Customer Reviews

Waters of Eden

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tony levin is one of the great bass players of our time. This a lot of people know this. The roster of artists is staggering. So what do we have here, someone who's first solo record is avilable on his web site, and now decides to put out his new one on a "new age" label. The music inside of this is really great, fans of Peter Gabriel will love this. Bass players should pick this up, because the bass is upfront in the mix and well worth listening to this great bassist!

I have to disagree with some of the comments calling this album 'new age' - it isn't. Rather, I'd suggest Waters of Eden is what new age music was originally intended to be - exotic, lush, laid-back in tone yet passionate in presentation. If you've wondered what the music of any of those generic Windham Hill types would sound like with energy and vitality, as opposed to remaining in the predictable zone of soulless elevator music, this album should be a treat. As long as I'm tossing out labels here, classical, qawwali and jazz can also be applied to one degree or another.

But the best way to listen is to ignore the labels and take the music on its own. Moving, haunting, passionate. It's not necessarily invigorating or exciting (unless you're thinking in a creative and spiritual sense), but something to drift to. Tony doesn't have to play 200 notes a minute; he could play just one, but that one would be perfect.

Tony Levin plays the electric bass guitar with incredible skill and beauty. I first heard his bass playing on Peter Gabriel's albums, and later was exposed to King Crimson's music, where I fell in love with the intensity and singular "grooviness" of his chops. Waters of Eden is one of the best jazz recordings I've heard in a long time. Both "Waters of Eden" and "Pillar of Fire" are great tracks, and are melodic and adventurous in their composition. "Belle", which was written for his mom, has some of the sweetest fretless bass sounds I've ever heard. "Utopia", more rock than jazz, finishes off the CD with style. I had the good fortune to see Tony Levin play in concert here in Seattle recently with the California Guitar Trio, and he truly plays bass like no other. I highly enjoyed his book, "Beyond the Bass Clef- The Life and Art of Bass Playing", and would recommend it to anyone, regardless of whether or not you play bass.

I have always been a die-hard Peter Gabriel fan. When I saw Levin in Phoenix along with his current band (which features Larry Fast and Jerry Marotta, i.e. PG's keyboard player and drummer from the early 80's) I knew he had pulled it off one more time! Tony Levin has been - and continues to be with this album - one of the most trend-setting musicians on earth. Aside from being a hell-of-a bass player (THE MASTER, for me), he has gathered a very fine group of musicians for this production, and he has taken a step forward into terrain that he had not explored before: you can even listen to a Jazz tune in this album! (Boulevard of Dreams), and then you also have progressive pieces like Utopia, which Levin himself admitted to have composed to be played live.

You won't be dissapointed by this album, I promise. Just open your mind and realize that the man has evolved.

Bass legend Tony Levin's 2000 release is a much more balanced and mellower disc compared to his newest 2002 release "Pieces of the Sun" which has a much harder progressive rock edge to it.
"Waters of Eden" is a mix of classical and world music.
Levin plays bass, upright bass and yes, cello. As usual Levin has many talented and great musicians contributing to this disc.
Stand out tracks are Icarus, Gecko Walk and my personal favorite "Belle" a track where Levin is accompanied by his brother, Pete on synth. The track is dedicated to their mother, Belle and is a beautifully recorded song.
It's a mesmerizing blend of many styles of music and again Levin triumphs. I highly recommend it!

Tony Levin is, in my humble opinion, the greatest bassist to
walk this planet. The combination of lyricism, groove, technique
and pure heart he injects into his bass playing moves me like
no other bassist out there, living or dead.

And yet, this CD really hasn't moved me much. The music is, of
course, first rate in quality, yet I can't help but feel that
Levin is much more at home with King Crimson or Peter Gabriel.
The bass lines are (unsurprisingly) perfect, hitting the right
notes time and time again with the precision and heart you have
come to expect from Levin. But the context in which they are
placed is seldom interesting, save on tracks such as the Gabriel
influenced "Bone & Flesh" or "Waters Of Eden".

As a master class in bass playing, this CD does wonders for you;
as for providing an adequate musical voice for Tony... well
you're better off with PG's "Secret World Live" or King Crimson's
"VROOOM". You might not be as disappointed as I was when you buy
it as it does provide a good dose of Mr. Levin's gorgeous tone,
but don't expect anything too daring or left-field.

If you buy one CD this year make sure is this one. The album combines New Age, World Music, Jazz, Classical and a touch of progressive rock to create something spectacular. I have never been so moved by a song as I did with Belle. The song is dedicated to Levin's mother and features his brother Pete on piano. You will never loose interest in this CD. CD's like this come once in a lifetime.

This guy has played with everyone who is anyone in the music world. He can play anything. You don't even notice his playing half the time because it is so natural to the music. This album, is an unusual collection of melodies, each one crafted individually. Its the kind of music you can put on and listen to, and choose to either pay attention to it or not. Great stuff from a great player

Being this the latest solo album by Tony, I can only congratulate him for such a mature work of art; strong in composition and graceful in it's execution. I have all his previous ones and I find this one his best: cohesive, full bodied sound and most of all, inspired and inspiring. Highlights: Belle, Utopia, Bone and Flesh and Icarus. Thanks, Tony!

This is a nice CD. Just nice. The arrangements are little new age-y, the playing perfect, and the melodies kind of Sunday morning-ish. Tony Levin has a very distintictive, fluid style, and for that alone, I suppose, this is something worth checking out.

I suppose that if this weren't a Tony Levin record, I wouldn't be that interested, but there are still plenty of ideas here and, again, his bass playing playing is very impressive, bridging the gap between the bass as a rhythm and as a melodic lead instrument. Sunday morning music. (The fact that this music was home recorded (TL's parts) makes it kind of attractive also).

That Levin is one of the best (if not the best) electric bassist working today (and seems to be a pretty cool individual to boot)is beyond doubt. I like his work with Peter Gabriel and King Crimson (Projekts, etc) more than this, though.