Full Transcript for Tony Levin

people. 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:20.479 Like so this tell us about tell me about this this um this group that you who put this together because it's Adrian Bellou, right? 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:23.039 Of K Crimson, Steve Vai. 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:24.800 Indeed. 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:31.360 Terry Bozio, who was in the mothers of invention with Zappa, correct? 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:33.120 Uh I know he played with Zappa. 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:34.960 I'm not sure the name of the band at that time. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:43.360 Yeah, I think it was so, and then you have Danny Carey, and like you guys switch are there is it two drummers or is it like I'll explain. 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:45.199 Okay, this is go ahead. 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:52.719 Yeah, Adrian Bellew and I were in uh King Crimson in 1981, the discipline era, where we did three albums together. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:03:03.919 We were in it subsequently, but uh Adrian had the idea about five years ago, roughly, to uh revisit that music of the 80s, the three albums that King Crimson did, but with different people. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:09.919 He happened to choose me, uh kind of an easy choice because I was around and we play a lot together anyway. 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:15.199 Uh and he'd he he particularly didn't want to get Crimson guys and re-try to reform Crimson. 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:27.120 Uh so he got Steve Vai, which is an amazing uh Steve's an amazing guitar player, to play the very difficult parts of Robert Fripp, but not just to play them, but to do his version of them. 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:33.520 We don't we don't want to it's not a cover band, so we want Steve to be Steve, which is uh pretty uh spectacular. 00:03:33.759 --> 00:03:33.919 Cool. 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:35.599 And and indeed it's that way. 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:41.439 And he got Danny Carey, the drummer, famous, well-known drummer of Tool, uh to do many tours. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:47.599 We did about a hundred and um 110, 120 shows starting in uh 2024. 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:48.400 Wow. 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:55.840 Okay, and then uh this year, well, this month, October, it's still October, uh, Danny couldn't do it. 00:03:56.080 --> 00:04:00.080 Tool is is dragging him back to the to on the road and things like that. 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:04.319 Yes, and and so we're very lucky to get uh Terry Bozio. 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:08.240 We all have connections in the past with Terry Bozio, especially me. 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:12.800 We've been in a few bands together, so it's a different lineup uh in the drums. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:16.879 Uh we're also going to talk about my book, The Book of Beat, of my photos. 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:22.240 I take photos, you could say obsessively, and those 110 shows I was taking photos. 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:31.439 And uh I I want to speak about that because it's uh fun after a year of collating uh the photos and getting it together to have a good book. 00:04:31.519 -->

00:04:34.000 It's fine, it's good to finally have that book out. 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:39.279 Just out this last few weeks, even though it's a different, slightly different lineup than we're touring with. 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:39.920 Yeah. 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:52.319 I mean, that's wild, and you've had this online blog, like you're very techie, which is so cool, since 1996, where you talk about the tour and people can follow your your experiences, but it's in writing. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:55.600 You're not just like posting a bunch of images on on Instagram. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:05:01.360 You're you're you're tying it together with with uh your other passion, which is photography. 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:04.160 Um, a lot of musicians like photography. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:05.600 Why do you think that is? 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:06.959 That's a good question. 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:08.720 Uh I could dig deep into it. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:12.560 I haven't thought about it much, but uh is it the visual part of music? 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:16.319 Uh of course there's going to be a different reason for each musician. 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:20.079 We're not all we don't always follow this, all follow the same paths. 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:22.079 But there is a thing about music. 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:31.199 I've been doing it a long time, and there's uh a wonderful but odd thing about music that it's the the real music, not rec recording, but it's there and it's gone. 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:33.360 It's just there in the moment, right? 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:42.000 So after years of doing that, some of us, at least me, it'd be nice to have a little something to show someone and say, here's what I did. 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:44.560 Because with my music, there is no here's what it did. 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:49.040 You gotta come to the show, you hear it, it's gone, it's off in the air, it's an experience. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:58.319 So there's a satisfaction of creating a little statue or or or something, and above those arts, I've tried painting and I've tried sculpting. 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:02.720 Photography is by far the easiest for someone not gifted uh visually. 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:09.920 And uh in my case, I started photography really early in my career and gradually got better at it. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:14.720 And I take so many photos that I get lucky once in a while and I don't show anybody the bad ones. 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:26.959 So if I take uh I would say on average, I take 90 to 120 pictures every day, backstage, traveling in the show, audience shots, and if ten of them are good, that's pretty good. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:28.240 Then I get 10 good shots. 