Pretty Pink Rose (Duet With David Bowie)

This short and sweet CD-5 release from Adrian Belew is a rather pleasant addition to his catalog, especially for Belew fans. The disc features Adrian's duets with David Bowie (from the Young Lions CD) and daughter Audie (from Mr. Music Head), but also contains two previously unreleased tracks. These non-LP cuts are both acoustic guitar showpieces: the multi-layered "Neptune Pool," a paced instrumental, reveals a lulling quality with its addition of subtle, synthetic washes of ocean waves meeting the shore. And the brief "Shoe Salesman" appeals with its ditty-like simplicity and lyrical content, with humorous touches like "she's in love for the first time...again." Each duet on the disc received substantial radio airplay, rather uncommon for Belew. "Pretty Pink Rose" scored because of its solid pop quality; it also features one of Bowie's most impressive efforts from the period. And "Oh Daddy" garnered attention with its catchy, almost novelty-like pop sound. It was an even bigger hit on MTV, with daughter Audie Belew competing against Adrian's stylish suits and pink guitars for the starring role.