Review by Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
4 stars out of 4
Live music does not get any better than this, and Tony Levins work
is some of the very best you will find anywhere in the world. I know
I probably have said all this before but I will continue to say it,
Levin is the best bass player in the world, and for many reasons.
The key word here is genre(s) and style(s) when you talk about such
an honored and esteemed artist as Levin. He plays several different
types of electric basses with skill and many different styles of rock
music with equal exactitude, primarily progressive and jazz-rock fusion.
So here we are about to embark (lets hope you do!) on an incredible
musical journey with the Tony Levin Band. They bring you an
up-close look at a live performance on Double Espresso, an
extensive 2 CD set featuring some of their most abundant and expressive work.
From King Crimson and Peter Gabriel to his solo work,
Levin and his outstanding band blow through some amazing depictions
of songs from the past and the most recent studio outing Pieces
of the Sun. Levin is simply amazing; he makes the music so animated
with his bass playing, like no other musician I have ever heard before.
I missed the live show in Cambridge, Massachusetts a few months ago.
Having this recording (autographed by the band thanks to Phyllis Fast,
Larrys wife) in my possession is an appeasement for not being able
to attend but it is also frustrating hearing just how good one of
their shows is! This is one of those bands that play everything live
just as good, if not better, than in the studio, now that is saying
a mouthful about how much talent we are talking about here. Speaking
in general, this is a MUST have for any music lover. Just wait until
you hear their version of Black Dog, oh my does it kick ass. Just
get this album, you will be so glad you did, I promise.
Authors Note: I just completed a review covering Marcus Millers live
album and said much of the same regarding his adeptness with the bass.
I did say that I could not think of any active bass player that was
better right now, but I should have said at this very moment. Millers
proficiency and style just blew me away and I did not even think for
a moment about Tony, and for that, I feel disappointed. I am not a
flake; I am just a music fan that gets into the music so intensely
I get lost in the magical moments just as everyone else does, so please
allow me this absence of mind. In any event, Miller deserved the kudos
I gave him and I was totally immersed in an entirely different style
of music than what Levin and his fine band offer.
CD 1
1. Pieces of the Sun - 7:15
2. Geronimo - 3:27
3. Silhouette - 4:35
4. Dog One - 5:36
5. Tequila - 5:15
6. Black Dog - 5:35
7. Ooze - 4:33
8. Apollo - 8:44
9. L' Abito Della Sposa - 4:06
10. Sleepless - 7:01
CD 2
11. Pillar of Fire - 6:59
12. Ever the Sun Will Rise - 7:48
13. Phobos - 7:01
14. The Fifth Man - 5:56
15. Back in N.Y.C. - 6:13
16. Utopia - 7:39
17. Elephant Talk - 5:51
18. Peter Gunn - 3:48
19. Belle - 4:28
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