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:30.639 What do you use for for a camera? 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:32.720 Uh generally Nikons. 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:35.360 I have uh a few and and I like the new Z. 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:41.199 However, I've just been experimenting with the Fujifilm um XT50. 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:42.959 Okay, that's all digital, right? 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:46.000 I mean, but then back in the day you probably have a lot of film as well. 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:46.800 Oh yeah. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:48.879 I I come from back in the day and it was filming. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:50.399 And then did you develop yourself? 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:57.040 Did you develop uh but on the road, road photography was really difficult. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:07.680 I have I have books I put out before with my road photography in the 70s and in the 80s, and one would take a picture, I'd be out with Peter Gabriel and take pictures of him jumping in the show. 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:14.639 I'd have to find I'd have to be two days in one place, which is unusual, and find a 24-hour photo developing. 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:28.879 Older people will remember those places, get it developed, look at the picture, find a good one, uh uh FedExit to Florida, where my webmaster would then digitize it and put it uh 220 pixels wide. 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:32.800 This is in the 90s where some people didn't have a wide screen, you know. 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:34.319 So much easier now. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:36.720 Oh, goodness gracious, it's easy. 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:37.199 Wow. 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:40.399 Okay, so I mean you brought up Peter Gabriel, who I love. 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:41.600 I'm a huge fan. 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:43.199 So, you know, sorry. 00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:44.560 Warning. 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:47.600 He's probably one of my favorite artists of all time. 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:49.279 Nothing wrong about that. 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:50.879 Nothing wrong with that, you know. 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:54.800 So um I I I want to talk to you a little bit about Peter as well. 00:07:54.959 --> 00:08:00.000 I mean, there's tons to talk about, and we have a limited time, but um first of all, where are you right now? 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:00.720 You're on the road. 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:02.480 Like you're literally are between shows. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:05.040 Like you were in Columbus, Columbus, Ohio. 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:06.399 I had to think a minute. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:11.199 You know, last night, very late, I was in Cincinnati, Ohio, and uh we had an overnight bus trip. 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:16.560 And you're playing in Cleveland, I think, which is you're playing in a few days in Cleveland. 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:19.600 So Cleveland, Ohio, folks, go, go, go, go, go, go. 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:20.959 See this show, see this show. 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:24.480 At the Agora, I played there years ago at the Agora. 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:38.159 Well, I think there's uh there's uh the I'm not expert, there's the Agora Club, which I know very well, and there's a bigger uh Agora Theater, maybe there's the Agora Theater and the Club, I think, and they're I think they are uh still the same place.

00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:48.639 Well, I I will uh investigate when I get there because I spent I spent a month at the Agora Club filming the Paul Simon uh uh movie. 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:51.600 Um was it One Trick Pony? 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:52.720 Yeah, One Trick Pony. 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:54.240 Yeah, there's a yes, one trick pony. 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:58.799 Yeah, there's another one of my we're a month on location and uh I got to know that club really well. 00:08:59.039 --> 00:08:59.440 Oh wow. 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:04.639 Yeah, I mean I played there back in oh my god, like when I've when when I was starting out, I was a student. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:06.080 I was an exchange student from Germany. 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:06.639 Really? 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:07.759 Yes, from Germany. 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:10.000 And uh we I I was in Cleveland, Ohio. 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:11.200 They put they sent me there. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:12.639 That's like where I ended up. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:13.679 Great Great Rock Town. 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:15.279 Great Rock Town, yeah. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:18.159 I mean, it's like has so much history when it comes to music. 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:29.440 And uh uh I was just like you know, I was just like a little singer-songwriter dude with my guitar, and uh I opened up for somebody at the gorgeous since like 25 years ago. 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:32.000 Well when I was like first came here, I was a teen. 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:35.919 And um good times, good times in Cleveland for sure. 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:36.720 Yes. 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:37.759 Uh so cool. 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:45.440 So let me let me let's let's bring up um Peter, who you've been who you in you've been in the Hill band since 1977, correct? 00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:46.159 77? 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:46.960 That's correct. 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:48.720 You got the right year, you did some homework. 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:50.080 I did. 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:54.080 I didn't have a lot of time, but no, you didn't. 