock
Producer(s): Tony Levin, Artie Traum
Rating: *******... (7/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.tonylevin.com
Appears with: King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd
Purchase date: 2000.06.13
Price in €: 16,99



 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Bone & Flesh (T.Levin) - 6:46
[2] Waters of Eden (T.Levin) - 4:50
[3] Icarus (T.Levin) - 5:35
[4] Gecko Walk (T.Levin) - 4:58
[5] Belle (T.Levin) - 4:00
[6] Pillar of Fire (T.Levin) - 6:44
[7] Boulevard of Dreams (T.Levin) - 6:47
[8] Opal Road (T.Levin) - 6:23
[9] Utopia (T.Levin) - 8:03

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


TONY LEVIN - Electric, Fretless & Upright Bass, Electric Cello, Engineer

WARREN BERNHARDT - Piano, Engineer
PETE LEVIN - Synthesizer
DAVID TORN - Guitar, Oud, Loops, Drum Programming
DAVID SANCIOUS - Synthesizer, Piano, Soprano
STEVE GORN - Flute, Engineer
LARRY FAST - Synthesizer, Engineer
JERRY MAROTTA - Percussion, Drums, Engineer
JEFF PEVAR - Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Engineer

DAVID BOTTRILL - Mixing
TREVOR SADLER - Mastering
DAVID TOM - Engineer
ROBERT FRAZZA - Engineer
BRANDON MASON - Assistant Engineer

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


THE CD

I've done cd's before, on my own Papa Bear Records - but this one is a bit different. First of all, there's someone else footing the bill(!) It's due to come out in April 2000 on Narada Records. It's my hope that they'll get the CD into stores - something I haven't even attempted with my own label.

There are other differences too. My previous projects have been collaborations. I usually feel the focus of these cd's has been the interplay between the players. On this, though, my focus is on the compositions, and I'll be featuring the bass as a lead instrument - something I don't usually do.

PERSONNEL

Co-producing with me is guitarist Artie Traum, (I played some bass on his most recent release: Meetings with Remarkable Friends.) Artie's been producing some other projects for Narada Records, and this seemed a natural match. Robert Frazza is doing most of the engineering. He's just finished engineering the "BLUE Nights" double live CD which we'll be releasing in the spring. Robert also toured with Bruford Levin Upper Extremities, mixing the live sound. David Bottrill will come in at the mixing stage to bring his expertise to the project. I've worked with him on the last two Peter Gabriel cd's as well as King Crimson's "Thraak" (We're also pals from back when he toured with Peter's show -- when I have time, I'll try to dig up an old photo of Bottrill, disguised as me, onstage with Peter.)

THE EQUIPMENT

I've recorded previous Papa Bear Records projects in quite a few ways; "World Diary" was done on the road with my Alessis ADAT. "From the Caves" was done live to DAT, in binaural sound -(bringing bigger equipment into the damp cave seemed unwise.) Then "BLUE" was a fairly regular "studio album" For "Passionate Bass" the simplest way to take the tracks to each of the musicians seemed to be to use hard disk recording. So we're going to engineer Robert Frazza's Logic Platinum system. He then carries the computer to whatever home studio we're working in next, we find or bring good mike pre's, and put the new tracks on the disk. Sounds simple, and sometimes it actually is! I have some concerns about recording all digitally, and without common studio monitors. So I've been fortunate to bring in a LINN playback system (including amps and speakers) which approaches mastering studio quality. We daily cut cd's of the music and check it all on the LINN to make sure we're not going astray. It'll be very useful during the mix too. DB and AT at "studio C"

Most of my playing is on fretless bass, and I'm using the Music Man Stingray model. I used to favor an old Music Man Sabre fretless I have (did "Sledgehammer" on it) but for this music I prefer the tone of my newer 5 string. I have a four string fretless Stingray, a new one with pizo pickup, which I also used on some tracks. (Yes, I do appreciate how lucky I am to have 3 fretless basses to choose among!) I also play the NS Electric Upright on some tracks, and the electric cello version on two songs. Starting with Jerry Marotta (as many things do,) he and I played together for years in Peter Gabriel's band. He's played drums on too many albums to list, and he produces records at his studio in Woodstock.
Steve Gorn, playing at Make Believe Ballroom studio.

Keyboard wizard Larry Fast also toured and recorded with the early Gabriel band - so this is a bit of a reunion for Larry Jerry and me. Larry does film scores, synth recording, and still releases his own music as "Synergy."

David Sancious and I toured together with Seal earlier this year. David has also played keyboard on tours with Peter Gabriel, recorded with Sting, Bruce Springsteen, and others. David's midway through a solo CD of his own. At his home studio, we had him play his grand piano and also what David calls his Virtual Soprano, which I particularly love.

THE TRACKS

Bone & Flesh A World Music type of piece, featuring, among other things, a rare Jerry Marotta drum solo, and equally rare Tony Levin bass solo (together, of course.) Waters of Eden A piece I've been playing live with the California Guitar Trio, and it's on their upcoming live CD. This version also has piano, drums, and strings.

Tony Levin on TonyLevin.com



At the top of my list for great bassists is Tony Levin. The roster of artists he's played with is huge, but he's mostly known as the man at the bottom of both King Crimson and Peter Gabriel's music for the last decade and a half. Occasionally he struts his stuff on solo albums like his latest, Waters of Eden.

Playing the Chapman Stick, cello, and both four- and five-string electric bass with equal ease, plus using his unique fingertip drumsticks to pull out all manner of emotion in jazz and rock idioms, Tony is the complete package. Here he brings the melodic qualities of the bass to the fore in subtle, uncluttered music, bolstered by Larry Fast on keyboards, Jerry Prevar on guitar, and Jerry Moratta on drums. The good news is that you don't have to be a musician to appreciate Waters. It's all instrumental pieces that do not attack, and support thought instead. It's the kind of album you can stay at home with all day or night.

Favorites include "Bone and Flesh," where Tony's work sounds like a snorting rhino, and the beautifully liquid title cut featuring the California Guitar Trio--whose cello part didn't impress Tony's dog much. "His ears remained pasted back on his head," says Tony in the liner notes. No matter, it sounds great to humans. "Belle" is a sedate piano-bass duet with his brother Peter, dedicated to their mother. "Pillar of Fire" is simply majestic, building on solid contributions by Prevar and Fast.

It's not as good as a Peter Gabriel album, but I can imagine adding Peter's lyrics and vocals and a few more world beats to make it into one. All in all, Levin's handiwork simply shines.

© 2000 - Rusty Pipes
 

 L y r i c s


Currently no Lyrics available!

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


Currently no Samples available!