Although bassist
Tony Levin has played on countless albums since the early '70s, he did not get around to issuing his first album until the late '90s. Perhaps to make up for lost time,
Levin has cranked out solo releases on a consistent basis since his 1996 solo debut, World Diary. 2002 saw the release of his fourth solo outing in six years, the double-live disc Double Espresso. Credited to "the
Tony Levin Band," the album sees
Levin joined by synth player
Larry Fast, and a pair of guitarists/vocalists,
Jesse Gress and
Jerry Marotta. Included are renditions of
Levin solo tunes, tracks that
Levin has played on by other artists, and also non-related covers performed just for the heck of it. Standouts include a cover of
Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog" (in which
Levin replaces
Robert Plant's sex-crazed vocals with his bass, of course), as well as readings of
King Crimson's bass showcase "Elephant Talk,"
Genesis' "Back in NYC," and a few moody
Levin solo tracks, including "Silhouette" and "Utopia." If you couldn't have already guessed from any of the exceptional live DVDs by
King Crimson or
Peter Gabriel that he's appeared on, Double Espresso proves once and for all that
Levin has no problem replicating his bass mastery on-stage as a band leader. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