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:55.679 No, I can fill in the blanks. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:09:58.159 I can fill in the blanks because I was there. 00:09:58.639 --> 00:09:59.279 Fill in the blanks. 00:09:59.360 --> 00:09:59.840 You were there. 00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:01.440 So I want to talk about I.O. 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:04.000 just quickly, you know, because it's his newest release. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:06.320 Now it's OI, the second one. 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:11.759 After 20 some years of not making a single album, which like that's next for me. 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:12.159 I'm done. 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:12.960 I'm taking a break. 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:15.279 I've made like I've like have 10 records out. 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:16.000 I'm done. 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:18.320 I need a 20-year break, too. 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:20.799 Um, so he comes back with this album. 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:22.559 Um, and I think you did the

tour. 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:25.200 You were in that, you you played on the record as well. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:25.679 Yeah. 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:30.080 So IO is just really, really it's it's a brilliant. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:31.519 It's a brilliant album, you know. 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:33.279 I mean, the songs, it's so good. 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:40.559 I mean, there were two albums that I really like got sucked in to last year when they came out, which was I.O. 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:42.639 and Michelle Negocello's album. 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:44.799 You know, you know Michelle too, I'm sure it's a big one. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:47.200 I know her playing, but I don't know the album. 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:48.480 Yeah, she's anyway. 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:54.000 Um, she made a great record uh about James using James Baldwin's um poetry. 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:58.799 So, but yeah, so Io is is fantastic, it's one of my favorites. 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:04.639 Can you talk a little bit about um uh because you you were you were a studio musician in the 70s. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:07.759 You're from Boston originally, and you were hanging out in New York. 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.399 How do you get that kind of how did you get that gig? 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:12.480 How did that even how did that happen? 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:17.919 Um I'm kind of my memory's not great, but I'm pretty familiar with the details. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:18.240 Why? 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:26.879 Because I've been working on my memoirs for a few years and checking back with people and with uh the internet to make sure of dates and stuff. 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:42.480 So in 1976, I was a studio player, but playing rock uh quote studio players in New York in those days didn't they did wr uh easy rock records, but uh the bands and stuff weren't weren't con didn't consist of studio players. 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:45.200 However, one producer, Bob Ezrin, is still a wonderful producer. 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:46.399 Bob Ezrin, wow. 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:47.519 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:11:47.759 --> 00:12:04.480 He used me on a few things like uh Alice Cooper records, a couple of them, and a Lou Reed record, and he asked me to go to Toronto uh in July of 1976 to play play a record that of a guy I didn't heard of, Peter Gabriel, who had been playing in a band called Genesis, which I hadn't heard of. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:12.960 So I was not an expert at progressive rock or Genesis and what they're about when I very luckily fell into that uh situation. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:16.720 Love Peter, he then asked me to tour on that first album. 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:24.240 One of the guitar players was named Robert Fripp, who subsequently asked me to form a new band called Discipline, which became King Crimson. 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:26.960 And uh so lucky that I showed up for that session. 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:30.480 It was certainly a pivotal uh uh month in my life. 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:31.279 I'll say. 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:31.919 I'll say. 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:32.639 Wow. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:41.039 So if if you if you think about all of this time that you've spent on the road and you've documented everything, um is there a book? 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:42.879 Is there another book coming? 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:46.960 Uh I'm getting confused about books. 00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:48.399 So I'm writing memoirs. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:48.559 Yeah. 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:56.559 That's taking me years, and I hope to have it next out next year, but one learns in rock not to predict what's going to happen next year until it happens. 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:57.759 So let's forget that. 00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:00.399 Uh but it's sharpened my memory about things. 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:09.840 Uh I I've put out a number of photo books and uh one book of stories of the road called uh Beyond the Base Cleft, and uh even a poetry book. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:14.159 I put I put up books mostly published myself, and uh through the years I've done that. 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:19.759 It's love of music and a little bit of free time on the road to do these things, especially on a bus tour. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:21.200 You got your bus bunk. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:29.279 In my case, it's it's covered with uh journals and books, and and it's your chance to to work on something creative for the future. 