Adrian Belew —
Inner Revolution
album review

ALBUM REVIEW

Whether it's because of turmoil from within ourselves or craziness in the world around us, getting our heads right requires an Inner Revolution. That's the premise (and title) of this excellent offering from Adrian Belew. But as with all albums that claim any sort of concept, success still depends on the quality of the songs, and here, the quality is just fine. "This Is What I Believe In" has musical references to Belew's somewhat amelodic work in King Crimson, but gone from this album are the jangled corners of that band's sound. What remains is an assured, passionate, and introspective collection of songs, brimming with frothy melodies and great lyrics, all well framed with wideband production values. The best song on the album, "Only a Dream," is an unabashed tirade on the environmental insanity that seems to be an inexplicable part of how the world is being run. But most of the album runs more towards explorations of relationships. "War in the Gulf Between Us" is a clever play on words that uses the first Iraq war to explore the minefield of Belew's failed marriage. "Inner Revolution," moves him from heartache to healing, with lyrics general enough that all of us, no matter what our troubles, can find inspiration in them. Some of the best songs on the album find Belew referencing the works of top pop craftsmen: "Big Blue Sun" caroms off the hyper-melodic Jeff Lynne sounds of mid-period ELO. "Birds" and "Everything" both have a sort of a John Lennonish feel to them—the first is about our fine feathered friends; the second is about a fine female friend. And on "I'd Rather Be Right Here," Belew gets a little more upbeat and finds himself at the Split Enz of his musical universe. In all cases, Belew's effort adds to the sounds developed by the others rather than simply ripping them off. Overall, Inner Revolution is a strong album—one of Adrian Belew's best.