''Young Lions'', released in May 1990, is the fifth solo album by

Adrian Belew Robert Steven "Adrian" Belew (born December 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist and singer, he is noted for his unusual and impressionistic approach to ...

, and his second on

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

. Released while Belew was acting as musical director and lead guitarist on the

Sound+Vision Tour In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

with

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

, the album features Bowie singing on two tracks ("Pretty Pink Rose" and "Gunman"), the latter of which Bowie and Belew co-wrote. Two

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s appear on the album: " Heartbeat", a song Belew had co-written and performed with

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

while he was a member; and " Not Alone Anymore", a

Traveling Wilburys The Traveling Wilburys were a British-American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. Originating from an idea discussed by Harrison and Lynne during the sessions for Harrison's 1987 album ...

song from '' Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1''. This was Belew's tribute to

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...

who had recently died. The other songwriting "collaboration" on the album is with Nashville radio evangelist

Prophet Omega Prophet Omega (real name Omega Townsend; August 27, 1927 – February 28, 1992) was a weekly radio evangelist broadcasting in Nashville, Tennessee on Music Row’s WNAH in the 1970s. He was founder of the Peaceway Temple then located at "Apartme ...

. Working decades-old tapes of Omega's broadcasts into "I Am What I Am", Belew, "listed him as a co-author, so in case a couple of hefty guys drop by my place some day, I can say 'here's your money.' "

Al Kooper Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is a retired American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears, although he did not stay with the group long enough to share its popularity. ...

, who collects "oddball" recordings, gave a 47-minute recording of Omega preaching and Belew made two further recordings: "I Know What I Know" on '' Coming Attractions'' and "Troubles" on ''

Side Three ''Side Three'' is the fifteenth solo album by Adrian Belew, released in 2006. The album features contributions from various other musicians including Tool's Danny Carey on drums, Primus' Les Claypool on bass guitar and a single guest appearance ...

''. Belew was pressed for time for the cover artwork and it was hurriedly completed by Atlantic's art department. It features a then five-year-old Robert S. Belew on his way to Sunday school carrying a stuffed animal.

Track listing

All songs written by Adrian Belew unless noted: # "Young Lions" – 3:48 # "Pretty Pink Rose" (

) – 4:44 # " Heartbeat" (Belew,

Bill Bruford William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English former drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording ...

Robert Fripp Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946) is a British musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session ...

Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 198 ...

) – 3:59 # "Looking for a U.F.O." – 3:36 # "I Am What I Am" (Belew,

) – 4:11 # " Not Alone Anymore" (

Jeff Lynne Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder of the rock music, rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, h ...

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the lat ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

) – 3:13 # "Men in Helicopters" – 3:17 # "Small World" – 3:45 # "Phone Call from the Moon" – 3:38 # "Gunman" (music: Belew; lyrics: Bowie) – 3:51

Personnel

Musicians

* Adrian Belew –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

, multi-instruments *

– vocals (tracks 2, 10) * Mike Barnett –

string bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...

(track 9) * Van Kampen –

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

ensemble (track 1) ** Ellen Gieles – percussion ** Dree Van Beeck – percussion ** Willem Van Kruysdijk – percussion ** Mies Wilbrink – percussion * The Prophet Omega – spoken word (track 5)

Technical

* Adrian Belew – producer * Ron Fajerstein – executive producer * Justin Hertzman – executive producer * Rich Denhart –

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

* Michael White – engineer * Dan Harjung – assistant engineer *

Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' ''Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Biography Ted ...

– digital mastering, mastering * Carol Bobolts – design * Bob Defrin – art direction * Sotto Vocé – cover art concept * John M. Stevens – lettering * Curtice Taylor – photo tinting

References

External links

Adrian Belew's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young Lions (Album) Adrian Belew albums 1990 albums Albums produced by Adrian Belew Atlantic Records albums