Beyond the Bass Clef

Rating:
Summary: Levin's book sucks Big Time.
Review: Aspiring bassists hoping for a good read on the exploits of one of the more famous cats in the business are gonna be mighty disappointed. Not only does this effort lack a groupie fish story or two, its a hodge podge mish-mash of mildly amusing anecdotes peppered with juvenile cartoons and heard before tips. I've never listened to King Crimson but dug Levin's playing enough on Peter Gabriel's 'So' to send for this book. I was counting on the lowdown on his choice of bass equipment, his muse for the basslines that he came up with, the business end as a top sessionman and maybe a fish story or two.

Levin did recount being accidentally bashed on the noggin with a mike stand by Peter Gabriel. Maybe if he had hair there would have been some cushioning and we would have gotten a better written better thought out book.

Let's wait for Mr Palladino's effort when the translated from the Italian language edition comes out.

Rating:
Summary: somewhat amusing and entertaining
Review: Every once in a while, a writer comes along with the extrordinary ability to take you by the hand and escort you on a friendly walk through the amusements, trials and adventures of his life. Tony Levin is such a writer. His stories are so vivid that you will feel as though you have lived them yourself. You'll laugh at loud at stories you couldn't get others to laugh at if you repeated them in your own words.

This book attempts to be all things to all people, and succeeds. In it you will find hints and tips on playing the bass, advice on the business of music, stories from the road, epic tales of adventure and conquest, and general wisdom which will genuinely help you get through the rest of your life.

Your side will still be aching from laughing at a high school band story when you encounter a completely authentic recipe for carrot cake. Next up is advice on recording. You don't know where you will be taken next and that's half the fun.

I implore all bass players to read this book, and heartily recommend it to everyone else.

Rating:
Summary: A fun read
Review: I found this book to be pretty entertaining. I didn't expect it to be a method book or contain any secrets on playing bass. Tony is a phenomenal player, and has played with some very heavy hitters in the music industry including YES, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, John Lennon, Paul Simon, Laurie Anderson, Buddy Rich etc. etc. But I have also read the content on his web site (www.tonylevin.com) and am familiar with his writing style.

Besides being a great player, he's also a very nice person. I once interviewed him and found him to be warm, funny, down-to-earth AND astonishingly talented. I have waded through plenty of autobiographical hubris from big-name players, and frankly, I don't think the world needs yet another collection of instrumental speed drills or guidance on playing technique. What makes him special is his approach to music and to life. If you want to know HOW Tony plays bass, listen to his CDs, watch the live King Crimson DVD or better still, go see him play. If you want to understand WHY he plays bass and what makes him tick, read this book. It's a good bit of insight into his playful nature.

He's got a penchant for finding absurdity and humor in things. He freely experiments with playing technique and unusual tones (how many players have ever stuffed a diaper under their bass strings?). And Peter Gabriel once said of him "Tony Levin is one of the world's best bass players, if not THE best."

Rating:
Summary: Pretty fun reading
Review: I found this to be a pretty good read. Fairly amusing and certainly interesting enough to keep me reading. It was also good enough for me to purchase as early Christmas presents for two other bassists. We'll see how THAT turns out....

Rating:
Summary: Pretty fun reading
Review: I found this to be a pretty good read. Fairly amusing and certainly interesting enough to keep me reading. It was also good enough for me to purchase as early Christmas presents for two other bassists. We'll see how THAT turns out....

Rating:
Summary: "In the beginning there was a bass."
Review: So begins Tony Levin's introductory meditation on the life of a career four-stringer, the first of many in a series of profound insights and endlessly enthralling anecdotes. A masterpiece for the ages, Beyond the Bass Clef stands in the highest echelon of human literature...

[ahem] - sorry about that. Ok, so this book really isn't much more than a quick, brisk read about the life of one particular working musician, but I've greatly enjoyed it all the same. I'll admit to being quite biased since I've admired Tony for years; anyone who isn't either a musician or a fan of his work (or both) might not get quite the same enjoyment I did. The overall tone is one of friendly storytelling, the kind that keeps people up in small bars until closing time trading one quick anecdote after another. Expect much more and you'll probably be disappointed.

There are some nice thoughts on general road life and developing one's playing/performance skills, but the real meat of the book is a gathering of numerous little snapshots of Tony's musical career. There are glimpses of life working with King Crimson, touring with Peter Gabriel (and some of the wacky stuff the band got up to along the way), doing various sessions or gigs with just about half the musicians on the planet, some of the difficulties of traveling in foreign countries, and some interesting background on his own life and solo work. Sometimes it wanders a little too far into aimless randomness, such as his descriptions of some early public performances as a youngster (including the day he almost shot President Kennedy), but overall it was enough to keep me smiling and laughing until the last page. We learn where that burned-barn picture on the Thrakattak insert came from, how to conduct an interview with oneself for a magazine when the regular guy is too busy, some of the hazards of working for Buddy Rich, and even pick up a nice recipe or two along the way.

So there you have it. You've heard this guy play somewhere, whether you realize it or not; for those who do, here's a nice way to take a closer look. Just beware of those fast high notes...

Rating:
Summary: Very humorous tales and observances from life as a musician
Review: This book is full of the kind of musical advice and experiences that you can't get from a book of scales.

Tony Levin has a wry sense of humor that permeates his writing leaving the reader laughing and eager to read on.

For musicians (and wanna be's) who want a glimpse into what it takes to "make it" and what it is like once you are there (and how to remain sane), this is a must read.