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:36.399 So that's a good that does that create a balance for you to to write and and release in between? 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:52.399 I mean that's uh I haven't really thought of it, and it wasn't that wasn't my intention in doing things, but uh if I'm home, not on the road, uh I'm gonna play some music up in my studio and or or work on my photography or work on something, because that's what I do. 00:13:52.559 --> 00:14:01.120 We like to be we not only like to be creative, all the good the folks that I play music with, but uh I think we're blessed and really lucky to have a chance to do it. 00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:02.399 Yes, indeed. 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:09.279 I mean, and it's a it's a really tough uh business to to create longevity longevity in, you know. 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:14.799 So it um uh you you you have to step away at times and take breaks. 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:17.519 So when you do that, or do you not do that? 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:20.000 Do you just do you just go for the next thing? 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:25.200 Did you ever have a phase where you thought, okay, I need I need a pause and I want to do something different? 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:28.639 And if if you did, if you didn't then cut me off. 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:33.600 But if you did, then w was it something like photography or or or writing? 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:38.000 Uh it's been a long time since I wanted to take a break from music. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:39.440 Um I mean I was a kid. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:46.399 I

think I I studied bass uh when I was a kid, uh upright bass, co acoustic bass, we can call it. 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:52.879 And after a few years with a teacher who wasn't really good, who wasn't inspiring, I wanted to take a break, and I took a six-month break. 00:14:52.960 --> 00:15:00.000 And I'm talking about twelve years old or thirteen years old, and then went back to it with a better teacher, and I haven't taken a break. 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:07.360 However, lockdown year, there was COVID, and then there was no touring for us, uh all of us, uh and nothing. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:13.600 And that was an extraordinary year, because uh not a make or break year, but what do you do with yourself? 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:32.000 And uh I did my best, uh, not as well as some people, but I tried to not just stagnate and and and dwell on the fact that I couldn't do what I'd really love to do, and then I come came up with a moderate amount of creative stuff, including a a a photo album called uh images from a life on the road. 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:34.240 I went through all those all those negatives. 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:39.120 We talked about the film and and black and white things that I hadn't been through before. 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:46.480 It was not fun going through them, but it was good that I did them, and I would never have had the chance to do that had it not been for that year of unable to tour. 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:49.759 Yeah, that was uh an extremely weird time. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:51.360 So very weird. 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:53.840 Still resonating with all of us, really. 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:54.320 Totally. 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:56.480 I mean, culturally it's still resonating. 00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:56.879 Yeah. 00:15:57.120 --> 00:16:02.480 That's that's the part where I'm still thinking this is not over. 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:11.600 You know, like the repercussions of this are kind of now like slowly working their way through society. 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:16.399 You know, and I think that's also it it it shows up in music, of course. 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:18.879 Everything always shows up in art, you know. 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:21.279 Sometimes faster, sometimes slower. 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:23.840 Um again, 20 years to make an album, you know. 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:26.559 Peter took that, like I was like, yeah, great, you know. 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:28.240 And uh but it was worth the wait. 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:29.039 It was worth the wait. 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:29.840 And now he's got two. 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:31.039 Now he's got another one coming up. 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:31.440 Right. 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:33.200 We didn't go back to Peter Gabriel's stuff. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:35.440 IO is fantastic. 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:40.720 And and you talked about the album, but the tour, touring with that very meaningful music. 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:56.559 Peter's music has always been meaningful, but somehow uh just you know, because you do concerts, sharing with audiences the magic of that music was even more special than the previous tours of Peter that I've done, which were very special. 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:59.519 So it's a magical time touring with IO. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:00.639 What was different? 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:03.759 The music or how what was the stage show like? 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:15.680 Oh, because he's done some really extensive stage shows, you know, where the whole thing is like turning with the I mean I forget the name of that or what that tour was, but that was extraordinary. 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:17.200 It looked expensive. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:21.279 Uh turning stages and hang Peter hanging upside down, lots of stuff. 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:22.880 Yeah, so there was plenty in this. 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:31.599 It wasn't uh it was a static stage, but there were there was plenty of uh interesting technology at use because Peter's great at that. 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:41.359 Uh but what I'm talking about is not that, but the the feel behind the music, which is uh w uh what's the basis of that? 