The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds
Ep562: The Discipline of Tony Levin
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Show notes
Bass legend Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, etc) reflects on Fripp, John Lennon, near-misses with Zappa, Pink Floyd, and life on the road.
new Stick Men album "Let's Thrak Again" available here
Topics Include:
Scheduling chaos / Ron Carter
Stickmen's "Let's Thrack Again" reworks a King Crimson rhythm concept
Tony defines "thracking" — playing five against seven simultaneously
Robert Fripp names complex King Crimson riffs with odd phrases
Tony rarely forgets bass parts, even decades later
Simple transitions, not hard parts, cause live disasters
Upcoming Beat tour features Zappa alumni, except Tony
Tony's first NYC band included ex-Mothers of Invention members
Peter Gabriel froze onstage during a hostile Zappa co-bill
Tony regrets missing a Herbie Hancock/Joni Mitchell session
He also turned down touring with Pink Floyd
David Gilmour flew in unannounced for a Les Paul tribute
Radio Registry once dispatched interchangeable NYC session bassists fast
Tony preferred live touring over endless studio session work
He's a self-described "road dog" still touring at his age
Off-stage, Tony writes memoirs, poetry, and takes photographs
He owns many basses but doesn't consider himself a collector
Discipline started as a side project before becoming King Crimson
Tony chose the Chapman stick over bass in that first rehearsal
Fripp lets players interpret parts; Gabriel invents wild new techniques
Peter Gabriel suggested cymbals on fingers, inspiring "funk fingers"
Tony isn't certain whether "Blood of Eden" used fretless bass
He senses a song's emotion before lyrics are finished
Tony learned King Crimson disbanded from a stranger at the opera
He never actually felt Thrak function as a "double trio"
No Australian dates planned yet, though he'd love to visit
King Crimson's future depends entirely on Robert Fripp's instincts
Aging has slowed his technical dexterity, but not memory
He recalls John Lennon's advice: "don't play too many notes"
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