I first encountered Adrian Belew in a lurid pink suit fronting King Crimson on The Old Grey Whistle Test in about 1980, and only much later, in a previous incarnation with Frank Zappa's band.
And as the title implies, the album is just Belew, guitar and eleven short songs.
The Lone Rhinoceros is a sad and moving song, from the point of view of a rhino in a zoo, making an impression, and Peace On Earth is another very listenable song as is the lovely The Man In The Moon, and The Rail Song. By contrast the Beatles' cover If I Fell sounds tired and laboured, but it's soon rescued by the glorious Burned By The Fire We Make, and a stripped down version of King Crimson's Matte Kudasai, which while still sounding good feels sparse without the hand of Fripp. Dream Life drifts by, pleasant listening without making much impression, but Old Fat Cadillac is much more lively, and enjoyable. Sadly, the brings us to a cover of Roy Orbison's Crying, a song I've never really been able to appreciate the utter misery of, even ironically. The closing track, Martha Adored seems to run backwards (an artistic statement?) and sounds as good as you'd expect.
All in all, an interesting mix from and eclectic artist, which entertains for half an hour without thrilling.
3* - Some lovely songs, and some less memorable.
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