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:48.160 Peter being Peter and the new material and uh Peter being back on the road after people seeing him after they hadn't seen him. 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:49.119 You know what? 00:17:49.680 --> 00:18:00.480 Slightly different subject in in uh 2016, Peter did a joint tour with Sting, the kind of tour where they you trade a couple songs each and then you do some songs together. 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:01.839 Wonderful, fantastic. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:02.799 Too short a tour. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:04.079 I wish it had been longer. 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:12.240 But uh again, the feel talking I'm talking now again about the feeling on stage, different than the feeling in the audience. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:15.680 Uh the majority were Sting fans. 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:19.039 There were plenty of Peter fans, but look especially in front, was Sting fans. 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:22.000 And near the end, we they had been doing songs people knew. 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:28.799 Near the end, Peter just stepped outside of the norm and did a piece called Love Can Heal that nobody had ever heard. 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:31.279 You don't do that near the end of a stadium show. 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:36.480 You bring out your hits, everybody's partying and yelling and dancing, and they want to have a good time. 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:51.440 And he stopped it all, not only to do the song, but with a very poignant introduction, people were talking louder than he was, and it was I could feel that the people who weren't already Peter fans got it. 00:18:52.960 --> 00:19:10.240 You know, as we repeated the the chorus, Love Can Heal, Love Can Heal, they s they started to feel okay, I understand this guy's different than anybody else, and and I'm I'm experiencing what's special about him, and maybe it's more special

than the party and the dancing that I was gonna do if he did Sledgehammer. 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:11.920 Yeah, I'll do Sledgehammer next. 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:24.559 Uh but so so that's that's the kind of I'm what I'm sharing here is the kind of experience that we have on stage being in Peter's band, which is equal to to the special feeling people get in the audience of hearing him. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:27.920 Uh that's a great song, and that isn't that ended up on I.O. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:29.119 Didn't it? 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:32.160 Uh I'm not an expert at what's what's on what. 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:33.599 Um I'm trying to remember. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:37.119 Um, someone's gonna get send me an angry email about this, I'm sure. 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:38.240 So it's okay. 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:39.440 It's been released for sure. 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:40.559 This is a great token. 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:41.599 It's a great song. 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:49.839 And um you know what you're saying about how you want to surprise an audience, that takes a lot of risk. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:53.519 That takes you know, because you're not doing what is expected of you. 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:56.480 And I but I think that's exactly what we should be doing. 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:00.400 You know, don't I mean yeah. 00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:09.599 I mean, people want to hear they want to hear the the even your agents want to hear the same song that you had the hit with, right? 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:10.960 Okay. 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:13.279 So I think every band is different. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:17.279 I I never had a hit, so I don't have that problem, and I don't have an agent. 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:21.200 But but but uh every band decides for itself what it's gonna do. 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:25.680 King Crimson always uh I've been in King Crimson a long time, challenges the audience. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:32.160 The audience would like to hear uh King Crimson music, which is already challenging, uh, but they'd like to hear the classics. 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:36.000 And for a long time, especially when I joined the band, Robert said, nope, I'm not gonna do that. 00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:38.640 We're gonna do new music that's different than that. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:46.480 And uh if you're lucky and successful in your way, then a band I feel gets the audience it deserves. 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:57.359 So if you've challenged your audience only, then you get an audience that is uh a following, not our audience, a following that is ready to be challenged and willing to be challenged. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:06.720 If you give in to the the obvious uh the record label and things and do give them what they want and pop and and easy to digest music, that's fine. 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:08.160 There's nothing wrong with that at all. 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:19.759 Then you'll get that kind of audience, and uh you don't want to turn left on the that audience because they want to hear what they expected from you or a different way they expected from you what they want to hear. 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:20.720 Yeah. 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:22.079 Uh that's it. 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:25.200 That's you know, for better or for worse, that's what you got to do. 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:27.920 I think it's it's wonderful that there's different bands. 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:35.200 There are different bands that approach it different ways, and hopefully, all honestly and genuinely from the way they feel about music. 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:44.559 There's nothing wrong with being a utter uh utterly pop popular pop band and giving audiences what they what they love to hear, what they heard on the radio. 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:46.640 There's room for everybody. 