In the world of football, an MVP is selected after each season. The same goes with baseball, basketball etc. If there was an MVP elected each year in the world of music, Tony Levin would probably have been awarded it more times than Oprah Winfrey has lost weight and gotten fat all over again. Probably even more times than Cher has denied having liposuction on her ass. Just take a look at the talents he's played with over the years to be included on his resume under the references section: Pink Floyd, Robert Fripp, Peter Gabriel, Adrian Belew, Lou Reed, Liquid Tension Experiment, King Crimson, Black Light Syndrome, Laurie Anderson, Joan Armatrading, Paula Cole, Alice Cooper, Dire Straits, Brian Ferry, Peter Frampton, Steve Hackett, Indigo Girls, Etta James, Kenny Loggins, Chuck Mangione, Herbie Mann, Liza Minelli, Buddy Rich, Richard Thompson, YES, etc. etc.

So, when I was given Tony's latest solo CD, Waters of Eden I didn't know what type of music to expect, but I knew that it would be top notch. What I got was an eclectic mix of passionate jazz, fusion, contemporary, and new age virtuosity of a man playing the Bass like no others could. Does this album "shred"? Nope... no shred here. But this recording is an example of "class" -- something that is lost in so much of the music scene these days. Just take a look at how Metallica is suing their own fans over Napster. Class is a concept that Metallica obviously has no concept of.

On this CD, Tony brings you through a wide variety of Bass sounds and techniques, from his funk fingers (small drum-stick thingies he attaches to his fingers on his picking hand) to the Chapman stick, to the electric cello and fretless bass. Every song is a new and almost provocative exploration into the possibilities of how to play the bass as a featured instrument. There's even a nice little story about how he and his brother always wrote and performed a duet (his brother Pete plays the synth on this disc) for their mother on her birthday. And on this disc, there is another duet by them, a song called "Belle," and it is once again dedicated to their mom. But my favorite song by far is "Utopia," where Tony plays using a distortion, and solos with the fluidity and feeling much like a John Petrucci meets Eric Clapton effort. It's just a great song.

So, if you're a bass player, you probably already own this disc. If you're a serious musician, you SHOULD own this disc. If you're a Tony Levin fan, you'll love this disc. If you're into recording/mixing/producing music, you'll love the quality of the recording. The songs are all very well written. Passages come and go like a cool breeze on a hot sticky summer day. It's simply a very relaxing CD to listen to. Tony Levin gets my vote for MVBP (Most Valuable Bass Player) of the last couple of decades! This is why this disc also gets a rating for CLASS: 10!

Reviewed by Thingfish

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