Customer Reviews:
 Adrian Belew - Almost A Hit August 26, 2008
Steven Sly (Kalamazoo, MI United States)
Belew is probably best known for his work with King Crimson and has also worked with Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Talking Heads and a host of others. He has also had a substantial solo career and released quite a few albums on his own over the years. In 1989 "Mr. Music" head was Belew's shot at commercial success. The album seems to be geared towards more accessible material than one might associate with Belew and in fact the single "Oh Daddy" did receive some radio and MTV airplay. When I first got this album I did not like it all that much, but it has grown on me and I can appreciate it for what it is. Most of the album is well written pop, although always with Belew's quirky nuances that make the tracks unique. Belew's guitar histrionics are more subdued here than on some other releases, but they are certainly present given a good close listen. How pleasing this album is for fans of Belew's Crimson work will probably vary, but for a good quirky pop album this one is quite satisfying.
 Full of surprises, some good, some bad August 27, 2007
J. Carroll (Island Heights,NJ)
Starting with the cute and catchy, "Oh Daddy," MR. MUSIC HEAD is filled with surprises. The problem with surprises is they are not always pleasant. Each cut here is its own little world, there is no a thematic element. It has the feel of a collection of songs created over the course of a few years and finally thrown together when the opportunity arose. This creates an occasionally interesting, but overall, an unsuccessful recording. There is a definite Beatle vibe on a number of songs, but it's in the music, not the lyrics. "One of Those Days" with its day at the park, "Hot Zoo," a different animal in each verse, and "Peaceable Kingdom," with its premise of living in a tree house surrounded by squirrels and monkeys(?) are all interesting musically interesting as long as you don't listen to what's being said. Then your response is more likely, "Huh?" Add that to the painful experimentation of "Cruelty to Animals" (Should have been "Cruelty to those who listen more than once.") and you have some complaints if you're paying attention. There is a lot of talent on display as Belew is a multi-instrumentalist who creates novel settings for his songs; rhythms from many different cultural influences married to great guitar work; it's just too bad the lyrics don't support the music.
 A good pop record. July 13, 2005
Michael Stack (North Chelmsford, MA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
By the late '80s, Adrian Belew was one of the most sought after guitarists in rock music-- after three solo albums, fronting King Crimson for three records in the early '80s, session work with as diverse a group as Laurie Anderson, David Byrne/Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Frank Zappa and literally dozens of others. But commercial success eluded him. A band he was involved in, The Bears seemed poised to reach it, but their record label folded and Belew resumed his solo career.
I'll talk about the rest of the album in a minute, but into this environment Adrian Belew wrote leadoff track (and single) for "Mr. Music Head", a piece called "Oh Daddy". Featuring a vocal by his daughter asking him when success was going to arrive, Belew rips out a blast of a pop song with a superb lead guitar line and a catchy chorus. It figures that a brilliant songwriter would turn perceived failure into a triumph such as this, and in this sort of bouncy pop song Belew would construct what I feel is his first consistently satisfying album of his solo career.
One thing that's quite interesting about this record is a lot of the songs on here are piano-driven, particularly a lot of the other really great stuff (other than the opener), including great pop song "One of Those Days" and the decidingly melancholy "Bad Days" (featuring some subtle and brilliant guitar playing from Belew). Other standouts include the stunning "Peaceable Kingdom" (vocals over percussion in a sort of African-pop meets Beatles sensibilities) and the phenomenal "1967", featuring one of Belew's best vocals, both in delivery and arrangement, and a great solo guitar backing.
If there is a complaint to be made, it's that "Mr. Music Head" never really drifts out of the pop vein. I find that Belew's best work tends to fuse his avant-garde leanings with his pop sensibilities. This one gets a little too same-old same-old as it drives on.
All in all, its a good record, not the masterpiece its followup ("Young Lions") would be, but definitely a good one, and probably Belew's most accessible work.
 Quirky Beatlesque Album is a Classic April 28, 2003
Daniel A. Cooper (New York, NY USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Adrian Belew is a master of sound manipulation. From his banana Strat and sea of effects pedals he can conjure practically any sound imaginable: who else could write pop songs such as Elephant Talk, Big Electric Cat, and Lone Rhinoserous?. Throughout his long career supporting enigmatic artists such as Talking Heads, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, and Laurie Anderson, and 20 years as the front man for progressive rock icon King Crimson, Adrian has always displayed his considerable musical talents, his not-quite-in-the-mainstream pop sensibility, and above all his love of music.All of these characteristics are on full display here. "Oh Daddy" was a minor hit for Belew, and features his daughter Audie's vocals. This catchy tune is a wry comment on the music industry, and Belew's modest position within it. Elsewhere, he creates images of perfect summer days, imperfect relationships with happy endings and Peaceable Kingdoms, where animals roam free unhindered by humans. Belew has clearly been influenced by John Lennon and the Beatles, and here he even attempts a sound collage, a la Revolution #9. However, Belew even makes this sound more joyful than sinister. Naturally, Belew decorates his songs beautifully: he plays all the instruments on this album, but that is mainly piano, percussion, and guitar synth. But he creates quirky solo lines, atmospheric backgrounds, and even a clarinet solo from that palatte. Anyone who's ever seen Belew perform live will recognize his pure joy at being on stage and making music, and that joy comes through vividly on this wonderful disc. This is a wonderful accompaniment to a breezy spring afternoon or a summer drive to the country. Buy this CD!
!Que dificil es valorar a Belew! January 20, 2003
J. B. Fresno (Madrid, Spain)
Si, que dificil es valorar los discos de Adrian Belew. Es evidente que la mayor parte de los aficionados, se acercan a este artista, desde la perspectiva de King Crimson. Asi analizado, sus discos pecan de "exceso pop". Sin embargo, si te acercas desde un punto de vista global, analizando, no solo su participacion en KC, sino sus discos en solitario, sus colaboraciones y sus proyectos paralelos, llegas a la conclusion de que estamos ante uno de los principales musicos de la escena pop-rock. Este disco que comentamos, supuso su primer intento con Atlantic, despues de una estupenda trilogia anterior. Los tres discos que realizo para Atlantic son sucesivamente peores, pero este se mantiene, aun, con altos standares de calidad. Si exceptuamos el primer tema (autenticamente horrible)el resto nos muestra, una vez mas, sus inflencias Beatles. Muchos de los temas de Belew podrian ser catalogados como las grabaciones perdidas de "Revolver". NO es que suenen a algun tema en concreto, pero tienen ese sentimiento.
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