00:21:47.279 --> 00:22:01.519 Um yeah, so let me let me bring up uh your brother, uh Pete, who I met years ago when he was doing a show at the cutting room, where I think I played the same night or something happened, like we were on the Same b uh we played the same evening. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:02.720 We like the cutting room. 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:03.839 Yeah, it's a nice venue. 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:04.960 Downtown in New York. 00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:12.400 And uh Steve Walter, the owner, he um he f he had heard that I had played with Annie Haslum from Renaissance. 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:22.880 And so he was like, you know, he I we started, we became friends friendly, and I brought Annie over there to to perform and seen other good shows there as well. 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:31.680 And uh there's some, you know, lately we've been hitting the bitter end, which is you you know about that venue in New York, I'm sure, and uh some other places. 00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:38.319 So but I but Pete was, you know, I met uh I met your brother and and uh and I was like, oh I didn't even know Tony Levin had a brother. 00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:40.720 So, you know, I I was like, hey man, how are you? 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:49.680 You know, we had a nice little chat, and uh and I wanted to to bring up um the stick men as well, which is your your original group. 00:22:49.920 --> 00:23:07.200 And I think it started by making an you you made an album called Stick Man, and this has to do with the the the bass that you play, which you should talk about just at least a little bit, because it's the way you play is not exactly conventional, to put it honestly. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:08.799 A lot there. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:15.200 First of all, my brother Pete is a is a wonderful keyboard player, he plays jazz and rock. 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:19.359 I like to put it that way, and I play rock and jazz. 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:29.119 In other words, for me, uh mostly I play rock, and when I play jazz, I'm trying, I'm kind of I'm talking the talk, but I don't walk the walk. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:38.319 I I hear the difference when I hear a lifelong jazz player, I hear the

way they play it for, and I I envy that, and I aspire to that, but I don't anyway. 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:41.759 Pete plays rock very well, but primarily he's a jazz player. 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:49.200 We have a band together called uh Levin Brothers, and we tour whenever we're not on the road with something else, we'll tour next May. 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:51.279 We'll play tour the East Coast and up into Canada. 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:55.279 We played Chakou to me in can in Quebec uh last May. 00:23:55.519 --> 00:24:00.640 Um yeah, uh and Pete and I, of course, have been in bands together for our whole lives. 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:19.200 He's three, two, two and a half years older than me, and I very much followed in his direction, becoming a musician and learning from him to things like take all gigs and and see where it goes, and and the the satisfaction that can come from just just having a lot of a lot of options uh as a player. 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:21.920 So that's about Pete and uh Stickman. 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:32.559 Yes, a years ago I did an album called Stick Man, which featured this instrument, the Chapman Stick that I play, but I did overdubs of multi-stick parts, so I could not play it live. 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:39.279 And then sometimes the music kind of calls for a life of its own and to be played live, sometimes not. 00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:41.920 I've done albums of both kinds, solo albums. 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:54.240 Uh and this one I really wanted to play it live, so I enlisted another stick player, and we had two stick players, Michael Bernier was his name, and Pat Massaloto, my good buddy drummer in King Crimson, and it was a trio. 00:24:54.319 --> 00:25:04.079 And then after a year or so, Mike couldn't do it anymore, and we got uh Marcus Reuter, a touch guitar player, which is a similar instrument to the stick played in the same way. 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:08.319 And we've been touring ever since, I don't know what it is, 15 years or something at least. 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:09.839 Uh and it's a pleasure. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:16.480 We get to do the music we want and the music we write, and it's uh somewhat in the progressive rock vein, I think. 00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:19.599 But two of us being Crimson alumni would be that. 00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:24.000 And Marcus also was a student at one time of Robert Tripps. 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:26.880 Wow, there's a lot there, yes, indeed. 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:41.039 Um so I uh uh I posted can't stand interrupting, but I forgot to say our new uh album, which I just was touring with in September, is called Let's Thrack Again. 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:49.920 A uh hearkening back to an album of an album and a and a piece and a way of playing that we call Thracking in King Crimson Thrack. 00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:51.839 So uh Let's Thrack Again is yeah. 00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:53.440 T-H-R-A? 00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:55.200 Yes, only one A. 00:25:55.359 --> 00:26:00.400 I misspelled it when I presented the the song and the album title to the other guys in the band. 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:03.119 They I put it with two A's, T-H-R-A-K. 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:05.680 Uh was a Crimson album, and it's a piece now. 00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:07.200 Let's Thrack again. 00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:14.400 Uh is this a piece of ours on the on the new C D and elaborate packaging of that same name. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:17.440 I love that you do uh so much yourself. 00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:25.039 You know, you were mentioned earlier, I don't have an agent, I don't have so I mean this is like the new school way now, you know. 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:37.359 Um artists basically are mostly self-managed, a lot of them, or they work with a small team of people and they let the the music do the talking and um they go out there and and do their thing. 