Adrian Belew

It's tempting to talk about guitarist Adrian Belew only in terms of the company he has kept throughout the past 30 years. He's been a sideman for Zappa and Bowie, was integral in King Crimson v2.0, and played on the best records the Talking Heads, Paul Simon, and Nine Inch Nails ever released. With such a curriculum vitae, it's almost easy to ignore the fact that Belew released two solo albums last year and is touring in support of his latest, Side Three, released this past April. To hear his solo work — from the spare, echo-heavy explorations to full-out ethno-funk — is to hear how central his guitar was to other people's projects (and, more than likely, one of your favorite songs).