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:52.960 So this this really does keep you pretty occupied, it sounds like, you know, but you you're also like the hardest working man in show business, it seems, because on your days off, you know, you're talking to uh to the media or other musicians like myself. 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:56.799 Uh so I I when do you what do you do to relax? 00:26:56.960 --> 00:27:00.880 Do you do you have something you you like to do to chill? 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:06.079 Oh uh we've covered you've covered a lot of ground with that that stuff you were talking about. 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:08.720 First of all, I don't know much about the music business. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:09.920 I I'm a bass player. 00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:14.880 I'm a bass player and I get called to play with people bass, and that's what I love to do. 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:15.759 And that's great. 00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:23.440 Uh you know, I I'm not the best at understanding the business or managing or or being an agent and things like that. 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:30.400 Uh and the other part of what you you said to relax, I I relax pretty well, and it is kind of relaxing being on the road. 00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:31.359 I'm used to it. 00:27:31.680 --> 00:27:39.599 And uh and and I'm you know, I have a few hours free after this, and uh I'll I'll sit down with my notes and work on a book. 00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:49.519 And and uh, we who are lucky enough to be able to work on creative things like writing and music, uh it's lucky and and I don't find it uh tiring at all to do that. 00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:52.000 And I am not the busiest guy. 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:53.759 Even the guys I tour with are busy. 00:27:54.000 --> 00:27:58.640 Steve Vai is a maniac, he tours he would tour, he would play seven shows a night if they let him. 00:27:58.880 --> 00:27:59.200 Oh my god. 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:12.960 So I know from my experience that yes, I tour a lot and I work hard, but I know guys who do more and more of each of those things. 00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:13.359 Yeah. 00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:16.079 Okay, so I don't I we don't have

a lot of time left. 00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:17.519 I think you have to go in a couple of minutes. 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:18.720 If I'm is that correct? 00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:21.680 Uh I can I can extend it a bit, but I don't have too long. 00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:28.160 So we'll so we'll do uh uh so I I I posted on my um social media. 00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:31.759 I said, you know, I've got Tony Levin on on my show. 00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:33.440 Uh you have any questions for him? 00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:36.240 And I got a bunch of very quick posts. 00:28:36.319 --> 00:28:37.680 I just did this this morning. 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:44.960 And my buddy Fernando uh Perdomo, who's a guitarist, a friend of mine, who I just did a gig with in in Florida. 00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:50.240 Um we did uh where did we play at the Broward Center with uh Alston Torres in Fort Lauderdale? 00:28:50.319 --> 00:28:51.839 That was a fun, fun show. 00:28:52.079 --> 00:29:02.480 And uh he's played with a lot of people and uh he he said uh ask Tony uh how long does it take him to adjust to a new drummer? 00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:03.599 That was the question. 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:15.039 And I thought it's actually a pretty good question because you know to to preface this, like someone like Peter, Gabriel, I think everything is to a click. 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:16.960 Am I wrong or am I right? 00:29:18.319 --> 00:29:23.119 Um meaning the the pulse of the the the rhythm has been given. 00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:23.759 You don't know. 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:27.119 Not just Peter, but most most things I do, most projects I click. 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:34.480 But the other part of that, uh to adjust to a new drummer is an entirely different thing than the click to me. 00:29:35.119 --> 00:29:37.440 And uh it doesn't take long at all. 00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:39.200 I think uh minutes. 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:46.400 I'm not saying it's always easy or it's always great, but the you hear what each hopefully you're listening to what each other is doing. 00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:50.480 You hear that and you you uh make music together. 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:55.759 And uh I I can't think of an instance where it uh took a long time to gel or anything like that. 00:29:55.920 --> 00:30:04.160 Usually it's uh I'm lucky to usually be playing with very good players, and it's uh it's not always the same, the feel and the the pocket that you create. 00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:08.799 And uh that's all uh separate from whether there's a click or not. 00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:11.039 Sometimes there's not a click uh in beat. 00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:17.200 We've never used the click either with Danny or with Terry, and it's not a problem, but uh in some bands there's a click. 00:30:17.359 --> 00:30:21.119 There's still a lot of latitude of what drummers can do within a click. 00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:32.000 When there is a click, which means there is a pulse that's given for the tempo, when there is one, do you like having it in your ears as well? 00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:34.799 And me personally, I like just to have the drummer have it. 00:30:34.880 --> 00:30:36.079 I don't want to hear the click. 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:37.920 I like to hear the click. 00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:40.079 There you go. 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:41.920 Okay, Chick. 00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:49.200 Um because uh I I never thought about why, but I if the drummer is playing a little off of the click, that's fine. 00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:50.559 I can deal with hearing both. 00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:55.119 And if he's playing right with it, which usually is pretty pretty much with it, then that's fine too. 00:30:55.440 --> 00:30:59.519 And um I'm gonna play with the drummer, but I like to hear the click. 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:16.559 Are you uh do you use um how when you when it comes to technology, do you um enjoy using new applications and systems when you like for photography or editing? 00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:19.759 Um do you are you adventurous there? 00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:21.759 Uh not too much. 00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:31.440 The bass player in me learned a long time ago that the the more natural the bass is, the the the better you're gonna feel about that bass sound ten years in the future. 00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:36.720 Uh I think there was a time in the 70s that I would get the pedal of the day, the pedal of the year. 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:47.519 And then later when I heard those tracks, especially the Ottawa's the Mutron that goes, wow, wow, wow, it just sounds like that year, that six months, and I wish I hadn't used it. 00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:52.799 Uh the same with going digital, I didn't go digital for a long time, or I did, and I regretted it, and I went back. 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:57.279 Uh, I'm talking about bass playing, uh, although similar in photography. 00:31:57.440 --> 00:31:59.680 I went digital too early in photography, too. 00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:07.920 Uh so I learned as I go, and and pretty much being I like uh natural or we could call it analog as much as I can. 00:32:09.680 --> 00:32:12.880 Okay, well, I'm I know you're busy, so I'm gonna let you go. 00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:18.559 And uh um I just want to mention that you're on the road with uh Beats. 00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:22.880 Beats and Yeah, you're on the road. 00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:24.640 You guys have a bunch of shows coming up. 00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:26.880 You're heading up and you're in the Midwest right now. 00:32:27.039 --> 00:32:33.839 You got Ohio, you got Michigan, and then you're heading up to Canada, and then you're coming back to to New York. 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:42.240 Actually, you're at the Paramount in Huntington in New York on November 4th, and bunch of other shows, Prudential Hall here over. 00:32:42.480 --> 00:32:48.480 I'm just mentioning the shows that are close to close to me here, uh, in Newark um on November 9th. 00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:53.279 So you you've got a lot of stuff going

on until the till the end of the year. 00:32:53.680 --> 00:32:57.920 And uh do you know if um you're gonna tour with Peter? 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:15.200 I know, I think I know that we're not gonna tour this coming year because I I I don't know that for a fact, but I've been asking the management a long time because I need to book the year, and they said that uh they didn't know that that Peter had any plans for tour soon. 00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:17.680 In the future, after that, I certainly hope so. 00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:20.799 The fan and me and the bass player and me both hope so. 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:27.359 And I wanted to mention uh yes, I'm on tour with Beat, and we talked earlier about the my new book, the Book of Beat. 00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:37.680 And what I didn't well I forgot to mention is that's available two places at our shows where I was able to sign them all, and they're for sale at the shows, and also on Tony Levin Music.com. 00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:40.319 Bring some extra cash uh for that. 00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:42.480 Now, yes, please, everybody. 00:33:42.640 --> 00:33:43.119 Hello. 00:33:43.440 --> 00:33:46.079 Uh so like it doesn't cost enough to go to a show. 00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:47.359 Oh my god, it's so expensive. 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:50.240 It is, it's crazy, and getting there and everything. 00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:51.839 Like the fans are the best. 00:33:51.920 --> 00:33:54.319 I mean, I can't believe they it's awesome that they do this. 00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:58.799 So I just quickly, Beat is named after you did an album called Beat. 00:33:59.279 --> 00:33:59.519 Yes. 00:34:00.640 --> 00:34:02.160 Is that what the name comes from? 00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:03.519 Yeah, way back. 00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:17.280 I said Adrian had the idea and found the people, and then he went to Robert Fripp uh just to not to be sure Robert was okay with this idea, Robert being the founder, for those who don't know it, of King Crimson uh and in the led the band in the 80s. 00:34:17.440 --> 00:34:21.440 And Robert said loved the idea and suggested that we call it Beat. 00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:27.280 He Robert Fripp named the band Beat because uh that was the second of the three albums we did in the 80s. 00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:30.400 We did uh Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair. 00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:31.920 Lovely. 00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:34.079 Well, folks, I think you know what to do. 00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:38.719 And uh what have I got uh some some some stuff coming up as well. 00:34:38.880 --> 00:34:56.400 Um I'm gonna be doing that George Harrison tribute concert out at the space at Westbury next month, and then I'm in Germany for some shows in January, Hamburg, Berlin, and then I'm in LA at the end of the month in January for for a couple of shows in Ventura, um, LA, Anaheim. 00:34:56.719 --> 00:35:01.039 So uh yeah, and uh it's such a pleasure to talk to Tony Levin. 00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:02.079 I'm thank you. 00:35:02.239 --> 00:35:03.679 Nice having a conversation with you. 00:35:03.920 --> 00:35:06.880 Thanks for uh sparing me your time and and connecting. 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:07.760 It wasn't easy. 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:15.039 No, I mean it just happened quickly and we did it, and I'm glad, and thanks to um our publicist Keith James for setting it up. 00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:16.960 So that worked out great. 00:35:17.199 --> 00:35:19.280 And uh yeah, thanks, Tony. 00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:22.400 Thanks for tuning in, everybody, and uh we'll see you next time. 00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:23.280 Bye.